Professional Pilot Career Journal

 

January 10, 2001 – Ameriflight ground school days six and seven

 

I couldn’t post an update last night because my internet provider was bought by another internet provider and I couldn’t log on to save my life.  Luckily, I figured it out and here’s my update!

 

We have spent the last two days going over regulations (Part 91 and 135) and the Ameriflight operations manual.  We also had a class by the director of operations and VP of maintenance today.  It was very informative and quite entertaining.

 

An interesting things about regs, for those who care.  Part 135 is IN ADDITION TO, and does not simply REPLACE Part 91.  So for those of you who want to become pilots in a Part 135 operation, don’t simply tear Part 91 out of your FAR/AIM, set it on fire, and toss the whole mess over your shoulder.  You still need to know it.

 

More interestingly (well maybe not), a Part 135 operator writes up an operations manual, and upon getting it approved by the FAA, it actually overrides any FARs that it conflicts with.  Blah.  I’m in regulations hell.

 

In any case, tomorrow is our final day of ground school.  We’ll spend the morning finishing up the Ameriflight operations manual and then take a final exam.  I’m not too worried about it.  Of course, if tomorrow’s update reads “January 9, 2001 – fired by Ameriflight”, then I guess I will have had reason to worry about it.  Still, it’s an open book test and I think I’ve taken pretty good notes.

 

I bought my first uniform shirts and ties today.  No epaulets or wings yet, those come after I pass my PIC checkride at the end of flight training.

 

I’m considering playing the jumpseat game to try to get home early after class tomorrow.  We have jumpseat agreements with Skywest, Horizon, Southwest, DHL, Airborne, and UPS.  But probably not – I’m kind of a chicken and I don’t want to get stuck in someplace like Modesto while begging to get on board a connecting flight, especially when I have a perfectly good ticket to get me home on Friday.  Plus, I don’t feel like packing tonight.  Not when I can be watching “Dawson’s Creek”.  Score!