Below was my schedule from last week. Rough. Thursday October 15 14:00-  Sign in for airport standby 17:30 – Assigned ferry flight to another airport 22:32 – Ferry flight finally leaves my base 23:15 – Arrive at maintenance airport 00:10 – Arrive at the hotel – set alarm for 8AM for breakfast before scheduled 10AM [...]

I went to bed at 9:30PM Sunday night. Way earlier than normal…didn’t work. My body clock is used to going to bed around 10:30PM and waking up at 6AM. Hard to change it. At 4:15AM Monday my alarm went off. I learned long ago to maximize sleep when I have an early show. To do [...]

This is my first 5 day trip all year. Tired. Of my last 8 flights, 5 have been dead heads including one on the jump seat of an ERJ. I haven’t actually flown a plane, the other three flights I was the non flying pilot. First overnight was long, second was  8 hours long with [...]

Remember a few days back I had to fly a plane to a maintenance base? While walking thru the hangar I snapped a photo of an exposed engine. Well that plane was in a heavy check. It finished yesterday. A crew was deadheaded in to do a test flight and then, if it passed, to [...]

Maybe this “pilot shortage” will actually happen….and it could get VERY ugly. HR 3371 (AKA Airline Safety and Pilot Training Improvement Act of 2009) passed today. This bill is incredibly long (I’ve tried reading through it….haven’t finished yet). One of the key provisions is this: SEC. 10. FLIGHT CREWMEMBER SCREENING AND QUALIFICATIONS. (a) Requirements- (1) RULEMAKING [...]

My wife and I are fairly conservative with our finances. We only buy things we can surely afford. This year we have been on a bit of a buying spree. I think it’s in preparation for a few years of living on less. Next year we are planning to have our first child. This will [...]