First Flight

[nwadc10]

"

had trouble starting engines 3&4.... I am sure you are doing a fine job on these flights..... I envy you Justin...

No trouble starting #3...that's our APU #4 was a little more tricky. I'm back from my first trip and here's a little run down on some of the details. 5736 MEM-BOS(18th): Helluva first flight I tell ya what... we get the pax onboard and as they all get seated we find out we have an estimated departure time of 1.5 hrs later. Cpt decided to push anyways and we'd sit on a deice pad w/ the engines off so that when our dept time came we could start em up and roll. About 1/2 hr into our wait we get an ACARS from dispatch that our dept time has been pushed back another 3 hours! We started up and taxiied back to the gate. Oh, the reason for the delays was bad wx on the east coast. Just about the same time the last pax gets off the airplane we get another messages that says all ground holds into BOS are cancelled. We load the pax back up and go. So that's why we were a couple hours late as some of you noticed. When we were on the arrival into BOS we got a hold which you can see on the flightaware track if you look at the large version. No big deal, we did less than 1 trip around the hold and we were back on our way. The approach would have made an awesome picture. We landed 4R, ILS, almost down to mins (captain flew) and just as we were breaking out of the clouds i saw the app lights and a river boat in the water just under the app lights with a little fog in the area. Very cool. Sorry, couldn't get a pic though, we were of course short final at that time 4787 BOS-IND (18th): This was my leg to fly. Took off from BOS at night and climbed thru the clouds to see a clear sky above. First landing in IND...at night...flight attendant said that was the only bad landing out of the trip Touched down a little hard but we got to use the airplane again so it turned out to be a great landing 4754 IND-RSW (19th): Nothing too special on this one, decent landing in RSW. 4756 RSW-IND (19th): Finally starting to feel comfortable with the plane and ACARS which we don't get any practice on until in the real plane. Dodged TStorms all the way back to IND. Real nice landing in IND. 4779 IND-LGA (19th): Canceled, thankfully; weather. 4774 LGA-IND (20th): Canceled. 2972 IND-FLL (20th): Very nice takeoff and climb, feeling very comfortable with the airplane during takeoff, climb, enroute, and descent. Cool flight, followed the east coast of FL all the way down. Horrible landing tho, completely spaced out the crosswind when I was concentrating on airspeed on final because it was quite variable. 2973 FLL-IND (20th): Captain flew until the descent and gave the controls to me for the approach and landing. Dodged TStorms a little bit until getting to the north of FL. Real nice landing in IND. 4784 IND-BOS (21st): Uneventful flight, nice visual approach crosswind landing getting better, landed 4L. 5737 BOS-MEM (21st: Another uneventful flight other than winds being much stronger than forecasted so fuel was watched much more closely. Never in danger of having to divert for fuel tho. The captain would have signed me off to go to the line, however I need a minimum of 25 hrs of OE and that LGA cancellation brought me just under 2 hours short at the end of the trip. I have an out and back scheduled on tuesday to IAH with another captain."

[yoni63]

"Ok, now Justin, just like everyone has been saying to me about VATSIM, they keep telling me to just do it and get it over with, so now I want you to beg for an LGA flight! LOL"

[nwadc10]

"

Ok, now Justin, just like everyone has been saying to me about VATSIM, they keep telling me to just do it and get it over with, so now I want you to beg for an LGA flight! LOL

I'll do that...after you fly on VATSIM "

[yoni63]

Ok then! I'll get started brushing up!

[cyoo eddie]

"

I need a minimum of 25 hrs of OE

and join the line tomorrow

Justin, just curious, since I am not very familiar with a lot of airline logo, what is OE, ? and join the line? does that mean theywill actually put you to work, your training is done?"

[nwadc10]

"

I need a minimum of 25 hrs of OE

and join the line tomorrow

Justin, just curious, since I am not very familiar with a lot of airline logo, what is OE, ? and join the line? does that mean theywill actually put you to work, your training is done?

OE, more commonly termed IOE at my stage is Operating Experience (or Initial Operating Experience). This is when the FO flies with a check airman who's qualified in both seats and acts like a flight instructor. They don't send you to the airplane for the first time with any captain, it has to be with one of these OE captains. The line is everyday operations. Just as you mentioned, initial training is completed and I am released to join the line where I will initially be on reserve then I'll gain enough seniority to "hold a line". In this context a "line" comes from bidding where groups of flights are organized for the entire month and given a number which is what you bid on. This group of flights is a line in the bid packet. Being that reserve is the bottom of seniority I won't be able to hold a line and I'll get reserve for the month until I have enough seniority. Hope that helps..."

[cyoo eddie]

"I see... This is fasinating stuff, I dont know about anyone else... So once you are "signed off" you take regular flights, but since you are on the bottom of "totem pole", as my pappy used to say... you dont get to pick flights, they tell you were you are going? and when? I remember my brother, who flew dc9s for air canada, would bid every month on a "block" which was a bunch of flights grouped together. He started his career with air canada flying viscounts from toronto to timmins, ottawa and thunderbay, amoung others. I dont think any of the majors use viscounts any more... "

[nwadc10]

"

I see... This is fasinating stuff, I dont know about anyone else... So once you are "signed off" you take regular flights, but since you are on the bottom of "totem pole", as my pappy used to say... you dont get to pick flights, they tell you were you are going? and when? I remember my brother, who flew dc9s for air canada, would bid every month on a "block" which was a bunch of flights grouped together. He started his career with air canada flying viscounts from toronto to timmins, ottawa and thunderbay, amoung others. I dont think any of the majors use viscounts any more...

Yes, on reserve I won't know where I'm going until they call me for a flight or trip. Reserve provides a backup to the regular scheduled crew for that flight in case an original FO (or captain, then they take captain reserves) calls in sick, gets injured, no shows, or the flight had never been assigned an FO. That's when they start at the bottom of the reserve list and call until someone takes the flight/trip. My schedule for the first couple months will be reserve which are during specific times. Inside that time if scheduling calls me I have to answer the phone. Outside of that time they can still call, but I don't have to answer In that case they go to the next higher guy on the seniority list. Pinnacle has just switched to Preferential Bidding. This is a complicated system behind the scenes but in short it eliminates the traditional "line". It resembles GC's bidding system more so than line bidding. In this system pilots can customize and prioritize different variables for flights. For example, I can set the system so that the most important variable is overnights in ICT or to have only 3-day trips. The system then finds trips that match those criteria and puts it in my schedule. Those trips are then unavailable for anyone else to bid on, just like our system. With Preferential Bidding, there will be fewer vacant flights that aren't assigned crews which means less reserve time. In other words, I will "hold a line" much quicker than with the traditional line bidding system. At this airline they projected time on reserve at about 2 months with the old bidding system. The block bidding that you mentioned your brother did is the line bidding down here. Is he still flying for AC?"

[yoni63]

"Ok Justin, just go to the computer and punch in, 1. Newest plane 2. Highest pay 3. Hottest FA 4. Home often See what that kicks up Oh, and don't forget, 5. Flight that allows me to take pics of the cockpit and post them!!!!!! "

[nwadc10]

"

Ok Justin, just go to the computer and punch in, 1. Newest plane 2. Highest pay 3. Hottest FA 4. Home often See what that kicks up Oh, and don't forget, 5. Flight that allows me to take pics of the cockpit and post them!!!!!!

Just put in it and got this: No flights available matching criteria at this airline. Try FedEx. 1. They have the newest planes, 2. they have the highest pay, 3. there are no hot FA's"

[yoni63]

[mlegein]

"Maybe you can share your schedule with us once you're settled. We can follow it on Flightaware and maybe even fly along. I'm currently at KMIA waiting to board an American Eagle ERJ. If I knew what flights you were on, I might be able to book my flights accordingly."

[cyoo eddie]

"Justin, my brother took an early retirement in 1994. On one of his last flights he took me up with him to ride jumpseat. It was cool, but I dont remember a lot. It sure is a different perspective from the deck. We flew from Toronto to Montreal for a muffin on christmas morning in 94 on the dc9, then back to toronto. The big thing I remember is coming into montreal, atc told us to use one runway, on approch we could see it had not been plowed of snow so we did a go around. His career started early around 15, joined air cadets up here, and learned to fly. He told me the cadets paid for it, you had to pay for the test and licence. He says to get your private lisence back then was about $500 bucks... After that he did a couple stints in the airforce overseas flying sabers. Joined aircanada after the airforce, whent from viscounts to dc9s, made captain, went on the L-1011s as fo for a while on overseas runs, but didnt like it, then back to dc9s till retirement. I was to follow in his footsteps, so to speak, but I got into other interests and work and the flying career kind of flew by me. Something I will always regret Im afraid, So Justin, how long do they keep you on the crj till you can move up to the bigger birds? What is in their fleet?"

[nwadc10]

"

Maybe you can share your schedule with us once you're settled. We can follow it on Flightaware and maybe even fly along. I'm currently at KMIA waiting to board an American Eagle ERJ. If I knew what flights you were on, I might be able to book my flights accordingly.

I could probably do that when I'm actually scheduled for a flight and not on reserve. Tomorrow (24th) I do FLG5742 MEM-IAH at 1:40p and FLG5905 IAH-MEM at 4:15p. I will be based in MSP tho I guess a lot of my flying could be out of DTW."

[nwadc10]

"

Justin, my brother took an early retirement in 1994. On one of his last flights he took me up with him to ride jumpseat. It was cool, but I dont remember a lot. It sure is a different perspective from the deck. We flew from Toronto to Montreal for a muffin on christmas morning in 94 on the dc9, then back to toronto. The big thing I remember is coming into montreal, atc told us to use one runway, on approch we could see it had not been plowed of snow so we did a go around. His career started early around 15, joined air cadets up here, and learned to fly. He told me the cadets paid for it, you had to pay for the test and licence. He says to get your private lisence back then was about $500 bucks... After that he did a couple stints in the airforce overseas flying sabers. Joined aircanada after the airforce, whent from viscounts to dc9s, made captain, went on the L-1011s as fo for a while on overseas runs, but didnt like it, then back to dc9s till retirement. I was to follow in his footsteps, so to speak, but I got into other interests and work and the flying career kind of flew by me. Something I will always regret Im afraid, So Justin, how long do they keep you on the crj till you can move up to the bigger birds? What is in their fleet?

Interesting career. Most people who fly the DC-9 don't want to fly anything else. My airline operates only the CRJ. Currently only have CRJ200's for NW but in December we start flying the CRJ900 for DL. They don't know yet how they will handle the crews for the 900 but I could eventually be flying that as well. Otherwise I'll have to wait until I get to a major airline for anything bigger. These regional airlines are typically stepping stones to the big guys."