The first time that I ever flew was in the early 1960s. Two of us flew from here to a centre 240 miles away, on a Trans Canada Airlines (now Air Canada) DC3! I am so glad to have had that experience! I doubt we were much higher than about 8,000 feet, and the flight was largely over rural land. I had a window seat. I could see a droplet of oil forming a streak over the cowling of the one engine! Brother, you knew you were flying! So different to flying, today!

 

My mom and I don’t have any additional ratings. We both just fly VFR and day. My dad has many more including instrument rating. His Cessna 180 is decked out with a ton of incredible new tech. I like to prefer low and slow personally. Give me Piper Cub/Super Cub and I’ll be happy all day long.

A&P stands for Airframe and Powerplant and both have their own licensing that the FAA issues. With it, I can a WHOLE lot in so many different fields, but at its most basic explanation, I can be a mechanic for general and commercial aviation.

 

The DC3 is a classic and you're so lucky to have flown in one. I imagine that in the early 1960s there would still have been quite a few around. Would have been very different flying in an unpressurised cabin. Soundproofing probably wasn't great either but spare a thought for paratroopers in WW2 jumping on D-Day. They would have been deaf as the C-47 would have been stripped down compared to a DC3.

 

Yes! The DC3 was noisy. The whole cabin resonated in sympathy with the vibrations from the two radial engines and propellers. Our plane was probably no older than about 30 years when I flew on it. So it wasn’t “old”, at the time. I might have thought to ask how old it was, but it wasn’t “old”, 60 years ago! Speaking in a regular voice was not possible. I remember the sensation of walking “up hill” to get to the seats on this tail dragger. Dam thing might still be flying, just not with TCA (Air Canada)!

 

Morning tea

 

I only fly gliders these days. Don’t really need a chronograph to time my flights as the data logger automatically collects my flight time from takeoff to landing in addition to a lot of other flight data…but I use it anyway.

 

Greetings…

I’ve been a professional pilot for a little while. When I graduated from college in 1986 with a BS in geology, I couldn’t find a job in that field. At the time, the U.S. Navy was taking pretty much anybody and everybody regarding a pilot slot…all you basically needed was a college degree and a 2.0 GPA…this was an opportunity of a lifetime…so I decided to give it the old college try and was commissioned a Naval Officer via Navy AOCS in 1986. Navy primary pilot training immediately followed commissioning.

I didn’t perform very well in Navy primary pilot training (flying the T-34C Mentor) and was almost attrited from the pilot program…I have difficulty learning new things…and I had never flown an aircraft prior to entering Navy pilot training. Fortunately, I made it through primary and was awarded helos where I trained on the TH-57B/C Sea Ranger…I received my Naval Aviator wings on 03JUN88. I was awarded SH-60B Seahawks and flew them in the fleet initially as a PQM (pilot qualified in model)…then as an H2P (helicopter second pilot)…and then as a HAC (helicopter aircraft commander).

From fairly early on in the Navy, I had aspired to be an airline pilot. Golly gee whiz…the military rotorhead wants to be an airline pilot. When I left military active duty, I utilized my Montgomery GI Bill benefits and enrolled as a civilian student at Comair Aviation Academy to obtain FAA fixed wing add-on ratings to my already existing helo commercial and instrument ratings from the FAA military competency exam. I also obtained FAA fixed wing CFI/CFII/MEI ratings and then flight instructed at Comair Aviation Academy for 1 year to build fixed wing time in order to get on with Comair Airlines (a regional airline) as a First Officer. I was hired by Comair Airlines and flew there for 6 years. As a new hire, I flew as a Metroliner First Officer…then transitioned to Canadair Regional Jet First Officer…and then upgraded to CRJ Captain. As a Captain, I was able to build about 1,200 hours of FAR Part 121 PIC turbine time which was paramount towards getting on with the major airlines.

I was fortunate to get hired by Delta Air Lines in early 2001 where I flew the B727 as a Second Officer (flight engineer). Unfortunately, due to the events of 9/11 later that year, I ended up being furloughed from Delta for about 5 years and did not fly during that time. During Delta pilot furlough, I became a Cincinnati Police Officer and “kinda sorta flew” Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors down the mean streets of Cincinnati while on patrol. When I returned to Delta from pilot furlough in 2006, I flew the MD88/90 as a First Officer for 11 years. In 2017, I went out on a medical disability and lost my FAA medical certificate. Fortunately, I was able to get my FAA medical certificate back and I start Delta B737 training as a First Officer next month.

Pilot watches? In my humble opinion, if you’re performing as a pilot and you’re wearing a watch…that watch is a pilot watch. Early on during Navy pilot training I purchased a new Seiko 6309-7049 automatic at the NAS Whiting Field Navy Exchange in 1987…and this watch was my pilot watch in the Navy, as a CFI, and at the airlines. Pictured below is my beloved 6309-7049 on the last day I flew the MD88 at Delta…30AUG17…and now that I have my FAA medical certificate back, it’ll get flown again when Delta B737 training is completed…





LATE ENTRY: Attempted editing regarding clarification, spelling errors, grammar errors, too many comas, too few comas, blah, blah, blah.

 

Welcome back Capitan!

So 737ng’s. Do the B738 and B739 share a rating?

 

Yeppers…I hear Top Gun 2 is supposed to come out in November…I’m ready…

 

Thanks for the upgrade to Captain…but I’ll be a First Officer on the B737.

Yes, the 800 and 900 share the same type rating.

 

If your ever at KSNA you got a drink on me.

 

Great pic.
I hear that gliding teaches you great stick and rudder skills but I've never been game to try it. Because once you're committed to landing, you're committed!
Is that watch the Speedmaster Trilogy which came out in 2017?

 

@Mad Dog
Thank you so much for sharing your story. What an interesting career you've had and I wish you well as you transition to the B737.

Well, using your definition of "pilot's watch", this is mine. It's a quartz Tag Heuer which was my daily wearer back in the mid 1990s when I was still flying.

 

Yes sir. I can't wait. It's been too long between sorties.

 

Hold up. @Mad Dog is coming back to the flight deck?? welcome back to the fold, brother!

I wasn't raised in an aviation family, though my great grandad (gone before I was born) owned a few airplanes and flew them in support of his business; a tool & die outfit in Cleveland. Found out my grandads on both sides used to fly too, but never got their ratings.

I always had the bug. Gave up my senior year of football to work more hours and fund flight training. I had the greatest support from my parents who helped with half the hourly cost of training up through about the first 20 hours. All this despite the fact that dad is not too keen on flying.

Anyway, got the private rating done and headed off to business school for which I had to take loans because I spent all my money flying around. When I graduated with a BS I was looking for work. An old friend from back home sent me a FB message asking if I was around because her parents' charter company was looking for pilots. I explained I wasn't a commercial certificate holder and thanked them for thinking of me. She persisted: they needed mechanics too. I informed her that I wasn't a mechanic either. A couple days later I heard from them again: don't worry about that, we'll make you a mechanic.

So, I spent three years there earning my mechanic certificate with both Airframe and Powerplant ratings (there's technically not an Airframe license or powerplant license. It's a mechanic certificate). I managed the parts department and even got to do some pretty serious flying on part 91 legs, maintenance checks, and even a few 'rescue' missions to go fix an airplane or such.

After that I took a job as the GM of a CRS out east. That was like trying to sew a patch on the Titanic, but did manage to make the place profitable while I was there. Returned to the Great Lakes area to work the jet game at my buddy's AOG shop. I just didn't have it in me so I quit/was fired. That was on a Friday and we had beer the following Tuesday. No hard feelings.

Moved within the state to an avionics shop and did some pretty heavy upgrades and installations there until one owner tried to steal the company from the other one. Dragged us all into it, got subpoenas and everything. It was a mess.

So, I went and sat for my IA (inspection authorization) and passed with a 98% (one wrong answer...and it was a T/F which really pissed me off. I just read it hastily). Since walking (running) away from the shop surrounded by the legal dispute, I've been a free agent.

Noticing that the pilot hiring is really getting too good to ignore, I've decided to get back to flying. Have flown 230 or so hours the last 7 months. I've passed and lapsed written exams for multiple ratings over the years. Just never seemed to have the time, money, and instructor all at the same time.

But by Thanksgiving I'll add the ratings I need to go make some coin in the seat vs under the cowl.

Favorite pilot watch? Can't/won't pick one, but I wear my Fortis the most when I fly. Sometimes the Speedy if I feel like it. Mostly fly around in a 310R or 414 for now. Heck, I haven't been single engine current for months (which I will remedy on Friday). It's just time, man. Gettin' the sleeves up to make it happen!

 

@64Wing
Hey, thanks for sharing and all the best with getting your ratings.

Yes, I agree that learning to fly can be an expensive business and what scares me more is that there's no guaranteed job at the end of it. It's probably the biggest reason why I decided not to pursue a commercial licence. At the time when I got my private pilot's licence there was a big economic recession and pilot jobs were thin on the ground. Even the CFI at my flying club dissuaded me from it. Although being a military pilot had been a dream as a teenager, becoming very shortsighted soon shot that down.

Anyway, which Fortis do you have? Is it the cosmonauts watch?

 

Thats a cool career so far on some pretty cool machines, Flying sideways on the 72 and 11 years on the Mad Dog.

Whats the difference between a flight engineer and a dog ? the dog sleeps under the table

The best of luck on the 73NG. Its great rating to have as they are everywhere all over the world and about to become the biggest narrow body freight dog in history.

 

I almost bought the Cosmonauts chronograph initially, but settled on the Flieger. It was my first "real" watch. Bought it back in 2014 or so. It's been a great companion through so many things.

 

That's what I tell kids that are planning on going to college but they don't know why...

 

That's a great looking watch. Love the aviation inspired design, esp the hands with lots of lume. Legibility should be excellent.