It was mid 2019 and the pilot market is still red hot in the United States. I had no prospect of returning to Australia as things had slowed down and I was faced with two choices.
Upgrade to Captain on the CRJ
Attempt to move on and leave SkyWest
I was living in Las Vegas and commuting to Dallas, flying the CRJ as an FO when I made the decision to put my application out to a couple of Australian E-3 potential operators that I knew were having difficulty recruiting qualified pilots. I decided against taking the captain upgrade on the CRJ as I was not looking forward to commuting to a Reserve Line, which would have affected my ability to get a good amount of days off.
I applied to Allegiant, Atlas Air and Southern Air. Allegiant interviewed me and I was very hopeful, however informed me that they did not wish to proceed with the E-3 visa process. Southern Air, which is owned by Atlas Air responded the very next day after I submitted my application. Southern Air is an ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) operator who operated aircraft under contract for both DHL and Amazon on the Boeing 777 and 737.
After a successful phone screen I was invited to an interview in Cincinnati, let the study preparation begin, again…. Going online I had a rough idea of what was going to occur in the interview so I created a study guide and prepared for three weeks for my interview.
Interview day came, it was broken into three parts.
Company background, history, benefits and pay
Technical interview
Human Resources panel interview
Parts two and three were fairly challenging however I was prepared and was able to answer all the questions posed to me with the exception of some Meteorology and North Atlantic crossing questions. Once I had finished up with the interview I was told to wait in the next room where I discovered the other two candidates I interviewed with had already left. Moments later the HR representative that interviewed me and the Director of Operations informed me I was successful and they wanted me to become part of the Southern family on the Boeing 777. I was over the moon and accepted their offer. I interviewed in June and opted for an October class date as I had a lot going on between now and then…
Next step, finish my last few months at SkyWest, go home for my best mates wedding, renew my visa and finish the 127 CBT’s (Computer Based Training) modules I was assigned for training.
SkyWest Airlines is the best Regional Airline in the United States that gave me so much opportunity. I was able to fly all over the US in some terrible weather and some of the best flying I have ever done with some great crews. It was also more than that. I was given amazing travel benefits that allowed me to see some great parts of the planet and also return home on a semi regular basis.
I went home to Darwin and Sydney for a week and got to hang out with friends and just relax prior to going back for a new Type Rating with a new airline.
OK, so I did everything I needed to do in Australia including getting another VISA, finished my CBT’s and now I find myself sitting in Miami in the Atlas Air Training Facility starting my
Ground school including simulator training for the type ride took 80 days. It felt like it was the longest 80 days of my life… I started on October 28 and went through Thanksgiving and Christmas which made it drag out longer. Southern Air has two weeks for General Subjects (indoc) classes which basically teach you what you need to know, background of the operation and where to find appropriate information.
This Airline was unique to me as it was the first time I was dealing with Class II navigation, ETOPS (Extended Operations) and POR (Point of Re dispatch) which is saving variable reserve fuel in order to maximise payload and then add the international component into the mix.
Once General Subjects finished I was given a two week study break in order to prepare for my Oral exam on the B-777. These were long days of study, both self and in groups so we could learn and understand the 777. I definitely lucked out with my Sim partner as he was an ex 777, 767 and 757 FO for a previous airline. Whilst studying for the oral I was spending a lot of time in front of the paper tiger practising flows, callouts and profiles. During our study break we were also completing FTD training.
The oral… My oral exam was scheduled with a Check Airman who had a reputation for being tough. The oral consisted of limitations, memory items, explaining the overhead panel in detail, autoflight, walkaround and systems based questions. It was tough, but again I went in prepared. Having a type rating already completed was a big help as it made me more aware of how to study. As a result I passed my oral and was now ready for simulator training…
Simulator training was a lot of fun. We covered all profiles, emergency procedures and preparation for the Check ride. I received 8 simulator sessions and then was put up for my check ride. The check ride went smoothly and I walked out early with the 777 now printed on my certificate! The checkride had normal take off, landing and go-around profiles in addition to multiple emergency sequences and abnormal scenarios. A checkride normally leaves you with a dead leg as a result of spending a lot of time on the rudder with engine failures dealing with asymmetric thrust. The 777 on the other hand was the nicest airplane in that respect. It has a TAC. (Thrust Asymmetry Compensation) It basically provides all the rudder inputs once airborne unless there is a complete separation of the engine where the computer just has no thrust information to go off in order to make appropriate inputs, luckily for me that didn't occur…
OK, quick two trips back to Australia before line training, and believe me I needed that… I came back from Australia feeling refreshed and ready to fly. I waited about 6 weeks for OE (Operating Experience or Line Training) my first trip had me primarily operating within the US. I got some landings in and had a great captain where I learned a lot. The minimum requirement to complete OE in a Part 121 operation is 6 legs and 40 hours. I was a little short on the OE so had to complete a second trip. This is where the fun really started. My first international leg I had Class II Navigation/ETOPS and POR procedures to focus on and see for the first time in practice.
First leg was Cincinnati to Bahrain over the North Atlantic. This was my first crossing… Unlike any airplane I have flown, the 777 regularly flies outside the range of ground based navigation aids which means it is operating using Class II navigation. Basically what that means is I need to plot tracks, record positions and verify the aircraft is where it is supposed to be as it is unable to use ground based aids to do that for it. This sounds straightforward but takes some getting used to. It is not too dissimilar to flying VFR and recording your position on a VTC or VNC. However if reroutes occur it can get messy and more intense. Whilst we still have an active position using the GPS, gross navigation errors have occurred in the past that has led to jets flying off course.
Anyway long story short, Class II navigation, communicating with dispatch regarding suitability of ETOPS alternates and legality to proceed into ETOPS airspace all went smoothly on this first trip over the pond. We did not fly on a designated North Atlantic Track but did use Point of Re dispatch to reduce our variable reserve. Basically what that means; Dispatch will release us to an initial airport which is short of our final airport and plan us with a variable reserve to get to that initial airport. They pick a point along the route whereby if the weather is suitable we are then re released to our final destination with variable reserve calculated at that point along the route. It basically means our variable reserve is less and we can take more freight. Understand? Don't worry if you don’t, it took me a while to get my head around it too haha.
OK, the Check Airman says this will be your two line checks. Hong Kong-Anchorage as Pilot Monitoring and then Anchorage-Cincinnati as my Pilot Flying leg. OK, so it all went well and I successfully completed OE and was pushed to the line. This basically meant from training in October I was released to the line in 5 months.
Next… Corona virus, stay tuned to that whole mess...
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