What it's like to fly an airliner.

[hotoil]

Astro-
I enjoyed your long and informative thread about the F-14. The age 60 thing got me 15 years ago and I still miss the flying (United), the airplanes, and the people we worked with. Your talk about the TO procedure at Orange County brought back fond memories, what a treat to be paid for that.

Years after starting United, I learned that the HR guy who hired me at had washed out of Navy flight training and did his commission obligation in the surface fleet, on an oiler that our DE worked with. The interview was going great, lots of sea stories, until he got to the "education" part on my application. United even then required minimum 2 yrs college. I had barely a year of credits, and he had every reason to be bitter about me trying for the job he missed. He was kind to a 23 yr old ATP with 3k hours, and approved me. The rest is history. I will forever be grateful for that.
Jim D

 

[Astro14]

Jim - That‘s a great story.

My UAL interview is a long story...it went really well...but it actually started on the LSO platform of the USS John F Kennedy, during a night recovery at sea, when a group of United folks from the training center, including the manager of new hire training, were on a tour. I gave them a detailed explanation of night landings, what they were about to see, and the LSO role in the evolution, before I knew they were from United. After watching 16 airplanes land, they told me where they were from...and I was dumbstruck. All I could manage to say, was, something like, “United is my first choice! I already sent in my application!”

But I forgot to give them my name.

The rest I’ll save for later.

An update on my career, short version.

United reached an agreement with its pilots to mitigate furloughs, and allow it to recover quickly as air travel recovers. It’s a ground breaking agreement.

I am still a captain on the 757/767, still doing LCA work. I took a guy through refresher training yesterday, and have a new guy to take through refresher today. With that, I need to put down my coffee and hit the shower.

Christmas tie in the cockpit yesterday:

 

[Astro14]

Our trusty steed at the end of the day.

 

[53' Stude]

Looking good Astro! Stepdad said to say “FLY NAVY FOREVER!

 

[c502cid]

Astro, I'm flying a 757 in a couple of weeks DEN-LAX. I'll ask if you are upfront!

 

[AutoMechanic]

Good thing I don’t fly a plane lol I can’t stand wearing ties. Glad you are still doing everything at your job.

 

[Astro14]

Astro, I'm flying a 757 in a couple of weeks DEN-LAX. I'll ask if you are upfront!

Please do!

 

[hotoil]

Astro-
Does UA still treat the 757 and 767 as one fleet, since the type rating covers both?
The 757 was a great airplane and easy to get good landings from, but the 767 was different and I can't recall a single greaser in ~3 years. We flew both the -200 and -300 767, but no more than one leg a month in either, so I never got good with it. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it...

 

[Astro14]

We still treat the 757/767 as a common type. Further, since the merger, we now have the following:
757-200 Pratt & Whitney Engines (Round Dial) (non ETOPS, some are over water capable with life rafts and HF, but some are not).
757-200 Rolls-Royce Engines (Round Dial) ETOPS SATCOM
757-300 Roll-Royce Engines (Round Dial) ETOPS HF only
767-300 Pratt & Whitney Engines (Round Dial) ETOPS SATCOM
767-400 GE Engines (Flat Panel Displays) ETOPS SATCOM

There are some differences within the fleets, but those are the big parts, either Round Dial or Flat Panel displays, four engine types, four different size airframes, and some variants within those groups. They are all a common type, though currency has to be maintained on the two displays, much like landing currency. A certain number of events (simulator, airplane) must be flown in each display type in the last 90 days.

It's not easy keeping track of the multiple types, or currency.

The 767-400 is the hardest to land well. It's very unforgiving of any drift, crab, or sink rate. It's a solid, stable, airplane with great cockpit displays. Light on the controls like the 767-300, but the ref speeds are much higher because of the higher gross weight and the concern about striking the tail on landing or takeoff. On my first flight on the 767-400 as Captain, the lead flight attendant said, "don't worry, honey, these things always land hard." She was shocked to find out that it could be landed smoothly, as we did that day in Brussels. My wife was on board, she can attest to that. I bought her a ticket for my first flight as a Captain.

Of all of them, I like the 767-300 best. Great control feel. Responsive, good performance. Not easy to land, but a great airplane to fly.

They all are great airplanes.

I've had more than 10 legs in the past week in our 757-300 doing training. Two or three legs a day. Not one write up on the airplanes. Not one gripe. Running several legs a day, the 757 just keeps on flying. When I say "trusty steed", it's more than just the metaphor, I mean it.

Boeing's best airplane. Maintained by the industry’s best mechanics.

 

[Astro14]

Today’s flights - I was in the right seat as my student was a Captain who was getting training. Not my normal seat. ORD-LAX then LAX-IAH. Great guy, but after a long day managing training, watching and coaching from a different seat, I’m bushed.
Cheers,
Astro

 

[maximus]

So you're legacy UA?

 

[AutoMechanic]

I didn’t know you could wear a hat lol

 

[Tikka]

Hi.
A question to you Airline Pilots.
Is the following an urban myth?
A Pilot can't carry a pocket knife on his aircraft. There is however a fire axe in the cockpit.

I have heard this a few times and do not know if it's true.

 

[Astro14]

Hi.
A question to you Airline Pilots.
Is the following an urban myth?
A Pilot can't carry a pocket knife on his aircraft. There is however a fire axe in the cockpit.

I have heard this a few times and do not know if it's true.

Absolutely true.

There is a sharpened axe in every cockpit.

Even a small knife will show up on the x-ray and get a pilot in trouble with the authorities.

The UK, by the way, is the absolute worst for airline crews. They are rude, condescending, inept, rough, and boorish. They will stand 3" from your face to "check" your breath, looking to bust someone for alcohol, threaten you with arrest for even speaking while in line, rip your things out of your bags while searching for a supposed "violation". I know guys who will bid any European city but carefully avoid all UK flying because of the hassle of UK security. Same standards across all countries, but the level of rudeness varies dramatically. Even the French are polite and cheerful while screening crews, but not the UK.

They once took everything from my bag while searching for something. Every article of clothing dumped on their table. Wouldn't tell me why, or what they were looking for.

Finally - they found it.

A Chapstick had fallen into a crevice in my bag. Clearly a serious threat to national security. Worth pulling all my stuff out and dumping it.

Took me ten minutes to put everything back in, and there were three "security" people standing there telling me to hurry up because I was holding up the line. They continued to scold me for the Chapstick, telling me that it should have been in my one liter clear plastic bag. Except that it is wax, not a liquid or gel, and therefore, not part of the requirement to put it in the one liter bag. Very effective use of personnel - all standing around offering criticism and derision to "help" me get re-packed after they dumped everything out.

Love your country, but not your airport Nazis.

 

[Astro14]

So you're legacy UA?

I am. Started in 1997 with United. Flying 747-400s to Hong Kong probably gave that away...

 

[hotoil]

Astro is certainly correct about the pocket knife, and AFAIK the short crash axe is still there.
Very shortly after 911, before we got the strengthened doors and all the other anti-terrorist features, a lady FO and myself flew together for the first time. Things were pretty tense back then. Since the cockpit door was offset toward my side, and the axe was between me and the door, my practice was to take the axe and give it to the FO, with instructions to use it if needed. She was happy with that, but noted that this particular axe was rather dull. There was a mechanic in the cockpit right then, who offered to sharpen things up. He did, she took the axe, and we departed on time. But thereafter, she was called "Lizzie", as in Lizzie Borden.

 

[Tikka]

Absolutely true.

There is a sharpened axe in every cockpit.

Even a small knife will show up on the x-ray and get a pilot in trouble with the authorities.

The UK, by the way, is the absolute worst for airline crews. They are rude, condescending, inept, rough, and boorish. They will stand 3" from your face to "check" your breath, looking to bust someone for alcohol, threaten you with arrest for even speaking while in line, rip your things out of your bags while searching for a supposed "violation". I know guys who will bid any European city but carefully avoid all UK flying because of the hassle of UK security. Same standards across all countries, but the level of rudeness varies dramatically. Even the French are polite and cheerful while screening crews, but not the UK.

They once took everything from my bag while searching for something. Every article of clothing dumped on their table. Wouldn't tell me why, or what they were looking for.

Finally - they found it.

A Chapstick had fallen into a crevice in my bag. Clearly a serious threat to national security. Worth pulling all my stuff out and dumping it.

Took me ten minutes to put everything back in, and there were three "security" people standing there telling me to hurry up because I was holding up the line. They continued to scold me for the Chapstick, telling me that it should have been in my one liter clear plastic bag. Except that it is wax, not a liquid or gel, and therefore, not part of the requirement to put it in the one liter bag. Very effective use of personnel - all standing around offering criticism and derision to "help" me get re-packed after they dumped everything out.

Love your country, but not your airport Nazis.

Hi Astro.
Having read that i feel both saddened and embarrased. Small minded people given a small amount of power. Is there no official way you can call them out on this?

That is just crazy. You can't take your leatherman tool but you can have the axe!

Anyway, thanks for clearing up the 'urban myth'.

 

[Tikka]

Astro is certainly correct about the pocket knife, and AFAIK the short crash axe is still there.
Very shortly after 911, before we got the strengthened doors and all the other anti-terrorist features, a lady FO and myself flew together for the first time. Things were pretty tense back then. Since the cockpit door was offset toward my side, and the axe was between me and the door, my practice was to take the axe and give it to the FO, with instructions to use it if needed. She was happy with that, but noted that this particular axe was rather dull. There was a mechanic in the cockpit right then, who offered to sharpen things up. He did, she took the axe, and we departed on time. But thereafter, she was called "Lizzie", as in Lizzie Borden.

Hi.
I just googled lizzie borden .

 

[OilUzer]

@Astro14

You need a pocket protector. lol
they are becoming fashionable again.

 

[4WD]

@Astro14

You need a pocket protector. lol
they are becoming fashionable again.

We have a real nerdy engineer at work … so strange that he got his base degree at Texas A&M and his masters at UT … wut? He’s in his late 50’s and I joked one day that if he was a bit older I could see the pocket protector, black framed glasses, and a big slide rule hanging off his (way too long) belt !
Well he freaking found a slide rule on eBay … what did I do