I want to be an FO

[Squaretail]

I dunno. The thing is that these same guys turn down a spot getting PIC, but want a FO spot that doesn’t exist. So you don’t have a place for them. To me it’s a clear path in most outfits to work your way up through the fleet, so I feel the applicant feels like they’re jumping the queue if they ask for the FO spot as the best ticket up. The fact that they ask for this before asking anything else about the operation doesn’t give me the warm and fuzzies about their judgement. I even had one fellow ask if we would think about creating a FO spot for him… um, we’ve been getting along just fine without the extra weight on board. Another was shocked and opined that all professional operations were two crewed for safety. I asked him if the Cessna was such a difficult beast it took two guys to wrestle with it.

It’s like people don’t even want jobs sometimes.

[David MacRay]

It’s like people don’t even want jobs sometimes.

Maybe they’re Haverchucks fans.

Another was shocked and opined that all professional operations were two crewed for safety.

You should have asked if he figured Canadian fighter pilots were not getting paid to fly.

[mcrit]

I an ideal world, I’d like to be the only person on the flight deck, or the instructor. When that can’t be arranged I’m quite happy to let someone else deal with the bureaucracy of signing for the plane. Sadly, they won’t let me just be the FO.

[Colonel]

The idea of you as an FO is hilarious … how many decades have you been flying for?! You must be close to retirement!

FO is a trainee. Ought to be logging dual.

Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes. People cheat themselves and get paper they don’t deserve and then want dual because they are unprepared for the real world.

I remember a 1000TT CPL/class 3 instructor/MIFR that got hired by Jazz. He heaved a giant sigh of relief and told me that finally he was going to learn how to fly.

I had no words. Civilian flight training is a train wreck.

[Slick Goodlin]

The thing is that these same guys turn down a spot getting PIC, but want a FO spot that doesn’t exist.

Okay that’s weird. I don’t know what kind of shop you’re trying to staff but it’s kind of surprising if you can’t convince someone to be a PIC.

FO is a trainee. Ought to be logging dual.

I find a way to feel that way damn near daily. Hopefully junior captains also feel like idiots on the inside as I’d like to be one.

I remember a 1000TT CPL/class 3 instructor/MIFR that got hired by Jazz. He heaved a giant sigh of relief and told me that finally he was going to learn how to fly.

Grass is greener syndrome. I was taking a kid flying in the Moth earlier this year and right when we get comfortably airborne he goes “If this was a real plane you’d be saying, ‘Positive rate, gear up,’ right now,” and I had half a mind to say, “Shit up, nerd. Ride’s over,” but I chose the high road. I guess the flight was more for me.

[mcrit]

The idea of you as an FO is hilarious … how many decades have you been flying for?! You must be close to retirement!

~3 decades. Did the aircraft commander thing, did the check pilot thing. In the end, the best flying is a light aircraft with just me, or me and a student. Riding herd on a crew is a pain in the ass; if I have to be with one I’m completely happy to just fly my legs and let someone else sign for the aircraft and deal with the paperwork. Mind you, it helps when most of my aircraft commanders were once my students and tend to be well disposed to any suggestions I make.