My Dream Job No Longer Includes FedEx

No, there's nothing wrong with FedEx. They're a great company.

The problem is that I don't care if I ever fly to Memphis Int'l. For some reason, it is the airport of choice for sim training and it's getting a bit long in the tooth.

If I have to hand fly a circle to land Runway 27/18, with an MDA of 940 with 1,000' ceilings one more time, I'm going to lose it! It starts with a standard non-precision localizer approach for runway 27, then about the time you get to the final approach fix and get comfortable with the configuration you get the clearance revision. "XYZ 123, continue on the localizer approach and circle to land runway 18R when you have the visual. Ceiling overcast 1,000, winds 090 at 15 G23."

From there all hell breaks loose. When you have the runway lights in sight for 27, take the flight director out of VOR/LOC mode and change to Heading mode. Bug 315. Start the turn. Look for the FedEx facility. With FedEx in sight, bug 271 until the approach lights are in sight for 18R. Then bank 20 degrees left and make the following call outs: Flaps 45, Flight Director OFF, before landing check below the line, set missed approach course, altitude and NAV1. This all happens in about 5 seconds. If all goes well, you roll out lined up with 18R and try to land. I say try because in training you never get to land. It's either a go-around, balked landing, V1 cut or something fun. At the very least, it's a go-around and fly the missed. Circle to land missed approaches are always a barrel of laughs.

One thing I will say about the jet training is that the briefs and profiles, no matter how difficult they are to memorize and master, really do improve you flying. I started briefing maneuvers in the Seneca and am amazed how much better they are. My steep turns are now +/- zero and Vmc demos are always perfect. Talk it out before you do it and things go much better.

Speaking of the Seneca, still no check-ride date. The DE is supposedly available next Saturday. So if the planets are in alignment, one of the available Senecas is up and the weather cooperates I can finally get the multi add-on completed and have a commercial license that is actually worth something.

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Today we took and exam from chapters 5 & 11-13 from the Gleim ATP test prep. It was a tough test. Those chapters cover aerodynamics and ATP performance. The 50 question test took all of 2 hours to take. 30 of the questions were those long, drawn out performance charts for a DC-9, 727 and 737. They really try to trick you and some of the questions take 10 or more steps to figure out the correct answer. I got an 80. I was surprised because I forgot about calculating CG using MAC and LEMAC. The last test was on Part 121 regulations and I got a 94. Oh well, 80 is passing. I'm going to try to take the ATP written next month. Hopefully I can get my average score over 90 by then.

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Yesterday we had an interesting incident in the Seneca before takeoff at Gateway. We were cleared for takeoff on runway 30L. Both of us double checked final, it looked clear and we started to position on the runway. Just before we line up the radio came to life and we heard, "Seneca XXX, takeoff clearance cancelled. Clear the runway immediately!" Luckily there was another taxi way right there and it was easy to get off. Apparently there was a 172 on final and they had cleared it to land on 30L thinking they said 30C. An minor argument ensued between the tower and the 172 pilot while the 172 continued to land. When he got off the runway, he was instructed to copy the tower's number. They sounded pissed.

Fast forward to today. It was the tower's mistake after all, not the 172 pilot. They reviewed the tape and filed an incident report with the FAA. They asked me if I wanted to be involved in the report. My reply: "What report? There was an incident? Where was I? I sure don't recall anything." Nobody got hurt, I sure didn't want to raise a stink and if I'm ever in the bulls eye someday, hopefully I'll catch a break.