Ready For Takeoff - Turn Your Aviation Passion Into A Career

In case you got the impression from Episode RFT 423 that I was hired for every job when I was interviewed, I want to set the record straight. When I was a Standards Captain on the B727 at United, the current Fleet Captain – they guy I worked for – was leaving the Training Center and returning to line flying, and his job was going to be open. I applied for the position of B727 Fleet Captain, and had an interview with the head of the narrow-body fleets (the Fleet Captain’s boss) and a lady from the Personnel department. I was wearing my best interview suit, cufflinks and all, and I felt like a had a great interview. But I didn’t get the job. Someone else got it, and I ended up back as a Standards Captain, working for the person who got the job. So I obviously hadn’t done well enough in the interview. THEN, new Assistant Fleet Captain positions (2) were added. I interviewed for one of these positions. I didn’t get it. About six months before my scheduled retirement from United, I was on a layover at Narita, Ja

Alan Worthy was a midshipman at George Washington University, and at the time had no interest in aviation. A friend talked him into going to an aviation physical, and was an opportunity for him to be excused from Physics class, so he went. And that started his journey into aviation. While in flight school, he fell in love with flying. After training in Pensacola, he attended H-46 helicopter training, his first choice. The primary mission for the H-46 was logistics service for the fleet. Among his numerous deployments, he was Officer In Charge (OIC) of a naval unit in Iraq. He had four back-to-back cockpit tours, then became the Aide-de-Camp to the Chief of Naval Operations. Alan had numerous staff tours, including being in Ukraine during the time of the Russian invasion of Crimea. He currently Director, Aviation Safety at Commander, Naval Air Force, Pacific. He has two Master's Degrees: Military Studies and Global Leadership.

If you are in the job market (and you definitely will some day be in the job market!) you will discover that sending out resumes and using the "shotgun approach" will probably not work very well. Virtually every job I've ever had, other than the Air Force, was obtained through networking: Networking with Bill Arnott got me my interview with Clay Lacy Aviation Networking with Bill Arnott got me my interview with United Networking with Gordie Cohen got me my interview with Lockheed I got my job teaching at Metro by walking in to the Aviation Department and chatting with the Department Head. No networking. But I got my job (at the same time) teaching for Embry-Riddle through networking with Jim Savard, who had used my B727 training videos and recommended me. I got my job interview at FlightSafety International by networking with my friend Harv LaFollett. I suspect someone recommended me for my job at Jet Airways. I got my job interview as an IOSA auditor with ARGUS Pros through networking with former Denver Chie

Custodio earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Puerto Rico and worked for various industries before landing a job in the accounting department of Prinair (Puerto Rico International Airlines). There she met Edwin Custodio, with whom she would eventually have two children. She later worked for the US Department of Defense (DoD) in Panama. With the support of her husband, she presented herself before Headquarters, Air Force Military Personnel Center (AFMPC) to apply for the United States Air Force Officer Training School. Upon admission, Custodio was accepted as a pilot candidate to become a United States Air Force pilot. She entered the Flight Screening Pilot Officer Training School in January 1980. After successful completion of Flight Screening she entered Officer Training School and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant. She qualified for Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) at Laughlin Air Force Base in Texas and graduated the following year, thus becoming the first Latina to complete the U.S

From Associated Press , August 14, 1986: ATLANTA (AP) _ Relatives of an American who was freed from a Vietnamese prison after an attempt to smuggle out two Vietnamese women said Thursday they feared he had been killed by China Sea pirates. Robert Schwab Jr. of Atlanta said his son called Thursday from Bangkok, Thailand, after a 16-month disappearance. Robert Schwab III, 43, was taken to Thailand after being released by Vietnamese officials, said White House spokesman Larry Speakes. ″It seemed like a dream. I had been so convinced I would never see him again,″ the elder Schwab said at his home in an affluent Atlanta neighborhood. ″We had a rather brief conversation,″ he said as his eyes filled with tears. ″He said ‘How are you?’ and I said ‘Great, but how are you?’ He said he was going to be perfectly OK.″ Another White House spokesman, Dan Howard, said Schwab left Vietnam without the two women. It was not known when he would return to the U.S. The younger Schwab, called Robbie, also is the son of Mrs. Robert

Lt Col (ret.) Wendy Emminger is an Arizona native who is a 2003 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology. She was a 4-year member of the USAFA Women’s Soccer team, team captain, MVP and 4-time member of the Mountain West Conference All-Academic team. She was even on the ballot for Academic All-American. She had the opportunity to continue her soccer career after the Academy by being a 6-time member of the All Armed Forces Women’s soccer team and even got to fly her team to the Military World Games in Brazil. Wendy attended Pilot training in Columbus, MS and received her first choice to fly the KC-10 at Travis AFB, CA. She attained the highest academic average in her class, missing only 2 out of 517 questions, earning her the Academic Achievement Award. She was also awarded the prestigious Air Force Association Award. During her time in the KC-10 she was an Instructor, Evaluator, Formal Training Unit (FTU) Instructor and Functional Check Flight (FCF) Pi

From GlobalNews: WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Friday issued an emergency airworthiness directive for 2,000 U.S.-registered Boeing 737 NG and Classic aircraft that have been in storage, warning they could have corrosion that could lead to a dual-engine failure. The directive covers planes not operated for seven or more consecutive days. The FAA issued the directive after inspectors found compromised air check valves when bringing aircraft out of storage. From CNET.com: Craig Barton may have the most difficult parking valet job in history. As airlines around the world have grounded substantial numbers of their planes after the coronavirus pandemic decimated travel, the head of technical operations for American Airlines has spent the past two months trying to figure out where to park hundreds of planes. We’re talking aircraft like the $375 million Boeing 777-300ER, a wide-body that’s 242 feet long, with a wingspan of 212 feet. “It’s not the same as just putting your car in your garag

Mathieu started out as a fighter pilot in the French Air Force. He started flying General Aviation airplanes and was accepted into the French Air Force at age 18. During his flight training, he was selected into the fighter pilot track. He trained in the Alpha Jet, and then was initially assigned to fly the Mirage 2000. He flew only air-to-air missions, flying between 12-24 flights per month. As an under-contract officer, Mathieu concentrated on flying, not having administrative duties. There was no expectation to serve in headquarters assignments. In his 14 years of active duty, Mathieu flew fighters for 8 years, spending most of his time as an Instructor Pilot (IP). While in the Air Force, he bought a powered ultralight aircraft, taking his first flight solo. After leaving the Air Force, Mathieu earned his civilian pilot ratings and pursued an airline career. He was hired by a major airline after a demanding interview and simulator check. He is based in Hong Kong, and now flies the Airbus A-330 in internati

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial – The Wall – has panels that list the KIA (Killed In Action) casualties in chronological order of their loss. Panel W1, the last panel, encompasses the date July 30, 1972. My name is not on that panel, because my military Brothers, J.D. Allen and the crew of Purple 28, saved my life. Forty-eight years ago today, I was Number Four in Walnut Flight, four F-4s on a strike deep into enemy territory north of Hanoi. The flight was being led by a new flight lead, Sid Fulgham, on his first mission over Hanoi, and J.D. was the deputy flight lead, Walnut Three. Enroute to the target, we faced heavy reactions. SAMs (surface-to-air missiles), AAA (anti-aircraft artillery) and MiG calls (enemy aircraft). As we egressed the target area over the Gulf of Tonkin, Sid called for a fuel check, and that was when we all realized that my fuel was significantly below the other airplanes in the flight. In fact, I wouldn’t have enough fuel to make it to the post-strike refueling point. Sid was out of id

Skip grew up in a house that had an “airplane room”, replete with models and pictures. His father was a pilot, and was a part-owner in a Beech Sundowner airplane. On his 10th birthday, Skip got to fly in the seat and control an airplane for the first time. Skip was recruited to the United States Air Force Academy to play soccer, and majored in physics, attending while his high school friend Robert “Cujo” Teschner was also a cadet. When he was cut from the soccer team, his grades dramatically improved, which enabled him to receive one of the limited slots for pilot training. As a cadet, he broke his arm during a parachute failure while skydiving. Skip attended pilot training at Reese Air Force Base, and was ranked high enough to select a fighter, and received an F-15C. He attended fighter fundamentals training in San Antonio, and was then assigned to the 54th Fighter Squadron in Anchorage, Alaska. His squadron was the first to utilize night vision goggles (NVGs) in dogfights at night. After his Alaska tour, Sk

“It was very cold up there and the missions were tiring because they were quite long. They lasted anywhere from five to six-and-a-half hours, and when we got back to the base all we could think of doing was hitting the sack and getting some rest and being prepared for the next day’s mission,” the retired lieutenant colonel said.  Being shot down and captured was not an option. The black Tuskegee Airmen were showing the world bigotry didn’t belong — except down below. On April 1, 1945, hate showed its face once again. “There were seven of us and we were going after targets of opportunity in Austria,” he said of the day his squad got into a dogfight with German fighter pilots. “Three of us got shot down. One was able to make it back to friendly territory before he crash-landed, one was killed outright when he was shot down and the third one, his plane was damaged so badly that he had to bail out,” said Stewart. That pilot was captured and lynched three days later by an angry mob. “The crowd, after being agitate

Nick had his first flight at age 18 in a Stearman, and had repeatedly tried to get into the Air Force Academy, but eventually attended the Military Academy at West Point. He always wanted to go into aviation, and he accepted a position as an aviation officer. He attended pilot training at Fort Rucker, and received an assignment to fly Blackhawk attack helicopters. He was initially assigned to Hunter Army Airfield, then deployed to Iraq as a maintenance officer and downed aircraft recovery officer. He supervised or performed eight recoveries of crashed aircraft, usually recovering human remains and injured crew members. He then flew counter-narcotics missions in South America, intercepting boats and aircraft. Most of these missions were conducted at night, using night vision goggles (NVGs). In addition, he performed humanitarian missions. After nine years, Nick left the Army when he did not received his desired assignment as an instructor at West Point, and transferred to the Air Force. He immediately attended

Now more than ever, preparation is key. Conditions changing day by day. Reminds me of how we improvised securing the cockpit post 9/11. If you are in the high-risk group (over 65, asthma, heart disease, other underlying disease) don’t fly. Research your destination. Don’t fly if you have a cold. TSA bins probably filthy You may be sitting next to a total stranger – not all airlines block middle seats. Clothing: no shorts or flip-flops! I recommend long pants for women as well as men, and no high-heel shoes for women  I will discuss evacuation shortly Face mask – actually TWO face masks (in case head band breaks) carbon filter n95 aerotoxic syndrome – only B787 does not use bleed air from pneumatic system Anti-bacterial wipes Hand sanitizer Take your temperature before leaving home If it’s above 100 you may not be allowed on the airplane Put ALL medications into hand-carried bags fanny pack even better Wash hands after TSA screening Bring empty water bottle – fill at filling station, not water fountain Stay hy

From Flightcast Podcast: Chris Palmer is the host of the Aviatorcast Podcast, the Angle of Attack show, and isn’t your average flight instructor. Chris is on a mission to make better pilots. Whether it’s in the cockpit, on the ground, or on YouTube, Chris’s passion is to give new pilots the skills they need to fly safely and have fun. Join us as he shares in his love of flying and what bumps in the road he encountered along the way.

From We Are The Mighty: The final day of work comes upon everyone. Some people take a long lunch with coworkers to hand out gifts and going away mementos. Others choose to quietly go out as they either prepare for retirement or moving on to their next job. Their emotional last day at a unit isn’t just celebrated like a last day at an office. Pilots stick to a tradition that’s as old as the Air Force itself: the final flight, known widely amongst aircrew members as the ‘fini flight.’ The tradition was initially celebrated to accompany milestones in the career of Airmen of all ranks and positions. To find the first documented fini flight, one would have to reach back in history as far as Vietnam, when an aircrew commemorated the completion of 100 missions. Since then, the way final flights have been celebrated has changed, but the sentiments have remained. “Traditions such as this are great examples of esprit de corps throughout the Air Force community,” said Steven Frank, 27th Special Operations Wing historian

Jim Ferrari has been a CFI for over 45 years. He fascination with flying started when he was nine years old, taking his first flight on a B-707 and getting an inflight tour of the cockpit. His father’s employment with NASA gave him the opportunity to see actual mission flight plans and activities. Jim wanted to fly in the military, but bad eyes kept him out, so he worked throughout high school to earn money for flying lessons. He received his Private Pilot certificate while still in high school, and earned the rest of his certificates (CFI. Inst, MEI) in college. After graduation he got a job flying in night single-pilot operations in the Beech-18, then moved up to twin Otters and Shorts 330 at Metro Airlines. Finally, he was hired by United Airlines. In 1985, when he was hired, he became a member of the famous “Class of 570”, where the class was hired to be strike-breakers, but they refused to cross the picket line and were subsequently fired. They were finally re-hired after almost a year of unemployment. W

It takes a special type of person to be an aviation spouse. The pilot will only be working when he/she is away from home. It seems most household emergencies occur during this time. Unlike normal office jobs, pilots frequently commute to their places of work, putting them away from home for even longer periods. And, unlike most office jobs, pilots (especially military pilots) relocate a lot. Every relocation means spouses must deal with everything that follows: finding new doctors, new schools for children, new job for the spouse. So let’s take a few minutes to honor aviation spouses this holiday period. My military Permanent Change of Station (PCS) and civilian moves: USAFA to Laughlin AFB Laughlin to DaNang AB DaNang AB to Mather AFB Mather AFB to Homestead AFB Homestead AFB to Ubon RTAFB Ubon RTAFB to Kadena AB Kadena AB to Patrick AFB Patrick AFB to Denver, CO Denver, CO to San Jose, CA San Jose, CA to Patrick AFB Patrick AFB to Yokota AB Yokota AB to Denver, CO Denver, CO to Orlando, FL Orlando, FL to C

Justin A. Schlechter is an aviation professional focused on leadership, safety, efficiency, and airmanship. He is an A319/320/321 Captain for Delta Air Lines, the Top US Airline of 2017, as recognized by The Wall Street Journal. Justin has a unique blend of airline and general aviation experience and has served in various positions with both growing aviation educational institutions as well as leading global airlines. He is an expert in airline operations, best safety practices, and crew resource management techniques. Prior to Delta Air Lines, Justin served as a Relief Commander and First Officer with Cathay Pacific Airways, flying B747-400 and B747-8F aircraft worldwide. During this time, Justin represented his peers as a Member of the General Counsel of the Hong Kong Aircrew Officer’s Association. In this role, Justin was responsible for representing the interests of his fellow airmen and was directly involved in the collection, analysis, and presentation of industry wide pilot compensation data for use i

Will the future of travel be new airline seats spaced out with hygienic barriers, or saddle-style standing seats to cram more passengers on a flight? Cleaning and social distancing have turned from health necessity to lifestyle trends, and companies are seizing the moment – but not the logic. The latest is conceptual passenger seats for airlines in a post-COVID world. The proposals are different from any economy class offering today. Janus seat concept from Aviointeriors AVIOINTERIORS The Janus (above) wants to introduce quasi-isolation by proposing every middle seat face backwards with shields installed between seats. The Glassafe seat (below) proposes installing a transparent plastic hood around each economy seat to limit germ flow. Glassafe proposal from Aviointeriors AVIOINTERIORS Don’t expect either seat to be on a plane. They appeal to current impulses but not long-term needs. These attention-getting concepts are the norm for their designer, Aviointeriors. It’s the same company that proposed the below “

From Wikipedia: A native of The Bronx, New York, Tengesdal is a graduate from the University of New Haven with a Science Degree in electrical engineering. She was one of three women to make it through the program. After Officer Candidate School commissioning, she began a career as a Naval Aviator by flying the SH-60B Seahawk Helicopter at Naval Station Mayport, Florida. During that time, she deployed on two long cruises and multiple short cruises to the Middle East, South America and the Caribbean. After a three-year sea tour in helicopters, Colonel Tengesdal went on to become a T-34C and T-6A Instructor Pilot. After completing T-6A Instructor Training, she became one of four Navy T-6A Instructors to train Navy and Air Force students at Joint Student Undergraduate Pilot Training (JSUPT) at Moody Air Force Base, GA. Her former Navy flight instructor, Commander Ron Robinson, has said that Merryl David (maiden name) “was one of my best flight students, and it doesn’t surprise me that she’s doing so well.” Once s