The biggest/most difficult learning curve for new pilots

[Les Habitants]

Just curious to hear from those who have some experience, be it CP,captain, or even FO, what would you say is the biggest or most difficult learning curve for new pilots coming off the ground with 250 hours into the IFR world in anything from a Navajo to a King Air/Metro/any turbine aircraft?

[FlaplessDork]

How to fly.

[CPLMike89]

when to say no.

[ditar]

Landing on centre line from the right seat.

[Liquid Charlie]

realizing they don't know as much as they think they do and that their stick and rudder skills are still in their infancy and the mentioned airplanes were originally designed for a single pilot and the real kicker -- the guy in the left seat sometimes ain't much more experienced than you are but he is still here so he obviously paid attention when he was where you are now --

[fingersmac]

Speaking up when you think the person in the left seat is making a mistake or a bad decision.

[burhead1]

Figuring out how you can safely slip out that little terd you left in your shorts.

How did the terd get there you ask?

you just turned final your first solo and you realize shat its just me here.
hand your student a little baggy just before there solo






edite for spelding

[Go Juice]

The reason why you are flying is because there is a client who is paying for the flight. If he's cold in the back and you are cooking up front, Tough it up. Unless it becomes a safety issue of course.

[I WAS Birddog]

Knowing where the line is between your ambition and greedy ambition when treating colleagues with fairness, even when they may not know the difference.

[Maynard]

Thinking because their last airplane was good in ice, this one is as well.......

[Sulako]

The first 100 hours of single-pilot IFR in IMC.

[LegoMan]

Dealing with a-hole owners.

[cdnpilot77]

Undersanding what you have signed up for with the company (ie: bonds), the airplane, the type of flying, and your place in the cockpit

[BingBong]

knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..

[Hedley]

Comprehending that the aircraft isn't there for you to fly it - it's there because it makes someone else money.

Too many very experienced pilots still can't grasp that little detail of profit in a business. If a business doesn't make money, it's gets shut down and no more airplanes to fly, and that means more pilots out looking for work.

With that little nugget of information in your brain, a light bulb might come on and you might think, "Hey, what effects revenue?" Well, you probably have customers, and happy customers are return customers. Your job is to keep the customers happy, within the bounds of safety and the regulations.

Try keeping the customers happy for a change. They pay the bills. No customers, no airplanes to fly, so no pilots.

The other light bulb might come on: "Costs! Hey, profit is revenue minus costs! What can I do to reduce costs?" For example, how you operate an airplane could affect the cost - again, within the bounds of safety and the regulations.

Now, I'm not saying you should be a company kiss-@ss. At the end of the month, you did some work and the company paid you - you are EVEN and no one owes anybody anything. But it's not healthy to hate the company you work for - if you do, quit and go someplace else. Try to help the company you're currently working for. They're paying you to do it, after all.

I really, really wish that a tiny bit of economics, finance, accounting and marketing was required for the ATPL. A lot more useful to pilots than using a bloody sextant.

Remember an ATPL is required to fly a big aircraft in a commercial air service.

[seniorpumpkin]

when to say no.

+1
More specifically, knowing your own personal limits in terms of safety. For example, how much of a tail wind are you comfortable landing with, how much of a crosswind are you willing to accept? Do you feel that it is safe to fly 200 feet off the deck when vis is 3 miles? When the chief pilot tells you to fly through a cloud in a VFR operation, what should you do?

[cgartly]

Now, I'm not saying you should be a company kiss-@ss. At the end of the month, you did some work and the company paid you - you are EVEN and no one owes anybody anything. But it's not healthy to hate the company you work for - if you do, quit and go someplace else. Try to help the company you're currently working for. They're paying you to do it, after all.

Hedley, thanks for posting the above. It applies to not only a pilot job's but all job's in general and at least for me has been a difficult concept to apply in real life.

[x-wind]

First 100 hours IMC single pilot, definitely.

I don't really agree with the above post of trying to save money. There is some consideration in that department, I concede. Being safe is your number one priority- always. Keeping a customer safe when is also best customer service. You're a pilot you not a bean counter. One shouldn't have a militaristic attitude while in the private world, however, aside from a courteous attitude you've an important role and it's a fairly understood one. AKA you've bigger fish to fry than trying to save pennies or kiss ass well.

I'll end with saying- you're an aspiring professional. Listen to what your gut tells you on how to act, do the hard things you think are right- like speaking up. This way you will learn and become that professional. Much of it is real risk management.

[chu me]

How to refrain from posting on Avcanada sounding like you have 10,000 hrs.

[co-joe]

Learning how/ when to sleep with locals, then later learning when/ how not to sleep with locals.

[DHCdriver]

That bloody INRAT.

[Hedley]

Heh - I've written (and passed, each time) the INRAT THREE times, so far! I am sure that I will write it a few more times, before I am done

I keep telling myself that I won't let my instrument rating lapse more than 2 years, but then ...

I guess it's important to Transport that we keep writing the INRAT over and over again.

[Big Pistons Forever]

knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..knowing how much coffee is too much..

That is why I tell all my CPL students to always make sure they do a Peeflight inspection

[swordfish]

How to refrain from posting on Avcanada sounding like you have 10,000 hrs.

How to refrain from posting on Avcanada even if you have 10,000 hrs.

[chu me]

How to refrain from posting on Avcanada even if you have 10,000 hrs.

Now that was F#%KING funny!!