Thirsty? Have A Drink.

Today was the first day of basic indoc, where we really start to get learned about the airline business. Basic indoc runs through Monday the 17th, topped off by...you guessed it...an exam. Most of today was spent on duty rules and minimum rest requirements. Basically, a pilot is only allowed to fly 8 in 24 hours, 30 in 7 days, 100 per calendar month and 1,000 per calendar year. Of course the FAA has seen to it that there are many caveats. In addition, the ALPA contract confuses things further. It's initially presented as you vs. dispatch. They will try to extend your schedule beyond legal limits, not intentionally of course. As a pilot, you are responsible for not over flying your legal flight hours.

Since everyone in the class passed "Launch", we were now worthy to receive all of the course materials. ALL OF THEM! As you can see, it's not a light load. Everyone received 13 books, plus a large paper CRJ-200 cockpit mock-up (see below). The large blue books are the course training books. The small book is the Ops Specs for my carrier. It details the way the carrier operates and all of the company procedures for day to day operations. The gray books are the Flight Standards Manuals for the CRJ-200. They are like owners manuals for a CRJ. They cover limitations, procedures, weight & balance, performance, maneuvers, MEL & CDL. The green book is the manual for the Collins 4200 FMS (Flight Management System). The red book is the QRH (Quick Reference Handbook) It is used for abnormal and emergency procedures. The remaining books contain the ALPA contract, and general CRJ training info.

Needless to say, the fire hose has been turned on. The amount of books is a little intimidating, but the airline definitely makes sure that new pilots have all of the tools necessary to be successful. Every bit of training is handled in-house and has been since the airline was founded in 1977. It's pretty clear that anyone who washes out will have done so by choice.

The paper tiger. This is the best place to practice cockpit flows and procedures.