PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - Day in life of a Ameriflight cargo pilot?
Old 7th Aug 2017, 06:38
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harpf
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Upsate NY
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My calling card reads "'adventurer/ sadomasochist/ stick & rudder lover" I found towing signs great fun. Teaching multi to freshly minted COM pilots in my Apache and then 310 was good sport. Esp when operating out of a 2800 ft low rent strip.

Later I came up with a wind fall and bought a Merlin (SA226). I found so amusing that we have have a GPS approach to a 3200 foot runway with FAA approved 1000 ft touch down zone markers 1200 feet from each other.

For me in the Merlin these are go around markers. If you not firmly on the ground after touching down 95 knots with 2200 feet left your headed into the trees. BTW I have high flotation gear - and have put intentionally landed and departed from grass strips in my Merlin. I can't think of a more dissatisfying job than coddling the masses in giant tin can and having the Airport management decide if the runway is safe or not, and a dispatcher and MEL decide if my ride is up to the task.

I'm not a full blown lunatic, I normally take friend and family around on my air travels. On several memorable occasions, I've run a risk assessment and concluded that between my self, the airplane, airport facilities, and the WX that were done flying for today. To the sound of complaints of I must be a work 500 miles from here first thing tomorrow, I wan't to sleep in my own bed tonight etc. This only stiffens my resolve to park it until conditions improve. I avoid saying would you prefer dying tonight to being late to work tomorrow. The only go no go decisions that i've ever regretted are the go ones.
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