Flight Training - April 2015 - 48

ADVANCED PILOT»

of water when I listened to my
new-hire classmates bantering in
a language I was mostly clueless
about.
Many of my classmates came
from large flight schools and
colleges like Embry-Riddle,
University of North Dakota, and
Comair Academy, where they had
attended classes that introduced
them to airline operations. Others
were interns at regional or major
airlines and gained even more
valuable experience.

IF I WAS GOING
TO DO THIS
AIRLINE GIG,
I NEEDED TO
FIGURE OUT
WHAT IT'S
ALL ABOUT,
RIGHT?
So there I was, feeling like the
new neighbor amongst a cadre of
best buddies. Do I dare ask what
they are talking about, for fear of
looking like a dolt? Or should I
just nod and try to salvage my ego?
Since I'm not afraid of being
embarrassed, I didn't hesitate to
ask all sorts of questions. Some
I'm sure made me look stupid,
but I didn't care-if I was going
to do this airline gig, I needed
to figure out what it's all about,
right?
Thankfully, everybody was
pretty accommodating, and some
took me under their wing. And
my sim partner was forced to take
me under his wing, since we were
matched up by luck of the draw-
at least it wasn't a dodgeball team
lineup.
I eventually did learn to shut up
during class to keep things moving. Getting into a class discussion
slowed down the works for others
who, in some cases, already had
this information. If I didn't under-

48 /

FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

AIRLINE TERMINOLOGY 101
BIDDING-Since everything in the airline world is based on seniority,
pilots have to bid for their schedules, vacation, different airplanes, or
upgrades to captain. Pilots bid schedules monthly.
LINES/LINE PILOT/LINE FLYING-Throwback terms that refer to
pilots who can "hold a line." Pilots bid scheduled "lines" of flying that
include trips they prefer or days off that they need. Of course, pilots
need adequate seniority to get the line they want. Line pilots are those
who "fly the line"-as opposed to those who instruct or have management positions. Line pilots typically fly 70 or more actual hours per
month. These terms are quickly becoming dated since schedule bidding at most companies is done via computer (sometimes called slick
bidding), rather than lines printed on paper.
RESERVE-As a new pilot at the bottom of the seniority list, you'll
likely emerge from training as a reserve pilot. Reserve loosely translates to being on call. A reserve pilot is called to fill in for a line pilot
who called in sick or was otherwise removed from a trip (training,
duty/flight time exceedance, et cetera). Often, reserve pilots are called
in to cover unscheduled charters and maintenance ferry flights.
GUARANTEE-In months of adequate staffing, reserve pilots may
do a lot of sitting around. And since pilots get paid by the flight hour,
they may not make a living on, say, 10 hours per month. Because of
this, reserve pilots earn a minimum guarantee of somewhere around
70 hours. A reserve pilot may fly more than his/her guarantee, and will
get paid the greater of actual time flown or the guarantee.
CRASHPAD-An apartment or condo shared by crewmembers who
live away from their base and commute to work. Because they can be
shared by multiple crewmembers, crashpad costs often are far less
than paying for a hotel room every time you come to base. Naturally,
privacy is sacrificed, but the cost can't be beat-especially for new
hires on first-year pay.-PAB

stand some term or concept, I'd
just jot down a note and ask the
instructor-or a fellow student-
during a break or after class.
Soon enough, all the terms came
to me, and I was sounding like a
pro myself. I had no experience to
walk the walk, but at least I could
talk the talk!
Pete Bedell is a pilot for a major airline
and holds type ratings in the BAe Jetstream 41, Canadair RJ, Boeing 737, and
Airbus A320.

http://FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG

Flight Training - April 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - April 2015