SkyWest Cadet: Reflections on my Trip to Salt Lake

The past couple days I spent traveling to and from Salt Lake City to participate in an orientation for the SkyWest Pilot Pathway Program.  As I approach 1000 hours of flight time, I am getting closer to the application and interview process for my first airline job (I need 1250 hours to be qualified, so applications will start soon).  I said goodbye to Sara and Isaac Saturday night, and got up early Sunday to catch a 0600 flight (thanks to my friend Jordan for the ride to the airport).

Isaac & Daddy

The SkyWest Pilot Pathway Program seems to be a one of a kind recruitment tool that is being used to help fill the demand for new pilots.  Being from the Midwest and having completed my training in Minnesota, I have been most familiar with Compass and Endeavor regional airlines.  Through my studies at Academy College and connections made through Thunderbird Aviation, I know at least a few people who work in some capacity for Compass and Endeavor. As such, I have been most familiar with those airlines and have had my expectations set for working for either Compass or Endeavor.

Move to Phoenix. Different connections, different network.   Enter: SkyWest.

Many of the friends I instruct with at Westwind have gone on to train and work for SkyWest. Hearing about their positive experiences, I applied to be a part of the Pilot Pathway Program.  The benefits of being a cadet can be read here.  What I think is so great about it is that it gives someone like me an opportunity to envision what my job will be like as pilot flying jets.

One of the most common ways to reach the minimum hour requirement to be an airline pilot is to be an instructor, like me--in small planes.  I basically get paid to teach other students how to fly but also get credit for the flight time.  I really have no need to look for a different job before heading to the airlines, because it's not required.  Positive and negative aspects to that reality.

But because of my lack of jet experience, I'm anticipating training to be like drinking from a fire hose. Overwhelming. Hard. But exciting and I'm up for the challenge, and eager to grow in my knowledge and skills as a pilot.

Checking out the slopes flying from Denver.

So as a part of this program, SkyWest flies cadets to their facilities in SLC.  Provided with lodging, I was able to connect with other pilots like me, gain insight into what an airline interview is like, and am guaranteed a final interview for a first officer position at SkyWest.  Nothing to lose!

I am a total rookie when it comes to traveling alone.  I'm sure some day it will be funny to look back at this experience and how nervous I was to go through security, or miss a flight.  Usually I travel with my wife, who is the keeper of the itinerary and I just do what she tells me!  Well I wish I could say all went well but I left my wallet at security and didn't even realize it.  Thankfully I was paged just in time to retrieve it before boarding my flight.  And thankfully I made it to my hotel where I caught some of the Olympics and grabbed dinner with a fellow cadet.

The following day we shuttled to SkyWest's facilities where I learned a lot more about what its like to work as an airline pilot.  And of course got all the info I needed to answer Sara's questions about flight benefits and how that all works.

E175 (Embraer)  One type of jet I might fly as a regional pilot.
My buddy Caleb flies one of these around the skies!

I didn't want to get too excited because I've been most interested in Compass or Endeavor.  But after reflecting on the experience, I'm so grateful that SkyWest provided me with this opportunity.  When else would I have been able to see the aircraft I could potentially fly, gain interview insight from the pilots who conduct the interviews, and experience what its like to travel for free?  I liked it!

So, we'll see where God leads and how it all pans out.  We extended our lease in Phoenix until mid May 2017.  We had hoped to get back to the Twin Cities before my airline training begins, in December or January... but after considering moving from an extremely hot summer in Phoenix to an extremely cold winter in Minneapolis... we changed our minds.  We'll be here at least through my training and probably first couple months of being on reserve for whatever airline I end up with.  God willing, we will move back to Minneapolis in May to be closer to our families and God willing I can be based there as well.  The process of life continues: prayer, plan, work, repeat.  Trying to walk by faith and grateful that I know the One who goes before me.

Photo by SkyWest. Can you spot me?

Storms

I am interrupting my "How to Become a Pilot" series to share some awesome photos of weather conditions we've seen around the Valley lately. Awesome to see from a far... extremely hazardous to fly through for any type of aircraft.

This first one is a rain storm/microburst.  Microbursts are dangerous and cannot always be seen with your eyes.  They are basically a strong downdraft in a thunderstorm. When a plane flies through a microburst, a central space will literally push the plane downwards...almost like someone punches it down from up above. The danger doesn't stop there.  When the air is pushed downwards like that it sort of spills out...the way water does when you turn your kitchen sink on. This spillover causes damaging winds on or near the ground.

Rain Storm/Microburst on July 18, 2016 near South Mountain in Phoenix

Unfortunately, before we had the technology to better detect microbursts in 1985, Delta Flight 191 flew into a microburst just before landing.  You can watch the story here (NOT for those who have a fear of flying!).  The plane was already too low to recover from the downdraft forces, and the microburst outflow and inflow forces caused the plane to crash before the pilots could recover.  As a result, 137 people were killed and 27 survived.  As is with every crash in aviation, new regulations and technology are created to avoid similar scenarios in the future.  That's why flying today is so safe. After the tragedy of Delta Flight 191, technology advancements were made and now aircraft are equipped with doppler technology to better detect these conditions and avoid them.

Learning from these tragedies is something I so admire about the aviation industry.  Whether a crash involves a human factor or not, flight crews study these historical occurrences to learn from them. Even the medical world has learned from the way aviation approaches its operations to help decrease the number of deaths...by implementing the use of checklists and team approaches.  The area they could probably grow in is when a preventable death does occur, allowing it to be made known for other MDs to learn from...instead of keeping it silent through all those non-disclosure agreements.

As for me, this storm was obviously easy to spot and we kept our distance!

Dust Storm on July 19, 2016 near San Tan Valley

How to Become a Pilot: Learn to Fly in the Clouds & Personal Update

After you become a Private Pilot, it's time to learn how to fly in the clouds!  Getting your Instrument Rating is the next step.  Even if you're flying for pleasure the instrument rating is great to have, but it definitely comes at an additional cost.  If you've decided you'd like to make aviation into a career, this is a must have!

Instrument Flight

Isn't it amazing that we have the technology to fly without seeing outside?  Instrument flight is when pilots fly by reference to their instruments.  To simulate this, students go "under the hood" so they cannot use outside visual references.  When nearing an airport, pilots use an approach procedure (as pictured) to safely descend out of the clouds to make a visual landing.

The training to become instrument rated includes further training on:

• Air Traffic Control Clearances & Procedures
• Flight by Reference to Instruments (obviously)
• Navigation Systems
• Instrument Approach Procedures (pictured)
• Emergency Operations

The Six Pack

In an airplane, you have six basic instruments... aka the "six pack." They include: 

1. Airspeed Indicator (PS)
2. Attitude Indicator (G)
3. Altimeter (PS) 
4. Vertical Speed Indicator (PS)
5. Heading Indicator (G)
6. Turn Coordinator (G)

Three instruments are a part of the Pitot (not a typo, pronounced: pee-toh) Static Pressure System (PS) and three are Gyro (G) Instruments.

After you initially learn how to fly using only these instruments...enter: emergency scenarios.  This is when an instructor simulates the failure of flight instruments and you have to compensate and continue to fly the aircraft safely, on the correct heading and altitude with a partial instrument panel.  So much of training is simulating emergencies and learning how to recover or maintain safe flight!

Like Private Pilot training, once you complete your training, written exam, and are endorsed to take your check ride, you will complete a flight and oral exam with an examiner (new standards here).  The next post in this series about How to Become a Pilot will overview the other common licenses and ratings you need before you are employable and can start earning money with your skills.

Personal Update...Promoted!

An exciting piece of news to share on my journey is that I was recently promoted to Check Airman.  It is definitely an honor and something I feel proud about as all the other Check Airmen are well respected and great pilots! I will continue in my role as an instructor, responsible for X number of students, but now I will also assist in assessing students at major checkpoints--called "progress checks."  In the short time I have been assessing, I have been able to recognize more about how I can grow as an instructor.  Here's some recent pictures from work:

One of my students passed his Private Pilot check ride! = 1 Bar.

Promoted! Exchanging the 3 bar epaulettes for the 4 Bars with friend Chad.

Arizona sunshine early morning.