Flight Training - August 2020 - 43

ADVANCED PILOT CAREER PILOT

AOPA RESOURCES

BACK IN THE SADDLE, SAFELY
Resources for returning to flight

As states modify social distancing restrictions,
many aviation operators have reopened, and
formerly grounded pilots can return to flight.
To aid in this process, AOPA and the AOPA Air
Safety Institute have created two guides to help
operators and pilots facilitate a safe return to
operations.
The Return-to-Flight Proficiency Plan for
pilots, sponsored by Hartzell Propeller, includes
profiles for VFR and IFR operations and is
designed to give a clear, step-by-step approach
to refreshing knowledge and sharpening skills
that degrade after a period of inactivity-such
as grounding due to local quarantine orders.
The COVID-19 Flight Operations Guide is
designed to help flight schools, flying clubs,
FBOs, and other aircraft operators move "from
risk 'avoidance' to risk management." The guide
provides factors to consider when making the
decision to open, or remain open, and offers
suggestions on how to do so carefully while
monitoring for signs of sustained operational
wellness. -Alicia Herron

THE NEW REALITY
AIRLINE FLYING IN THE PANDEMIC
BY PETER A. BEDELL

airsafetyinstitute.org/returntoflight
aopa.org/covid19-flightops

an open-cockpit biplane or a helicopter
flown doors off.)
If the machine's suitably sterile but
dual instruction is not inviting, how about
going solo? Start with the legalities: If
your flight review's expired, you're out of
luck. After that, the crucial variables are
time and recency in type, layoff duration,
and the flight profile's complexity. After
two months away, a pilot who's logged
more than 3,000 hours in the airplane
she has owned for 25 years can likely
herd it around the pattern in light winds.
A 200-hour pilot whose last flight three
months earlier was a successful instrument checkride, however, should think at
least three times about filing to practice approaches solo in near-minimum
weather-then decide against it.
Those suffering from "low altitude
sickness" would do well to remember the
observation in Dr. Strangelove that a bullet
can kill you just as dead as a nuclear blast.
Preserving the ability to not crash an aircraft isn't worth succumbing to a virus. FT
DAVID JACK KENNY is a freelance aviation writer

living in Frederick, Maryland.

THE HOTTEST AIRLINE JOB MARKET IN

60 years was abruptly swept away
in March of this year thanks to the
coronavirus pandemic. The industry
went from pilot shortage to thousands
of pilots on the streets in weeks. Two
regional airlines, Compass Airlines and
Trans States Airlines, folded almost
immediately. Most of the majors will
furlough thousands of pilots each and
plan to emerge as much smaller airlines
on the back end of this.
The U.S. government stepped in to
prop up the airlines with a combination of grants and loans totaling about
$50 billion. In return, the government
got warrants that effectively allow
it to take future stock in the companies that took the bailout. This aspect
could get interesting in the future.
In the meantime, the bailout created
a six-month income crutch for most
frontline airline employees. For those
in the lower ranks of the seniority lists,
it seems more like a severance because
of looming furloughs.

For us pilots, well, it's a radically
changed world to say the least. Besides
barely flying, an aura of uncertainty is
draped over everyone's career. Thousands are losing their jobs and those
being displaced from captain back to
first officer are looking at big pay cuts.
The long-term ramifications of this pandemic make the post-9/11 downturn look
tiny in comparison.
In May and June, my airline cut 90
percent of its capacity, and I didn't fly
at all. On June 7, my landing currency
expired and I essentially became unavailable to the company without being
retrained. Per our union contract, I was
paid the minimum monthly guarantee,
which as a captain is quite good. But in
mid-June, I received word that I was to be
displaced to first officer, which is about a
40-percent pay cut. I'm not griping as I'm
thankful I still have a job. As of this writing, there have been no furloughs, but we
expect that hammer to drop in July.
What trips are being flown introduce
a new reality to airline pilots. For those
AOPA.ORG/FT  43
http://www.airsafetyinstitute.org/returntoflight http://www.aopa.org/covid19-flightops http://www.AOPA.ORG/FT
Flight Training - August 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - August 2020
