Adam's introduction

[Continental Chris]

Adam,

I think that a good way to describe seniority is that it gives you more choices. Some people chose to fly the smaller airplanes even though they are senior because it gives them better schedules, they like the routes better, they enjoy the airplane, etc. Seniority just gives you the option to follow the path that you want to.

Continental actually has several types of airplanes, the 737, 757, 767, and 777. We also have the 787 on order. We no longer have the MD-80; it was retired several years ago.

I am planning on staying with Continental. I have built up enough seniority here that it would not make sense for me to leave and go to another airline. It is true that some people leave airlines for different carriers. There are all sorts of reasons that people do this; it could be they like the bases better, the pay, or the quality of life. Continental is a good fit for me, so I am planning on staying.

I could fly the 757 now if I wanted to, but I have chosen to stay on the 737 because it allows me to have a better schedule. If I were to switch airplanes I would go through a training cycle that is a month long. Because I am already Boeing qualified it is shorter than if I had never flown a Boeing before.

You mentioned that you are planning on going to college after you finish school, do you have a particular one in mind yet? Thanks again for the questions, keep them coming!

Chris

[AdamB-MI-708]

hi chris i was woundring if you can give me a few tips about this subject.Im thinking about going to a university and getting a degree in bussines mangement this university is close to my house and is only 12,300$.The other one is western michigan i can do all my flying ther and get a degree in flight mangement but it is too far from my house and too much money.Do you think that going to the one next to my house and going to atp is better.

adam

[Continental Chris]

Adam,
Welcome back! Good to hear from you again. There are advantages to both options you mentioned. I took the first route that you discuss. I went to the local college, got a degree in business and then went to ATP for the 90 day program. I was able to save alot of money by going the route. I enjoyed college and was glad that after college was over I was able to focus solely on my flying. I had been working on my private while I was in college and found that a full load of classes and flight training was alot to bear. Going to ATP after college worked really well for me.

The second route that you mention also has some good benefits. You could get started on your flying sooner, and a degree in flight management would be good. What concerns me with this option is the difficulty of flying while taking classes and the cost of the program. If it sounds like too much money it probably is. The best thing for you to do is to continue to find out more information and keep asking questions. I think you will find that the right option will be very apparent to you by the time you have to make a decision.

Chris

[AdamB-MI-708]

thanks, i went on vacation and could not log in when i was on vacation i flew on an a erj-195 its like an airbus a319 i got to go in the cokpit i think that the control yoke is not normal but it has an all glass cokpit i was amezed by
by the PFDS and MFDS it also had a hud the 737-800 that you fly does it have a hud it would make flying so much easier wouldent it.

[Continental Chris]

Adam,

The EMB-190 is definetly a nice airplane, to me it is a mainline airplane, not a regional jet. I like the Embraer control yoke, it takes a while to get used to, but once you do it works well. My airplane does not have a HUD, I believe that it is available as an option, but we did not purchase them. Some pilots like them, others do not. Because Continental airplanes are certified for CAT IIIA operations there really is no need for one.

I hope that you had a good time on vacation.

Chris

[AdamB-MI-708]

Hi chris im going to go to the local collage next to my house it is much cheaper im in the 11th grade right now and i need to start thinking about how im going to become an airline pilot.There has been one prblome that i always think off when i think about ATP the cost of the program it cost 54,000$ i hav a 3.6 gpa and i should do well on the act and get a ful ride but how did you pay for atp i was woundring what i should start thinking about and if i should start saving for it now.My other Question is when i first start in a airline how do they trian you on the the plane that you are going to fly do you go in say like an airbus a320 you do some takoffs and toch and gos and how long does it take to trian on the plane that you will be flying

Adam

[Continental Chris]

Adam,

The cost of education is always a concern for any student when chosing a training program; it was a major concern of mine. You have a major advantage over others because you will be getting a free ride in college, that is huge. I financed 100% of my training with a loan from one of the lenders that ATP works with. As a result of that I now pay $350 a month back to the lending company, but that is a pretty small amount in the grand scheme of things. The folks at ATP can anser specific questions about various lending programs alot better than I can, they can be reached at 800-ALL-ATPS. As far as saving now is concerned, yes I definetly recommend saving as much as possible now, even if you can only save $1,000 or $2,000, that is money that will definelty help you along the way with incidential expenses.

Initial new hire traing for an airplane takes about three months. The first week is basic company information and human resources training. The next two weeks involve company policies in regards to flying. Then several weeks of aircraft ground school. This is where you learn about the various systems of the airplane and how they all work together. Finally comes several weeks of aircraft training in simulators. Basically you train for anything that could possibly go wrong in the airplane. Engine fires and failures, hydraulic failures, etc. Of course we also train for normal operations, such as ILS approaches, non precision approaches, go arounds, etc. After all of this is finished and the last checkride is passed you move on to flying the airplane with a training captain. After about 40 hours of this the typical pilot is signed off and released to ge fly a regular schedule.

What school is it that you are thinking of attending?

Chris

[AdamB-MI-708]

Thanks chris for healping me out by answering all these posts its been healping me a lot the school i am going to is u of m in michgan not the one in ann arbor its the same one its a detachment but smaller its right next to my house i think you have heared of it.So traning to fly an airplane for an airline takes some time

Out of all of your years flying the boeing 737 and erj-145 what was the worst crosswind landing that you have ever done when i took my first flight when we came in to land on runway 26L ther was a 18 not crosswind it was very hard to land but it was scary and fun at the same time is doing a crosswind landing in the 737 harder then a 172

adam

[Continental Chris]

Adam,

I ihave definetly heard of the University of Michigan, it is a very well respected school. I have landed in a 35 knot crosswind in the EMB-145. It is definelty alot of work to land in such conditions. I would say that larger airplanes are easier to land in such conditions. Just as a large ship feels the effect of waves alot less than a small boat does, so does a large airplane.

Chris

[AdamB-MI-708]

wow a 35 knot crosswind in a e-145 that must have been something.Chris could you tell me which is more advanced the emb that you flew has a glass cokpit when i looked at it on airliners.net it looked very advanced is it more advanced then the 737-800 that you fly, to me the emb-145 is more advanced the pfd and the mfd look brand new the 737-800 i have flowen it on my flight simulator x and i love flying it most of the time i fly the airbus a321 do you think that the 145 is more advanced then the 737-800 and can you tell me a little bit about how those systems work.

thnks ,adam