|
CraZy GrinGo posted:The club I'm looking at is just east of Prescott airport in Arizona. They have a $300 fee to join, plus $25 a month membership cost. Every flight is $10 whether you're going up with an instructor or solo. A bunch of the guys are CFIs and they don't charge anything for their time. DPE charges $350 for the checkride once you're ready. They all seem like nice people, and everyone helps out when they can to keep things running. Gliding is a bit different in this respect. Not sure how it works in the US but here in Canada, there is only one glider license; as in, there's no private, commercial, instructor rating, etc. As such, it's the clubs who dictate what your experience level should be before they let you fly from the back seat. At the club I joined last year, I've got enough experience that they might ask me to start instructing this season; like your club, they don't charge students for anything but their solo or final flight tests, and in that case it's only a bit more than the Transport Canada fee for the final flight test. I've said it once before, but I'll say it again...all you guys should go out to your local club and go for a flight.
|
#
¿
Apr 8, 2013 21:20
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 11:00 |
|
|
helno posted:I inquired about this with the officers of my squadron and apparently the rumor started because a few other summer training programs are possibly getting cut. Yeah I heard that rumour and dismissed it pretty quickly. For all it's faults, the air cadet gliding program has been a stepping stone in a lot of very important peoples careers in aviation.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 30, 2013 04:07
|
|
|
Watching that video made me sick to my stomach; it's one of the worst things I've seen on the internet in a long time.
|
|
#
¿
May 1, 2013 03:55
|
|
|
Mr. Funny Pants posted:Again, thanks for the responses. The gentleman on the other end of the discussion is apparently married to the idea of planes falling from the sky from PRINTED GUN TERROR. Forgive my ignorance, but isn't there still considerable debate as to whether or not these 3D-printed guns even work reliably? I mean, we've seen one demonstrated once - who's to say that it wasn't an outlier in terms of reliability?
|
|
#
¿
May 17, 2013 03:31
|
|
|
Again, I'm ignorant to pretty much anything firearms-related beyond basic care and operation, but I heard a number of years ago that some manufacturer made a handgun that could easily pass through metal detectors. I don't know I would stand up to the slightly higher level of scrutiny today, or whether it was true or not in the first place, but it would seem to me that the whole "it can get through security!" argument is kind of stupid. Especially when you consider what's been/being smuggled through in recent years. Beyond that, 3D printing is really loving overhyped these days. My brother is a mechanical engineer and he has looked into this field as an investment opportunity; at the moment, there are so many limitations as to what it can do that 3D printing isn't much more than a novelty, even for cheap, simple plastic parts. My brother said that the printer they used for that gun is essentially unattainably expensive for the average person. That's not to say it won't ever overcome its limitations, but that it's going to be a long time before it does. I put "worrying about terrists and their invisible 3D printed guns" in about the same category of "the robots took my job and stole my wife!".
|
|
#
¿
May 17, 2013 05:53
|
|
|
CYYC 050031Z 02014G24KT 20SM TS BKN031CB BKN100 16/11 A2985 RMK CB6AC1 VIS NE 3 BLDU/LTNG NW-NE/MAMMAS ALQDS PRESRR SLP110 DENSITY ALT 4500FT Your momma's so fat she fills ALL the quadrants.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 5, 2013 01:56
|
|
|
MrYenko posted:I read the text of H.R. 1848, and it basically just gives the FAA the impetus to go ahead and change part 23, without providing any specific guidance on how to do that. It could be great, it could be worse, it could result in a certification process that has nebulous requirements and a subjective FAA official with yay/nay power on certification. This is the FAA we're talking about here...you and I and everyone else knows there's really only one possible outcome here. 
|
|
#
¿
Jul 18, 2013 20:10
|
|
|
The Slaughter posted:Any pilots here that got LASIK? Especially those working commercially? Just wear glasses and be done with, or suck it up and get a set of non-disposables. I've worn glasses when I fly since the day I got my Class 1 medical.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 3, 2013 06:09
|
|
|
Mikojan posted:Isnt the limit enforced below 50? Rules are different in North America compared to Europe...very different. For one, transition altitude is 18,000 feet, whereas in Europe, as you know, it is much lower than that; as low as 3000 feet.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 15, 2013 09:13
|
|
|
Captain Apollo posted:Can we update the OP? God help us all. Congratulations 
|
|
#
¿
Aug 15, 2013 22:51
|
|
|
ProFootballGuy posted:Probably been covered dozens of times in this thread, but what's the real story for career-changing into flying, at age 29+? My PPL training (as nascent as it is) has only confirmed my love for aviation. If you ask me, I'd say you would have to have a dent in your head to leave what sounds like a high-paying job to work in aviation. Here's my advice; you clearly love to fly, don't spoil your love by making a career out of it. Flying never really stops being fun, but all the drudgery that goes into being a professional pilot can make it pretty unbearable in spite of that. It isn't just the pay that sucks; the job can take a pretty serious toll on personal relationships at the same time. If you're married or have children, I would say that making the jump is pretty much a no-go (unless you don't like your wife). With your income, keep it a hobby; buy your own airplane...buy a share of an airplane. That way, you can fly and keep it completely fun. At very least, you'll be able to choose when and where you get to fly. MrChips fucked around with this message at 01:58 on Aug 16, 2013 |
|
#
¿
Aug 16, 2013 01:51
|
|
|
ProFootballGuy posted:You're right, but my career saps my life out of me one day at a time. It pays well, but I'm questioning whether waking up every day for a career I'm good at, but can't stand is worth the "nice" apartment and BMW. I seriously get depressed seeing myself doing this for the next 20-30 years, and would like to pursue something I truly enjoy. You might say that, but being a pilot literally saps the life out of you. As Kodiak said, my circadian rhythm is so screwed up that unless I look at my phone or calendar, I pretty much can't tell you what day of the week it is...wake-ups as early as 2 am do that to you after a while. Consider that this kind of irregular schedule has been proven over and over again scientifically to be very detrimental to your long-term health as well; I have no numbers to back it up, but anecdotally, if you've been a pilot for your career and you live into your 70s, it is the same as living into your 90s for an average person. Oh, if you have a significant other, they'll hate 2 am wake-ups as well because you're pretty much guaranteed to wake them up as well, to say nothing of the days when they need you emotionally or sexually and you're just not there (even if you're physically there). Many of your non-aviation friends will drift away from you; on the one hand it does show you who your friends truly are, but it is still a very painful experience nonetheless. As for pay, that complicates things even further. Sure, you can say you'll be able to live on $30k per year, but if you've grown accustomed to your current lifestyle, it's going to be a hell of a shock...and that's before we get to the significant other thing again, and the fact that $30k is unrealistic to expect for your first or even second job. Imagine telling your friends/girlfriend/wife that "I'd love to go to Mexico for a week of vacation but I/we just can't afford it." I am lucky (sort of) in that my aviation job gives me fifteen days off per month and I earn a wage that isn't completely insulting, but at the same time I still work a second job on my off days just so I can live reasonably comfortably...and this is after nearly ten years in the industry. I can't afford to buy my own place in spite of that, even if I completely cut out the luxuries I afford myself (a used BMW, plus thinking of buying a motorbike). I am also in a "golden trap", as it were...I can't afford to move up to the airlines as it would be a huge pay cut for at least three to five years, plus a big increase in the number of hours/days I work too, which kills off the second job in the process. The only way out and up for me is to either leave the industry and drive a mining truck up in Fort McMurray for triple the pay I make now, or go overseas to fly (loving lol at that option, and the other one too). If it sounds like we're trying to dissuade you, we are. The industry preys on the passion and enthusiasm of people like you (and the rest of us, for that matter) to keep pay and working conditions miserably low; don't fall into the trap too.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 16, 2013 04:02
|
|
|
Well that was quite a rant last night wasn't it? Having sat on it for a day, I still stand by what I said entirely, even if it did come out a bit unfiltered. Speaking on behalf of everyone else, I think some of what makes us so upset is that we see a lot of our previous selves in you wide-eyed, excited new pilots. I know I feel like I could somehow recapture that spirit, but I haven't figured out how to get there just yet. SCOTLAND posted:Dang MrChips, that post I'd rather not say out in public, to be honest, as I've said some unkind things about them in the past. If you're wondering about the 2 am wake-ups, they come out of the fact that our clients are almost all oil companies doing employee shuttles up to McMurray, and a lot of them want their guys up there for a 6 am shift start. xaarman posted:Nothing wrong with an overhead break, it's the fastest way to enter the pattern and land - the initial point should be no different then reporting an X mile straight in for sequencing. No, but when was the last time you saw a GA pilot fly a properly tight circuit? Flying an overhead break makes it all too easy to fly that lazy, three mile wide circuit in your 172. 
|
|
#
¿
Aug 17, 2013 01:50
|
|
|
Captain Apollo posted:This is actually the local pilot owned pilot maker and 'trainer.' I've got 30 hours in it myself! Guy buys it, gets license in it, sells it to next guy. How's the paint and cockpit? Beyond that, the price is low because Cherokees 140s are super undesirable as they're the cheapest, lowest-powered low-wing Piper model. For your intended purposes, however, those undesirable characteristics make it about the perfect airplane.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 15, 2013 03:21
|
|
|
Knockknees posted:The consensus in my household is that it looks like a pre-WW1 de Havilland or Avro or something like that. But since its from a photo from an airshow, maybe a replica? It's a replica of a Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2; it was at the Goodwood Revival this year apparently.
|
|
#
¿
Oct 11, 2013 21:21
|
|
|
bunnyofdoom posted:Oh joy. Well then, this sounds lovely. As SCOTLAND and others have said, its see and be seen out there; if anything, its more important to keep your head outside in any kind of practice area, whether its Class F airspace or otherwise because of the nature and density of the traffic. Just because you're making all your calls doesn't absolve you of any responsibility for traffic separation. And yeah, get used to guys with their noses buried in their maps/iPads barreling merrily along, not talking to anyone.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 6, 2013 04:18
|
|
|
MrYenko posted:What I learned from that video: 747-100 initial climb is poo poo. I know an old hand who flew the -100 for Air Canada, and he's always said that it was the slowest climbing jet airliner he ever flew, and that includes the A340-300. Also, back in the days or airline regulation, everyone flew 747s because they would only be allowed to fly AAA-BBB a handful of times per day, so they stood a good chance of filling a 747, rather than today where you have a bazillion RJ or 737 flights instead. Don't discount the ego thing either; if your airline had a 747, it was a pretty prestigious thing to have.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 8, 2013 04:56
|
|
|
atehist posted:That's cute. Get back to us in a few years after being in this industry for a while. Or how much fun you have bombing up and back to the tarsands knowing the barely literate chucklefucks in the back make four times as much money as you do staring at valves all day long. I try not to think about it...now I'm sad.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 29, 2013 06:30
|
|
|
atehist posted:Get out of the tarsands. The people in the back still make four times my salary, but at least the view is sometimes nice. Oh believe me I'm getting the hell out of all this nonsense as soon as possible. With recent developments in my personal life, I have a lot more flexibility to do things; where I laughed six months ago at the prospect of going overseas for work, now all of a sudden it doesn't seem all that implausible. Not saying I am going to do it for sure, but it's an option worth looking into.
|
|
#
¿
Nov 30, 2013 17:27
|
|
|
I've never flown there myself but I do know that if a butterfly farts in Brooklyn it's enough to cause an hour's weather delay in New York.
|
|
#
¿
Dec 5, 2013 22:05
|
|
|
Unicom posted:This and there's a book of 8 practice exams called the Private Pilot and Recreational Pilot Written Test Book by Culhane that was really helpful. The exam book is good, just don't read anything else by Culhane because he's an idiot and likes to put wrong things in his books (then defend it when you call him on it - loving lawyers!).
|
|
#
¿
Dec 12, 2013 06:10
|
|
|
atehist posted:I am sad to say that the lower wages are starting to creep northwards into Canada with the likes of Sky Regional and Encore. We will probably see a repeat of history all too soon. I don't necessarily think we'll see a full repeat of what happened in the States. Not only is there a heightened sense of awareness here because of what happened down there, but there is already some pushback happening. Scuttlebutt is that Westjet has had some trouble finding people for Encore (not many people with an ATPL are willing to jump at a $36k/yr job, even if the left seat is sort of close). Beyond that, there is a sense of stagnation in the mainline pilots (which is a close second behind a bad contract in terms of formenting bad morale) and they're extremely pissed off about Encore's scope. On the other hand, I'm still super worried about Sky Regional, Rouge and Georgian; whatever happens at these three airlines will set a pretty huge precedent for everyone else from the top to the bottom of this industry. Apart from my desire for a serious change in scenery, that is a contributing factor as to why I'm exploring the prospect of overseas employment. While the prospects of having a flying job in Canada are decent and getting better going forward, the prospects of having a good flying job are getting worse. MrChips fucked around with this message at 21:54 on Mar 1, 2014 |
|
#
¿
Mar 1, 2014 21:28
|
|
|
Mr. Funny Pants posted:I know this isn't the A/T Aviation Disaster thread, so famous accidents are probably no more interesting to you guys than car accidents are to people in AI, but you guys are qualified to form a reasonable opinion. I have a quick question about what happened at Tenerife. No, there wasn't enough time or space for KLM to veer off the runway, and any attempt to do so would have probably caused an accident nearly as bad. You have to remember that you're talking about a 400-ton machine going (at that point) the better part of 120 miles per hour...you just can't change direction all that rapidly without causing some serious problems. Yawing the aircraft to swerve off the runway would probably blow every tire on the aircraft, plus the wing on the outside of the turn would catch a lot more air than the inside wing, likely flipping the aircraft on its back at that kind of speed. Then there's the issue of what next; now, you're careening off the runway at high speed with questionable braking and directional control...not a good situation. Really, for all his fuckups in the minutes leading up to the accident, Van Zanten did the only safe thing he could do in the end; sit his jet on its rear end and hope like hell it gets off the ground soon enough. MrChips fucked around with this message at 02:05 on Mar 12, 2014 |
|
#
¿
Mar 12, 2014 01:59
|
|
|
hobbesmaster posted:Still surprised regionals don't have you sleep on the plane to save $50. You joke about that, but it already happens regularly.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 22, 2014 16:33
|
|
|
You're working at what I assume is QX now? if you ever overnight at YYC, drop me a line and we'll grab a coffee or something.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 24, 2014 22:37
|
|
|
Yeah and why the gently caress do I need to wear my seatbelt? I mean I know the risks and I don't want GUBMINT telling me what to do God libertarians piss me off. Minclark, you know that basically every rule we abide by in aviation is the result of a large group of people dying a needless and completely preventable death? The reason why you can hop on an airplane and enjoy a safe ride to the Ayn Rand Fan Club convention is because someone, somewhere paid a steep price and we, the industry, worked with government to make sure it never happens again.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 25, 2014 20:19
|
|
|
This might end up looking silly, but:bunnyofdoom posted:Just wondering, is there a similar law in Canada? No, but I wouldn't put it past Enlightened Leader Steve-Un Harper to try and pass a law like this before he leaves office. Fortunately I think saner heads would prevail and it wouldn't get far. quote:IE do I need to be an instructor, Either this quote:or do something else non-carrier like to get hired by a regional carrier? Or this. If you go this route and go work at a 703, be prepared to work for 12-24 months in a non-flying role at the company before you get into an airplane. quote:Or can I hop right outta flight school with my 250 hours, get really lucky and get hired by, I dunno, bearskin Don't count on Bearskin; they're pretty firm on 1000TT from what I gather (plus they kinda suck from what I hear) quote:or Air Georgian? They have their cadet program, but with your diploma and licenses you'd likely get to bypass that...straight into a 12-24,month non-flying job. Then again you could get lucky and go direct to the right seat, but don't count on that. Hope that helps!
|
|
#
¿
Mar 27, 2014 23:42
|
|
|
CBJSprague24 posted:Is this common in Canada? I remember watching Ice Pilots and seeing people progress from "grunt" to "van-driving grunt" to "rampie" to flight attendant for some god drat reason before getting a crack at the right seat, but didn't know if that was just a Buffalo thing. It's pretty common in the air taxi side (what we call 703 operators and you Americans would call Part 135s). There are lots of reasons why they do it; insurance history for you as an employee, as a vetting process to weed out fucktards...in a nutshell it's "PAY YOUR DUES WHELP", just in a slightly different way. Some companies are pretty cool about it, maintaining a seniority list of the non-flying pilots and giving them experience in lots of different areas of the company before they fly; others are scummy as gently caress and treat you little better than slave labour with a vague promise of flying at some point. As much as I'm not a Buffalo fan, they actually do a good job of this aspect. Of course at the top of the cycle it all goes out the window; a few years ago here were a number of pilots who went straight from being 200-hour wonders and straight into the right seat of a Dash at Air Canada Jazz, but that is definitely not the rule around here. MrChips fucked around with this message at 04:42 on Mar 28, 2014 |
|
#
¿
Mar 28, 2014 04:38
|
|
|
bunnyofdoom posted:Fine take off was at 6am Just wait till you get out into the industry and your second takeoff of the day is at 6 am. 
|
|
#
¿
Apr 4, 2014 22:01
|
|
|
MrYenko posted:Just had MIA approach lead a departure push with an EclipseJet at the front. Just tell the guy to pedal harder next time because the King Air behind him is catching up, it's what Edmonton Centre did once 
|
|
#
¿
May 19, 2014 22:07
|
|
|
Name your dog DeltaOscarGolf.
|
|
#
¿
May 28, 2014 03:08
|
|
|
Call me an old man, but I really don't like the digital ATIS use here in Canada, mostly because it is painfully slow. I kid you not it often takes almost three minutes to cycle through the whole message, and inevitably you copy the last two-thirds of the message and then all of a sudden "STANDBY FOR NEW ATIS MESSAGE...STANDBY FOR NEW ATIS MESSAGE..."
|
|
#
¿
May 31, 2014 19:58
|
|
|
C'mon, you and I both know it's wildly optimistic to expect CARs operators to be competent. Or there for that matter
|
|
#
¿
Jun 3, 2014 20:19
|
|
|
Once stayed in a hotel where there were used syringes lying around the room. Not too thrilled about that one.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 29, 2014 23:17
|
|
|
Went flying today, didn't get smoked by a mudspike. I consider that a win.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 19, 2014 00:28
|
|
|
The Ferret King posted:You forgot "and emergency/guard frequency because we forgot to change COM2's setting." No there's always some helpful dickhead who will remind you that you're transmitting on guard.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 26, 2014 21:31
|
|
|
Arcella posted:First solo today! I just flew in the pattern and managed not to crash or sound like too big of a goober on the radio, so a success as far as I'm concerned. Congratulations! Incidentally, my first solo was 15 years ago today as well. Been an...interesting...ride so far.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 29, 2014 20:23
|
|
|
azflyboy posted:Are paint and lightbulbs really expensive in Canada or something? There is a little bit of bullshit going one with respect to the airport authorities running and maintaining the airports (OK, a loving dump truck full of bullshit) versus building new, shiny prestige projects (so they can feel justified charging passengers ever higher "airport improvement fees"). The biggest problem, though, is the toll nature takes on this sort of thing. YYC and YEG both have terrible problems with freeze/thaw cycles killing the wiring to various sections of runway/taxiway lighting - by now, I would suspect that most of the wiring is made of patches, which no doubt greatly reduces the quality and quantity of the electricity available at the lights. Weather, specifically our ridiculous winters, also explain why we don't have centerline/TDZ lighting unless its absolutely necessary (ie. CAT 2 or greater ILS) - the amount of plowing we have to do kills flush-mounted lighting in a bloody hurry, along with the freeze-thaw cycles allowing moisture to get into the pavement where it otherwise shouldn't be. Another issue is that NAV Canada seems to like running the lights on the lowest possible setting at all times - more often than not, they're running on Level 1 or 2 (out of 5). As an example, as of this moment, all the runways and taxiways at CYYZ (Toronto-Pearson) are running at level 1 or 2, and most of the other airports in the Toronto and Montreal FICs are reporting the same. Even with all that in mind, I've always thought that CYEG's lighting was seemed worse than other airports, so there's that too.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 31, 2014 04:14
|
|
|
azflyboy posted:I figured that weather was a large part of the problem in Edmonton (it's the first time I've heard warnings about runway potholes on the ATIS), but since Vancover and Seattle are about the same temperature (I think their winter averages are within a couple degrees C), I wouldn't have figured freezing would be as big an issue there. Average temps are sort of similar between Vancouver and Edmonton but they don't tell the whole story. Edmonton is seriously freeze your balls off cold in the winter - temperatures at or below -40 are not uncommon. To add to that, it can be +10 Celsius the very next day. For perspective, the coldest Vancouver ever sees in any given winter is about -10C (20F). As for deicing and snow clearing, I would generally agree with your sentiment, but there is a bit of a push among the bigger operators here in Calgary to at least explore the possibility of central deicing. If only from an environmental perspective it would be a better solution than the mess they make deicing at the gate/on the ramp. MrChips fucked around with this message at 00:19 on Aug 1, 2014 |
|
#
¿
Aug 1, 2014 00:15
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 11:00 |
|
|
SCOTLAND posted:Just doing my logbook for the first time in a few years. Like they always say, right place at the right time. One of my classmates made Big Red barely five years out of college; I'm ten and counting and seemingly no closer than I was then. Protip kids; be a management-pilot at the end of your career, not the beginning.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 2, 2014 19:26
|
|
