Unexpected aspects of becoming a pilot
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Den Helder
Unexpected aspects of becoming a pilot
when I signed up for this pilot thing, certain things appear to be normal which no one ever mentioned, for example:
1) extreme tea drinking
2) excessive bacon roll consumption
3) long distance driving
as a result I reckon my health is worse than ever in a occupation that needs a medical every 6 months/1 year.
anyone got anymore unanticipated side effects of aviation??
SFIM
1) extreme tea drinking
2) excessive bacon roll consumption
3) long distance driving
as a result I reckon my health is worse than ever in a occupation that needs a medical every 6 months/1 year.
anyone got anymore unanticipated side effects of aviation??
SFIM
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Alba
Continual poverty - fluctuating between obscene and extreme. 
Polyester - in all its guises.
.....and days filled with 12 hrs on boredom, 50 minutes of pleasure and 10 minutes of sheer panic.... this does wonders for the blood pressure.
Polyester - in all its guises.
.....and days filled with 12 hrs on boredom, 50 minutes of pleasure and 10 minutes of sheer panic.... this does wonders for the blood pressure.
Hovering AND talking
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From: Propping up bars in the Lands of D H Lawrence and Bishop Bonner
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Variable
Originally Posted by SFIM
1) extreme tea drinking
2) excessive bacon roll consumption
3) long distance driving
As personal AUW increases, this results in a natural progression from small ships to mediums and eventually you end up as a wide-body captain in heavies. (Wide-body is not a reference to the aircraft!) Frantically, you start looking for a Mi-26 position or, in an emergency, start dieting. This seldom works when you have a carefully cultivated habit of drinking beer with fellow migrant labourers and the belt remains under stress. So, you lie about your weight to your boss and your pax suddenly become real fatties with heaps of baggage on your loadsheet.
1) extreme tea drinking
2) excessive bacon roll consumption
3) long distance driving
As personal AUW increases, this results in a natural progression from small ships to mediums and eventually you end up as a wide-body captain in heavies. (Wide-body is not a reference to the aircraft!) Frantically, you start looking for a Mi-26 position or, in an emergency, start dieting. This seldom works when you have a carefully cultivated habit of drinking beer with fellow migrant labourers and the belt remains under stress. So, you lie about your weight to your boss and your pax suddenly become real fatties with heaps of baggage on your loadsheet.
Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Over here
You're doing it wrong, jab! It's too easy to get caught fiddling with the pax weight. The way to do it is with fuel. You burn that, and there is no way to prove exactly how much you had at the start of the flight, and it's easy to justify having an extra hundred pounds or so, with the weather being rather uncertain, don't you see. 
Joined: Nov 2005
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From: Variable
Thanks GP
I was going to edit my post to mention creative fuel calculations but then it becomes complicated. The older, wider pilot is very adept at managing fuel and becomes twitchy if there is a suggestion of a headwind, since a portion of his "reserve" is under his belt. That is just another advantage to flying a heavy, who is going to notice an extra 50 pounds in a S-61?
I was going to edit my post to mention creative fuel calculations but then it becomes complicated. The older, wider pilot is very adept at managing fuel and becomes twitchy if there is a suggestion of a headwind, since a portion of his "reserve" is under his belt. That is just another advantage to flying a heavy, who is going to notice an extra 50 pounds in a S-61?
Joined: May 2002
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From: Downeast
Fuel for Mum and the kids changes with time as well....youngsters with no wife or children use the calculator and dispatch rules for their calculations....old Fart's do that then throw in some extra as determined by their perceived desire to get home to the pipe and slippers.
Joined: Aug 2001
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From: Cornwall
C of G is the clue
I suddenly found an increase in popularity amonst S76A+ crews who worked out that my natural value for money (£/kilo) meant that C of G problems reduced and that with me on board they could put in enough fuel to get round the evening shuttle when you invariably set off with zero pax. Bit depressing when you thought your popularity was based on your sparkling conversation.
Now I've taken the last refuge of the bacon roll chumping, tea swilling chopper guy and going back to teaching on sims. The load sheet-lying imay be a thing of the past but fitness to pass the medicals will still be there and that's probably not a bad thing. It's only the fear of my AME that gets me on the bicycle or walking up the hill.
One other side effect of the itinerant aviator trade is a vast collection of plates, knives and forks - the paraphernalia essential for hotel living on a budget.
G
Now I've taken the last refuge of the bacon roll chumping, tea swilling chopper guy and going back to teaching on sims. The load sheet-lying imay be a thing of the past but fitness to pass the medicals will still be there and that's probably not a bad thing. It's only the fear of my AME that gets me on the bicycle or walking up the hill.
One other side effect of the itinerant aviator trade is a vast collection of plates, knives and forks - the paraphernalia essential for hotel living on a budget.
G
Avoid imitations
Joined: Nov 2000
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
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From: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
"Bit depressing when you thought your popularity was based on your sparkling conversation."
Geoffers, but at least take comfort that no-one ever said "I'd rather take his weight in fuel"
Geoffers, but at least take comfort that no-one ever said "I'd rather take his weight in fuel"
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2003
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From: Den Helder
to expand on the "extreme tea drinking" phenomena.
1)when we arrive in the morning me or my colleague will say "do you want a brew?"
2)when we get any sort of delay before we go "do you want a brew, while we wait?"
3)before we go flying "do you want a brew, to take with us?"
4)halfway round the round "get matey on the radio and ask him if he will make us a brew?"
5)when we land while doing paperwork, "do you want another brew?"
and it may not even be lunchtime yet, and dont even ask about weather delays!, you are tiddling neat tea in vast quantities, before you have even gone anywhere !
SFIM
1)when we arrive in the morning me or my colleague will say "do you want a brew?"
2)when we get any sort of delay before we go "do you want a brew, while we wait?"
3)before we go flying "do you want a brew, to take with us?"
4)halfway round the round "get matey on the radio and ask him if he will make us a brew?"
5)when we land while doing paperwork, "do you want another brew?"
and it may not even be lunchtime yet, and dont even ask about weather delays!, you are tiddling neat tea in vast quantities, before you have even gone anywhere !
SFIM
Last edited by SFIM; 21st December 2006 at 19:44.
Joined: Feb 2004
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From: earth
I too have bowed to the pressure of extreme tea drinking.In fact I just carry around my all purpose mug and I no longer have to verbally communicate,it's all done my walking back in to the crew room.
It's also done by a the diary girl timer. !!!
It's also done by a the diary girl timer. !!!
