Roost Air Lounge => Aviation related topics => Topic started by: Frank N. O. on September 29, 2007, 04:01:51 AM
Title: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: Frank N. O. on September 29, 2007, 04:01:51 AM
I was wondering, how does a day go as a pilot to you? Finding out what you're do to that day, planning the trip, getting the aircraft ready, what events happend during the fligh etc.
Frank
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: TheSoccerMom on September 29, 2007, 06:47:37 AM
Hi Frank,
Gee, I'd try to answer your question, but you have the word NORMAL in there...... afraid that pretty much eliminates me... and that "work" word, well, I think I may be breaking out in hives now.......
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: airtac on September 29, 2007, 03:43:09 PM
Wake up, pour coffee, walk outside, see if sun is shining (yawn, stretch, fart !
Go to base, preflight airplane, clean windows, pour coffee, see if sun still shining (yawn-stretch, fart !)
Go to morning briefing, pour coffee, get doughnut, listen to people talk about boring stuff, (stifle urge to yawn, stretch, fart !--there are ladies present!)
Do wax on-wax off routine on airplane for an hour, read adventure novel, take safety nap, go to lunch.
Back from lunch, check if sun still shining, take power nap, wake up for fire call, fly to fire, fly right hand circles over the fire until you feel like puking and talk a lot on radio till gas almost gone then back to airport for more fuel, back to fire, repeat other stuff.
After second landing, fuel airplane and take precautionary nap, wake up for quitting time paperwork, put airplane to bed, watch sunset, drink beer, record heroic daily deeds for biography, then to bed for much needed rest (after making sure moon is shining)
Wake up in middle of night, remember I'm getting paid for being well rested, go back to sleep..........
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: G-man on September 29, 2007, 04:06:54 PM
This question was posed by a young enthusiastic and inspiring (wannabe) helicopter pilot asking another forum for advice in his career path toward being a professional helicopter pilot. The non-surprising wise-ass, though humorous, response went something to this effect:
"CIRCLES"
If you want a successful career as a helicopter pilot, you neeed to feel a deep love for "Circles". The "circle" is the first thing you will learn how to do when you are introduced to flying helicopters. It starts to get old during your first one hundred hours of flight experience, but the promise that "circles" will soon be a part of your past is what keeps you going. Unfortunitely "circles" are what you are going to be making for the duration of your career.
Your first job, after teaching others how to make "circles", is probably making "circles" doing tour flying. It's very funny that they say "circles" with an "S" (which leads you to believe that you might actually fly more than one route during your tour guiding career). "Circle" is what they should call it since the most excitement you will get out of flying tours is being able to say "Ya...I'm a REAL commercial helicopter pilot."
If you don't decide to do tours it's likely you will get hooked up with a logging operation. Ya, they make "circles" too. Really tight quick "circles", except YOU don't get to make them. You get to see them being made while you puke your guts out. And...Oh ya...your job is to count the "circles".
If you're real smart you will take on one of those "gulf jobs" where you don't have to make "circles". You get to make straight lines. Pretty exciting flying. After you make your initial climb out (to an altitude of 500 feet) you start monitoring your instrument guages. You never know when you're going to pop into IMC and start utilizing that instrument rating you paid dearly for. Although it pays more than your average grocery cart retrieving job you don't get to maneuver it back and forth in a creative "S" turn fashion while making your way back to shore. Those guys in the back (who by the way make triple your salary) don't like it. Better not piss them off three times in a row 'cause they'll get you canned in a heartbeat.
Now law inforcement...there's a job. Go to California and make "circles". The great thing about the CHP is that you get to make all the "circles" you want. I know...so why all of the sudden is making "circles" so much fun?!!...well I'll tell you. Because you don't have to unless you want to. The truth is, the CHP are allowed to do whatever the hell they want. OF COURSE they are all operating within their own personal limits. They're the CHP. You know...the ones who set the standard for commercial flying.
I don't mean to lead you on. Flying "circles" is fun, at first. Try this...sit in your fake leather computer chair and spin around a couple times. This effect may be accentuated after chugging a few cold Coors Lites. If you do this a few hundred thousand times you can begin to appreciate the joy of flying helicopters. Just remember...clear your turns 'cause your soon to be ex-wife doesn't like it when you spill beer on her carpet!
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: G-man on September 29, 2007, 04:25:52 PM
The Life of a Helicopter Pilot:
Grand canyon tour, Get up at 4.30AM, drive 90 miles to the ditch, have 5th cup of coffee, preflight, pee, get in start up, load up the midwestern beefeaters, fly for 30 minutes, fly for 30 minutes, fly for 30 minutes, fly for an hour, fly for 30 minutes, fly for an hour. Can I have a break? No, ok, fly for 30 minutes, fly for 30 minutes, fly for 30 minutes, fly for 30 minutes. fly for 30 minutes, fly for 30 minutes, fly for an hour, get out tie down, PEE, drive 90 miles home,eat, sleep, repeat.
Hawaii tour See above but get to wear funky hawaii shirt and shorts...
Offshore Oil: See above but the tourists smell bad and the river is a lot bigger...
Tuna Boat: See above, but you get to chant: Where da fish, where da fish...
Powerline patrol: See above but you get to say: tower one, tower two, tower 3, tower 4, tower 5......tower 496, tower 497, etc...
Pipeline patrol: See above but you get to say: yup it's a pipeline. yup it's a pipeline, yup it's a pipeline, yup it's a pipeline. yup it's a pipeline,.....Sh# theres a wire, ok, yup it's a pipeline, yup it's a pipeline, yup it's a pipeline....
EMS: Get to work, have 7th cup of coffee, preflight, pee,news, eat, sleep,eat, sleep, eat, sleep, eat, sleep, BEEP BEEP BEEP, motorcycle vs a big rig, fly 20 minutes, load patient, Yuuuuuuko!!! That looks like it hurts, fly 20 minutes, off-load, debrief, eat, sleep, eat sleep, eat, sleep, go home...
Logging: Get up at 5, have 3rd cup of coffee, preflight, comin up, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, log,log, Wipe up CP's puke, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, log, etc.. .Shut down go home drink a massive amounts of beer with hookers.
Fire: Get up at 4 AM, drive an hour, have 9th cup of coffee, mission plan, you want to WHAT? Put on bucket go to fire. OH! big fire! Up down, turn around, fetch a pail of water, repeat 160 times. Shut down, wait untill 14 hours is over. Out of duty time, find tent, eat at base camp, visit little blue room, sleep up again, at 5am repeat...
CFI: Get in at 9am, have 10 cups of coffee, 3 cigs,and wait for no shows, Non english speaking student shows up, preflight, flight, SCREAM: I HAVE THE CONTROLS!!, repeat 20 times, After hour flight, clean short, repeat 5 times, go home knowing your the pilot god that saved the R22 from the clutches of the student pilot, get on PC and type resume, yup getting 252.4 hours. look for way to get turbine time job with out flight time, go to sleep thinking how great it would be working as a real pilot!
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: Mike on September 29, 2007, 05:15:56 PM
Most fire-input came from guys flying big fire.
Here a little insight into Nevada desert firefighting:
Wake up at 5:30. Take 15min to figure out where the hell we are this morning and if I am in a hotel or in the helicopter. Get up, drive up towards the ship. Stopping at a gas station on the way for coffee and a Ding Dong (the breakfast of champions) and maybe a banana if we are lucky. Preflight. Cleaning off the bird poo from the helicopter. (the yellow and blue color sceme seems to attract them). Wash the windows, find somebody who might have an idea about what to expect weather-wise. Then end up looking around making sure the sun is shining. Fiddle around the helicopter for an hour fixing little things cleaning a thing here or there with a rag since there is no water where Jane is. Fill out mountains of paperwork wondering why this always takes longer than the preflight.
Around 10am, pick up some smokejumpers from some no-name hill from some fire nobody heard before. Then try to get lunch. Get in one bite before the fire call. Leave lunch, woof it down, or try to wrap it up and stuff it in the baggage compartment, then fly to fire. Look for landing sites. Finally find one that's either really dusty, tight, or rocky and far away from the fire. Drop off Helitack. Get to work with the bucket. Pick up bucket of "water" from dirty cow-pond and drop dirt cow pond water on fire. Repeat 50 times. Brief moment after a couple of good drops and Helitack turning a corner which makes us feel like we might catch the fire after all and think "wow, I get to do this for a living".
Then get fuel. Loose the fire in the meantime due to lack of buckets. Start from scratch. Catch it again in the evening. Sleep in the aircraft because 8hrs are flown off and the next hotel is 1hr flight time away. Repeat next day.
Romantic, isn't it?! ;)
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: TheSoccerMom on September 29, 2007, 07:31:05 PM
These are GREAT! And, so true. ::bow::
Add in all the good stuff already listed, and add (please): "Listen to 4,963 dirty jokes and LAUGH your a** off", and: "Race nine very fit and fast smokejumpers to the solitary toilet when they announce "Fire call!'", and yeah, that sounds pretty close.... :D
Oh, and, at night, especially if it has been a particularly NASTY day with high winds, bad air, teeth-jarring turbulence, and downdrafts worse than you thought could exist over a solid planet, with (what else?) lightning crashing everywhere:
"Hug the trusty Minivan around her nose (baggage compartment) and give her yet another kiss for taking good care of us."
::bow:: ::bow:: ::bow:: ::bow:: ::bow::
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: Mike on September 29, 2007, 10:52:56 PM
I liked your post there about the circles, G-Man.
I am sure there is a way to simulate the life of a fire pilot. Let me give this s try:
Get a car with manual gear shift and drive it to Las Vegas, Laughlin, Phoenix, or Mequite. Now, this is important: GET A CAR WITHOUT airconditioning. There are no a/c's in firefighting aircraft. Then park it in a parking lot for a few days while you spend the nights in a Motel 6 (max.). Make sure you get up at 5:30 in the morning, walk around the car for one hour before and then watch the weather channel for 1/2 hour every day. And don't leave the hotel or the parking lot. (If you do only for 10min and come right back.... ...we're simulating what we call "stand-by" here) At 9pm you can go somewhere for dinner if you want. But pick a small place where it takes an hour to actually get your food!
After a week or so, simulate the fire-call. Get in your car, close the doors, and read the first 2 pages of your owners-manual (we are simulating the take-off checklist here). Then program a few channels in your radio (simulating programming frequencies) Start the car but don't turn on the air vent yet because there is no air blowing until you get going in a helicopter.
If you want the full experience, get a handheld vaccum cleaner, turn it on and throw it in the back for the whole duration of the exercise. (engine noise) Drive to another parking lot preferrably off road and find a gravel pit or a gravel parking lot about 40min drive away. On the drive over, have your radio on some talk channel and if you can make it happen, get one or two more radios and tune them into different talk channels. If you can get someting going with a Christian channel with somebody praying and talking about dume and another channel with something like a Jerry Springer show on and lots of yelling and one more with a stand-up comedian talking, ...you're in business!! Now drive up and down the gravel parking lot for about 2 hours. You can stake out a course with cones if you wish to make it more challenging. However keep going through the same course. After two hours, get out, pee, get back in for another two hours and skip lunch. Repeat 4 times!
While you drive around the course, pick up pieces of conversation and write them on your windshield with a grease pencil or on a kneeboard if you brought one. And make sure you choose a course where you need to shift quite a bit.
Then eat an MRE for dinner and sleep in the car. Make sure you turn off you cell-phone for the whole thing. There is no reception where you are going.
Repeat the parking lot show for three more days, then start driving to the hotel every night for 4 days after 6 hours in the gravel pit. Make sure that every time you get in the car, you read another two pages of your owners manual and you wait until you turn the vents on.
After 12 days, you just did one whole shift of fighting fires with helicopters!
Did I pretty much capture it, guys?!
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: Baradium on September 30, 2007, 05:11:57 AM
Define "normal?"
There are so many different possibilities I don't even know how to talk about a specific "normal" day.
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: Rooster Cruiser on September 30, 2007, 05:31:01 AM
Dang, these "Normals" are so far removed from what I consider "Normal", I'd be embarrased to even describe what some of my "Normal" days were like as either a Charter Pilot, a Commuter Pilot, or a Corporate Pilot. And mine are far from the Norm! Not many Corp Drivers get to talk about what private dirt strips they've flown into in Baja or Central Mexico with the Executive Airplane.
But that seems to pale in comparison to you fire guys...
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: airtac on September 30, 2007, 01:51:02 PM
The common thread here among fire pilots here is the boredom of waiting and doing repetitive things, however, I think you'll find that there are times when we know that what we are doing makes a difference in a big way and at those times, the job is very intense and very interesting |:)\
OH, those 2 radio stations you're listening to in the gravel pit---if you're doing airattack, make it 6 or 7........but of course you get to drive the paved road around the top of the gravel pit and we NEVER sleep in our airplanes (on the ground anyway) ::sleep::
I gotta tell ya too--Ponderosa's Commanders are air-conditioned 8)
I need to add that for the most part, being a good pilot is a lot like wetting your pants in a dark suit, you get a warm feeling but nobody notices ::rofl::
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: G-man on September 30, 2007, 05:00:57 PM
The common thread here among fire pilots here is the boredom of waiting and doing repetitive things, however, I think you'll find that there are times when we know that what we are doing makes a difference in a big way and at those times, the job is very intense and very interesting |:)\
How true is that. Right now at the end of the season, I am sitting in the helibase with snow outside, yep, it SNOWED yesterday. Hence my whole day was sat in a comfy lounge chair either watching TV or trying to study or updating the "adventures of LaFawnduh" page.
In reality, my typical NON fire day is spent at the base from 9 thru 6 with an hour for lunch. As already described so well by Mike, ya'll know what a fire day is like now.
OH, those 2 radio stations you're listening to in the gravel pit---if you're doing airattack, make it 6 or 7........but of course you get to drive the paved road around the top of the gravel pit and we NEVER sleep in our airplanes (on the ground anyway) ::sleep::
Agreed, you have a little more on your plate than we do in terms of radios. Personally I prefer to work a discrete channel with my ground contact for buckets. We built a raport amongst the crew and they know how I like to be directed, it can get real hard doing "designer" drops when the guy on the ground gets his left and rights mixed up, or better yet---"I'm over here, on the ridge with the yellow shirt on" ::thinking:: Oh really.. ::banghead:: For the most part people do OK, but it really helps working exclusivly with "my" crew. Now we just have to convince the powers that be, to let us put "our" people on the line to work exclusivly with the helicopter.
I need to add that for the most part, being a good pilot is a lot like wetting your pants in a dark suit, you get a warm feeling but nobody notices ::rofl::
Gotta love the quotes that are all too real... ::rofl::
While I was a young child, I told my parents that when I grow up I wanted to be a helicopter pilot; but after all these years flying, I have realised I cant do both.. ::whistle:: ::drinking::
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: TheSoccerMom on September 30, 2007, 06:17:03 PM
This is a pretty good description of going to work, but there ARE a few more FUN details that I seem to get to hear... and, honestly, I am glad you guys DON'T.
At SOME point, during the day, there is always the resident ignoramus who tells me (incorrectly), things they KNOW to be TRUE, about MY airplane, and MY job, and MY crew.
Just a quick sampling from the summer:
1. "Well, at least you don't have to fly anywhere near the ground." (WOW! Really?! Since when?)
2. "Too bad square parachutes don't work well at all in the timber country." (So off-base it's hilarious.)
3. "It must be a hard thing to control the airplane when they all jump out at once." (Wow.. right......)
4. "That thing goes 200 mph, right?" (What are you smoking?)
5. "It always takes forever to put out a load of jumpers!" (This comes from the fact that they think that is all we do.... 8 bodies, only... no wind assessment, no fire assessment, and.. HA HA ... NO paracargo! Hey.. they don't need any tools, or food and water...)
6. "It must be easy to just have to deal with the jumper stuff only, on the fire." (Add in Airtac's notes about nonstop radios... we only have 4 radios on, 2 AM and 2 FM, but throw in the nonstop conversation with the jumper in the door AND the spotter on intercom... that makes 6 conversations.. I think... I had to take my glove off here, to count...)
7. "So.. how ARE those Garretts running, anyway?"
8. "You must not carry very much -- you sure take off short."
9. "Too bad you guys can't jump when it's windy." (Hey, somebody ought to tell the BLM that! I've put out the load in 1100+ yards of drift... when ground winds were 25-30 mph...)
10. "Don't you have a copilot?"
11. "They were gonna call for jumpers, but there weren't any jumpspots." (When there are PLENTY of good jumpspots nearby.. makes me CRAZY......Arrrgggh.)
12. "Good thing you've got air conditioning -- those guys sure have a lot of gear on!" (DUH.)
13. "Boy, it must be pretty weird to fly around a bunch of skydivers." (WTF?!? WHAT skydivers?!?)
14. "So... this must be your first year doing this?" (Ahh, one of my ALL-TIME favorites....)
At least I didn't get the "So, are you the janitor?" line this summer.... or the other one I loved, "So... you must be the SEAT clerk, huh?"
Though, there was a very special person around who drove everyone NUTS this summer, by telling them ALL what went on inside THEIR airplanes... so, at least I wasn't alone, for a change. He ended up providing an enormous amount of entertainment (unbeknownst to him), so it was pretty funny, really.
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: airtac on September 30, 2007, 07:01:25 PM
Well GEE Soccermom, if you feel like a good rant---don't hold back, tell us how feel ::)
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: TheSoccerMom on September 30, 2007, 07:40:07 PM
On the positive side, that certain person made ONE TOO MANY smartass remarks one day... about my guys.... and Wow, Baby, Crank up the Enola Gay I did.... he got "corrected".... with, yes, more than a few adjectives and adverbs thrown in..... WHICH led to me meeting several more SEAT pilots I had not yet met.... the leading one of which group came up to me with his hand outstretched and said, "Wow, have I got to give you my congratulations, I have wanted to punch that sorry *$%^$%$ in the nose for a month now!"
Funny how you can meet even MORE nice people this way... HEEEEE HEEEEEEEE.... ::rofl::
And by the way, the mental moron was NOT there as a pilot (though in his mind he is Super-Pilot).... but as a person you are used to flying around with.... phew.....!!!!! ::loony::
Oh, I forgot to list, the 30-hour student pilot who came up to me one day, plopped down in a chair, and proceeded to tell me HOW to fly through THUNDERSTORMS..... it was pretty amazing.... and (See? I CAN be civil.. sometimes...) I just said "Thanks" when he was finally done. It was remarkable. But... the old guys sure got a good yukk out of it. :D
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: RagDragger on October 02, 2007, 01:24:43 AM
Ok, typical day, let's see.... Right now I'm a one man band towing over college campuses, college football games and pro football games in Indiana and Ohio. So the typical day goes something like this: Wake up, smack alarm, then sleep for another 20 minutes. Roll out of bed, put in contacts, wonder what city I'm in as I gather clothing out of my beat up suitcase to take a shower. Finally remember I'm in ______. Take hot shower, consider a shave, then figure, "Screw it, I'm a banner pilot, nobody cares." Check weather on computer, no t-storms and VFR, cool. Jump in rent-a-wreck and drive to airport. Ponder what direction wind is and will be in 30 minutes. Set banner up, fight tangled bridle lines for 20 minutes while local lineman/airport bum/occasional know-it-all quizzes me about airplane performance, tow speeds, "Do you take off with that thing?", etc. Double check weather, get airplane fueled, check oil and get handheld radio set up in cockpit. Hand prop airplane, climb into cockpit while engine pops, farts, coughs and backfires till the impulse coupling that still needs replacing finally gets out of the way and lets the engine start. Strap self into cockpit, taxi to active runway and runup. Realize the wind has shifted and I'm picking downwind, again. Mutter curses to the weather gods under breath. Takeoff, toss hook out, make banner pick attempt. Miss. Go around for another try, see that I've knocked the rope off the pick poles. Swear bitterly. Shoot another 20 minutes in the butt while I land, taxi to the banner, reset the rope, reset the hook, and take off again. Make successful banner pick, make radio call "on the rag" and departing. Fly to campus, circle for half an hour, then "keep moving around." Circle campus, interchanges, malls, etc. for 4 hours while leg gets sore from holding in right rudder and arms tire from fighting the turbulence to keep level. Grin uncontrollably 'cuz I'M A PILOT NOW, dude! Have mild heart attack when aux tank runs dry 30 minutes early due to so much full throttle time climbing out of downdrafts and switch to main. Fly back to airport, cut banner loose, cheer when it lands in the right place. Land, tie down, guesstimate pick and drop times. Text boss and tell him "Banner went, nothing bent. Later." Drive out to banner, sock it up. Go out to dinner, drink beer, chase college girls to little luck, go back to hotel alone. Swear and fill out and fax in paperwork to boss. Go to bed after late night Family Guy rerun. Repeat 3-4 times, then move on to next city. I love my job!
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: airtac on October 02, 2007, 03:34:29 PM
AH YESSSS RAGDRAGGER, By the time you're old and grizzled the tales of an average day will be tinted by the rose colored glasses of memory and you'll be able to regale novice aviators by the hour ::unbelieveable:: Thank your lucky stars that you are single---- I'm sure some sweetheart out there will come along and think your life is SOOOOOOO romantic that she'll want to share it--until the definition of "Gypsy Pilot" becomes clear--then of course, you will get to choose, her or aviation--I chose aviation and in retrospect, the alimony payments weren't that bad. Here's the good part though, I haven't had to hear her say "I've got a headache" in 25 year and I still love to fly ::wave::
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: RagDragger on October 02, 2007, 08:58:40 PM
Single? How could you tell? ;D Intend to remain that way and skip the whole divorce process. Yes, I'm a selfish bastard, but I'm happy and I'm not tossing that away for anyone. I'm fair about it though, any woman who gets beyond about 2 dates with me is informed, in no uncertain terms, that I've got a mistress. She's got a funny name, she's kinda ugly, and she's the real jealous type. And she'll always be the most important thing in my life. Women are #2. Maybe I'm nuts, but it seems like a good policy. In the meantime, I'll have a lot of fun. ::cowboy::
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: airtac on October 03, 2007, 02:50:49 AM
Actually Ragdragger, if you ever think you might want to get married and don't want go through all that relationship crap and a divorce then just go out, find a woman you dispise, buy her a house and that will save you a lot of time ;D
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: G-man on October 03, 2007, 05:32:34 AM
Actually Ragdragger, if you ever think you might want to get married and don't want go through all that relationship crap and a divorce then just go out, find a woman you dispise, buy her a house and that will save you a lot of time ;D
Bin there--done it.... ::sick:: twice.. :-[ :-\
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: Baradium on October 03, 2007, 08:35:04 AM
Actually Ragdragger, if you ever think you might want to get married and don't want go through all that relationship crap and a divorce then just go out, find a woman you dispise, buy her a house and that will save you a lot of time ;D
Pretty close to what a professor told a class I was in once...
"The next time I have an urge to get married I'm just going to find the person I hate the most in the world, buy them a house and be done with it."
He was just a little bitter.
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: Rooster Cruiser on October 03, 2007, 06:37:36 PM
I think that the first time I heard this quote it was attributed to either Ted Nugent or Tom Petty. ::silly:: ::silly:: ::silly::
ROCK ON!!! ::drinking:: ::drinking::
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: G-man on October 03, 2007, 08:29:27 PM
I think that the first time I heard this quote it was attributed to either Ted Nugent or Tom Petty. ::silly:: ::silly:: ::silly::
ROCK ON!!! ::drinking:: ::drinking::
It was Rod Stewart.....
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: TheSoccerMom on October 03, 2007, 10:05:10 PM
Well, since the fire season part of showing up at work has been so ably described here, maybe I'll give the scientists' version a shot.
In the off-season, I've been fortunate to do some work for varied aerospace - defense - research companies. The contracts are pretty short, usually -- a week, to maybe 4 or 5 weeks.
So... first, we show up at the hotel lobby and meet with the clients. Depending on the project, sometimes the weather is THE BIG deal. One company simply cannot gather data if there is even ONE cloud in the sky. So... if the weather is acceptable, then we head for the airport. Usually we're given a description of the area(s) to be flown... then our job involves trying to figure out if this is even feasible, possible, legal, etc. This can be a quick chore, or an enormous headache. Usually phone calls to Center, or other ATC facilities are in order, and sometimes it involves HOURS of coordinating with the military to work in their airspace. Faxing becomes a big deal here... with our proposed routes, etc. Papers fly back and forth....
All in all, I have been totally impressed with how well ATC, civil or military, works with us. We have asked them for some seemingly insane things. Sometimes, the projects are so large, and complicated, that we have formal briefings with the governing agencies. This happens when the airspace is very busy and/or when we are just one of many aircraft taking part in an exercise. Working in restricted areas almost always results in these larger briefings. The biggest one I have been involved in was held in a college auditorium, doing an international cloud study. There were hundreds of people in that one. One other had such complicated airspace requirements, a special military liaison met with us every morning and told us EXACTLY where we could fly, and at EXACTLY what times. (We had no vote on that one...).
Sometimes it takes only one phone call... every job is different. One client planned out a huge ocean survey but never thought to clear it with the Navy... that took a lot of work but we did finally figure out their schedule and they let us into their areas when they were not super busy. Of course, we get plenty of radio comments once the project starts, about how SLOW we are... obviously, they are not too used to Minivans plodding along!
Sometimes we go through all these contortions, and then the other a/c break down, and we have it all to ourselves! That is a little funny, I have to admit.
So... once we finally get to the flying itself, we can be involved in flying straight lines.. long or short... or circles.... or racetracks, etc. We have all the scientists on board on the intercom, so as they read their data, they tell us to make minor corrections, etc. Sometimes they change coordinates every 3 minutes, so fast fingers come in handy with the GPS units. Other times we drone along in relative silence, listening to them discuss the headier concepts they are trying to establish. The back of the airplane may have scanners, cameras, probes, lasers and/or radars installed... and many, many floor-to-ceiling racks of computers. Pitch angle can be a huge deal, and it can be a very trying thing to keep the airplane platform as still as absolutely possible. Most clients don't like any roll in their data, and that is the hardest for their computers to correct for, so we may do rudder-only directional corrections. One client requires cross-track errors of 8 feet or less... you see what fun that is on a rough day. Each one is different.
Sometimes, one project's equipment is installed in the nose, and another, separate bunch of gear is installed in the aft of the Minivan. That gets funny, trying to listen to two simultaneous projects going on, and making corrections for each of them, as need be. It's cool, though, because the scientists are always funny and really easy to work with, so it gets pretty entertaining. We fly with between 2 and 6 people, usually... so, the conversations can get pretty silly by the end of the day, when everyone is getting cross-eyed and rummy.
Once we get all the data they want, or we use up our good weather, or ATC's limits, we head back to the airport. On landing, sometimes we hang out and wait while they check the data on their computers, to check the results. Often, we take a short break, and go up again for another segment. Sometimes, the data is so complicated, they have to analyze it overnight, so then we refuel, put the airplane to bed, and head to the hotel. If it involves wacky airpsace, I try to call ATC and visit with them to make sure it went alright for them. One of the hardest places we routinely fly is right off the ends of the runways at LAX! I thought they were joking, the first time I heard that... but, nope, that is one prime area for one certain company. And, believe it or not, ATC there is incredible, and works with us to make it all happen. I'm so impressed with the abilities of these people!! But, after the relative isolation of fire season flying, it takes about a day for my heart rate to drop back down to normal on seeing a windshield that is ALWAYS full of airline aluminum. And, it is... ALWAYS full of airplanes. I can hear the grey hair sprouting.....
So... some jobs are LOW altitude... some at 25,000 feet... some over the desert.. or, oceans.... in military areas, or not... without a cloud in the sky, or trying hard to stay within the anvils of thunderstorms... it's a great variety. Which makes it all fun, and interesting!
I've probably left out big pieces here, but... you'll have that with a pea brain like mine. Often, we do SERIOUS debriefings over a few cold ones, and Pepe' (my trusty stuffed skunk) is always along. He is very well-known to many clients now, and they always ask if he will be there, too. He likes to ride along on the tops of the computer racks in the back of the airplane, and more than once, I have heard a frustrated scientist trying to troubleshoot computer glitches, muttering and asking Pepe "So.. what do you think?"
Cheers! ::wave::
S'Mom**
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: TheSoccerMom on October 03, 2007, 11:38:45 PM
Oops, I already forgot -- some jobs are in daylight and some are 100% at night.. on one ocean job I ended up with the "night shift"... and one desert project, also. Fun, fun, fun!!! :D
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: chuckar101 on October 04, 2007, 12:32:21 AM
I guess I'll give it a shot.
Life as a flight instuctor. Wake up, shower ,shave, and get to work on time. Student shows up ten minutes late. Brief student on plan for day, and then explain plan twice more, cause student isn't prepared or didn't understand. Go fly and cheat death, accidents, and screaming at student whole flight. Land, debrief and do same thing four or five times a day.
Also each student is foreign so every time you have to decipher a different accent and sometime a different form of english. No time for lunch. Do this all day. End up with about a ten hour work day. get paid for about seven of those. Go home repeat next day. Do this for a few months, then put in more time to do checkride paperwork. Send student to checkride, get a pass a thank you, and no more student. After students all pass, schedule empty till find more students. Empty schedule means no pay. But still love the job cause I am actually being paid to fly.
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: Frank N. O. on October 04, 2007, 08:23:41 AM
Wow, a ton of reading here, thankfully this forum unlike others have a feature to mark what posts you've read instead of just showing them as new for a certain time. I've been offline, totally, since saturday morning since I had a problem with a damaged part on my old computer motherboard and I was too afraid to start it again in case it ruined my hdd and/or it's content which I don't have a back-up off. Long and complicated story short then I now finally have the new parts (new motherboard, more/faster memory and a much stronger/newer/faster cpu (with a good cooler instead of the weak original one)). I've only just got it up and running and with internet security software installed but I can at least communicate now, although the sad message from my best fried about a two week hospital stay due to her heart-problems was less than happy news, although at elast she's still alive. I still gotta get my graphics-programs, media-players, flightsimulator, other games etc. installed but it's working and running stable so the biggest worry is over.
I'll read all the posts that've been made since I last checked, which for instance is every reply to this thread, and then get back to you ::wave::
Frank
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: Frank N. O. on October 09, 2007, 02:49:16 PM
Ok, I finally got that read thrue and it gave me some good indications on how your jobs go. I must say though that the radio-skills needed for wildland fire-fighting jobs sounds really high, although I know that practice and knowing who and what you work cam help a long way.
After hearing about how many days/weeks many pilots are away from home I understand the idea about the hammock back in the Sea Duck ::rofl::
Frank
Title: Re: How's a normal workday as a pilot for you?
Post by: Rooster Cruiser on October 09, 2007, 06:02:54 PM
