The ERJ

Jetlink

3 AM Wed morning it began........I boarded a 6 am flight from IAD to IAH on a CAL 737-300. Arrived into IAH(houston-george bush airport) around 830 am. Nice touchdown on 26L and subsequent taxi from hell to get to the gate(those who frequent IAH know what I am talking about). Hopped off the plane and into a shuttle that took us over to Express Jet headquarters. All I have to say is that place is one class act. Everyone there is super cool. The HR rep took us to a room, that I would get to know very well, and gave us all a briefing on the company. Then it was hurry up and wait. 25 of us there to interview so it took them a while to go through paperwork. Once it was all sorted the sessions started. There were three rooms; a jeppesen chart room, a "what would you do" room, and finally an HR room that would decide our fates. I was hit with some very good hard questions in all of the room, but it seemed as though the HR room was where it all happens. I really think your personality and ability to interact with the HR woman and one of the company managers plays a large role on whether or not you get the gig. Anyhow, after a short talk I was told to wait in the hall while they reviewed my bidding. The HR person soon came out and handed me a binder and a poster and said they would like to offer me a position and would I accept. I gladly said I would. Never been happier. Now its just a waiting game to get the final confirmation on the background check and the piss test. Not that I have much to worry about but you know how it goes. Anyways, I am thrilled to soon be a part of the express jet family. It is a dream come true and I have many people to be thankful to.....Once I get a chance to start actually flying I am going to make a video that Ill be sure to post on here. Looks like Cleared for the Visual is about to get a little more interesting.

Third time must really be the charm.

Merry Xmas

Merry Xmas everyone. Hope that everyone is having a nice holiday with family and friends, and that everyone is being safe out there. Whether you are on the airways tonite, or sitting at home with family and friends, I wish you all the best.

Got a gig

So, I had a phone interview with Ram Air Freight based in RDU yesterday. The guy I spoke with told me he would recommend me to be hired to the chief pilot. Sounds like a great opportunity. I will initially start off in the Piper Lance, a strong and reliable aircraft. With all my Arrow time it should be a breeze for me to transition. Once a slot opens up I will move into either a seneca, a baron, or a cessna 402. Its nice to have this lined up, because it really takes the heat off the express jet interview. EXJET is still my number one, and I am still preparing for the interview as though the job was mine.....but a little of the pressure is off. Did I say "a little".....? Cause I am still stressed...lol.

Ram air will be a great spot for me to hone my skills as a pilot flying single pilot IFR missions in all types of weather and at both day and night. Here is a pic of a Lance.

Skylane IFR

I blasted off the other afternoon with a buddy to go to Norfolk international to pick up a buddy of his. We launched IFR into severe clear skies, but an airmet for moderate turbulence along most of the route. It was definitely a bumpy ride, but got better as we made out way south. We were cleared direct casanova, then haney intersection,Richmond Vortac, wakes intersection, direct norfolk. Nice easy trip. Once airborne we were routed west of dulles and then on course to the south direct to Haney intersection. about 15 miles from Haney we were cleared direct WAkes intersection. That took us right over Richmond and a great view of the city. As soon as we were handed off to Norfolk approach control we were assigned a heading and radar vectors to the visual approach to runway 23 at Norfolk. Nice ride in. Sun was setting, ships pulling into the harbor and a nice manly sized a/c carrier steamed into port.

The trip out was fun for me. I sat left seat with Dan in the back. His buddy sat up front with me. I was single pilot IFR all the way home. I loved it. Clearance was norfolk 3 departure, radar vectors to hopewell vor, richmond, coatt 4 arrival and then direct leesburg. I was on vectors for most of the first part of the trip, but as soon as it got dark I was cleared direct to Falko, a waypoint on the arrival. I was at 6000 ft and doing about 100 knots over the ground, right into the wind. It was a long ride home. Once over falko I resumed the arrival and was cleared direct baron intersection, direct Mixnn intersection. This put us on the east side of Dulles, very close to the FRZ that surrounds wash DC. The dreaded no fly zone.

Once abeam Dulles, I spotted the field and got radar vectors around the north end of the field at 2000. My last clearance was, "traffic, 2 o clock passing right to left at 3000, heavy 767 inbound for dulles, caution wake turbulence, you are cleared visual approach to leesburg". AWESOME!

What a great night to fly and put all my skills to test. Even stuck a nice xwind landing in the 182 at night....if I do say so myself. It is nights like this that I live for.

Ive been hitting the books extra hard in anticipation for my interview. Ill keep you all posted.

Good news at last

So, I have been pretty busy the last few weeks at the airport. Quite a bit of stress on me for a variety of reasons, but it looks as though it has all paid off. I am happy to report that most of it is very good news indeed.

I will start from the top....

Robbie, my older (former) student pilot is set to take delivery of a new cirrus SR22 this week. We were under a time constraint to get him his license, and every time we tried to fly weather or something else would get in the way. In any event, Robbie finally got it all together and went to take his private pilot checkride with a local examiner here at Leesburg. Ive never seen a guy so nervous and tense as he was that day. But apparently he did fine, and is now a licensed private pilot. Next on his agenda is cirrus training at Leesburg in his plane, as well as me getting checked out in the aircraft. I will get a day of factory training by a cirrus instructor so that I can feel comfortable in the airplane when we do his instrument.

I also passed 1200 hours. So that makes me officially eligible for alot of 135 single pilot ifr work that is out there. Its mostly freight gigs that involve night runs in barrons, senecas, lances, c210's and caravans. I am sitting at about 1240 right now and 138 multi.

As quickly as I reached part 135 mins I also got a letter from express jet---the regional for continental airlines. I interview on the 27th and am very excited. The other two interviews with comair and eagle were practice sessions for this one. As sad as I was to have not been previously selected at comair or eagle, I am very thankful to have had that practice. Invaluable. The gouges seem to be very jeppesen focused. They ask rather obscure symbology questions, and expect you to have a very indepth working knowledge of the charts. They also provide carrier service to Mexico, so a great portion of the interview involves looking at Mexican approaches and departure procedures. I have been lucky enough to get my hands on an approach plate from Saltillo Mexico that they use on the pilots proficiency check. Hopefully I will get that presented to me in the interview. The very nice thing about the interview process is that I will get to know immediately afterwards whether I was selected or not. No waiting on pins and needles for days wondering.

Everyone keep me in their prayers....perhaps the third time will be the charm.........