Do all Airline Pilots hate Single Pilot Operations?

[ssg]

Single Pilot Operations

Thanks for the responses....

I fly two Citation S/IIs under the Single Pilot Exemption. Not to be confused with flying a Citation designated as an SP model, specificaly allowing a single pilot captain. What this means is for the Citation S/II, V, Ultra, Encore, all two pilot aircraft, a guy like me with a special license (the 4050 Exemption) can fly those single pilot.

A caveat of this is that the CJ models, Citation IISP, Citation ISP don't need an exempted pilot to fly them, just a type ride.

Just a note, the 200,000 accident free hours in 20 years is just that. Only about 500 pilots have had the single pilot exemption, just those holders with the 4050 exemption. Thier hours are tracked, not the guys who fly SP and CJ models.

So why is there a single pilot exemption. The FAA back in the '80s, recognized that flying a faster, heavier jet, required being more ahead of the aircraft, and under the exemption you have to take a real checkride every year, in fact the 4050 is a type ride, that expires every year. Only about 75-100 pilots hold it annualy, and the failure rate is high. Typical Biz pilots attend reccurent training, but no checkride.

The single pilot citation accident that is being referred to is not with a 4050 exempt holder.

Ok, my two cents. Except for my jumping in a Gulfstream IV about 3 times a year, all my experience is as a corporate single pilot captain, I do go into LA regularly, and have had my engine outs and radio problems ect. Can it be busy sure, but it's fun if you on top of it. Flying in a crew, having to watch another guy, figure out who does what, and when, can and is confusing. Most cockpits have an experienced captain, and a newbie copilot, negating any real help, in any real emergency. I find a nice quiet single pilot environment to be almost boring at times, no matter what's going on. I't like I fly in a vacum. When people do sit up front, at times it can be a distraction, and that's when my 'time to shut up' finger sticks up. Can I drop dead? Sure, but I didn't on my 4 mile run this morning, so I think the odds of keeling over sitting on my butt are pretty slim.

When I look at accident causes, I don't think how an extra pilot could have helped I just think what the crew did wrong. Like the Alaska jackscrew problem. Two seasoned pilots spent 45 minutes screwing with the trim, getting worse. How did the copilot help? Or the Swiss air deal, pilots arguing all the way down. Like anything when you are alone, it's on you, no blame to shift, you figure out the right way to do things, because, there is no other way, you do what it takes. No egos, no personalities,no one to impress up there except the boss in the back, smooth ride, yes or no, good landing...yes or no. I think in the end many crew type pilots have never done it single pilot, and couldn't or can't conceive of the increased work load. Honestly do it long enough, and you simply do it. I don't long for a copilot, even when the conversation has come up, because it's one more person to watch, train, manage, worry about, etc...it's just easier to do it myself, and for the last 20 years for me it's worked.

I have my challenges, but they are not in the cockpit. Because I manage two corporate jets, it's just me to get things fixed, cleaned, pulled out, fueled up, flight plans, etc. Might be nice to have a person take some of that off of me. But if he screws up, it's back on me. Just easier to do it myself.

Sincerely,

SSG