Calling all guys with experience

B18rules · Post by **B18rules** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:29 pm

I know there are alot of young/new guys on Avcanda reading these threads so I will direct my 2 cents toward them. Remember first off that every body was a new guy at one time and were wearing the same shoes you are. With that being said also remember that no body owes you anything. If you pay attention,show good work ethic along with proving that you can think for yourself you will be just fine. Above all things (float operators especially) do not get outside your personal comfort zone. (for too long that is) when you do your float rating you will learn alot of new things-depending on who does it! When you get the chance to fly with your new boss or his chief pilot you will need to become a sponge and soak up all of the knowledge. At times he will probably put you outside of your comfort zone to see how you will react. With that being said do not let him scare the crap out of you. Do not get pressured to do something you are not comfortable with and do not be afraid to say "maybe this was not the best choice for me" I have seen alot of people fly around scared,on edge and knowing that they really should not be a pilot but stay with for reasons I will never know.

So just remember that you are your own person and just because someone thinks that they can treat you like shit or push you around and make you pay for training THEY CAN'T DO IT!!

To all you new guys just remember you are your own person

Dominic220 · Post by **Dominic220** » Fri Apr 06, 2007 6:45 pm

RE: "Fuel – you can never have too much (unless your on fire)."

Or if you're a float driver going into/getting out of a really short field... in which case you want as little fuel as possible.

Tui · Post by **Tui** » Sat Apr 07, 2007 9:46 am

You are the sum of your experiences. This is not the same as hours. Dealing with emergencies, new aircraft types, locations, weather conditions, and people is how you increase your experience and skill as a pilot. Don’t be in too much of a hurry to get to your retirement job. In most cases, once you’re flying the same routes and aircraft your exposure to new experiences (and consequently your growth as a pilot) will drop drastically.

swordfish · Post by **swordfish** » Wed Jun 13, 2007 10:57 pm

I must say how refeshing it is to see the improvement in the level of grammar, spelling, intelligence, and general credibility in this thread. Actually a pleasure to read, after the drivel in many other threads!

Not to mention the obvious experience and knowledge here also; it's amazing what comes out of the woodwork, ain't it...as well as the use of html (or is it "BBcode" on this board) in the posts - makes it interesting and readable.

jollie fine showe, chaps!

Rowdy · Post by **Rowdy** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 4:44 pm

What a fantastic thread!! KAG.. much respect for posting it. Too bad I wasn't around for it when you initially posted.

I'll add this.. something a lot of us forget about.

Without health and happiness we have nothing.

Take good care of your hearing. Wear sunglasses to help those eyes from degrading due to UV radiation. Watch the gut line. It's easy when we're younger.. it's tougher and tougher as we age.

Plus.. if you're not happy it'll affect performance and decisions as well as health.

Cat Driver · Post by **Cat Driver** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 5:09 pm

[quote]_________________
*****************************

The hardest thing about flying is knowing when to say no.

******************************

You can learn to fly in hours, it takes years to learn when not to.

******************************[/quote]

Snowroller · Post by **Snowroller** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 8:15 pm

Cat`s sayings still make the most sense in the most direct way

Airtids · Post by **Airtids** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:13 pm

Rowdy, seriously, nobody else mentioned it, I figured you would for sure:
WEAR YOUR SEAT BELTS, SHOULDER HARNESSES INCLUDED!!!

How's that?

sheephunter · Post by **sheephunter** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:14 pm

Early in my so far very short career, my best buddy, pilot told me "it is like a pendulum... you hold your arms out. One is low, this pail is filled heavey with good luck, the other is high, it is the empty experience pail. In your career you hope that they equal out and balance. As you use up your luck, the experience pail fills and over time it will come to balance in the middle. From there keep filling the experience and try not to use up all of your luck.

I know this isn't the exact way that it was told but I hope it conveys the message. It may be an old saying that I have never heard or it could be one he actually made up. I don't know. But it makes sense to me.

By doing what everyone else is saying will definitely help from dipping into the good luck pail for something easily avoidable.... like dipping your tanks before every flight.

Good post guys.

Rowdy · Post by **Rowdy** » Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:27 pm

Airtids wrote:Rowdy, seriously, nobody else mentioned it, I figured you would for sure:
WEAR YOUR SEAT BELTS, SHOULDER HARNESSES INCLUDED!!!

How's that?

ALWAYS wear them. And TIGHT! To the point that it's almost annoying. It'll save your pretty little faces. Ask me how I know

Thanks 'tids! I had almost forgot to point that out.

I'm sure there are a lot of folk with advice for me!!

oldncold · Post by **oldncold** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 10:53 am

great post

my take on this theme is with 1 addition

it is a triangle with 3 = things placed inside

1/ fuel
2/weather
3/ state of aircraft ( snags that have come up or have been defered)

a)if you have lots of gas and good weather you can usually be ok with a snag or 2

b)if you have a good airplane and lots of gas the wx can be crappy sans cb's that exceed your aircraft capability.

c)if you have good wx and good snag free aircraft you can run at vfr legal fuel. unless your company sop forbids it.

The point is this - never do I leave with the base with less than 2 out of the 3 items in the triangle always stack the odds in your favour.

tiggermoth · Post by **tiggermoth** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 11:11 am

Excellent reading in this thread for a new guy to the flying game like me. (Been an engineer for a while though)

I just want to add one thing to the comments about fuel though, ALWAYS make sure you drain your sumps and check for contamination. In my time as an engineer I have met folks who have been in a hurry and skipped the sumps, and had the engine quit on the runway due to water in the fuel. Just the other day I drained the sumps on a company A/C after returning from a flight and found 320ml (almost a pop/beer can worth) of water in EACH wing. Engines don't run on water, ask the guys who have found out the hard way.

Thanks everyone for the excellent advice in this thread!!!

buck82 · Post by **buck82** » Sat Jun 16, 2007 4:44 pm

The three stages of development philosophy, which was relayed to me once upon a time by a former coach, which i think relate very well to pilots

1) Pilots who don't know anything
2) Pilots who think they know everything
3) Pilots who recognize how much more there is to learn

Not everbody makes it to the third level

Flying Nutcracker · Post by **Flying Nutcracker** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 5:51 pm

You gotta give a lot to get a little. But down the road that little becomes priceless! Goes for any industry...

CLguy · Post by **CLguy** » Sun Jun 17, 2007 8:14 pm

As you are progressing up the line with lightning speed, remember to be good to your copilot because some day he may be your captain!!!

oldtimer · Post by **oldtimer** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:47 pm

Never do anything stupid, quickly.
Never run out of airspeed, altitude or ideas simultaneously.
If your co-pilot or Captain is a female, she is just a pilot who smells nice.
treat her as a pilot.
Keep up thy airspeed lest the earth rise up and smite thee.
"I suppose"--"I suppose it should work"-- "I suppose that is all right." Supposition is the mother of all @#$!-ups.
You can only tie the record for low flying.
Remember Murphies Laws.

Calling all guys with experience

safety