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Old 15th Dec 2008, 17:37
  #43 (permalink)  
con-pilot

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Join Date: May 2000
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA
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On the FE sleeping, happened all the time. When we first started our operation the new hires, including myself, would be a FE on the 727 for the first year and would be a pilot on the smaller jets during the same period.

At the end of the week after all of us had landed we usually met at the Officer's Club at the Air National Guard Base that was near our hangar and had a few drinks to unwind. One evening one of the new guys, I'll call him Bob, was late getting to the club. I knew he was on the ground, he had been my FE all week. Now you need to understand that Bob while new with us, was a very qualified high time ex-freighter captain who had been flying Electras for years, prior to that he had been a corporate jet pilot. So he was no young kid.

Anyway he finally shows up and I asked him what took him so long. His reply was priceless and very typical of our operation.

"Well I was driving down the access road when a 727 took off, I was watching it and when the gear came up I fell asleep and ran off the road."

Once, along the line of 411A's story, I had an FE/pilot nearly empty the number 2 (center) fuel tank one night when he fell asleep while cross feeding to the one and three tanks. Fortunately I caught it in time and was able to reverse the feeds.

I also agree with other posters here about Professional Flight Engineers, they are worth their weight in gold. We were fortunate enough to have two in our operation.

Last edited by con-pilot; 15th Dec 2008 at 20:25. Reason: Cause I can't proof read worth nuttin.
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