To all the Captains out there!

[dreamed2fly]

Im just curious how you pilots out there got to where u are now?
would love to hear your experience.
how you built your hours to get that left seat position on that Airbus or Boeing or whatever equipment your on.

[deadcut]

I was a Captain in my first job. Left seat and all :E

[dreamed2fly]

hahaha good one. and i was a captain when i took my first intro flight, left seat and all

[shortfuse-flanagan]

Language skills. Make sure you're capable of being able to spell and write it correctly without recourse to unqualified attempts at bettering the Pittman system. This way you'll make the mail delivery address legible enough for delivery of your application for employment.

[ACMS]

Lots of blood sweat and tears went into my Flying career..... As it did in 70% of my ilk.

Not to mention a lot of dollars......

A determination to succeed and never give up......

[dreamed2fly]

A determination to succeed and never give up......
competition must be very hard.

how would you stand out of the pack?
a uniform with shiny new wings just doesn't cut it does it.

[The Green Goblin]

Patience and persistence.

I worked on stations, did scenic work, FIFO regionals, a little instructing and I'm flying the Airbus.

Only regret is not enjoying the journey and the moment and always focusing on the next step.

I wish phones had cameras when I was starting out. I just don't seem to have enough pictures of the journey.

[dreamed2fly]

Patience and persistence.
well said, i guess i shall try and live in the NOW and think about tomorrow, tomorrow.

while also setting long term goals.

[haughtney1]

Slept my way to the top....

[dreamed2fly]

Slept my way to the top....

connections?
who you know in the industry also counts i guess

[donpizmeov]

I really think Haughtney did. Would explain his funny walk and why he is stuck on the Boeing.

[kaz3g]

Language skills. Make sure you're capable of being able to spell and write it correctly without recourse to unqualified attempts at bettering the Pittman system. This way you'll make the mail delivery address eligible enough for delivery of your application for employment.


Legible?

Kaz

[mikedreamer787]

Slept my way to the top....

So that's why Haughtney got the job and I didn't?

At least I don't walk funny.

[eternity]

To reply to you Dreamed2fly,


I will plagiarise a post from ACMS and Green Goblin as they mentioned some important points in there.

ACMS: a determination to succeed and never give up.

Green Goblin: patience and persistence


Read these two excerpts over and over again.


Most of us when starting our flying career looked for the ways to jump a few rungs on the ladder and climb up in the world of big shiny jets quickly.
There were some who managed to do it.....but most (myself included) didn't.
Personally, I have stepped up on pretty much every bloody rung above me, was never able to take two at a time. But along the way I have flown some very interesting operations and had some amazing flying experiences, and met some great mates. Now....I'm right where I want to be. Sitting in a hotel in hk, about to turn on the telly and hoping beyond all hope that the hbo channel has a good movie on it. :8

I never got a cadetship, never had a Dad who was a senior pilot etc etc.....
Very, very possible to achieve.....if.....you keep reading those two quotes mentioned above.

It's good that you are asking questions, looking for different ways to jump ahead; there's nothing wrong with that.
But also make plans to go the traditional way.
If you sit at home, send out resumes and wait for the magic call, you probably have about a 10% chance of succeeding in your career. But if you make plans to go the traditional route (instructing, flying up north etc), whilst also trying to jump rungs on the ladder then you probably have a 90% chance of succeeding in your career.

And above all else, keep reading those two quotes I nicked from the guys above.


Eternity.

[Goat Whisperer]

Every time a captain gets their first command, everyone in all of the jobs he or she used to hold moves one step closer to their goal. So we were all struggling for that first job, that first twin job, that first regional job, the way you are now.

The big difference is this: there have never in Australia's history been more employed jet captains than there are now, so some of these jobs were created by growth not just attrition.

Keep your head up and bash that head against the wall longer than the blokes/blokettes who give up easier and you'll most likely make it.

But do enjoy the ride along the way. That's important.

[ACMS]

Eternity-----loved the comment about HBO, so true hoping for a good movie to be on!!

I actually achieved that the other night in India and watched a good movie I hadn't seen before!! Wow what luck at 4 am......

[By George]

9 Years GA, 10 years FO, age 40 with first command 727. Seemed normal time span to me. American Legacy carriers now around 15 years. Qantas the same or worse. The Ansett collapse created Commands in five years, people need to realise that this is not normal for the industry.
The Green Goblin has it in a nutshell.....be patient and be persistent. Enjoy the journey, thinking back, I think it beats the destination.

[dreamed2fly]

yea eternity you just hit the sweet spot
thanks for the experiences you've shared with me
helps me understand where i am now and where i may be in 20 years time

i'll keep chasing the dream


dreamed2fly.

[aileron_69]

Don't forget, that while the most visible side of aviation is flying an airliner, it is also not the be-all and end-all. Don't pigeonhole yourself towards that one very specific type of flying without knowing what else exists. Keep an open mind as you travel around and talk to people and find out about the myriad other types of flying that exist. Some of them may even appeal more than flying an airliner. You just never know.

[dreamed2fly]

Some of them may even appeal more than flying an airliner

yea i guess so like flying a corporate jet full with 7 figure pay and with celebrities and girls in the cabin

[aileron_69]

Wasnt really what I was meaning but whatever does it for you.

[Inbound On Descent]

D2f,

I suspect that aileron69 was suggesting something like...

Flying to Antarctica contracted to the Australian mission
Border protection and surveillance at 50' 200NM offshore
The Flying Doc in the middle of nowhere on a dark and stormy night...
Ferry flight across the Pacific with a rubber bag full of gas that you hope will get you there...
Defence charter to the Middle East with precious (human) cargo into a war zone

Heavy metal bus driving 'ain't the be all and end all.

Inbound.:ok:

[dreamed2fly]

yea i know what aileron69 meant
just over exaggerated things haha
thanks for the input everyone

[bubbers44]

By George is exactly right. Enjoy the journey because when you retire that is the part you will cherish most. With no financial help I got my ratings as I worked. Crop dusting, basic, multi, aerobatic and jet type rating and ATP instruction to start. Then I was lucky enough to get into charter in tons of aircraft including D18, singles and a lot of types of jets. Got to fly a lot of celebs in Hollywood. Even flew Ron and Nancy Reagan to PSP one night to have dinner with President Ford. Then the big time flying a Jetstar for a corporation flying the execs to Europe, golfing and once in a while on business trips.

I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I got the airline job I was fortunate to retire with. I could have been happy most anywhere along the way because I was doing what I loved to do.

I see Bob Hoover every year at the Reno Air Races and feel much of what he has expressed through his incredible career in his book, Forever Flying.

[redsnail]

Initially it's all a bit daunting. It is important to have your ducks in a row when you start off, and continue to do so.
Eg, first charter job out in the bush, First Aid certificates, Dangerous Goods Certificate etc. The idea is to make yourself as employable as possible.
Continue to do this as you move up.
Find out what is needed for the next step and plan.
Don't be afraid to travel and "gamble".
I headed to Europe and now command a business jet all over Europe, ME, North Africa and Russia. While it isn't as big as a Boeing 777, one day I'm doing a visual in Samedan (LSZS) or dealing with the Ruskies into Vnukovo (UUWW).

Command isn't just about hours. It isn't even pure technical knowledge. It's getting the best out of your colleagues while being able to keep an eye on the operation.

Enjoy and take a lot of pictures. :D

[Defenestrator]

Well said Redsnail. The only thing I can think to add is to keep your nose clean and network, network, network.

D:ok:

[HarleyD]

Over 40 years and tens of thousands of hours and thirty or frothy (haha meant forty but spell check was correct) thousand landings.

Blue water ferry, agricultural flying and test flying of new aircraft types. International route proving, display and delivery, training and familiarisation. 26 countries, Rocky Mountains to Bay of Bengal, the Andies, Alaska, west and Eastern Europe, Asia, every corner and side of Australia, every desert in Aus and USA, and some in Africa, but all GA of course so clearly NOT a REAL captain.

Personally I don't yearn for the utterly boring task of chatting about T&C with a spotty FO whilst on the third trip to Sydney for the day in a 737.

Keep it up and you can be as boring as (almost ) all the RPT captains I know.

Also, it will help if you know the difference between your and you're if you ever apply for a job with me. It makes a difference to me, but if a big watch and five stripe epaulettes are your thing spelling and grandma are not major issues.

Hahahahahahahahahaha

HD

[compressor stall]

Inbound has got it exactly right.

Except I'd swap #2 and #3 around. :8