life in a small regional airline in Queensland
Ok, after a few years of battling around the Kimberley in Western Australia I made the "big time". My first turbine job flying Bandeirantes out of Cairns. Interview was a doddle. I rang them up and said I had a few hours on Islanders... I was told to send a resume. After a week on the Bandit ground school (read- go to Aero club and drink) I went to a party. Chief pilot was there. Noted how I handled the grog and told rude jokes and I was offered a job. Sensaish, brilliant interview!
So.... after the endorsement and line training it's now flying the line.
Ride bike to work. Check flight board to make sure I got the roster right and where I am going hasn't changed. Note the a/c rego and tell ops a joke. Believe me, they appreciate it (so long as they aren't too busy).
Stroll back to the briefing nook and wrestle with the Avfax to get the weather. While the captain is trying to find a car park, read through the wx and notams. Pray that the monsoon hasn't decided to play silly ******s... Check with Ops as to how much payload they want. As usual, max load/min fuel. Strewth... I hope the wx isn't as bad as the forecast. Bases are ok so we should get in... alternates are few around there!
Captain wanders in and grumbles about his mrs and his crap car.
I show him the wx and the various loads.
Submit flight note and call Air Services to make sure they got it. Swap another joke and it's sorted.
Grab all the paperwork and wander out to the aircraft. As usual, the monsoon proceeds to dump down. Grrr first drenching of the day. Supervise the refuelling and check the loadies have got the freight in the right order.
Out come the pax, since I am the FO I have to meet and greet them. (Stop them from getting on the 146 going to Weipa) I distribute the food and give the pax brief. Close the door and then the fun begins. With the weight now known, I extract our performance speeds and note these on the TOLD card. Captain makes appropriate rude gestures to the groundy and starts the #2 engine. Repeat for #1. Groundy runs away while I call for clearance. We go through the take off brief and discuss which hill is going to give us the most grief if we lose one.... Race the 767 to the holding point. If we don't beat him, it's a minimum 2 minute delay.
Off we go and launch out west. See nothing but evil cloud. Love this time of year...not. Hand fly it cos there is no autopilot.
Debate whether or not a cyclone is brewing in the Gulf.
Pick at our lunch. Wonder why we bothered... Pax are asleep. Phew. Oh, except for the cop with the person he's taking back to the community.
By the miracle of modern technology, the GPS not the NDB we find our destination. Try and call the handling agent. We realise it is futile but we play the game. With relief there is no thunderstorm over the destination and sneak in visually. Start the landing competition with the captain.
After landing, taxi in missing the wallabies and so forth on the strip and shut down.
Open the door and let the pax out.
Go to the cargo area and guide the agent in with the ute. Proceed to wrestle with the cargo nets and luggage. Off load about 200kg worth of freight and luggage. Checking each item is actually supposed to get off here. Load it up again and wrestle with the tie downs. Meanwhile, the captain is sitting in the air con car furiously scratching out a drop down weight and balance sheet. I do a quick walkaround. Get back in and sort out the cabin. Picking up rubbish and tidying seat belts.
Captain is ready and we on load the pax. Brief them again. If I am in a cheery mood, I ask them questions about the brief. I like to know they have listened.
Repeat the whole thing again.. Short sector. 9 minutes
Repeat the whole thing again.. Long sector 90 minutes..
Argue who won the landing competition.
Return home, sort out the paperwork, check the flight board and go home.