Pilots who are avid brewers

z987k said:

Nah you can buy an older plane for what it would cost to homebuild.

but yeah we pay 103 for our Cherokee 180 with instruction.

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Yeah but long term its alot cheaper. Do it your self maintenance. That and i enjoy working on things. 103 with instructor is cheap.

it's with the university, so I'm paying tuition also, I'm sure that makes up for it, but then again I also take other classes.

Bumping this up from obscurity...

SEL/MEL/Instrument Commercial with the same as CFI (SEL/MEL/Inst) Quit in 95 with 3400+hrs TT Never got the break, so went to work for the Manufacturer... now only the 2nd largest in the world. Happy to be home everyday and a decent paycheck. Don't think I'll get back into the sky though. I've lost the bug I had for it once, I've lost too many Pilot friends due to issues beyond their control..(3 due to faulty maint) and now I just don't have the trust you need, and I don't think building my own and doing my own maint would cure that. I'm a perfectionist at heart and there just isn't any getting away from that.
Cheers to you fellow pilot/brewers seems this hobby has some similarities as to control, configuration, proceedure etc that come hand in hand.

Private Pilot here. About 100 hours or so.
Started training in Las Vegas. Finished Training in Fairbanks, AK. So my 100 hours includes mountain flying, and extreme hot/cold weather and some really great site seeing in Alaska. A 172 can really climb below 0F.

A&P/SEL/MEL/Instrument Commercial and about to finish up with CFI within the next few weeks.

College and pilot training have been a blast, but with graduation looming I’m not sure about going the professional pilot route in these hard times. I will probably try and weather the down turn as a mechanic.

Thanks to my military service there are plenty of government jobs out there that offer the job security I need. Still plan on do instructor work on the side to stay current and build time.

I love flying; I’m just not sure if I like the lifestyle.

The lifestyle can blow... the money really blows for years... it can be a frustrating road.

I have a few hours in a Cessna 172, haha.

The final training flight I had was weird, and I am sure the CFI thought it scared me off flying. It didn't; it taught me two things about myself that relieved me of the desire to sit in the left-hand seat:

1. I am not naturally gifted in the pilot department; the task overload stuff slays me. Many people have told me that I have a "pilot's personality" (whatever that means) but I learned I don't cope well with input overload. I opted out before getting someone hurt.

2. I do ok in case of in-flight emergency. I "continued to fly the plane" as planned and as instructed. The conversation went something like this:
ME (at the controls): We have an annunciator on (whatever).
ME: and, uh, now have an annunciator on (whatever2).
CFI: (looking over everything) Continue to fly the plane.
ME: We have annunciators on (whatevers 3 and 4). And now...
CFI: Continue to fly the plane while I start the emergency checklist.

We made a pretty good team. I flew the little bird in the direction he indicated while he did the emergency checklist and shut everything down. I had been practicing landings by this time (and handled the descent while he finished up the list) but due to the, uhhh, impromptu landing strip being made of prairie grass and populated by cows he handled the actual landing. No cows were injured in the making of this landing, but they looked a little surprised.

We were on the ground for several minutes before I saw what the problem was (me, the low-hour student). The CFI always wanted to alter one part of the preflight and I wasn't man enough to demand we follow the checklist verbatim. It resulted in a chain of events that resulted in our parking inelegantly in a cow field. We did a correct checklist, and after waiting a while the battery recovered enough to get the engine started and return to the airport. The upside is I got an extra hour of instruction time out of it and the delay meant it was now dark, and it was completely, transcendentally beautiful flying at night.

Since no one from the flight school or FAA ever questioned me about it I assume this means the CFI didn't mention it to anyone. I don't know if he was required to, but I bet he doesn't skip/alter sections of the checklist anymore.

PostScript: About a month later I went back to get my deposit back (as I was not continuing) and the school had disappeared with no forwarding address. Never got my $100 deposit back.

Task overload, or simply information overload in newer aircraft with really advanced glass avionics can happen to some. I happen to love task overload, I get geeked up on it. Slow down, descend, caution following the heavy at 11 o'clock and 5 miles, maintain 180 knots... we are too high on the slope, we need to slow down, gear down.... etc... I love it!!!!

The nice thing about flying a two person crew is that the FO generally flies during the emergency and the captain runs the checklists and makes the appropriate notifications. Dividing up the duties, or CRM, makes for a great synergy that is needed ot tackle some issues.

I had my first emergency as a captain a couple weeks ago... and it went very smoothly. I have had several while sitting as the FO, but this was my first in the left seat, as a captain. There is no replacement for a good crew, no replacement at all.

Cool thread!! Ex-pilot here with about 2500 hours. I started at about 17 and had all ratings at 22 (1996). Instructed for a couple years but decided to get out of the business and get into something more stable and better paying. I do miss it at times but several friends of mine that stuck with it are not too happy. One is on their 4th flying job in 8 years (involuntarily). Tough industry. Hey Pol, are you still with Republic? Have you had to deal with furloughs or are you still hiring? Amazing how quickly things can change.

Flic said:

Cool thread!! Ex-pilot here with about 2500 hours. I started at about 17 and had all ratings at 22 (1996). Instructed for a couple years but decided to get out of the business and get into something more stable and better paying. I do miss it at times but several friends of mine that stuck with it are not too happy. One is on their 4th flying job in 8 years (involuntarily). Tough industry. Hey Pol, are you still with Republic? Have you had to deal with furloughs or are you still hiring? Amazing how quickly things can change.

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Hey, welcome to the thread.

I am still with Republic, this is my first airline, I am going on 6 years here and I personally love it. The pay, eh, isnt bad for a kid who grew up on a dairy farm with no college degree! We are not hiring, we have a few guys on furlough, but looks like they are coming back before long.

I am like, oh... #690 out of about 2100 pilots, so I dont plan to go anywhere. I like being a captain, the pay is good and my seniority is something I dont wish to forfiet to go somewhere else.

w00t w00t!

I'm not a pilot but I work for an airline. The best part homebrewing wise seems to be discounts on cargo so I can get malt shipped home pretty cheap.

Drizzle, are you still brewing, never see you here brotha.

The Pol said:

Drizzle, are you still brewing, never see you here brotha.

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Haven't been drinking much the last few months. I'm about to take my first lager out of the lagerator and get it carbing. It's brilliantly clear, I've just been running around so much when I'm home I forget to do it between naps. Also, I've been steering clear of a lot of internet lately.

Why are you steering clear???

The Pol said:

Why are you steering clear???

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Takes up too much time. The internet is serious business.

Well, it is nice to see ya back!!

STILL waiting to find out what edition of BYO my rig is going to be in....

Great thread!
Been looking for something like this for a long time.
CFI with 2,000 hours and looking for ANYTHING to move up.
Since the airlines have stopped, everything else has as well

Yeah, I was having a talk with a UA jumpseater the other day... talking about the reduction in lines and a/c on thier side. He said ALPA is getting is a$$ handed to it, and there is nothing they can do.

I have a feeling that UA is looking to replace the lost lift when they park all of those 737s with something regional, larger... 190? I told him, if we do that, then the regionals will be the new mainline. Mainlines wont be hiring for years and years if the 190s get contracted to regionals...

Also, grumblings of Continental picking up ramp handling for UA in the cities where mainline UA is pulling its ground handling... hrmmmmm, curious. Wonder where those merger talks are now days...

Aviaiton is a fickle beast!

"Aviaiton is a fickle beast!"


You said it!! I count myself lucky to be in the "Airplane" business at all. 7yr cycles seem never ending... but I've got 12 yrs in and not looking back.

It does mean there isn't a flying career out there for me, but that's ok.. I'm still building the stuff you are flying and that's close enough for me these days.

Cheers

The Pol said:

Hey, welcome to the thread.

I am still with Republic, this is my first airline, I am going on 6 years here and I personally love it. The pay, eh, isnt bad for a kid who grew up on a dairy farm with no college degree!

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Pol, two questions for you:

1. How did you go about becoming a pilot and getting on with an airline without a college degree? Did you amass a lot of hours flying private and get in to a flight school?

2. How did that Orange APA turn out? If I recall, we were brewing up the same recipe about the same time. Mine turned out fantastic and has aged extremely well.

GLWIII said:

Pol, two questions for you:

1. How did you go about becoming a pilot and getting on with an airline without a college degree? Did you amass a lot of hours flying private and get in to a flight school?

2. How did that Orange APA turn out? If I recall, we were brewing up the same recipe about the same time. Mine turned out fantastic and has aged extremely well.

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Hey... well this is how I did it. I worked as a computer programmer for almost 7 years, during that time I recieved my commercial/instrument/mulit engine ratings... Not at a school, but renting a C-152 at a local FBO and doing the "KING" test prep.
I then took a job for a year flying pipeline patrols for Michcon Energy (now DTE) in Michigan in a C-172. Once I had "amassed" 1000 hours I started flying single pilot freight out of KYIP in Michigan in 310R's and Barons. Then once I hd "amassed" 2000 hours TT I applied at my current airline. They were hurting for pilots, needed people who would work insane hours, 10 days off a month, for next to nothing. THAT WAS ME!

So, here I am almost 6 years later sitting in the left seat of the most beautiful "regional" (we go to Mexico, Jamaica and Alberta??) jet in existance. IMHO. I now have about 7,000TT, 5,000 turbine, 2,500 jet...

I have yet to meet another airline guy without a college degree... so I consider myself lucky. Not that you need a degree to fly, you have the skill or you don't, but they generally only interview those with degrees.

So, that is my story...

The Orange APA is GREAT, on tap now... I am brewing up another batch on my completed E-HERMS in a week or so. I intend to post a video here when I am finished!

I hope all you stick and yoke holders will forgive my intrusion here.

I am a hot air balloon pilot. Does that count? Yep, they actually require us to get a pilot certificate. I hold a Commercial LTA-FB (rating for lighter-than-air free balloon). Been flying them for 20 yrs.

Ballooning has always been associated with champagne but I now bring home brew along for the post flight festivites.

Just saw this thread today, I'm a 1200 hr CFI waiting for the hiring to return. I really want to stay in the northwest so I'm hoping Horizon or Skywest start needing pilots again soon.

I have students tues, thur, sat and am asst. brewer at a brewpub mon, fri, sat. Then there's the bartending job wed, fri sat nights. I'm ready to have just one job, preferably it will be flying jets, but if that doesn't work, there's always beer.

I just retired after 21 years in the Air Force. Flew the A-10 for 3 years way back in '89-92. Flew 11 years in the Viper from '92-'03. Flew 5 years in T-38 A and C model from '03 to 08. Now a civilian contractor instructing NATO fighter pilots in the T/AT-38C and collecting retirement and disability (3 herniated discs in the neck from the Viper). Lots of my neighbors are still active and mooch all of my beer. Thougt about the airline deal and had interviews with Southwest Delta united and Airtran. Decided not to bother. I found out they work too hard nowadays and are gone way too much. that would eat into my brew schedule. No Thanks!

BullF-16 said:

I just retired after 21 years in the Air Force. Flew the A-10 for 3 years way back in '89-92. Flew 11 years in the Viper from '92-'03. Flew 5 years in T-38 A and C model from '03 to 08. Now a civilian contractor instructing NATO fighter pilots in the T/AT-38C and collecting retirement and disability (3 herniated discs in the neck from the Viper). Lots of my neighbors are still active and mooch all of my beer. Thougt about the airline deal and had interviews with Southwest Delta united and Airtran. Decided not to bother. I found out they work too hard nowadays and are gone way too much. that would eat into my brew schedule. No Thanks!

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Ha! Proud of your service Bull...

Flew the OV-10 Bronco here... Back seat, but accumulated many hours in the air... Otherwise, I guess I have around 200 hours in a Super Cub, J3, PA-12, the sort... I stopped accounting for it all... Not a pilot, just had a great A&P job where I could fly when ever I wanted after the NAVY...

Got my A&P in 81, long time ago! Yea, we had no special numbers back then! Anyhoo, I spent the rest of my life fixing airplanes in my 135/145 repair station. Then moved on to NASA at the start of the space station. After many parts in space, I now help design the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

I look back at all you pilots! I applaud you all! At one time after many hours, I was going to do the pilot thing but I jumped off a mountain one day in a hang glider... That was the bag after that for MANY years... I couldn't get enough... Now, I am getting into PPG just to get my kicks I guess...

Now I just look at the sky and dream man...

The Pol said:

Hey... well this is how I did it. I worked as a computer programmer for almost 7 years, during that time I recieved my commercial/instrument/mulit engine ratings... Not at a school, but renting a C-152 at a local FBO and doing the "KING" test prep.
I then took a job for a year flying pipeline patrols for Michcon Energy (now DTE) in Michigan in a C-172. Once I had "amassed" 1000 hours I started flying single pilot freight out of KYIP in Michigan in 310R's and Barons. Then once I hd "amassed" 2000 hours TT I applied at my current airline. They were hurting for pilots, needed people who would work insane hours, 10 days off a month, for next to nothing. THAT WAS ME!

So, here I am almost 6 years later sitting in the left seat of the most beautiful "regional" (we go to Mexico, Jamaica and Alberta??) jet in existance. IMHO. I now have about 7,000TT, 5,000 turbine, 2,500 jet...

I have yet to meet another airline guy without a college degree... so I consider myself lucky. Not that you need a degree to fly, you have the skill or you don't, but they generally only interview those with degrees.

So, that is my story...

The Orange APA is GREAT, on tap now... I am brewing up another batch on my completed E-HERMS in a week or so. I intend to post a video here when I am finished!

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Pol,
My cousin is degree-less and flying for Continental Express based out of Cleveland. He's in college. He fits his classes in between his flight schedule as best he can.

used to fly in a C-421 on different ski trips. That was the way to take a ski trip. one and a half hour to Boyne or six to Killington

AirRageous said:

I hope all you stick and yoke holders will forgive my intrusion here.

I am a hot air balloon pilot. Does that count? Yep, they actually require us to get a pilot certificate. I hold a Commercial LTA-FB (rating for lighter-than-air free balloon). Been flying them for 20 yrs.

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Don't worry about the intrusion you guys always have the right of way

On a side note I don't know if I could fly a balloon, I think I'm scared of heights.

Hugh_Jass said:

Pol,
My cousin is degree-less and flying for Continental Express based out of Cleveland. He's in college. He fits his classes in between his flight schedule as best he can.

used to fly in a C-421 on different ski trips. That was the way to take a ski trip. one and a half hour to Boyne or six to Killington

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The old charter operation that I flew for had a couple 421's... man those things are pigs. Comfy for a twin recip... but geared engines, and just pigs

Dilligaf said:

On a side note I don't know if I could fly a balloon, I think I'm scared of heights.

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Me too! That's why I keep my eyes closed when I'm flying.

Lonnie Mac said:

Ha! Proud of your service Bull...

Flew the OV-10 Bronco here... Back seat, but accumulated many hours in the air... Otherwise, I guess I have around 200 hours in a Super Cub, J3, PA-12, the sort... I stopped accounting for it all... Not a pilot, just had a great A&P job where I could fly when ever I wanted after the NAVY...

Got my A&P in 81, long time ago! Yea, we had no special numbers back then! Anyhoo, I spent the rest of my life fixing airplanes in my 135/145 repair station. Then moved on to NASA at the start of the space station. After many parts in space, I now help design the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

I look back at all you pilots! I applaud you all! At one time after many hours, I was going to do the pilot thing but I jumped off a mountain one day in a hang glider... That was the bag after that for MANY years... I couldn't get enough... Now, I am getting into PPG just to get my kicks I guess...

Now I just look at the sky and dream man...

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sounds like you've had a long and distinguished career in the aviation industry. Must have been cool working with NASA. I had a few buds who flew the Bronco before they went to the Hog. Awesome aircraft for its purpose.

A320 pilot / brewer here. There are also about 5 or 6 guys that I work with that also brew. Looks like we are not alone.

Fly Safe - Brew Strong!

I am no pilot but I got to fly a leer jet simulator a few years back. I have lots of respect for pilots now, that sh#t was hard. SWMBO works for Flight Safety is how I got to do this.

FSI, eh? That is where we do all of our Sim training basically. Sometimes we use the US Airways Sims in Charlotte, or the Jet Blue Sims in Orlando... rarely we also use the Bombardier Sims in Montreal... And each one of them flies differently than the other!

This was the Bombardier Sims in Tuscon.

Bombardier builds a better Embraer SIM... they use the Embraer components and software, FSI does not, they attempt to duplicate it, and it doesnt work out so well... The FAA is looking into it out in STL due to all the complaints on how the SIM flies so much differently than the actual a/c.

Actually if you fail Hyd system #1 and #2 on the FSI sims, operating only on system #3... the plane flies JUST like the actual a/c. We discovered this during my type ride.

Private SEL, Commercial MEL, Instrument Airplane with BE400/Mitsubishi DiamondJet type ratings here. I was formerly an instructor in the KC-135 with the Air Force, but got out about 2 years ago. I'm going back to school for my A&P now. I had planned on becoming a airline pilot, but now I'm following my wife (also a pilot in the Air Force) around.
I miss the flying and will probably get back into some private flying. Not sure if I really want to look for an airline job now. Ideally I'd like to get on with Lockheed or Flight Safety teaching in the AF simulators, but the guys at our current base won't hire me without any C-130 experience. Short of joining the guard, that's not likely to happen. Kills me because they are hurting so bad for instructors and I wouldn't be teaching the systems, I'd be running the box. Oh well.

Terje

Stratotankard said:

I was formerly an instructor in the KC-135 with the Air Force, but got out about 2 years ago. I'm going back to school for my A&P now.
Terje

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What a small world. I was a crew chief on the KC-135R for six years at Robins AFB Ga, but got out two years ago to learn how to fly. If you enjoy wenching you'll like being an A&P, by far the best type of mechanic to be.

I got my commercial ticket out of high school and flew seaplanes on the west coast for 5 years. Times where tough, low pay or no pay. Eventually got on with a good company on salary. Then joined the Canadian air force. I am currently going through basic flight training on the Harvard II (Texan II). There are a bunch of guys around here into brewing.