Mesa lands in middle of T-Storm in CLT

[PA18]

As a pax, it's a bit disconcerting to hear the derisive comments about baby-faced pilots -- everyone starts somewhere. But the point about experience and judgement is well taken and that is what aviation is all about

Yes, everyone has to start somewhere. But previous generations, up through the baby boomers, cut their teeth flying auto parts or bank checks at night in piston twins; and, sadly, many of them lost their lives while pursuing their dream. However, when those young pilots found themselves overwhelmed by circumstance, it was only themselves who were killed.

(And those young pilots who were fortunate enough to secure a military flying billet right after college benefited from a very disciplined, safety-first, excellent training regimen in high performance jet aircraft.)

The cockpit of a 90-passenger jet is no place for some neophyte pilot to "build time", just as a first-year med student has no business participating in a very complex surgery.

We have seen some of these "junior birdmen" traveling to PHX to start jet training with Mesa with only 250 hours total flight time -- the bare minimum for a commercial pilot certificate. (I'm not making this up.) In years past, a fresh commercial license was considered a learner's permit, which allowed a young pilot to start his or her career as a flight instructor in single-engine piston aircraft.

But even though passengers hate RJ's, agents hate RJ's, and air traffic controllers hate RJ's, management loves them because they can use them to replace experienced pilots with thousands of hours with kids right out of Riddle who will fly them for less than they could make at Pizza Hut.

Think about that the next time you board one of those "flying classrooms."

This has been going on for years at Mesa.

Several years ago we were on approach for CLt 18R when the tower issued a "microburst alert". Everyone bugged out for their respective holding fixes except for, you guessed it "Air Shuttle".

It's only a matter of time. This incident comes only a couple of weeks after a Mesa RJ rolled off Runway 25L at LAX and blew right across Runway 25R after being told to hold short of that runway, and reading back the hold-short clearance. Only the quick action by a United Express crew in yanking their aircraft off the ground prematurely averted another disaster at LAX.

And it was only by the grace of God that the Pinnacle crew who rode a perfectly good CRJ from 41,000 feet to the ground didn't crash into a building and kill anybody else.

And when it does happen, the headlines won't read "Mesa Jet Crash Kills 88".

Nope, they will read "US Airways Jet..." or "America West Jet..."

 

[diogenes]

It's just a matter of time.

We were fogged in heavy one day. So were nearby airports. Our inbounds had to divert, and our outbound didn't have minimums for t/o.

I heard ASA's Brasilia land and taxi to their gate, and I wondered, how does THAT happen?

I had a word with the contract fueler later, and he estimated there were 25 gallons onboard the Brasilia.

The pilot had to option but to attempt the landing. The question was, why was he dispatched to start with?

And with some RJ crews pencilwhipping W&B....

For my part, if the RJ is maxed and the wx is bad, I don't ride it.

Period.

 

[jerseyfinn]

. . . Think about that the next time you board one of those "flying classrooms." . . .

Fortunately we've flown 99% mainline flights all these years. But it is disconcerting to learn that a huge experience gap exists. It won't be an emotionally relaxed flight if I ever do end up on a RJ.

Barry

 

[Harry Callahan]

. . . Think about that the next time you board one of those "flying classrooms." . . .

Fortunately we've flown 99% mainline flights all these years. But it is disconcerting to learn that a huge experience gap exists. It won't be an emotionally relaxed flight if I ever do end up on a RJ.

Barry

Maybe Jim or one of our pilots could give us an idea of how many hours US Easts junior pilot has & what the seniority is ?

 

[flynomore]

Maybe Jim or one of our pilots could give us an idea of how many hours US Easts junior pilot has & what the seniority is ?

==========================================================

Just a WAG--Most junior guys in each class in 1988 were around age 25 and had 2000+ hours of flight time.

If we accept the Wolfgang line of only 50 hours/month, that would be 600 hours per year for 18 years. 10800+2000=12,800. With the big number all in airliners.

I could be wrong though.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Purely guessing since there's years of reserve duty for our junior active pilots where flight hours could vary quite a bit, but probably in excess of 8-10 thousand hours just with the airline. Plus whatever hours they had when hired.

Jim

ps - I just checked my total US flight hours in CATCREW, and I suspect that it's safe to say that any mainline jet you get on probably has something over 30,000 hours combined airline experience sitting in the cockpit.

 

[Bus Driver]

has something over 30,000 hours combined airline experience sitting in the cockpit.

Jim,

The "world's most experienced airline"

Bus Driver (17,000+)

 

[john john]

. . . Think about that the next time you board one of those "flying classrooms." . . .

Fortunately we've flown 99% mainline flights all these years. But it is disconcerting to learn that a huge experience gap exists. It won't be an emotionally relaxed flight if I ever do end up on a RJ.

Barry

Chances are you will on US Airways. 2/3 of US is express. US Airways has 9 express carriers fly for them.

 

[twoturnin]

just checked my Parker P-51 company log book time---23.3K--7.2K in 75/76---ahhh only one yr and 10 months to go and counting !!