The time comes when your captains begin to tell you, "things are lookin' pretty good. You look ready to go captain and be on your own".
What a feeling. Great and scary at the same time, no? After that possible reality sets in, and you've thought how lovely it's gonna be. Does anyone think of how well they know how to fly?
For example: (the usual bad scene)
You're 15 nm out in a desent and ice is building, it's night, five or so other A/C are giving position reports in the area coming in and going out. And you have an idea of where everything is. Suddenlly you hear a difference in the engines. Surging. You look over and see a huge difference in the gauges. We know in training/drills what to do, but will we really do it right? And let's say you are familier with the airport. You've recently been cut lose...
1000hrs? Things like that boy.
Excuse me if there's not alot of detail, but I think it paints a picture. What do ya think?
1000hrs and a dream.
Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister, North Shore, I WAS Birddog
Catan Man,
Too Low, has a point. Talking to people who upgraded before you can be one of the best things you'll ever do.
When I finally took control of a piston twin, I only had about 800 hours and change. I was a little worried about how well I would do, and I quickly realized that there was a gap between the confidence I felt as an experienced F/O and what I felt as a fledgling Captain. Of course the only way to bridge it is to get some experience.
One thing I couldn't stop doing was worrying about the worst case scenarios like being stuck in ice, or VFR in 300 feet and 1 mile, mechanical failures, you name it. Sometimes, just my imagination was enough to scare the crap out of me. It didn't help that people would always relate how they scared the crap out of themselves in those very situations. After a while though, I realized that if I asked them how they brought it back safely, they would tell me. I would listen intently, and lock this imparted wisdom somewhere in my mind. Sure enough, I would find myself in a similar situation, and instead of saying "what now", I would instantly remember what I had just learned, and apply it. It made a world of difference when I had an idea to work on. It helps to cool the head down a bit and provides some focus
The moral is, if you think of a situation you might get into, ask someone about it. Then, when you find yourself in the same place, you can dust off those little "pearls" of wisdom, and use them to find your way out safely. Worked for me!...a few times.
Also, set limits for yourself in regards to weather, aircraft performance, etc, and STICK TO THEM. I was never once yelled at for turning around because the weather got too bad. Who's gonna say it wasn't
Skipper
Too Low, has a point. Talking to people who upgraded before you can be one of the best things you'll ever do.
When I finally took control of a piston twin, I only had about 800 hours and change. I was a little worried about how well I would do, and I quickly realized that there was a gap between the confidence I felt as an experienced F/O and what I felt as a fledgling Captain. Of course the only way to bridge it is to get some experience.
One thing I couldn't stop doing was worrying about the worst case scenarios like being stuck in ice, or VFR in 300 feet and 1 mile, mechanical failures, you name it. Sometimes, just my imagination was enough to scare the crap out of me. It didn't help that people would always relate how they scared the crap out of themselves in those very situations. After a while though, I realized that if I asked them how they brought it back safely, they would tell me. I would listen intently, and lock this imparted wisdom somewhere in my mind. Sure enough, I would find myself in a similar situation, and instead of saying "what now", I would instantly remember what I had just learned, and apply it. It made a world of difference when I had an idea to work on. It helps to cool the head down a bit and provides some focus
The moral is, if you think of a situation you might get into, ask someone about it. Then, when you find yourself in the same place, you can dust off those little "pearls" of wisdom, and use them to find your way out safely. Worked for me!...a few times.
Also, set limits for yourself in regards to weather, aircraft performance, etc, and STICK TO THEM. I was never once yelled at for turning around because the weather got too bad. Who's gonna say it wasn't
Skipper
