| Serious question I always wondered: do commercial jets have keys, or, given access to the cockpit and ignoring details like pushback and ATC, can you basically just fly away unfettered? | Wow, ok... this is a long one. Lots of good questions. :) |
| Does your pay vary with # of flights or is it fixed with some minimum flights/hours per month, etc.? | (1) Lol, no keys whatsoever. The flight deck doors do have an access code, but thats it... |
| I thought it was kind of ridiculous how much positive press the ATC in the Hudson incident got. The pilots, sure, heroes, but really, the ATC guy did nothing. Am I being a dink? | (2) I am guaranteed a set number of flight hours per month (80) and that is what I am paid at.Pay is based on seniority and aircraft type. |
| There are several quite upsetting Mayday stories about crashes of otherwise perfectly serviceable airplanes with blocked pitot tubes. Comments? | (3) ATC has a very tough job, and I admire and respect what they do. |
| What do you think about Air France? Is the prevailing theory that the pilots were too bonehead to push the nose down and break the stall legit? | (4) Blocked pitot tubes are an issue, and it is something we check and train for. |
| Does it strike you as at all nutty that we have this ultra-automated airplane and ultra-automated ATC/radar system that is linked by an ultra-inefficient simplex human voice often accent-heavy VHF system? | (5) I think pilot training was certainly a factor in the crash. |
| On a long flight, say JFK to LAX, once you're at cruise, how often do you turn? Why would you need to, really, assuming no major weather issues? Is military airspace much of an issue? | (6) Lol, not sure a computer could handle all the variables in directing traffic safely. You still need a human at the other end. |
| Same question but what about over the ocean? | (7) On any flight, we have a set flight plan that gets loaded into the computer. We do deviate at times from that plan based on traffic or weather. |
| I have heard that over the North Atlantic, traffic is so dense that you can often literally see several planes in front, above, to the side etc. But elsewhere over the ocean, it's so light that pilots will make significant deviations without bothering to ask for clearance. Comments? | (8) Same answer. Crossing the atlantic is based on set tracks that take into account weather and wind. We make position reports and also communicate with other aircraft in the area with us, as there is no radar coverage. |
| Why is there nowhere on the Internet that lays out the boundaries of all the FIR's? I know roughly around North America but I want to know who handles oceanic in the South Pacific, Indian Ocean, etc. | (9) North Atlantic for sure, its congested out there! Other areas do allow for pilot discretion when flying. |
| If you are flying a 4 engine jet and lose one but everything is otherwise OK, is that necessarily an emergency landing ASAP, can you continue with three? (I assume on a 2-engine jet you would always get down ASAP). How often does this actually happen? | (10) I can only speak for the Atlantic, which is handled by Shanwick, Canada and the US. |
| What is your involvement with fuel, does someone else basically take care of all that? I understand that commercial jets rarely fly with full tanks so some calculation of route etc. is usually involved? | (11) On a 4 engine aircraft, losing one is not a huge deal, especially at cruise. Depending on the situation, many times you can safely continue the flight. On the aircraft I fly ETOPS rules require an immediate deviation to a suitable airport. It is very, very rare for engine trouble to come up during flight. |
| Do you do walk-arounds? (Seems kind of silly on a huge jet, but maybe it's one of those traditions). | (12) Fuel is always calculated by our dispatcher. I have the final say on if I want to add a little extra, but everything is done by computer. We have sensors that will tell us how much fuel is on board in terms of lbs. If those fail, we use dipsticks to manually measure the fuel in the tanks. |
| Thanks for the IAMA and cheers! | (13) Always... I flip a coin with my FO as to who does the walk around. But, I love doing it, as it reminds me of the responsibility I have, and how lucky I am to get paid what I do to fly. |
| Are you more nervous driving or flying? | Driving... I would rather be flying in bad weather than driving in it. |
| I am a private pilot and I have given some thought to pursuing my commercial license. Being an air force pilot, I imagine your time in the AF would have been far more interesting than simply flying people from A to B. Do you ever get bored? Is it still interesting? | Well, keep in mind what is happening to the industry in general here in the US. It's a mess, and doesn't appear to be getting better anytime soon. If I had to do it all over again, I truly don't know what I would have decided... |
| Any advice (or fun stories!) for a fellow pilot? | As for great stories... Well, here is one thats pretty recent. We had an aircraft that went mechanical, and we wound up flying it out of revenue service back to where the aircraft was needed for a flight. We packed a styrofoam cooler full of food and sodas. About halfway through the flight, one of the dead-heading FOs with us decided to take the cooler and stash it on the first row of seats in first class. The cooler was filled with dry ice, which he decided to dump into the 1st Class lav. Well... We all learned that day that dry ice and the chemicals they use in the toilets don't play nicely with each other. Lets just say the plane went mechanical again for cleaning, and we all had lot of explaining to do with our chief pilot... |
| What do you like to do after you turn on the auto-pilot? | Read the paper, flirt with the flight attendants. :) Seriously, we still have to monitor the aircraft, talk with ATC, etc... |
| Do you sit up there and watch your own Inflight movie? Do you bring stuff to do/watch? | No in-flight movies, unless you consider the CRT screens showing what the aircraft is doing as in-flight entertainment. :) |
| I do bring things to occupy my down time, but mostly we are keeping an eye on the airplane. |
| I heard that a lot of things are banned by some airlines. Laptops, reading material, etc. They make you sit there and stare at the screens. | That is what we are paid to do... :) |
| 1) Have the events of 9/11 impacted your outlook on flying specifically is there concern there might be crazy in the back or a bomb in the luggage hold? | (1) It's something thats always in the back of my mind, especially when you factor in just how incompetent the TSA is. As for the crazy on the plane, I can tell you if that were to happen, the cabin would hit zero g's in about 1 second, knocking the crazy person out. Or, if you've met some of the flight attendants that work for my airline, you would know that person would have no chance of doing anything to interrupt the flight. |
| 2) I take it you fly long distance routes and generally internationally based on the size of the aircraft. What type of food do the pilots get? Any particularly memorable airport approaches or cities you like flying in to? | (2) My airline typically issues a "crew meal" or we get one of the meals from 1st class, it depends... As for memorable approaches, well, the visual approach to runway 13L/13R at JFK is a blast. Departure out of SFO can be amazing, as some of the routing can take us directly over the Golden Gate Bridge as we depart. The approach into Vienna Austria is amazing, with lots of rising terrain and a narrow valley to fly into. |
| I actually have a question about the SF area departure, I flew out of SJC and we seemed to be doing a spiraling turn for about 10 minutes whilst ascending (probably the only time I've ever gotten queasy on a flight... I'm one of those types who actually looks forward to turbulence). Is this because of the mountains or just staying out of the way of traffic? | Sounds like you were in a holding pattern, which is usually in force when traffic, weather, etc becomes a factor. |
| The most common sid at sjc uses a spiraling turn. Loupe One DP. | SIDs only used for departure, I think the OP mentioned he was landing at SJC. |
| What are the other pilots like? Are they all just a bunch of fraternity d*cks, or are they nice guys who you can trust in an emergency? | Most pilots are great to work/fly with. Like any other profession, you will always encounter a few jerks, but the vast majority have been awesome to fly with, and would trust them with my life. |
| Have you ever gotten laid/gotten a blowjob in the cockpit? | Lol, no... But it's on my bucket list! |
| Where has been your favorite place to fly to? | ATC does one hell of a job in keeping airliners from bumping into each other. There have been some separation conflicts that have happened in the past, and it's happened to me, but we have systems on-board to also prevent any accidental bumping of aluminum. |
| My dad is an air traffic controller and sometimes I hear stories of planes flying too close to each other, has that ever happened to you? | Favorite place to fly - St Marteen, San Francisco, Munich and home... |
| Do you have to dead head or do you live near your home station? | I live near my base (90 minute drive) so not too bad... |
| What are your vacation periods like? What are you sick days like? Do you have more liberties being the pilot to bring things that normal passengers would not be able to bring on board? | Well, I'm married to a very understanding wife, and have two children. It is hard at times being away, I've missed alot of holidays and family events. My typical month is away for 14-18 days. Not all at once, but that is what it averages... Vacations are a blast, as we fly for free, and can go anywhere. My kids by the time they were 10 had 2 full sets of passports. |
| I know someone who is a big rig driver, and he spends maybe 4-5 days at home a month. Pretty hard on him, since he wants to spend time with his family. Was curious to see who had it better. The pilots who are licensed to carry firearms, are they required to have a CCW permit? or just a regular permit? | I'm not sure of the details on the firearms license. I don't have one. |
| It's been said that being a commercial airline pilot is 98% boredom (routine, nothing out of the ordinary), but the 2% is really stressful situations. | Weather can make the job very stressful, and I have found myself in a few situations where the weather was lousy, the fuel on board was low and our options were running out. But, your training kicks in and you find a way to safely end the mission. |
| What is the most stressful/close call type situation you have been in as a Major Airline pilot? | Modern aircraft are pretty damn reliable, and other than passenger related issues causing me grief, I've been lucky to not have anything major go wrong during a flight. |
| What kind of passenger related issues are there usually? | Mostly related to alcohol and the usual business person who flys alot and thinks he owns the airline and the world. This year I have removed 6 people from flights because of behavior. |
| Did you fly in any wars? | Yes, I was in the 1st Gulf War, and then participated in the NATO conflict in Bosnia. |
| What did you fly in the AF? What was your rank when you sep'd? | I flew the F-111 until it was retired, and then the F-15. My rank at the time of discharge was Major. |
| Where were you stationed? My ex (still on good terms) ran an F-111 life support shop when we started dating... | Upper Heyford - 55th Tactical FS. |
| Did you get to go straight into flying the big jets at your airline, or did you have to go into a regional carrier first? | I was lucky, and went right to the majors flying the 727. |
| How many pilots go from the fighter route to flying heavies? I had always heard that a lot of people try to go straight to heavies in pilot training so they can get out and work for the airlines. | It depends, but lots of ex- fighter jocks out there flying for the airlines or for UPS or FEDEX. |
| Ah, she was at Cannon, 523rd IIRC. | Ok, know the 523rd well! |
| So it's kind of the retirement center for ex-fighter pilots eh? | Lol, sometimes... Lots of people don't go the airline or cargo route and do something else... |
| Have you ever pretended to shoot machine guns out of your commercial airliner? pew pew pew | Lol, yes... I pretend my plane is a B-17 and other airlines are the Luftwaffe! It's great fun, but if we crashed, man would the CVR tapes be embarrassing... |
| The change from the F-111/F-15 to a 757/767 has got to be pretty big. Do you get bored flying commercial and think it's just slow and too relaxed? Granted you're still going about 500mph there can't be much comparison to an F-15. | Lol, yeah, it was an adjustment. When I started my airline career, it was on the 727, which was a great aircraft, but sometimes I would sit there and think, what the hell did I get myself into! But, the job is never really boring, and even with all the automation, it will still test all your flying skills at time... |
| Have you ever flown into Chicago (ORD) at night from over Lake Michigan? One of the best views. | Agree, beautiful at night! |
| I'm currently an air traffic control student. Is the tension between pilots and ATC a real thing? Or do the students just make this up by saying one group is better then the other for old college rivalries? | Nah, thats BS... I've never seen any tension between ATC and pilots... |
| 1.In one post you said the TSA is "incompetent", how do the majorty of pilots view the TSA? 2.Also whats the best way to book a full flight so that the option of maybe getting a free flight out of it or just all in all the best way of getting a free flight. 3.Also for spring break I just booked a flight to Cabo, whats your view/tips on flying to Mexico if you have any? | I think its safe to assume most pilots have little respect for what TSA does. As for the flight questions - no clue... I just push the buttons and yank and bank the airplane, no idea on free flights, etc... |
| I'm 16 (I turn 17 next month) and I've always wanted to become an Air Force pilot and then a commercial pilot. Is it difficult for someone of my age to get into the Air Force? Should I get my degree (In Mechanical Engineering) before I even dream of becoming any form of pilot just as a 'fall-back' option? Also what stages are involved in going from a complete newbie to an Air Force? Thanks. | Hi. Best advice - talk to your high school guidance counselor about your plans and have them help you with getting in touch with the AF. Be leery of what a recruiter tells you, and get everything in writing. |
| In your opinion, what's the most difficult part in a normal flight? And the easiest? What's your least favorite airport? | Take-off is the hardest. Lots of things can happen, there is a ton of traffice and ATC requests, etc... It's busier in many ways than landing... Least favorite airport - Philly or LGA. Both are the pits! |
| LGA I know can have tight/short runways. Is that why you don't like it? Why don't you like PHL? | Both are a major pain in the rear due to the delays we constantly face... |
| Slider: Goose who’s butt did you kiss to get in here anyway? Goose: The list is long, but distinguished. Slider: Yeah, well so is my Johnson. Top Gun. | Great line, lame movie... |
| I've flown through Amsterdam about a dozen times in the past couple years and it's always foggy as hell. What would you prefer to land in, torrential rain/t-storms, or dense fog with little to no visibility? Also, what's the worst weather you've encountered; that one flight that sticks with you? | Both present problems, but the aircraft I fly can do what is known as a CAT IIIb approach into almost 0/0 conditions. All things being equal, probably would prefer fog over t-storms, etc... At least fog doesn't bring wind shear and other nasties... |
| There have been a few times flying through weather generated turbulence that was so bad we couldn't even read the instruments... Lots of folks screaming and crying in the back, and a nasty mess for the ground crew to clean up... |
| How hard of a beating can modern airliners take? | Can't speak to Airbus, but the Boeing fleet outside of the 787 are built like tanks.. Easily handle multiple +/- minus G's and stay intact. |
| As a young-ish guy with a PPL and a good job but always thinks of flying commercially...in the next 5-10 years which do you think is better? Make enough money to fly privately whenever you want, or make money flying? Also, do you enjoy flying GA, and if so do you enjoy it more or less than flying the big iron? | Make enough money to fly privately.. I do enjoy GA, and own a small plane with 2 other pilots... |
| What was the process you took to become a fighter pilot? What was the pay like? | I qualified based on aptitude and academic testing. Never thought about being a pilot until I got into the Air Force (was originally looking at technology). I had the chance to fly in an F-4 and was hooked... |
| They pay is minimal, but the Air Force provides alot... |
| Wait so if you just take the ASVAB (or whatever it's called) and score high they'll teach you how to be a fighter pilot? | No, but score low and you have no shot... It's part of the process. You need to qualify for flight school based. Keep in mind, it was 30 years ago for me, so not sure what the entire process is now... |
| Tried to make sure no one else asked this.. and it may sound silly, but there are SO many tv shows on now that deal with UFOs.. | I have not, but I do know other pilots I have flown with that have seen things they can not explain. |
| Just wondering if you have ever seen anything "strange" while flying that made you wonder if "we are not alone?" | Personally I don't think they are alien devices coming to earth, but who knows... |
| I have not been able to find an answer to this anywhere, so I'm hoping you can shed some light. Why do we need to turn off our eletronic devices during takeoff/landing? I understand to some degree devices that transmit signals like phones. But I'm thinking back to my youth and having to turn off a WalkMan. What gives? | In the past, many of those devices did in fact disrupt certain navigation aids we use to land especially. Frankly, it's not really needed anymore, but it is a rule passengers should follow, lest you get kicked off the plane... |
| Do you have a college degree? Was there any way to transfer your flight experience in the Air Force to your commercial pilots license i.e. making it cheaper to get your license? | Yes, have both grad and undergrad in aerospace engineering. Getting my civilian crossovers were very simple and my experience and time in the Air Force made it easy. I went straight from the military to the airline. |
| Airplane double standard, saw on the news recently pilots use tablets during take-off/landing...yikes. | Didn't catch that, but we do use tablets to hold alot of out manuals and checklists now, so it may have been in use legitimately... |
| Dont u think that if pilots are able to use tablets during takeoff/landing, so should passengers? O.o. | Lol, those are special, EMF approved tablets. :) |
| (kidding) |
| How competitive/difficult is it to become a pilot of a fighter jet, such as the F-15 that you said you flew? I've always been told that it's incredibly difficult. Can you confirm or deny this? | How well you do in OCS, Flight School etc will make a big difference. But in the end, if the military needs more trash haulers than fighter jocks, that will be the deciding factor... |
| Can you be 6'0ft or taller and still fly jets? | Yes. |
| off, thank you for this! I'm 16 and this is one thing I've strongly considered doing with my life. 1) what did it take to get to where you are now? As in, how did you get into the academy, what could I do at my age to start working towards it, etc. | Hi. I love my job, but not the industry. I did not got to the academy, I went on an ROTC scholarship to a 4 year university. My advice, as cliche as it sounds - continue to do well in school, with a huge focus on math and science. If you want to go the academy route, there are a ton of good sites on the web that should be able to assist you in what the process involves. |
| 2) Do you enjoy your job? | Best of luck! |
| I really want to get into the Air Force as an officer. Do you have any tips for either the Academy, ROTC program, or any useful advice at all? | Academy is ideal, provided you have the grades and the political assistance to get in. I did ROTC. Plan to major in any of the sciences, as that is ideal... |
| I'm in the air force as a weather forecaster, mainly for pilots. I have ALWAYS wanted to know... Does 15kts of wind will really make that huge of a difference in takeoff, compared to around 6kts? | Yes! It can be a huge factor depending on the aircraft and wind direction... (i.e. tailwind, cross wind, etc) |
| I would love to pursue either ATC or commercial airline pilot, but I'm not sure which. Is there training I could start doing that would be useful in both careers once I decide which I want to do? Also, can you compare which would be a more aggressive career choice and which would be harder to achieve? | Go ATC, much more stable than working for an airline! |
| I completely forgot about crosswinds! 1 A lot of bases have specific 15KT crosswind advisories that are constantly being issued. | Sure thing... The 757/767 has a crosswind component of 30kts for landing give or take. At that number, it's going to be a bumpy ride and landing! |
| How often do you get to pick which cities you go to? Or it's mostly random, how soon in advanced do you find out? | We bid on trips based on seniority and a few other factors. We typically know at least 30 days out what are schedule will be like. |
| Funniest airline joke you've heard? | Lol, there are too many of them... :) |
| Which did you prefer, the F-111 or the F-15? How was the transition from side by side seating to flying solo? what in your mind is the worst designed airport in terms of approach, crosswinds, layout, ect...? | I loved the F-111, and prefer it slightly over the F-15. The transition was pretty easy, but I did miss having someone right next to me to talk to on long missions. |
| Worst designed airport - LGA, DCA come to mind... |
| What were some of the issues with the F-111 that led to it being phased out? I don't understand phasing out a weapon system that still does it's job just because it's old. We still use the M2 .50 cal and it's been around for over 80 years... | The AF got roughly 30 years out of the F-111. In the end, the F15 was more suitable for the newer weapons platforms coming out, along with the newer flight systems. |
| Do you have any advice for someone who wants to be a Commercial Pilot? | Truly think about what your lifestyle will be like choosing this career. If you keep coming back to yes, I must do this, then go for it. The military is a great way to get your training, and is still the preferred background alot of airlines look for. |
| I'm looking at leaving the Air Force (enlisted) in a few months. I'm 24 and have roughly half a college degree under my belt. I've been considering going to a college that is geared around flight careers or a civilian pilot academy. It's a hell of an expense and I know I may be rolling the dice hoping to get a job as a pilot that will pay the bills and my student loans. What experience, if any, do you have with pilots that went that route and can you share any observations or advice? | It's a fair bet you can make it to one of the express carriers on a turbo-prop or RJ. But, it will take a long time to get to the point where your making a decent buck. Just keep that in mind... Good luck, and let me know if I can help. |
| I'm currently attending the Confederation College School of Aviation. Got any tips? I'm still quite early in my schooling; yesterday I did my first stall and spiral dive recoveries. Spiral diving in a C172 is as intense as any rollar coaster I've been on. How the hell do you survive the shit you pull in a high-performance jet? | Congrats! |
| Which route did you take in becoming an officer? I'm currently a freshman at a community college planning to transfer out to a university and go through NROTC dreaming to become an aviator, so I'm always so interested in hearing about how other pilots/aviators got to their position of flying. | Hi, I went on a full ROTC scholarship, and was offered the chance to go to flight school, so grabbed it. I got very lucky... |
| How much do you socialize with the other crew and what do you talk about? Can you tell who's a rookie and do they act different from the experienced? Like get worried from little things or are too eager. | We always know who is new to the line, be it an FA or FO. Typically crews are pretty close knit, and we tend to gossip about work, complain about management, the passengers, etc... It's rare that we don't eat meals or sight see together during layovers. |
| 1) what the average cruising speed an airliner flies? 2) I'm a junior at a vocational high school and enrolled in an 2yr auto shop class and wondering if you had advice on becoming an aircraft mechanic? | Mach .8 is typical for us on the 757/767. The 747 typically cruises around .85. |
| Airline mechanics rock! When I hit mandatory retirement or get offered a buyout, that will be my next career... |
| Is there a specific model of commercial aircraft that you wish you could fly? Are you content with the 757/767? | The 747 would be nice, just because it's big and beautiful. The 757 is a great aircraft to fly. I flew the MD-11 which I enjoyed, but don't miss. The 727 and 737 were fantastic. |
| Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it. Yes agree with you there, the 747 is one beautiful machine. I live in Toronto and I use to live underneath the flight path, a 747 would always make me stop and watch - have you ever flown into Toronto? Any thoughts on it? Is there any opportunities to switch aircraft as a pilot, or do basically stay with one model for your career? | Toronto is a great city, haven't been in a long time. Based on seniority and other factors, many pilots change aircraft over time. I started on the 727, and then the MD-11, the 737 and now the 757/767. |
| Which airline do you prefer? We went on a Virgin flight with some crazy bling inside the plane, and then back home on a American plane that looked like it was from the sixties. | Well, I'm partial to my own airline, which is not Virgin or American. :) |
| off, thanks for your service. Which airport do you look most forward to flying in? Also, have you flown in/out of DFW and what are your opinions about it? | Thanks... My favorite airport is JFK, as it means I'm home. :) |
| I like DFW, but taxing to/from the gate can be a pain as the place i so damn big. |
| Thanks for the info, one last question - do you get excited to fly every time, are there days where you really don't want to fly? | It still gives me a thrill, but there are plenty of times when I hate leaving my family to go fly... |
| Jetblue? you seen like a sensible guy, and I always seemed to favor them. | No, but they are a decent airline... For legal reasons, I prefer not to mention what airline I fly for, but it's a very large US based carrier. |
| You mentioned First, not BusinessElite, which makes me think that you do CO/UA, eh? | Sorry, old habit... :) |
| Which is why I worded it carefully as an opinion. shakes his fist Anyway, my real question is simple: Do you have that pilots drawl? The one rumored to be used because of the time between mic on/off? | Lol, no drawl... I'm from the Bronx, so I sound more like Joe Pesci on the mic. :) |