What a BS! Fired because of having an a little f**** now and then. “Conduct not becoming a CEO” or what? BS.

Apparently for most US corporations running a business into financial ruin is consider “conduct becoming a CEO” so those folks stay around forever. A concentual act done away from work seems to be more than a few can handle.

Ah, Pay For Training captures a few more casualties. Sorry for their luck.

Here’s my only picture of a JetsGo MD-80 taken at EWR. The NYC skyline is off to the left of the nose.

I know I didn’t get my ATPL in a cornflakes packet!!!!!

That sure would have been a lot easier.

You mean you didn’t go to the Kelloggs school of aviation??

Actually the school at the W.K. Kellogg Airport is called Western Michigan University.

http://www.wmich.edu/aviation/

Until 9/11 they did the initial training for British Airways newhires there.

http://www.airnav.com/airport/KBTL

I’ve been to KBTL so I can say honestly say that I’ve been to the Kelloggs school of aviation but unfortunately they didn’t issue free ATPL’s.

Ps. Where on earth did you get that swanky cockpit from? Its looks like a Cessna Skylane I think (?). Dunno when that became an average GA aircraft, wish I could afford one! Would have certainly helped my qualifying cross country, but then I was just dreaming of having a transponder!

It’s the new Skylane. Actually the previous version of both the C172 and C182 were better equiped than most larger aircraft as well. When I took my last flight in a Cessna (1999 model) before leaving for the airlines I had a GPS with a moving map and an autopilot. It was more than 2 years later before I flew anything that nice at work.

Whiskey Delta.

Interesting stats, but pretty meaningless surely in terms of a measure of pilot skills when nothing is factored in to take account of the fact that virtually all commercial flights are two-man crew?

A mistake that will kill a lone pilot will often be identified by his Captain or First Officer. That’s why we have two crew operation.

(Not arguing against your stance, merely your misuse of statistics 🙂 )

Moggy

We have 2 pilots due to the workload requirements of the aircraft and the environment in which it is operated. By your implication accident rates would be less with 3 or 4 crew members than with 2. Since the 1960’s the accident rate has actually dropped even though the number of crewmembers has decreased as well.

Ok My turn,

WD and Martin,

You both seem to forget on thing you guys are flying basically over size sims your whole flight deck is on big flight Sim. While most GA aircraft still have 60 tech. in it.

So you’re saying that the quality of the pilot is proportioned to the age of his equipment? That’s BS. Did I learn more or have more valuable experiences flying a 1956 AeroCommander vs. a 1979 Seminole? Heck no.

You also seem under the impression that the difficulty of the job is lowered by the increase of glass tubes in the cockpit. How is tracking a VOR needle (which as been done for 50 odd years) different that tracking a GPS course line (which as only been done for the last 7 years or so)?

It’s all the same skills with different applications.

There are quite a few airliners flying with less equipment that your standard Cessna 172.

But I will say this most GA pilots i’ve found are better Navigators then you Airline guys why because we still have to do allot of Dead Reckon and flying the Compass, you have that nice big GPS that tells you when to turn and why we are on that hell you have Rubert who does most of your flying for you.

I’m just curious what personal comparisons you’ve been able to make between the 2 groups.

Again, contrary to what you may think the average GA aircraft has more avionics capabilties than your average airliner.

I can tell you the easiest way to get a groan from a flight crew is to tell them “I’m a GA pilot so I know all about this” as you poke your head up front. :rolleyes: I seem to hear this about once a month. The fundementals may be the same but it’s like comparing Apples and Oranges.

As for commercial pilots having, superior knowledge/skills/experiences this is again a sweeping generalisation in my view.

Yes, that is your view.

I don’t think you understand the amount of work that goes into being a professional pilot vs. remaining current as a GA pilot. Off the top of my head I can think of 2 written tests, 3 full days of ground school (that also include testing), 1 oral exam and 1 flight simulator flight test covering just about every emergency out there each year. Captains have to double up on most of those training events. Those are also jeopardy events, if the pilot fails they dequalify on their flying status. Within the commercial environment it’s constant learning and testing. Basically think of taking your PPL/CPL training every 6 or 12 months. That is where a commerical pilots knowledge advantage comes from.

I also believe that commerical pilot skills are sharper not only because of how often they apply their skills but also because they see quite a bit of training each year.

Experience comes from time spent behind the yoke and commercial pilots log (on average) many times the amount of flight time your typica GA pilot. Sure a GA pilot who practices aerobatics for 100’s of hours a year is going to be an outstanding aerobatic pilot. Similarly, a Commercial pilot who logs 100’s of hours a year is going to be a heck of lot more proficient and have a lot more experiences than a GA pilot who straps in to his PA-28 for about 50 hours a year.

When comparing to groups, no matter what they are, someone is going to come out on top. Professional pilots have a lot higher training behind their certificates, that’s just the nature of the beast.

Perhaps in the UK or other parts of Europe there are “0” time GA pilots flying Commercially as they didn’t need to go that route, that’s beyond my experience. Here in the US the average new airline pilot has 1000-2000 hours of GA experience before setting foot in even the smallest airline aircraft out there. Most of that time comes from instruting others to fly. Personally I have numerous ex-students still flying GA after all these years. Between them and friends I’ve made at our local GA airport I’m still involved in the community. I’ve spent time on both sides of the fence (and still do). What’s so hard to believe that even an airline pilot is still a GA pilot to a certain extent.