December To Remember

It's been a while since I've had the time to post. Last time I checked in, it was just before the beginning of the last IOE trip. Due to having several legs canceled, it was necessary to have one more trip to meet the required IOE hourly minimums.

The last trip was a piece of cake. The check airman told me after the last leg of the first day that he would be signing me off. That made the trip go by quite a bit faster. The remainder of the trip was enjoyable and easy, except for a minor emergency that we handled on the last leg of the final day.

After IOE, I enjoyed 5 days off with my family before heading to New York to hunt for a crash pad and begin my reserve tenure at JFK. I found a crash pad in Queens near Jamaica Station that was willing to give me a flat rate for 7 weeks. It's a depressing little place with 8 beds in one room, a bathroom, a kitchen with no stove, a 13-inch tv with basic cable and inconsistent wireless internet. It is cheap and cheap is good right now.

Being on line is MUCH more relaxing than IOE. It's nice not being next to a line check airman having every move evaluated. I'm actually making fewer mistakes with the relaxation of being in a non-jeopardy position. It's also more fun.

The story that was being passed around prior to IOE was that new hire pilots are utilized heavily for the first 100 hours. Once a new pilot reaches 100 hours in the aircraft, several limitations are removed. I have been flying a lot and have already reached 100 hours which makes me eligible to take off and land at special use airports, on icy and contaminated runways, with crosswinds up to the aircrafts limitations, where wind shear is forecast and more. The first thing I'm looking forward to doing is The River Visual at Washington Reagan National. Hopefully it will pop up on my schedule soon.

The thing I've enjoyed most is visual approaches. With a greater comfort level in the aircraft, setting up and configuring for a visual approach is now routine. Very little time is spent in training teaching visuals and most of it is learned in the aircraft. Luckily, they haven't been a struggle for me. Things happen a lot faster on a visual approach and it isn't as regimented as a precision or non-precision approach. Most of the set up is at the pilot flying's discretion. Needless to say, being at 10,000 feet in the downwind and cleared for the visual approach can be a challenge. The CRJ is slippery and although there are several ways to slow it down, it has to be done quickly to ensure staying below 250 knots and configuring for a stabilized approach. I love doing visual approaches.

I have enjoyed several trips up and down the East Coast and have a few photos to share. I keep thinking about bringing the DSLR on a trip, but its bulk is too much. My Canon pocket camera doesn't do too well in low light situations, so a few of the photos are kind of noisy. Unfortunately, my internet connection here at the crash pad is unreliable and slow. For now, here is one photo.

This is Lower Manhattan from over the Hudson River at 3,000 feet. We were following the Hudson North for a visual approach to runway 22 at LaGuardia. This was taken just before sunrise. In the foreground is Battery Park and at the bottom is the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. I should have been more clear when I posted this. Too tired. Thanks for the correction, Rob G.

This has been a busy week with several fill-in trips from Boston to Bangor. Big Sky Airlines has ceased East Coast operations and we are picking up several of their routes. Tomorrow, I start a 3 day trip with a round trip to Melbourne, FL and an overnight at LaGuardia. I am glad to have that versus being released at JFK to the crummy, depressing crash pad. The rest of the trip will keep me busy and put me close to 96 hours for December, just 4 hours shy of the legal limit. Right now, I'll take all of the flying I can get.

I'll try and post more photos, as well as a few interesting stories, when I have a better internet connection.

Flying good. Away from family, BAD. It really sucks to be 2,000 miles away on Christmas. I will be reassigned from JFK to CVG in February and hope that makes the commute easier...for the time being.

The Big Chill, Part Two

YYZ. Up until now, my only experience with it was listening to an instrumental performed by Toronto's Rush on the fantastic album Moving Pictures. Now, I've been initiated at the source of Rush's inspiration.

Toronto Pearson International Airport. Big, Canadian and cold. We landed on Saturday afternoon with light snow flurries and freezing cold temperatures. We settled in for a nice overnight at the YYZ Travelodge (I wish the room was a nice as the elevators) hoping that the next day wouldn't be so bad.

I thought these airport police vehicles were pretty interesting. They look like Segway meets Robocop. Canadian GST at work!

Overnight, two feet of snow had fallen in Toronto. When it was time to head to the airport, it was still snowing and visibility was less than 1/2 mile. Things improved, but getting to the airport was challenging. Due to icy roadways on the ramp, the safety mounties decided that the inter-terminal buses weren't running. It took an hour for the buses to resume their schedule and get us to the international terminal...where...our aircraft sat all night long with no nacelle covers. Yes, the engine nacelles had 2 feet of snow in them and that, among other things, kept us from an on-time departure. Every other flight to JFK had been canceled. That made us the only game in town and nobody was complaining about delays.

A cold soaked airplane with snow in the engines requires a few extra steps. Takeoff weights are reduced by contaminated runways as well as the need to use anti-ice for the engine cowls and wings. To make matters more challenging, ATIS kept changing every 7-10 minutes between freezing rain and snow. We can depart with snow falling, but not freezing rain. Making the necessary calculations, communicating the max gross load to customer service agents so they can determine who stays and who goes and getting in sequence for JFK arrivals on a bad weather day meant pushing back 90 minutes late. The ATIS changed to snow and we headed to the de-icing pad.

At Toronto, de-icing is a very well orchestrated operation. They use Volvo boom trucks that can be driven from the truck and watching them do the two stage process is fascinating. After 15 minutes, Type I and IV had been applied and our holdover time had been issued. It was finally time to leave The Great White North.

The flight to JFK went smoothly. When we arrived, a message from crew scheduling informed us of a few changes. Our deadhead to Boston was canceled, which canceled our flight to Halifax. We were spending the night in New York. The new schedule called for a deadhead to Boston on Monday with legs from BOS to Nashville to CVG.

Monday morning, we headed to BOS as scheduled. In BOS we were having lunch waiting to operate the Nashville flight, when the flight attendant received a call from crew scheduling. She was informed that our Nashville flight was canceled and she was released and going back to Cincinnati. The captain and I gave each other a high five, thinking we were to be released too. Nah. We were going to operate a flight to Baltimore and then deadhead back to Cincinnati on the last flight of the day.

The weather in BOS kept deteriorating and it started snowing heavily. When we got to the gate, we found out that our flight attendant was sitting ready reserve at JFK and was just boarding a flight to BOS. Her departure time at JFK was our departure time from BOS. We would be delayed...again. We finally pushed back and had to be de-iced...again. The winds were howling and it was pretty turbulent in the terminal area around BOS.

A nice day in Boston...NOT!

Things smoothed out en-route and a nice tailwind got us to Baltimore 10 minutes ahead of schedule. The winds in Baltimore were worse than Boston, much worse. Winds were 300 at 28, gusts to 43. It was really bumpy on short final, but a few extra knots for the gusts helped bring us to the runway firmly, but smoothly.

Unfortunately, we arrived 15 minutes after the last flight to Cincinnati and had to spend the night. Our normal crew hotel was overbooked and it took an extra hour for company to find us rooms. Finally they found rooms for us at Amerisuites, which was just days away form becoming a Hyatt. All of the rooms were remodeled including 42 inch plasma televisions. Too bad it was late and we had a 5:15 report time for our deadhead back to CVG.

One day five of a four day trip, I finally made it home. I had been away from home for ten days and it was wonderful to see everyone again. I can't say enough how hard it is being away from home.

Unfortunately, due to having four legs canceled, I didn't get enough hours to complete IOE and will have to complete one more trip. That is scheduled to start this Sunday. Thankfully, I'm off until then and get to enjoy time with my wife and kids.

The Big Chill - Part One

Today I paid pennants for yesterday's glorious weather. To say it was cold today would be like saying "It's a little warm" in Phoenix on a July day. With each destination, I kept thinking that it couldn't possibly feel any colder. Well, umm...it can get colder and it certainly did.

We started off in Baltimore where it was mild and 40. It was a little breezy, but not bad. Our leg to Boston was smooth and easy until the descent in to the terminal area. At about 16,000 feet, we began hitting heavy turbulence and some wind shear. That lasted until about 11,000 feet, which was just below the cloud layer.

As I turned final for the visual to 33L, the whitecaps and foam on Boston Harbor along with a Coast Guard cutter bobbing up and down told me what was in store for landing. The winds were 280 at 20, gusts to 28. Nice. The wind correction crab gave me a nice view of downtown Boston. Surprisingly, I kicked in just the right amount of rudder as we touched down and it was a smooth landing.

40 minutes later, we had a full load of passengers and were on our way to JFK. The weather forecast for JFK looked much the same as BOS. For some reason, people were a little touchy on the radios today around JFK. I was the non-flying pilot on this leg and, when it was time to check in with JFK approach, made the usual call..."XXXair XXX, level at one-two thousand with Echo". There was no response and the radio traffic picked up a bit. Sometimes they don't have time to respond and you just wait for them to acknowledge. About 30 seconds later, the controller came on and said, "XXXair XXX, you checked in yet?" I responded with "XXXair XXX level at one-two thousand...echo." He came back and asked if I had any information for him. Umm...I said ECHO. I told him that I had echo and he said that maybe I should consider giving it to him next time before being asked. He gave me a descent and I responded. He came back, sighed and said, "This is going to be fun...XXXAIR XXX. Descend and maintain 8,000 and call me back when you have FOXTROT". This was at about 54 minutes after the hour and it had just changed. All he needed to do was give me the current altimeter, but he felt like punishing me for the fact that he didn't hear my read backs. Grouch.

We were cleared for the visual for 04R. The controller brought us in right behind a 757. We slowed down to 170 knots and shallowed our turn to put some distance in between us. The 757 couldn't see the airport and had to join the localizer to find the runway. Once inbound, one of the 757's crew started complaining to the tower about the 20 knot direct crosswind and said they should change active runways. The controller said that 04R was the available runway and if they wanted to land, that was the one. They put on their big boy pants and landed just fine. They still were complaining on the ground. Another crew asked to copy a number because of sequencing issues. Everyone at JFK was grumpy today and it was COLD. The temperature was minus 3C, which is about 25 degrees. With the wind chill, it felt like it was about 8 degrees. Brr.

We had a few hours to kill at JFK. There is an employee commissary in the subterranean dungeon underneath the terminal. It's a little dark and dreary, but the food is really good and cheap. There is a station where they make chopped salads to order. You hand them the lettuce and choose the ingredients and they make it right there for you. Very good.

With another hour to kill we headed over to the crew room where I did the most recent Jeppesen and flight standards manual revisions. Big fun. Our aircraft arrived a little late, but with a light passenger load, we were able to push back on time. Apparently, there were only 8 people in New York that were brave enough to face the Arctic Chill in Toronto.

To be continued...

Clear, Blue & A Million

Today was one of those perfect flying days, which are few and far between this time of year in the Northeast.

We started off at CVG. It was below freezing and we did have to de-ice, but there was no queue and it took just a few minutes. It was my leg to Raleigh-Durham, NC and the flight was beautiful. I like flying over the Ohio River Valley this time of year. When it's calm and cold, the warmth of the river draws a gray line of fog along as it meanders along its circuitous journey. Even with the delay from deicing, we made it to RDU on time and loaded up for the next leg to Boston.

Our route to Boston took us directly over New York City and I was able to shoot a few photos as we flew over Manhattan. I also took a few photos of the approach in to BOS. Boston was absolutely beautiful.
This photo was taken from 31,000 feet over New York City, so the quality isn't great.

This photo is of the base leg for runway 27 in to Boston. At the left is the airport and the entrance to Boston Harbor. Downtown is just out of view to the left. What a gorgeous day in Boston.

We had a full load from Boston to Baltimore, with most of the passengers headed for this Saturday's Army-Navy game. As we flew over the Hudson River, we made sure to point out West Point for the Army fans.

After we landed in Baltimore, we ended up on the same shuttle as several of our passengers from the BOS-BWI flight. They complimented me on a nice flight and the especially smooth landing. I can't really brag. The winds were pretty light and 30+ mile visibility made the visual approach to 31L pretty easy.

The flight attendant really wants to go to G&M Restaurant for crab cakes. Apparently, this is the place for Maryland crab cakes. We're all headed there tonight for an early seafood dinner. It doesn't take much to convince me to have seafood.

Other than a 150 knot headwind between BOS and BWI, it was a perfect day for flying.

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There are three more days left on this trip which I expect to be the final for IOE. Tomorrow we fly back to Boston, then JFK before heading to Toronto for our overnight. Sunday we'll be doing much of the same, but overnighting in Halifax. I've never been to Halifax and am looking forward to it. Hopefully by Monday I'll be released from IOE and ready to start life on the line.

IOE Update Three

With Thanksgiving out of the way, there's finally a little time to catch up. Due to illness from the line check airman that was supposed to fly with me on trip number two, it was canceled. That gave me a nice five day block at home. We're starting to develop a routine for the days that I'm at home and it's amazing how much you can pack in to a short amount of time.

Trip number two was a 2 day that began on the 21st in CVG with only one leg to Detroit (DTW). Other than a late departure due to the aircraft arriving late, it was a quick, smooth trip. In DTW, we were assigned 8 hours, 3 minutes rest which was already 57 minutes short of minimum rest. Under certain circumstances, minimum rest can be reduced to 8 hours but nothing less. That meant our report time and departure would be delayed the next morning from DTW.

The weather for the 22nd was looking pretty shaky. Two systems were supposed to collide and it wasn't looking good for the next day. Our schedule was DTW-JFK-ORD-CVG and we expected to be delayed the entire day.

Much to our surprise, the weather held off until the Chicago-Cincinnati leg and we were never more than 10 minutes behind the entire day.

The last leg from ORD-CVG made up for the easy day. We traveled through some pretty severe weather from Indianapolis to Cincinnati. We re-routed North to avoid a pretty strong line of thunderstorms just prior to the approach in to CVG. On the approach, there was some fairly strong wind shear along with pretty heavy rain. On short final, the wind shear changed to a gusty crosswind. The landing was ok, not great. It was difficult to land on centerline with the gusts and I ended up about 15-20 feet right of center. Oh well, it was safe and the captain didn't feel compelled to shadow the controls. The weather was pretty intense and I have to admit that it was a little intimidating.

Weather notwithstanding, it was a good, yet short trip. Unfortunately, getting home wasn't in the cards and I had to spend the night in Cincinnati. There was a flight on Thanksgiving morning that had plenty of open seats and would get me home by 11:30 a.m. For the first time in 17 years of marriage, we were hosting both sides of the family.

I was lucky enough to get a first class seat, the flight was on time and the Thanksgiving celebration was a huge success. Everyone ate well, had a great time and left happy. I added a few pounds to my chiseled physique too.

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My next trip starts today (Monday), but I had to leave Phoenix and Saturday in order to get a seat. Many thanks to the Delta crew for inviting me to ride in their 737 jump seat. Without them, I would have been stuck in Phoenix. Jump seating is one of the privileges we, as commuters, enjoy.

Things are about to get busy. Today's trip is three legs. CVG-Rochester (ROC), ROC-CVG and CVG-Minneapolis (MSP). An 18 hour layover in MSP should give me enough time to check out the Mall of America, which is adjacent to the airport in Bloomington.

Tomorrow is just one leg from MSP-CVG. Then I have to deadhead to JFK for some class I know nothing about. After the class, it's another deadhead back to CVG for a 4 day trip that begins on Friday. The first day Raleigh-Durham (RDU), BOS and an overnight in Baltimore (BWI). Day two is BWI-BOS-and overnight in Toronto (YYZ). Day three is YYZ-JFK-BOS and overnight in Halifax, N.S. (YHZ). Day four is YHZ-BOS-Nashville (BNA)-CVG. I suspect that the last leg will be a line check to release me from IOE.

Well that's all for now. Due to the JFK class in the middle of two trips, this is an unusually long trip away from home. Being away from my wife and kids for so long after the lengthy training is hard.

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The weather in Cincinnati sucks today. It's 45 degrees and raining. Here's a few photos taken from my hotel room looking north towards the Ohio river and downtown Cincinnati. Dreary.

From this photo, you can just barely see the outline of Downtown Cincinnati, about 1/2 mile away. Just behind the bridge on the right is Paul Brown stadium where the Bengals play.
This is North and West. That is I-71/75 and the hills of Covington, KY which run along the south bank of the Ohio river.

Trip One, Over

Warning: This post is kind of long-winded.

The first trip is finally complete. In the course of 4 days and 3 nights, I was able to experience more than could have ever been expected. As a bonus, a good friend came all the way to Boston for a brief visit.

Saturday has already been summed up, so let's begin on Sunday. Knowing better than to count on a hotel to properly program a wake-up call, my cell phone woke me up on time. Good thing, the wake up call that had been requested never came. Other than that, the Crowne Plaza Old Town Alexandria was pretty nice.

After convincing the van driver that we did indeed need to go to DCA, not Dulles (IAD), we made our way through security and out to the plane. The weather was great; above freezing, clear, blue and a million. We decided that I would fly this leg. We took departed from runway 01 and made the early turn to avoid area P-56, the prohibited area to end all prohibited areas. When departing visually, the procedure calls for a left turn "as soon as practicable" to avoid P-56. This means starting the turn about 50 feet AGL. Normally, most turns are not initiated until at least 400 feet AGL. After the turn, maintain a ground track directly above the Potomac River. This puts the Pentagon on your left and P-56 on your right. Good times.
It was severe clear all the way to Boston. Our route took us directly over Baltimore (BWI), Atlantic City, Manhattan, Bridgeport, CT and Providence, RI before landing in Boston. We had a 2 1/2 hour layover before heading for Louisville, KY (SDF) so I took advantage of the time and enjoyed a nice lunch at Legal's Test Kitchen. Yum. Weather en-route wasn't too good and the radar kept us clear of a pretty sizable line of thunderstorms. Once on the ground, the weather delayed our departure and we arrived in Boston later than scheduled. After checking in to the very nice Hilton Boston Logan, it was time for room service and bed.

Monday morning, I was the first to arrive at the aircraft. I went ahead and did the security check, cockpit safety check and started the APU to get power to the aircraft and warm it up for everyone. The captain and flight attendant arrived soon after and before we knew it, 50 passengers we aboard and ready to go to Philadelphia (PHL). The performance data and weight & balance had been calculated and we were just about to call for push when there was a loud knock on the flight deck door. The flight attendant's inter-phone was inop. The captain called maintenance and was just finishing up the paperwork so we could depart when...another maintenance issue came up. This one was a no-go.

After nearly 2 hours of chatting with maintenance and operations, we were expecting to have to ferry the aircraft to Cincinnati. It was decided that we would move the passengers to a new aircraft and still continue to PHL. We finally made PHL and turned around. On the second trip to PHL, we ran in to another maintenance issue with a funky landing light. Our day that was supposed to end at 2 p.m. didn't end until 5. So much for a nice afternoon in Boston.

My friend Teller, a fellow pilot who flies a more manly Beech 1900 for another carrier, flew down to Boston with his fiancee to have dinner with me. We had a nice visit, told a few lies and before too long, it was time for Teller & Co. to head back to Maine. Teller has an interesting blog called Journey In Flight. If you haven't been there, I highly recommend a visit.

I was pretty tired and a nice relaxing evening watching the nice flat screen TV in my room was in order. Unfortunately, the TV was out of order. My stuff was already unpacked and I was too tired to change rooms and went to bed early. That would prove to be a very good move...

Tuesday started off smooth. Almost too smooth. The aircraft was ready, en-route weather looked good and it was the last day of my first trip. Almost time to go home. The first turn to PHL was smooth. The second trip to PHL was smooth, other than a short hold. We were ahead of schedule and had a three hour layover to enjoy cheese steaks and pretzels (yeah, I'm a foodie and this occupation is really going to make me fat).

The final leg had an unusually low passenger count and everyone had checked in early. We boarded everyone early and pushed back ten minutes ahead of schedule. In my best Ron White voice, I turned to the captain and said, "It's gonna be a good day, Tater".

We were cleared to taxi to runway 27L. Just as we were crossing 27R, PHL advised us that JFK was issuing ground stops. Our EFC was in 30 minutes. Oh well, we had plenty of time. Ground came back and cleared us to proceed to 27L. Just then, the aircraft advised us of a problem with the anti-skid braking system. Not good. We lost our takeoff slot and had to taxi to a holding spot while the problem was sorted out. Minimum takeoff fuel requirements necessitated the shutdown of both engines. When we finally had the problem sorted, ATC advised us that another 45 minute ground stop was in place.

After 45 minutes, ATC cleared us to taxi again to 27L. However, it was now busy in PHL and we were 8th in line. Before we could get to the hold short line, we were given an indefinite ground stop. Ground cleared us to park at the hold short line of 27R and advised us to shut down again. They would call us when they had an EFC time. We finally were cleared after sitting on the ground for 2 1/2 hours.

I finally took off and departure put us on course to JFK for the CAMRN4 arrival. PHL to JFK is about a 25 minute flight (only 80 nautical miles) ... unless ... a hold is issued. XXXair 123, climb to one-four thousand, proceed direct CAMRN and hold as published. EFC in 45 minutes. CRAP. Now I was beginning to worry. I had a 7 p.m. flight home to catch.

What made it extra frustrating was that the weather was clear and we could see both PHL and JFK from CAMRN, which is just north of Atlantic City, NJ. We did 5 turns in the hold before being vectored in for an ILS. JFK kept us fast until the marker and then just as we were grabbing the localizer, switched us from 22L to 22R. CRJ-200's are Category D aircraft with higher approach speeds than most other transport category aircraft. There was a 777 on final ahead of us and that necessitated the side-step. Any closer and we would have been surfing its wake, which isn't a lot of fun when the aircraft is configured for landing. My last landing of the trip was on center and smooth, or maybe it was just my numb butt. 3.5 hours is a long time to be sitting in a CRJ seat.

We taxied back, deplaned the poor passengers, shut down the plane and headed back to operations. It was 6:55. The Phoenix flight was closing and the gate agent refused to allow me to board. I know there were at least 45 open seats. Nice.

Luckily, I found a Las Vegas flight that left 20 minutes later. The last flight to Phoenix left Vegas at 11:55 (12:55 Arizona time). A big "thank you" to the Mesa crew that gave me a ride home. I didn't get home until 3 a.m., but it was better to be awake for 24 hours and make it home than to spend the night at JFK.

First trip: 12 legs total. I flew 9 out of 12. Nine takeoffs and landings. 4 ILS approaches, 5 visual approaches, 2 holds, thunderstorms, ice, rain, fog and some healthy crosswinds, clearance amendments and many crossing/speed restrictions. I think a lot was accomplished. The check airman said that I did a great job and he never felt that he needed to shadow the flight controls. He said his best advice would be to slow down a bit. Speed comes with proficiency. I can definitely see that.

The next trip starts in two days, then I have the entire Thanksgiving weekend off! That's one advantage of IOE. All of the check airmen are senior and get the holidays off. After Thanksgiving, I have two more four day trips with a JFK class in between. By then, IOE should be over and it will be prime time.

Baptism by Fire, Complete

Well today was the day I had waited thirty years for. It was also 1 year, 7 months and 10 days from the day I started training. Today I flew the CRJ from JFK in New York to DCA in Washington D.C.

We pushed back from the gate 15 minutes late (no, it wasn't my fault). That put us 10 slots behind where we should have been. Luckily, it was Saturday afternoon and traffic wasn't too bad. When we finally taxied to our position in line, we were 17th for takeoff. We shut down an engine to conserve fuel and about 20 minutes later, it was finally out turn for takeoff.

We took off on runway 31L and were assigned the Kennedy One Departure, Canarsie Climb. The Canarsie Climb is somewhat of a legend and is responsible for more than a few airspace violations. Between Kennedy, La Guardia and Newark; New York airspace is very tight. Basically, when departing runway 31L on the Kennedy One departure, Canarsie Climb, many things must be accomplished in a relatively short period of time to avoid busting La Guardia's airspace. After takeoff, turn at 400 feet direct Canarsie (CRI) VOR. Make sure to complete the turn before crossing the CRI 039 radial. At about 1.5 DME from CRI, start a left turn to intercept the CRI 176 radio outbound. Cross CRI 2.0 DME at 2,500 feet or above.

I managed to fly the procedure without incident. Thank goodness for small miracles. Here is a sample of the NACO procedure charts for the Kennedy One departure in case anyone wanted to know more about it. ***Disclaimer*** Charts change frequently. The ones below are an example only and are not intended for navigational use.




One hour later, we were descending in to the terminal area for DCA. Potomac approach gave us vectors for the ILS runway 01. It was a beautiful night. We broke through the cloud layer at 5,000 feet and had a beautiful view coming in. I let the autopilot take us down to 1,000 feet and then clicked it off and hand flew the final segment of the approach. I actually greased my first CRJ landing and it felt damn good, too. At 70 knots, I transferred the controls back to the captain and he taxied to the gate as I did shut down the number 1 engine, started the APU and ran the after landing checklist.

We ran in to another crew from our airline waiting for the shuttle to the Crowne Plaza. When it arrived, the driver kept trying to take us to the Holiday Inn. It took 2 phone calls and some flared tempers to convince him that we were indeed assigned to the Crowne Plaza. Duh.

The captain, flight attendant and I decided to walk a few blocks to Old Alexandria for dinner. We ended up at Bertucci's Brick Oven Pizzeria. It was ok. None of us had pizza, which was probably the first mistake.

My first day in the real world and my poor wife is at home with the stomach flu. I really wish I could be there right now to take care of her. I know she's miserable :(

Day one was good. Everyone at JFK was friendly and outgoing, the flight went well and I never felt like the plane was ahead of me. Tomorrow is a meat and potatoes day. Washington DC to Boston, Boston to Louisville then from Louisville back to Boston for an overnight. Time for bed, the anxiety and stress of today really wore me out.

Today was the first day in the aircraft. I sat in the cockpit jump seat and observed four legs. Cincinnati-Chicago-Cincinnati & Cincinnati-Milwaukee-Cincinnati.

This was the approach in to 25L at Milwaukee. There was quite a bit of turbulence during the approach, so the video is a little shaky.

Tomorrow morning, it's time to deadhead to JFK for my first flight as a First Officer. JFK-DCA. The weather looks like it will be pretty good in the afternoon. I hope to get the River Visual approach in to Reagan National. That would be a memorable ending to my first leg, huh?

As much fun as all of this is, I really miss my family.

Go Time - Big Time

Well here I sit at Sky Harbor waiting for my a flight. Wednesday will be a day to regroup with some friends in Cincinnati. Thursday is Initial Operating Experience (IOE) class. It is conducted at my airline's flight ops and lasts just one day. I'm sure it will be a refresher on how to read schedules, how to check in, a little flight and duty and whatever else is necessary for the newbie first officer.

Friday is my first day on the line. Nope, I won't be flying. We are all assigned one day of observation flights. I will be sitting in the comfy CRJ jump seat for four legs. Cincinnati (CVG) to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) and back, then CVG to Milwaukee (MKE) and back. The purpose of the observation legs are to become familiarized with the real world vs. the simulated world. CVG-ORD should be a pretty good start. Some guys are doing Appleton, WI and Des Moines, IA. I am thankful to be heading to O'Hare for my very first flight in the cockpit.

I'll spend one last night in Cincinnati on Friday before heading to JFK on Saturday for my FIRST ACTUAL LEG! Just like my observation flight to O'Hare, my first actual flight as a First Officer will be baptism by fire. My first leg is JFK to Washington, D.C. Reagan National (DCA). That's a pretty tall order for my first leg and I am 100% ready for it. Again, some of my other classmates first legs are to Birmingham, Lexington and Grand Rapids. I'm sure those will be exciting too, but JFK-DCA is just over the top exciting. WOW. Flying from one of the most notoriously busy airports to one of the most restricted in the world should really keep me on my toes.

I feel kind of like someone that decided to take up jogging by running the Boston Marathon. Speaking of Boston, after an overnight in D.C., I'll be spending two nights in Boston. My mouth is already watering for some crab cakes and clam chowder. Yum. The remainder of the flying on my first trip will have me on several out and backs from Boston with one trip to Louisville, KY (SDF) and many to Philadelphia, PA (PHL) before the last leg to JFK on Tuesday. Hopefully, I'll get in early enough to make it home Tuesday night.

This has been a long time coming and the excitement is really starting to build. I'll try and post some photos on the next post.

The Lowdown

First of all, thank you to everyone for the positive comments and emails. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! It made a difference.

Wow! 19 months, 2 days from the first day of flight school to an airline check ride. It feels very surreal. It's had to believe that 2 years ago I was just beginning the quest to become an airline pilot and would have never expected for it to happen so soon.

Well I'm back in Arizona enjoying my family. The kids are sick, but it's nice to be home. It feels good knowing I don't have to leave until Wednesday afternoon. Ahhhh.

So...about the check ride. I guess it's about time to talk about it.

In summary, it was AWFUL. Yes I passed, but the one word that truly describes the experience is AWFUL.

The examiner was fair and that's all that should have been expected. However, he has a military background which seemed to play the lead role during the oral and check ride.

I arrived at the training center twenty minutes early to relax, collect my thoughts and prepare. We ran into each other in the men's room, exchanges pleasantries and I headed to the break room to relax. He came in right behind me and said, "Ok, let's get this party started." Crap. I wasn't ready, but felt like I had no choice.

Every previous check ride has begun with a little ice breaker. Hi. How are you? Where are you from? What is your background? Let me tell you a little bit about myself. Here's what to expect from this event. Well...zip...zero...zilch. He asked for my license, medical, FCC and paperwork. I said, "Well I'm excited about being here today. It's been a long journey to finally get to this moment. I've been looking forward to it." With an absolute straight face, zero sarcasm intended, he said, "Flattery isn't going to get you anywhere with me." Umm...ok. My statement wasn't intended to flatter him, but whatever. That was the tone for the oral.

The oral started with a performance problem. He wrote down some weather data and then told me he wanted the performance for a specific airport and runway. He said he'd be back in five minutes and left. When he came back, we went over the data and he started quizzing me on all aspects of performance. We then went in to the systems of the aircraft including flight controls, engines, APU, fuel system, electrical system and environmental control system. While discussing each one, he would ask for emergency memory items for certain events, specific limitations and procedures.

In past experiences, if I didn't understand the question or the concept from the examiner, he/she would redirect to find out if I needed to look at it a different way or just didn't understand. Not this time. He would just ask the question over and over until I figured out what he wanted to hear. There was little room for error.

Usually, an oral exam has a natural flow and it is pretty easy to determine when it is coming to an end. This time, there was no segue. His final question was about fuel system shut off valves and how they can be closed. When I answered it, he simply said, "That concludes your oral. Here's your dispatch release. Look it over and I'll see you in the sim in 10 minutes."

I met the captain who was assigned to fly with me. We exchanged pleasantries and he assured me that he would do everything in his power to make the LOE go smoothly. He would take the first leg (ATL to CLT) and I would fly back.

We had one item on the Minimum Equipment List (MEL). It was a deferred right pack. A pack is an air conditioning unit. The aircraft has two packs. During single pack operations, the CRJ-200 is limited to operations below FL250. There is also a different method to transfer the 10th stage bleeds.

The flight out was uneventful. From push-back and engine start to taxi, takeoff and arrival in Charlotte, everything went smoothly. He programmed an over temp caution message for Hydraulic system 3B. We ran the QRH procedures and continued on to CLT and landed fine. He told us to take a 10 minute break and be ready with the same passenger & cargo load for the return leg. That made it easier to do the load manifest.

He didn't give me any starter malfunctions and the taxi and takeoff were without incident. The pack deferral and hydraulic caution were cleared and operation was normal. He gave us a 200 knot tailwind, which is common on check rides to save time and money. Once approaching Atlanta, he started throwing a bunch of stuff at us, including a nearly impossible crossing and speed restriction. He was intentionally throwing as much as he could at me to see if I would get flustered and do something stupid. While I did feel the pressure, it didn't affect my decision making skills. I decided to go missed and slow things down a bit. I think that's what was expected. We came around for a second ILS approach and landed without any problems. He gave me a nice crosswind and I touched down on center line.

After the flight ended we went out to the lobby where he informed me that I had passed. The check ride was worse than it sounded. To include every horrible detail would take 10 pages. Like I said, he was fair and that's all that should be expected.

He did say that he threw a bunch of stuff at me in ATL because that is what it is really like there every day. He wanted the LOE to be as real as he could make it.

I thanked him for his time and told him that I walked away having learned a few things. He sounded offended by that and replied with, "Don't ever tell an examiner that they taught you something. My job isn't to teach you anything. It's to see if you can fly worth a damn and if I feel comfortable putting you in a $25 million aircraft with passengers." I replied by thanking him again and said, "I didn't really say that YOU taught me anything. I said that I came away from this experience having learned a few things. I have always learned new things on a check ride." That doesn't mean the examiner is teaching, it just means that learning has occurred.

I have also been told by many examiners that their goal is to evaluate me successfully and teach a thing or two. Oh well, either way it doesn't matter. What matters is that I passed.

I called my instructor afterwards. He really is a good guy. He confessed that when I asked him about my examiner before the check ride, that he was afraid to tell me about him. He didn't want to make me more nervous than I normally would be (A LOT). He said that the guy is very fair, but has a bit of a reputation as a difficult examiner. He was probably right about not telling me about the examiner. I would have been a bigger wreck and probably would have busted the check ride somehow.

It's over. Almost time to start flying on the line.

Enough about me already. Blogging is fun, but kind of a self-centered past time. Once in a while, after going back to read an old post, I wonder why other people read it. I am constantly amazed by the number of visitors to this blog as well as the countries where visitors reside. Maybe one day I'll have enough time to create and post a map of visitors.

I just checked my schedule and it's there! More about that tomorrow. Time for bed.

The Results Are In

PASS

More soon. Time to relax for a few days and see my family.

10 - 9 - 8 - 7 - 6 - 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 ...

Tomorrow is the big day. My first 121 check ride. 4-6 p.m. oral, 6-10 p.m. flight.

Yes. I am nervous. Am I prepared? Everyone says yes. I feel no. That is normal, right? I will be flying with a qualified line captain, which is a definite plus.

If all goes well, it will finally be time to go home and see the family. It's been a very long time and I really miss my wife and kids. I get 5 days off before the beginning of IOE and plan on getting the most out of it.

Please pray for me, send positive vibes or whatever.

I'll try and post the results tomorrow night.

What a Week

All I can say is that last week was one heck of a week. Four sim sessions, a trip to Washington, D.C. and the dreaded maneuvers validation. Where do I start? Work first, play second.

We had 16 hours to complete the four sim sessions over a four day period. The approaches we had to complete were: Cat. I ILS, Cat II ILS, Single Engine Cat I ILS, GPS, VOR, back course, localizer, PAR & PRM ILS approaches. All of the approaches were flown coupled to the autopilot and hand flown.

The only type of approach that might not be familiar is the Constant Angle Non-Precision Approach (CANPA), which are utilized by my airline. Once the procedure is down, it's actually easier than a standard non-precision approach with multiple step downs. To do a CANPA approach, the briefing includes a Derived Decision Altitude (DDA). DDA is the MDA plus 50 feet. Most non-precision approach plates have a glide slope pre-determined. We then use the descent rate based on the ground speed.Once we reach the final approach fix, we start our descent to the DDA at the pre-determined vertical speed and monitor the descent to ensure crossing at or above any intermediate step downs. If there is no visibility at the DDA, we begin a climb to the missed approach point and then fly the missed approach. The reason we use DDA is to ensure that the MDA is not violated during the descent. Well anyway...that's CANPA. I think everyone else is probably familiar with the other approach types.

Other activities in the sim were Rejected Take Offs (RTO), engine failures at critical phase of takeoff (V1 cuts), missed approaches, engine failures while executing a missed approach, ground proximity warning and escape maneuver, TCAS resolution, wind shear escape and wake turbulence.

On Thursday, my instructor signed off on my partner and I for the maneuvers validation on Friday morning. After a good night's sleep, it was time. My partner flew the first half and, other than a sloppy V1 cut that he performed again satisfactorily, passed his MV. Next it was my turn.

We started out with a 600 RVR takeoff with a 10 knot crosswind. That was followed by a regular autopilot coupled ILS to minimums and a full stop landing.

The check airman re-positioned the aircraft for another low-vis takeoff. This time, he gave me a right engine roll-back at 120 knots (V1 was 130). We carried out the reject procedure and taxied off the runway. He then repositioned us for another low-vis takeoff. This time there was a 10 knot crosswind and a right engine fire occurred at V1. When I rotated the aircraft, I took out the crosswind correction too early and went 15 degrees off of the runway heading. I corrected the heading and went on to complete the memory items and QRH procedures for the event.

He then vectored us back to the airport for a single engine autopilot coupled ILS to a full stop landing. Next, he repositioned us in the downwind with a failed engine and had me hand-fly the same approach to another landing.

After landing, he gave us the engine back and we did a low vis takeoff and departure procedure. We were then vectored for another ILS. After setting up for the approach, we were notified that the glide slope was inop and would have to do an ILS, localizer only approach. We set up and briefed the CANPA approach. At the DDA, the pilot non-flying called "go visual". I called "landing". On short final, a 767 crossed the hold short line and I called "go missed, set thrust, flaps 8". At the lowest energy segment, the right engine failed. I stabilized the aircraft and we flew the missed approach perfectly.

The last maneuver was a no-flap landing. After doing all of the required procedures, we set up for an ILS to minimums with no flaps. He told me to fly the approach coupled. Nice. A no flap landing isn't too difficult. You basically do the approach at Vref for flaps 45, plus 30 knots. At 47,000 lbs., that comes out to 171 knots. The only caveat is that the limitation for tire speed, which is 182 knots. Also, the aircraft attitude is about 2.5 degrees nose up vs. 2.5 nose down with flaps at 45 degrees. The approach was perfect. I touched down at 400 fpm on the VSI and airspeed was just right.

The check airman said that everything went well, but he wanted to see me do one more V1 cut. For whatever reason, I started to panic a little and that was the beginning of my downfall. The next V1 cut was sloppy and I got a "bank angle" aural. He said I had one more chance to do it right. I asked for a minute to compose myself. When it was time for the last attempt, I was so tense that I rotated too hard, when the EFIS display went out (happens on right engine failures when generator switching occurs - lasts about 2-3 seconds) I released rudder pressure and that cause the aircraft to veer too far off course. The MV was over and the result was UNSAT. CRAP!

I knew I could perform V1 cuts. My mind was my own worst enemy. I had failed myself by becoming nervous and uptight. The check airman said that it was gut wrenching for him to have to UNSAT my MV. He said that every other aspect of it was perfect and to not be ashamed. It was only an internal checking event and I was eligible for re-training and a re-check.

After feeling sorry for myself for a day, I spoke to scheduling and found that the re-training and re-check was scheduled for Sunday (today). The scheduler said that the check airman recommended that only V1 cuts be redone. Most of the time, the entire check ride must be re-flown.

I came in this morning and did 90 minutes of V1 cuts. We did mostly worst case scenario cuts, which is strong left crosswind with right engine failure. After that I was ready for the re-check. The check airman had me do two V1 cuts. Both of them were perfect and that FINALLY concluded my MV. I still have a job!

Next up: The oral exam and Line Oriented Evaluation (LOE). It is scheduled for Friday at 4 p.m. After successful completion of the LOE, I will be released for Initial Operating Experience (IOE) on the line! One more week and it will finally be time to fly.

---

I had all day Monday off. I had been working and studying for 10 days and needed a break. I check flight availability and found plenty in and outbound to Washington D.C. Reagan National. Why not spend the day at The Mall? I flew out at 8:30 and we arrived in D.C. at 9:50. It was clear, blue and a million and we came in on the river visual. That is where the aircraft follows the Potomac River with The Mall on one side and the Pentagon on the other side. Clear days like that are rare and it was beautiful. The high was forecast to be 80. Perfect.

I jumped on the Metro ($1.50 each way on the Blue line to the Smithsonian station) and headed to the National Air & Space Museum. Although much of it was under renovation, it is always moving to see some of the history there. I always enjoy seeing the Spirit of St. Louis and had never seen the actual Wright Flyer.

After the Air & Space Museum, I was getting hungry. Eating in Washington D.C. can be very expensive. Here's a well kept secret. It's the key to eating well and cheap in D.C. The Department of Agriculture has an excellent cafeteria that is open to the public until 2 p.m. It is located at the Wing 3 entrance, 12th & C Streets, SW in the South Building. You must sign in and present a photo ID. I had a grilled panini salad and a soft drink for $6. That's a little better than an $8 hot dog, huh?

After lunch, I walked across the street to the National Holocaust Memorial Museum. It is a very difficult museum to experience and everyone should go at least one time. Human nature is a very scary thing. If you're on the West Coast, I recommend the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. One visit to either of these museums will change your life forever. I wish Mr. Mahmoud Ahmandinejad would've paid a visit to one of them instead of Columbia U.

I headed out back towards the mall. Last time I was at the Mall, the Washington Monument was still being refurbished. What a beautiful sight. I tried to take a few photos of aircraft approaching Reagan on the river visual, but only had my point and shoot. The DSLR would have come in handy.

I headed to the National WWII Memorial to reflect about the service of my grandfathers. I never miss the WWII Memorial.

I headed back to the Smithsonian Metro station and returned to National for a 5:30 flight back to CVG. There were 90 seats available and it was nice to have my own row on the trip back. I was back at the apartment by 7:15.

All in all, it was a great day. How many people can wake up in the morning, decide to go to D.C. that same day and only spend $14? Not many. I am fortunate.

Here's a few photos from D.C.

The Spirit of St. Louis

The original Wright Flyer

737 on The River Visual Approach to 19 at DCA

My mother's father was aboard the carrier Lexington in the Battle of The Coral Sea. He was rescued after the Lexington was sunk by the Japanese.

Sims Week One

Life seems a little twisted when you're away from home for so long. It has now been eight weeks and the end is finally in sight. The sim is the final phase of training before going on line for IOE.

It's easy to complain about the length of my company's training program, but it really is excellent. Many regional airlines outsource their training. The average length of service for instructors is over seven years.

Our first four sim sessions consisted of practicing cockpit flows, checklists and profiles and procedures. It was all of the basics of flying the aircraft from the beginning to end of a flight. We flew many departure procedures, arrivals and a lot of the things you'd normally do during flight including flight level changes, vectors, flight plan changes, climbs and descents with altitude and speed crossing restrictions, abnormal procedures and a significant amount of ILS approaches.

Our instructor also threw a few things at us including unexpected wake turbulence encounters, thunder storms, turbulence and wind shear.

The procedures validation was pretty straightforward. We started with a cold, dark airplane. Then had to pick up a clearance, push back, start the engines and taxi. He gave me a slow hot start. That's where the inter-turbine temperature (ITT) goes too high after fuel is introduced. The procedure is to put the thrust lever to shut-off, turn off the ignition and dry motor (leave starter running) the engine until the ITT is below 120C or until the starter has been running for 60 seconds. Next, you run the QRH procedure, then call maintenance.

During taxi, runway visual range (RVR) dropped to 600 feet. With visibility below 1200 RVR, a takeoff alternate is required. Also in order to take off with 600 RVR, center line lights and runway center line markings are must be adequately visible. For a low visibility takeoff, the brakes must be held until thrust is at 70%.

We took off from CVG on runway 18L and did the Bluegrass 8 departure. After a series of vectors and altitude changes, we were cleared to our final altitude. Once at cruise, the instructor gave me a pack low press caution. After that, he gave me a GEN 2 FAIL caution. We handled both of the procedures and were then vectored back to CVG for an ILS. Visibility was lower than reported and we ended up going around and flying the published missed. We were then vectored around for another ILS to minimums and landed.

That was the end of my portion of the procedures validation. After a ten minute break, it was my partner's turn to do the same thing and his went well too. We both passed and are ready to move on.

The next step is the maneuvers stage which is four sims sessions followed by the maneuvers validation. The MV conducted by a check airman and is a pass/fail checking event. We will be expected to perform rejected takeoffs, V1 cuts, single engine approaches and missed approaches and other tasks that are determined by the check airman. From what I've heard, the MV is a bigger deal than the actual check ride, which is called a line-oriented event (LOE). The LOE is the final event and is basically a typical flight between a city pair.

If anyone has any questions about airline training that haven't been answered here, feel free to ask. I'll do the best to answer them based on what I've experienced over the past few months.

--

After finishing the PV, I hopped a flight home to see my wife and kids. It was another quick trip, but worth it. I actually had to fly through Los Angeles to get home. An extra two hours of flying got me home 5 hours earlier. The worst part of the trip was getting a middle seat from CVG to LAX. The guy in the aisle seat was over 300 lbs and made me look anorexic. Needless to say, it was kind of uncomfortable. On the way back today, I was luck enough to get an aisle seat in the emergency exit row. Ahh...legroom.

Rounding 3rd

Part One: Launch - 2 weeks

Parth Two: Basic Indoc - 2 weeks

Part Two: Systems & Integration - 4 weeks

Part Three: Sims - 3 weeks beginning on Monday at 4 a.m. The sim training is the last part of training before hitting the line for Initial Operating Experience (IOE). The three week process involves training sessions each followed by a check. The first check is the procedures validation which falls at the end of week one. The second check is the maneuvers validation at the end of week two. The third and final check is the Line Oriented Evaluation (LOE) or simply The Check Ride.

The LOE is usually done with a current and qualified line captain. It consists of a round trip flight between a city pair. The FO performs one leg as the pilot flying and the other as pilot monitoring. It is conducted just like a regular revenue flight, with a dispatch release, manifest and weight & balance. There are usually some abnormal procedures and emergencies thrown in for good measure.

The three part training is structured under the airlines Advanced Qualification Program (AQP). AQP's are approved by the FAA for Part 121 & 135 operators. An AQP basically allows the airline to break up the traditional check ride in to 3 phases. Instead of a day filled with a 3 hour oral exam and 3+ hour check ride, it is broken up over three separate events.

The check ride is three weeks from today. Ground school is officially over. Time flies when training in the simulator and then it will finally be time for the real thing. The culmination of a lot of time and effort. Will it be worth it?

Leviathan of the Sky

© Michael Davis

The A380 landing on CVG Runway 18L. There are
20 wheels on the 4 main landing gear trucks!

CVG is a pretty busy airport. Around 65% of the air traffic is comprised of regional jets including Bombardier CRJ-200/700/900 and Embraer ERJ135/145 and 170 series. None of them carry over 90 passengers.

Yesterday was a pretty big day for CVG. The Airbus A380 stopped by for a promotional visit for all of the employees of the GE engine plant in Cincinnati. The A380's GP7000 engines are manufactured by Engine Alliance, joint venture of Pratt & Whitney & GE Aircraft Engines, headquartered in Cincinnati. The other engine choice for the A380 is manufactured by Rolls Royce/Trent.

After doing a low altitude fly over of the GE plant, the behemoth headed south for CVG in Northern Kentucky. It landed on runway 18L and taxied to the Airborne cargo ramp on the south end of the airport. It spent the day there giving GE employees the opportunity to see it up close and personal.

It was a big deal to see the A-380 here. CVG will never see service from an aircraft that size. Delta 767's are the biggest planes you'll see here.

It's going to be interesting taxiing behind one of these monsters. I bet full t/o thrust could turn a CRJ upside down.

Here are some more photos:

© flycvg

You could drive that Ford F-150 underneath the outboard engine.

© Michael Davis

When I look at the main wheels, I can't fathom the heat those brakes must generate.

© Michael Davis

The size of the wings is what impresses me most. They are HUGE.

Photos 1, 3 & 4 courtesy Michael Davis, Nashville Aviation Photographers. See all of his A380 photos here
Photo 2 courtesy of flycvg.

So Let It Be Written, So Let It Be Done

Monday was the Limitations and Memory Items Exam. It was the final written exam, the one that everyone dreads due to a 100% score requirement. Apparently, people do better under the pressure of having their job at risk. Everyone passed.

We have one more CRM class this week, then airport indoc and systems integration intro. Next week is systems integration where we take everything we've learned from company ops specs to aircraft systems and put them all together for the FINAL phase of training: Sims.

Sims start 10/15 and run through 11/1. The check ride is scheduled for 11/2. Hopefully the next 4 weeks will fly by. I'm ready to be done with initial training.

I've finally reached the training saturation point and am officially sick of all things CRJ related. Being away from home is something I'll have to get used to until I can locate to a base that is suitable for family. However, there will still be breaks in between where I can see them. 10 weeks is a very long time and I just miss my wife and kids. Nobody forced me to be here and there aren't any regrets. It's just hard.

Tomorrow is my wife's birthday. Our anniversary was last month and my daughter and youngest son have October birthdays that I'll be missing. We've all discussed special occasions and how they can be celebrated when everyone is together. A day is just a day. A special occasion is any time we can be together as a family. I thank God every day for my wife and children.

My attitude isn't as bad as it sounds right now. It's just one of those bumps. Maintain positive mental attitude.

Hangar Night

Last night was hangar night. Basically, the class goes out to the maintenance ramp where an aircraft has been set aside for our use. Over the course of three hours we: did a pre-flight walk around inspection, inspected the avionics bay and aft equipment bay.

After all of the exterior activities were complete, it was time to open up the main cabin door and climb aboard. My sim partner and I were the first aboard and that meant we were tasked with doing the flight compartment safety check and firing up the APU. I've done it over 50 times in the simulator, but doing it for the first time in the actual aircraft was a little unnerving. If you do it wrong in the sim, the instructor has you do it again. If you do it wrong in the aircraft, it just might destroy a one million dollar APU.

It's amazing how accurate simulators are. When the battery master is flipped in the plane, it sounded just the way I expected it to. I love seeing the displays light up like Times Square. After doing the safety check and the APU start flow, it was time to press the APU START switch light. I love the way an APU sounds when it's firing up and it was especially gratifying to hear it from the cockpit for the very first time. This may sound corny, but I will never forget it.

The rest of the evening was spent practicing opening the emergency exits, learning the locations of all of the emergency equipment, opening and closing the main cabin door and galley service door, the crew escape hatch in the cockpit plus a few other things. It was a fun night.

In the cockpit getting ready to start the APU

Just after APU start...getting ready to turn on the AC Packs.

Teamwork

Today was the systems test. It was 100 questions about every system in the CRJ-200. I scored 97, but should have scored 100. Some day I'll learn to RTFQ/RTFA. Am I happy with a 97? Absolutely. 80 was passing. However, blowing questions strictly due to attention deficit is a bummer.

The time spent here in training is like living on a different planet. The only people that I have anything in common with right now are the other 13 members of my class. Our class of 14 is pretty tight-knit and a wonderful group of people from all walks of life. Our ages range from 22-42, with 13 men and one woman. Backgrounds range from fresh Embry Riddle grads to former engineers and a flight attendant. Everyone in the class performed well with no one scoring less than 95. That is a testament to teamwork. My room mate and I have had as many as 10 people at the apartment on nights and weekends, each contributing their particular strengths. By the time we wrapped up studying last night, not one person felt uncomfortable with any CRJ system.

After each hurdle is cleared, there is only a moment to breathe a sigh of relief. Now that systems is over, it's time for CRM, flight planning and performance. The next big exam is Monday, covering aircraft limitations and memory items. Passing score: 100%. No pressure there. Now does it make sense why I'm bummed about a 97?

The most difficult thing about training is being 2,000 miles away from my wife and children. I miss them so much and the 3 hour time difference makes communication difficult. In addition, being so wrapped up in myself and training means that I have no other contact with the outside world. Finding things to talk about is like pulling teeth. My head has been crammed full of new information with more on the way. The only recent news stories I can recall are the death of Luciano Pavarotti and disappearance of aviator Steve Fossett. Now if you want to talk with me about hydraulics, game on.

All I can say is my wife is the most wonderful, understanding person for putting up with all of this. Aviation is definitely a selfish business.

I saw something funny not too long ago:

"The average pilot, despite the somewhat swaggering exterior, is very much capable of such feelings as love, affection, intimacy and caring...These feelings just don't involve anyone else."

I'm ashamed to admit that I'm starting to see myself that way right now. The check ride has been scheduled for November 2nd. God bless my family for the willingness to stick it out.

Training Week 4: Family Orientation and Systems

First thing Monday was the final exam for indoc. Everyone in the class passed and the instructor said that she can't remember a time when everyone scored over 90. At noon, it was time for family orientation. The airline flew class members' families out for the day to meet management, enjoy a nice catered lunch and hear about life as an airline pilot. Afterwards, they were given a tour all of the company facilities and the simulators. It was a pretty nice thing to do. Monday was a good day.

Tuesday was the first day of systems class. It felt good to be re-immersed in to CRJ systems. As much as I thought had been forgotten started to come back out of long term memory storage. That is a very good thing as the CRJ is a complicated aircraft. I remember how difficult it was the first time around and am glad to have a leg up.

In the first four days we covered EICAS (Engine Information and Crew Alerting System), AC/DC electrical system, APU (Auxiliary Power Unit), Fuel System, Powerplant, Environmental Control System, Ice & Rain Protection, Fire Protection, Hydraulics, Landing Gear, Flight Controls, EFIS (Electronic Flight Instrument System), Oxygen & Emergency Equipment and Lighting. That's enough for four days, right?

Monday & Tuesday we'll be finishing up on systems with Navigation, Communications, EGPWS (Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System 0r E Jip Whiz for short), Water & Waste, Aircraft Doors & AFCS (Automatic Flight Control System). Wednesday is the comprehensive systems test which is about 100 questions covering all systems. Multiple choice, true/false and my favorite...fill in the guess. Oh well, it's just another hurdle in a seemingly never ending race.

Thursday is the first of four CRM (Crew Resource Management) classes and Friday night is hangar night. We'll be spending about 8 hours in a CRJ learning about and performing tasks like pre-flight and emergency procedures.

Since I'm in severe study mode, if anyone has questions about the systems of the CRJ-200, I'll try to answer them for you. It will definitely be good study matter for me. Keep in mind, this is from a pilot's level of knowledge - not an A&P. I can't and won't build the system for you.

For anyone interested in learning a little more about the CRJ-200, here are some images of cockpit panels and descriptions of what each switch, switch light, button and dial does. Enjoy.

Above are the left and center overhead panels.

Above is the right overhead panel along with lighting, oxygen and mag compass
Above is the glare shield, minus the AFCS, and the captain's side panel. The triangular black handle is called the tiller. It is used to steer the aircraft on the ground, up to 70 degrees.

The above panels are from the lower pedestal. There are several detail panels missing including the throttle quadrant, main radio tuning units, audio panels and FMS.