Hey I just wanted to ask people in the industry. I am an aspiring airline pilot and was looking to get a tattoo in my inner bicep. It would possibly be barely visible in a short sleeve shirt. I don’t want to be stuck wearing long sleeve shirts my whole career. What are y’all’s thoughts about this and the companies policies.
Excluding those who became instructors (Because it's typically easier to find a job as an instructor)
How did you find your first job as a pilot?
How long did it take?
Hi!
I’m flying from South Carolina to Columbus, Ohio this weekend with a layover in Charlotte. With everything going on internationally right now, I know this may sound anxious, but is there any realistic concern about domestic U.S. flights or airports being targeted? Just trying to make it to my friend’s wedding without spiraling over the news.
Edit: clarity
Hello, I'm currently a couple of months into an aviation maintenance apprenticeship in the UK. In around a month I'm starting my PPL training, as becoming a commercial pilot is my long-term goal.
I was wondering what advice people would give to someone starting their PPL, and also what sacrifices or difficulties people faced early when starting out in aviation. Financially and socially it seems like you have to give up quite a lot at the start, especially while training and building hours.
My current plan is to save up over the next few years, and maybe also apply for some fully funded airline programmes even though the chances of getting those are almost zero.
(xpost to r/aviationmaintenance )
Lowly Cessna driver here, but the #2 engine on my A321 was making an odd noise most of my DFW>SAN flight today. It was most noticeable on takeoff and coming in for landing at SAN (in this video) with turbulence - downward G's corresponded to more noise and vibration, worse toward the end.
Mentioned it to the captain on my way off of the plane, and he at first (based only on my description) thought it might be the PTU, but I said that it didn't sound like PTUs I'd heard in the past. He said he saw no engine indications in flight, so no need to worry.
Noise still bugging me, though - like something rubbing. Bad enough I could hear it through my noise cancelling headphones. I fly a lot and don't often hear noises like this. Any ideas about what it is? Am I crazy? Is this just how this engine is supposed to sound?
I live kind of between STN and LTN, so we have a lot of planes flying over (plus we have Duxford up the road, so we have a lot of really cool planes flying over!).
Sometimes when a passenger jet comes over at a reasonable height, I hear a weird noise which sounds almost like the engines throttling right down, but with a bit of a boom behind it.
It's hard to describe noise, I appreciate. It seems to usually be when it's cloudy, and I was wondering if anyone knew what it was?
I'm a pilot based in New Zealand looking to find work in Canada or the United States. I just wanted to know if either country uses operational colour vision test when issuing medical certificates. I hold a NZ commercial pilots license and a class 1 medical certificate. I had to pass an operational colour vision test to get my class 1 medical as i cannot pass any clinical test.
If you have passed an operational test what was your experience and how would you prepare for it?
My girlfriend made a friend maybe two months ago whose husband has his pilots license. They came up with the idea to fly from the front range of Denver to Steamboat Springs to go to a rodeo. This presumably involves flying over 14,000+ ft peaks.
She hasn’t met the husband, I haven’t met either of them. I know nothing about the guy, I dont know about IFR ratings or the type of plane he has or rents. All I know is he is a plane salesman and “has to fly early in the morning so the weather is nice.”
AITAH for not wanting to do this? My girlfriend is hell bent on it and is frustrated that I’m EVEN CONCERNED, let alone reluctant to go. It does sound like a cool experience but I don’t even know these people and I’m expected to trust them with my life?
I just went over my at home sleep study test with my ent doctor. I got a 5 AHI. Just barely into the mild OSA category. I feel like I'm in the grey area because my sleep quality has been sucking and I have intermittent nights where I wake up while trying to fall asleep gasping for air. I'm probably only 10 pounds overweight and I try my best to sleep in a good position. Some nights are fine and some are spent 3 hours of breathing struggles. And it sucks when I have to call in fatigued or possibly flying tired because I didn't feel like I was subconsciously breathing right trying to fall asleep.
The doctor gave me the option of getting prescribed CPAP machine (or even a mouth adjustment guard) and that it isn't necessary at this level but still has done it before and can. The FAA requires a CPAP at 15 I believe. I left the office without a prescription and we left it open ended and at the moment just reminded me about best ways to sleep and to try a nose strip thing. He said I can call this week after deciding and he will still prescribe it, then I believe it's 30 days of data to send to faa.
My questions are-
Do I still need to report this to the FAA at a 5AHI
if so, can the doc just be like he only has a 5 and nothing required and all good. should I just commit to getting a CPAP? Is it really going to help me enough to make all the hastle worth it? If I get it do I always have to use it? Always have to submit the data? Ect
Any words of advice or info greatly appreciated!
I apologize for a weird question but at what juncture is the plane facing too much headwind? How do you gauge it - before you even take off? I don’t know who measures winds in the middle of Pacific Ocean; is it all modeled? Just curious how it works, many thanks
How often do you fly with the same Captain/FO?
Can you request a certain Captain/FO or is it always luck of the draw?
What happens if you don't like a certain Captain/FO? Not that they are a bad pilot or unsafe, there's just a personality conflict of some kind. Can you ask to never be scheduled with them again?
What happens if you think a pilot is unsafe or not proficient? Is there an anonymous tipline?
Bases or countries where one can realistically save a massive chunk of money without chasing the competitive or heavy top tiers of the US or the UAE
Hello - I have a question about flights over the Atlantic because I fly these routes a couple of times per year. I know the planes are ETOPS certified, however the routes mid Atlantic look so far from anywhere to land.
This fall I’ll be flying Atlanta to Rome and the tracks I’ve seen on flight radar look over the Atlantic most of the way but far south from places to land once you get over the ocean. Also 3 hours to the nearest landing place seems really far to go if there was an emergency like fire or engine failure.
How is it safe to be flying over the middle of the ocean if something emergent happens and then still be hours from a landing place? Seems like it’s too far away to be safe
Thank you
Whether it be a beautiful scenery, rude or friendly ATC, or approach difficulty. I’m curious to hear what airports pilots love and hate.