Im always bemused to witness individuals who by the very nature of their jobs should have pragmatism, logic and common sense in spades.
I mean really guys and gals what would Dr Freud say - think about it, as pilots were all borderline obsessed with size and propulsion. Its funny stuff when you get down to it.
Ive flown the dash and the way I describe it as a bit of a sod to hand-fly but very satisfying when operated well - because of the shear number of potential trip-ups built into it. When you do a 6 sector day (like we did out of Belfast in 07) in winter and walk away from the day ASR free you feel good about yourself.
I now fly the mini bus and imho its significantly less stressful environment to spend the day in:
No trimming
No aileron during efato
AP at 100 ft
Autoland in cat 3a conditions on one engine in a 20 crosswind
Alternate gear lowering takes about 5 seconds and can be done with a cup of tea in the other hand
You can fly HDG and VS or Track and Flight Path Vector - meaning on NPAs you can track perfectly with no lateral corrections and fly a perfect slope angle, again on one engine! - love it
Electronic checklist which self appears
Can quite literally be flown with two fingers from setting TO power
Seat reclines to an old style club class recline angle and you can put your feet up onto the foot rests
But all that said, give me a 6 month secondment back onto the headache with wings and Id bite your arm off - but not on Flybe wages, which are utter pooh. When I worked there I was on 29k - after loans, bills, food and uni payback crap I had about 120 quid a month for moi. Now I can actually make do on that - but throw into the equation the car not passing its MOT or the washing machine throwing a wobbly and life becomes tighter than a scotsman at a pay toilet. But hey you're an airline pilot right - major bragging rights to all the ladies in the bar, sadly not actually - youre brassic and a few rounds of drinks later and your 120 leftover moola is gone...
Anyway about flybe recruitment.........
CB
Last edited by Chief Brody; 29th Oct 2010 at 08:40.