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It's bigger; what else?
For years things have been fairly 'stationary' on our 737 fleet, with a stable group of pilots & pursers. All of a sudden, conversion fever has taken hold.
A great many of the guys & girls with whom we have worked closely for 5 years are going to the 744 as captain. Discussed with a bunch of colleague pursers over a coffee at the crew centre how we would miss these people (much easier and more fun to work with captains you know and who know you than with newbies) and also that we really had no idea what they get to learn during the fairly long conversion course. We didn't get further than *a new AOM, *handling a bigger aircraft, *new routes & airports. Anybody out here who could shed a bit more light on what it actually entails and/or flesh out the details for us? |
Hi Flappie, long time no see! :(
There could be many reasons such as bigger pay packet. Or maybe as simple as wanting to change the view - ie going to different places. Bigger might not necessarily be better, but it is the natural order of progression, for many folks, to fly bigger and bigger aircraft. It could even be as simple as boredom in the current job that motivates a move. Or maybe the bases on offer with the new aircraft job are better places to live. |
EggSplat you due back this side of the world again soon to remind the Uk Ozzies of what life is really all about? :)
Mate, it's not the 'why' of the move so much as the 'what' that we wonder about. The 'why and why not' gets discussed incessantly when we're downroute. Despite the fact that is as you say, the natural order os things to move up to 'bigger' it entails a surprising amount of deliberations and heartache for these guys & gals to leave the 737operation. 737 being small, hectic, cosy, vibrant, 'young', tough and 'cool' as opposed to the 744 being percieved as 'staid', 2 landings a month only, endless boring night stretches, very rule-bound and the crews a bit too large for camaraderie. What I am trying to find out is how different it will be for them to boss a 744 around the globe as oppposed to a 737 around Europe/ME. ... due the size of my homeland, there's only one base. ;) |
Why are the people you have known for years more fun to work with than newbies? Most newbies I know (cabin and cockpit alike) are very enthusiastic about their work. I think it is great to see new people taking the opportunity to learn new things. One shouldn't be doing the same job for too long, better to move on after a couple of years.
What pilots learn in a conversion course? Mainly handling the new bird, getting acquainted with all systems and normal/abnormal procedures. This is true for any conversion course, regardless of the size of the airplane (thus, a conversion from a 744 to a 737 is in general not less demanding than a conversion from a 737 to a 744). Of course, after the conversion course, the practical difference is mainly the length and pace of the flights and the variety of destinations -- again for cabin and cockpit alike. |
Only flying a wee pacey jet here but it's sufficiently different from my last aeroplane to offer a suggestion.
With short haul intra Europe you've got lots of alternates handy and generally you'll be in tune with the wx as you're in the same relative area. Time zones aren't too much of a problem and you're doing multiple legs. From what I can see the long haul operation is different in the mindset. Your destination is half a day away and the weather can be completely different to what you're experiencing. eg Summer v Winter etc. Also there's the issue of alternates. They aren't right next door only 20-30min flying time away, they could be a fair few hours away (eg Perth, Australia) and that requires a bit more planning. I dare say staying motivated and awake is also a challenge too. |
Nah Flappie, Aussies everywhere already know what life is really all about! ;) However, yes, I shall be "back there" early August - check the London Bash thread and hope to see you there! :ok:
Sorry that I misunderstood your enquiry, but I think that reddo has most of the right answers for you now. Indeed, just staying in the same job too long, to which xetroV alludes, can be a real bad thing. The challenge of learning something new and different appeals to many people and, as reddo points out, there are very different challenges in going from 737 to 747, for example, or even vice versa. I'd have to say that I've seen many pilots from this part of the world go to other airlines in other parts of the world. The basic reasons have been different in most cases but they all seem to have ended up on bigger aircraft as a result of the move. I think it's in our nature to want to learn something new - and be motivated to do so by the reward of flying something different that goes somewhere different. |
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