Aviation Megathread | "It is not a pilot shortage. It is a pay shortage"

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Aviation Megathread | "It is not a pilot shortage. It is a pay shortage"

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sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

So it's actually more like trespassing.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2015 18:36

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# ¿ May 8, 2024 11:53

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

ZombieLenin posted:

I mean, I don't fly airplanes or work on them, but how quickly would your standard flight attendant catch on if a pilot set the autopilot for a gradual decent into a mountain?

I mean obviously when the terrain warning starts blaring, or if another pilot is locked out of the Flight Deck pounding on the door... but assuming that the captain is taking a long time in the shitter, how quickly would a flight attendant figure it out?

I'm just curious.

I think a flight attendant (or any person without inner-ear issues) would instantly understand that the plane was in a descent. Disgruntled pilot could easily claim it was initial descent or whatever if asked, but the guy who went out for a poo poo break will be pounding on the door very soon because he knows it's not time for the descent.

# ¿ Mar 30, 2015 20:37

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

thehustler posted:

Is any of this doable?

Yes of course it is.

thehustler posted:

And is it needed for what is a very rare occurance?

Absolutely not.

# ¿ Mar 31, 2015 11:02

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

You guys somehow actually make me excited about getting an instrument rating as soon as possible. I'm going to wait until I can fly more regularly again though.

# ¿ Apr 11, 2015 10:55

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

Hey some loving rear end in a top hat in a gyrocopter did a thing that will certainly cause news reporters to ask ridiculous questions about GA and further damage its reputation.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/helicopter-lands-west-front-us-capitol/story?id=30339315

# ¿ Apr 15, 2015 19:16

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

I don't see a tail number in any of the photos so my guess is that it is a part 103 ultralight.

It certainly looks like an ultralight.

# ¿ Apr 15, 2015 19:58

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

We're receiving word now in studio that the pilot does NOT have a license and had NOT filed a flight plan! The FAA needs to answer for this remarkable oversight!

# ¿ Apr 15, 2015 20:06

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

e.pilot posted:

Started tailwheel training today, should have done this years ago.

What plane?

# ¿ Apr 19, 2015 05:35

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

overdesigned posted:

Today's edition of Good Idea Theatre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWXndyhO3YM

(he flew it 80 miles [!!!] back to his home airport and is rumored to have removed the props himself before any investigators arrived)

And then we find this Trade-A-Plane listing that popped up shortly thereafter:

What the gently caress

edit: screenshot of ad

sleepy gary fucked around with this message at 02:38 on Apr 24, 2015

# ¿ Apr 24, 2015 02:35

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

Is it possible the 2020 mandate will be pushed back?

# ¿ Apr 28, 2015 02:08

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

e.pilot posted:

I could never see myself owning anything other than an EAB aircraft, certified planes are just wallet rape.

That means you can never fly in IMC, right?

# ¿ Apr 28, 2015 05:53

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

helno posted:

Just the opposite. You can get incredibly capable avionics that work seamlessly with an autopilot for a fraction of the cost.

Many Experimentals have instrument panels that would make a regional airline pilot jealous.

That's very cool and I'm glad to know this for the future.

# ¿ Apr 29, 2015 03:40

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

Six planes is by no means a lot or noteworthy even at smaller class C airports at busier times.

# ¿ May 2, 2015 11:17

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

hobbesmaster posted:

Looking forward to future boxing related NOTAMs.

If that happens it won't be for another 15 years.

# ¿ May 3, 2015 08:14

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

Kawachi posted:

You guys would be much better off than us down here.

A 172 / PA-28 is probably around the $270/hr private hire, $300/hr solo, $350/hr dual mark these days

It's a little more than this in Austria, even before considering that you have to pay for every landing including touch'n'goes to the tune of 8-25 euros.

# ¿ May 8, 2015 11:00

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

e.pilot posted:

Congrats! IFR makes flying so much less stressful.

Really?

# ¿ May 24, 2015 07:21

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

KodiakRS posted:

As a 28 year old "babyface" I feel your pain. I'm always getting asked "Aren't you a little young to be an airline pilot?" I'm becoming more and more flippant with my answers as time goes on. According to my chief pilot "Aren't you a little old to not be in a wheelchair?" is not an appropriate thing to say to a customer.

Hahaha.

Just tell them about how you feel much older than 16.

e: then have the other pilot say, "he's very mature for his age!"

sleepy gary fucked around with this message at 07:32 on May 30, 2015

# ¿ May 30, 2015 07:29

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

azflyboy posted:

I got to deal with my first "we're returning to the field" situation flying for an airline recently.

Shortly after takeoff, we got a master warning chime/light, accompanied by a "Fuselage Door" annunciator . This was followed about two seconds later by a "thump" from somewhere in the back of the airplane, and my ears popping as the cabin pressure changed.

A quick look at the pressurization controller verified that the cabin had dumped for some reason, and flipping over to the "doors" page on one of the cockpit displays indicated that the aft cargo door indicated as unlocked or open. Since the door let go early in the climb, I stopped the climb at about 3000ft, and told ATC what was going on, while the captain (I was flying this leg) started running through the relevant checklist, which (somewhat unnecessarily) indicated that we should land as soon as practical.

After about ten minutes of various calls to flight attendants, ops, dispatch and maintenance, PA's to passengers, and assorted checklists and FMS reprogramming, we did a normal approach and landing, although ATC decided to have an ops truck follow us down the runway to make sure we weren't shedding luggage or airplane parts behind us.

From talking with the maintenance guys who met the airplane, it sounds like the cargo door didn't get latched correctly on the ground (either a ramper made a mistake, or the latch didn't work properly), and the pressure differential in the climb was enough to break the seal on the door and vent the cabin. The door was secure enough that there's no way it could have actually opened in flight, and the "thump" turned out to be the blowout panel in the aft bulkhead letting go to equalize the pressure between the cargo hold and cabin.

Aside from one flight attendant having some ear pain (sinus congestion and rapid pressure changes don't mix) after we landed, everyone on board ended up being fine, albeit an hour late to where they wanted to go.

What altitude was the cabin pressure when the door popped?

# ¿ Jun 7, 2015 16:26

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

azflyboy posted:

From what I can find, cabin was probably somewhere around 500ft when the door popped, so it would have been about a 2000' difference in altitude.

After we got on the ground, it took the captain and I several minutes of discussion to decide what altitude we'd been at when the door popped, since we wanted to make sure our reports were consistent, and that we hadn't oversped the flaps during the event. Eventually, we decided that since we had just been handed to departure, and I remembered checking the flap position before pitching down after acceleration height before the master caution tripped, we were probably somewhere around 2000-2500' when the door popped.

Hmm. Can you tell me about how the cabin pressure is generally managed during ascent? It always seems like immediately after we leave the ground, the pressure drops more quickly than the ascent rate would explain, but I never have an altimeter with me to watch it happen. Basically, I suspect you airline pilots of cranking down the cabin pressure very quickly and it is not pleasant! J'accuse!!

# ¿ Jun 7, 2015 19:47

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

PT6A posted:

I remember going on a Young Eagles flight when I was 13 or 14. It makes me sick to my stomach to think that there are kids that age that would act with such utter disrespect, given a similar opportunity. I can't even begin to understand that.

The parents involved probably deserve a sound beating.

I was at a fly-in once and I was talking to the owner of an Extra 300L while he was letting kids sit in the plane. Most of them would just sit there and maybe gingerly touch the stick, but this one kid got in and started wailing on the stick like he was in a dogfight. The owner was like OK! HA HA HA time to go!! and shooed the kid out. I can understand a kid not having any knowledge of how to act in a cockpit of a stationary aircraft but when you're talking about intentionally messing with flight controls and radios during flight I can no longer comprehend it.

sleepy gary fucked around with this message at 11:31 on Jun 10, 2015

# ¿ Jun 10, 2015 11:26

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

My first solo, the 152 took off like a rocket and I was at pattern altitude in a fraction of a second. My CFI recorded my landings from the control tower :3:

# ¿ Jun 14, 2015 23:08

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

Hauldren Collider posted:

Regarding headsets, my instructor says I shouldn't go with active noise cancellation because he thinks as a student pilot I need to be able to hear the engine respond to the throttle. Should I still spring for active cancellation if I'm willing to pay the money and just leave it off? Seems like a waste to me.

Regarding the drones, they should really have some sort of altitude ceiling so that stuff like a 2-inch RC helicopter doesn't count.

I think that all ANR headsets still work just fine with ANR turned off. edit: nm I see you already said that. If you want ANR later and can afford it now, then go for it. Leave it off until you are comfortable enough to lose some of the sound cues of the engine.

# ¿ Jun 19, 2015 21:05

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

The Slaughter posted:

So a fun first phone call to the chief pilot was "about that ground school on Monday? I'm going in for an emergency appendectomy tonight it appears!" Recovering at home now. Anyone know what I do here re: medical? I don't need to actually fly for a month plus and appendectomy seems like it's probably a routine self-ground, declare on next medical assuming no complications but if anybody knows otherwise would appreciate the details. Oh and work was super cool, said just get better and they'll reschedule me. Sucks but Murphy's law eh?

Get well, get well soon, we want you to get well!

# ¿ Jun 21, 2015 04:36

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_8mdH20qTQ

# ¿ Jun 22, 2015 14:18

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

Hmm yes there is an unknown problem with the fuel system but whatever let's go!

# ¿ Jun 22, 2015 16:32

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

My C172's (old old model) engine sump just dribbles like it has a prostate issue if I try it with the fuel selector in the off position.

# ¿ Jun 22, 2015 19:39

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

The Ferret King posted:

A cautionary article regarding the dangers of misinterpreting Temporary Flight Restriction textual descriptions:

A thump on final

This is terrifying :stare:

# ¿ Jun 24, 2015 02:41

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

Will ADS-B In depict active TFRs along with weather and traffic?

# ¿ Jul 27, 2015 03:59

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

The Ferret King posted:

Typically the FAA violates the pilot and enforces some sort of certificate action. Then the pilot appeals. This goes to a judge (of sorts, I think?) called the Chief Counsel.

Chief Counsel decisions are binding for that specific case and future occurrences of the infraction. Which means that the FARs aren't really the only thing you need to pay attention to as a conscientious pilot.

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/agc/pol_adjudication/agc200/interpretations/

One pertinent chief counsel decision that comes up a lot, is the requirement to establish 2-way communications with the proper ATC facility before entering Class C or D airspace. The violation occurred because a pilot entered the airspace of a tower, which was under an approach control for a different major airport, but was still talking to the center over that approach control. The enforcement action was upheld because the pilot failed to establish 2-way communications with the appropriate facility (either the tower or the approach control) before entering that tower's airspace.

It's ridiculous in a way, because pilots associate communication with ATC in that instance, as assurance that their travel through associated controlled airspace is coordinated (controllers call each other and pass this information along, but it goes unheard by the pilot).

What??

Is this real life?

# ¿ Jul 27, 2015 06:36

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

Wow, that sucks. I could easily imagine myself doing that. As it is, I do plenty of flying in the local delta airspace while talking to the local charlie approach guys. They only hand me off to tower at the delta if I want to land there. According to that interpretation, I could be busting the delta airspace constantly and not even know it...

# ¿ Jul 27, 2015 07:57

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

The Ferret King posted:

Unlikely, because that approach control has jurisdiction over the Class Delta tower's airspace. They delegate a portion of it for the tower to use, but they'd be responsible for coordinating your transition.

The issue is when you're talking to LA Center, but you're cruising through SoCal Approach's area of jurisdiction, and you go through Ontario's Class C. You shouldn't be talking to LA Center still and it could (will) be found that you did not establish 2-way comms with the ATC facility having jurisdiction of that airspace. Because LA Center doesn't have jurisdiction there, SoCal Approach does.

You can't be talking to Waco Approach, go through Austin Bergstrom's Class C and be considered "ok."

That's a scenario that comes up much less for me but this is something I am going to keep very much in mind for whenever I'm talking to center in the future, and I am glad to be made aware of the issue. I had absolutely no idea that I should be watching out for something like that. Also very glad to know that my flying around in the local delta airspace was kosher (as I fully expected it was until you scared me!).

# ¿ Jul 27, 2015 08:12

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

PT6A posted:

So, you agree that the problem is with unnecessarily rigid standards, and not the very concept of a medical examination itself? Good! Me too!

If the problem is that aviation medical examination standards are excluding people who are actually medically fit to fly, the problem is with the standards, not with the fact that we require medical clearance for pilots. I agree that people with conditions that are well-controlled with medication, where the medication does not create its own issues interfering with one's fitness as a pilot, should be able to hold a medical. Possibly even a class 1. That doesn't render the very concept of a medical clearance nonsensical, it just means that the current standards are hosed.

Maybe we're talking past each other since I'm only familiar with Canadian laws, and not very familiar at that. Perhaps the standards and exemptions are quite different.

Yes you are "talking past each other" because Apollo is informed and personally affected by the regulations and you are in a different country with a lack of familiarity of your own regulations to begin with.

# ¿ Jul 28, 2015 05:47

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

A class 3 medical screening is not the type of exam that will alert you to serious conditions you have that you didn't know about, with the possible exception of whatever they are looking for in the piss test.

# ¿ Jul 28, 2015 15:09

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

Because there was never a need for a class 3 medical in the first place is the point, I believe.

# ¿ Jul 28, 2015 15:25

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

MrChips posted:

Nobody gives a flying gently caress about how many hours you or anyone else has in their logbook. As far as I and many others are concerned, your logbook is a binary thing. You either fall into the "enough" category, or the "not enough" category.

Enough/Not Enough for a particular job or aircraft or situation or what?

# ¿ Jul 29, 2015 03:29

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

MrChips posted:

That's the great(?) thing about the "enough/not enough" metric; it can apply to any of those situations and more.

Ah, gotcha. Makes sense to me.

# ¿ Jul 29, 2015 04:21

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

Presumably they are refillable.

# ¿ Jul 29, 2015 06:43

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

Captain Apollo posted:

Well - I am going to try to earn the 'Captain' in my username.

After all the recent Civil Air Patrol posts, I decided I would look into and see how I could benefit the next generation of aviators.

There are THREE squadrons in my town, and each website says they are in desperate need of pilots. Two squadrons have cadets, and another squadron is for 'senior members only.'

I am not much into military marching orders, but I am into providing youth and opportunity to grope the gently caress out of airplanes and encourage people.

I'm sure I'll get jaded and quit within a month, but I think it may be beneficial to some others.

Who wants to place bets on how much this will be a complete cluster gently caress?

For posterity, my main goals are to encourage others to pursue general aviation (and beyond) and help motivate others by being a positive aviation role model. (internet persona not withstanding)

Do you have to buy into the whole situation? I went to a CAP ... uh, meeting? once with my friend when I was maybe 12. It was really dumb and when I pressed them for information about actually flying airplanes they had basically nothing to tell me. I didn't go back. If you can just show up and be the cool guy with an airplane and some intro lessons then I think it would be a blast. If you have to wear a uniform and be all yes sir no sir then lol.

# ¿ Jul 29, 2015 17:15

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

I had no idea there was a particular oil level that the engine "likes"... what exactly does that mean and how do you figure it out?

# ¿ Jul 31, 2015 06:27

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# ¿ May 8, 2024 11:53

sleepy gary: Jan 11, 2006

Well, that I know, but it sounded like Apollo is implying there is a "sweet spot" within the range of acceptable fill levels for your engine. I have an O-300 and I've just been adding a quart when it's at 6.

edit: I've been doing a little bit of reading and it seems like people get less oil consumption on the O-300 by keeping it at 5-6 quarts, which means I might be keeping mine too full. I am using a lot of oil, too.

sleepy gary fucked around with this message at 06:56 on Jul 31, 2015

# ¿ Jul 31, 2015 06:52

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Aviation Megathread | "It is not a pilot shortage. It is a pay shortage"

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