Damien1313

Don't let the bird's shit on your canopy!

Makes for interesting reading with words like 250hr wonder, hot refuel ops, CG etc! Let's start with your 250hr wonder pilot or cheap low hr pilot as to which he/she is so casually derogatory referred to, that pilot may have just spent a 4 year graduate degree at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he spent more time studying aerodynamics etc and all facets of flying, than most of you voicing your opinion here put together, he has minimum a Commercial Airman Certificate and is a professional pilot even with his low hours and he maybe does not have rich parents who can pay for a turbine or jet rating so he has to work for low pay trying to further his career to get to that coveted airline job! He does a medical every 6 months, proficiency checks every 6 months, Instrument renewal every year, Dangerous goods/ CRM /TCAS / MCC / RVSM / Language Prof check / fire fighting courses as well as complying with a host FAA regulations as required. He has passed all the flight test as required. When he did for example his 182 training he had to do a written and oral test as well as a flight test in which all he has to demonstrate all phases of flight including max perf take offs in hot and high condition at Max all up weight, slow flight etc and deal with host of emergencies. A 250 hr pilot might even be a bit more conservative that a 3000hr pilot. He has also invested a load of $ to get where he is, following a career path, other than skydivers doing it for fun. If the DZO is skimping on maintenance then the pilot can do nothing about it. Your experienced jump pilot also started out new as a jump pilot even if he had a lot of hrs, just like the sky gods who have a lot to say about new pilots and new skydivers, forgetting their humble beginnings!! Let's move on to bigger machines like Caravans, King Airs and DHC6's, there are very few pilots flying those machines with low hours, first of all the Insurance requires X amount of time on type before just letting anyone loose on a 1million $+ machine! Each of those machines require a mostly self funded separate type rating and involves ground schooling and costly sim sessions and a check ride on type and even then the insurance wants time on type, so that pilot has to fly as a co pilot on the machine until such time the insurance requirements are met. In turbines and jets the insurance dictates wether you can or cannot fly as a PIC. So maybe bear the previous in mind when you so casually refer to the 250hr wonder! As to the remark about hot fuelling procedures, you should not even be concerned with it as no skydiver should be near the pumps in any case or even in the vicinity when it is done. Once again the pilot of the acft know what is required as stated in the POH and the procedures etc at the refuelling point. Introducing a jump pilot course and rating certificate where a pilot will have to hire the said acft to do training and have the local FSDO testing officer do the practical flight test will mean extra cost to a pilot who has already spent countless $ to just be able to fly! What if they have to do a certificate for each different acft he flies at the DZ and he has to pay for it as the DZO will definitely not? The result that the low pay flying skydivers around and living on a DZ like a destitute dog is not worth the cost and suddenly there is a shortage of 250 hr wonders to get you up there!