Later today, a Boeing 767 will lift off the runway and fly across the US. My son will be in the cockpit’s left seat, enjoying his new title of “Captain”. This is a significant accomplishment, especially since we recently celebrated his 30th birthday. For non-pilots, 30 is fairly young to be captain of a wide-body (767, 777, 747, etc.)
It’s possible a few older dopers remember my thread from way back, where I got to cut off his shirt-tail.
He’s come a long way since then, so you’ll forgive me shouting “CONGRATULATIONS!!!” just once.
Is he flying a freighter? I would be surprised he was able to upgade to the left seat on a passenger airliner when so many flights have cancelled due to the pandemic.
4+ years FO in the regionals, and 1 year FO on the 767. I don’t know the exact number in hours, only by the calendar. (Thank you for the kind words!)
Yes he’s flying freight. He finally got enough experience flying passengers to qualify for freight. Thankfully, he decided to switch as soon as he could, almost exactly a year ago. Many of his friends who stayed on the pax side are facing grim prospects right now.
This. I don’t know why anyone really wants to captain a commercial jumbo-jet full of passengers any more.
I have two friends of recent-college-graduate age who are totally obsessed with their life’s desire of becoming commercial jet pilots.
One, about 25, graduated from Stanford in Computer Science about 3 years ago and immediately got snapped up at Google. Yet he has two life’s ambitions: (1) to earn enough money by age 30 that he can retire comfortably, and (2) to be an airline pilot. I’m not sure how one could do both. He’s already flying multi-engine and I think has a commercial rating including IFR, and is a commercial rated glider pilot and CFI-G (and a damn good one too).
The other just graduated from Cal Poly in Financial Technology and I think did a summer internship at Apple (not sure if he’s still doing that); got his ASEL commercial about a year ago (and that same day we flew to Tahoe for lunch) and CFI (including IFR) a couple months after that; now he’s also flying multi and instructing (on weekends I think).
How great a job is it really, to be a commercial airline pilot? I know it’s awfully competitive. Is it any fun? I keep telling these friends, if they want to fly because it’s fun, they should keep their high-tech Silicon Gulch jobs, get a little aerobatic plane and learn aerobatics, and work the air shows. Or do the same in gliders.
OP: When kiddo soloed, did you (or someone) also dump a bucket of water on his head?
If you like flying it’s a job that pays for your personal plane. But the actual flying is mostly done by the plane itself. You’re purpose is to be able to fly it when crap happens.
Oh, and I know someone who did exactly what you’re talking about. They dumped their desk job for corporate jets.
Thanks again everyone for the good wishes! Everything went fine on the trip and he’s going to be landing at DFW next week (and I will get pics on final approach if possible).
Nah we didn’t, but as hot as it was, it would have been a good thing.
