You’ve Got the Class Date, Now What?

Making Your Dive into the Jet World a 10/10

Few things in life are as stressful as starting a new career. Anxiety runs rampant when that wave of emotions begins to overtake you. After all, this is what you’ve been dreaming of – right?

Jumping from your single or multiengine piston to a jet powered machine is like cliff diving for the first time. The rush is surreal and like no other the first time you make that leap. Adrenaline rushes your body from head to toe as thoughts race through your head like “what did I just get myself into”. Naturally, your ‘fight or flight’ response reminds you that this could REALLY hurt… How do you best prepare for that wild jump?

For those headed to a 121, my advice would be twofold. First, have PATIENCE, and lots of it. It’s going to be a long road through training. Don’t get burnt out or overly frustrated because that won’t help performance in the slightest. Second, trust the process! I can’t stress that enough. These carriers are professionals who train first time jet drivers day-in and day-out to handle the new found flight levels at speeds faster than ? the speed of sound. Do as they say, and you’ll make it out unscathed. Who knows, you may even have a little fun, if you let yourself.

For my brothers and sisters joining the ranks in corporate or charter, strap in; you’re in for a wild (but awesome) ride too. 91, 91k and 135 ops aren’t for the faint of heart. Just like 121, you have to WANT to be there - your success depends on you. Without the drive and determination to persevere all the way to the finish line, you could end up flopping before the end. The difference with private or charter ops and the 121 world is the fact that you may be left more to your own devices during training. The training center and providers will undoubtedly work hard to show you the ropes, but there’s often a considerably shorter training period involved. However, you still have to know the same amount of information. Get ready to “drink from the fire hose”.

So what are some things you can do to ease the cranial crunch you’re about to endure? Here’s a few things that some 91/135 and 121 pilots came up with. 

-      Become familiar with how jets work. No, I’m not kidding. There are only so many hours in a training day, and there’s a lot of “basic” information a candidate is expected to come in with. Trainers can’t afford to cut out valuable time of an already over-packed schedule to cover some fundamental knowledge. You want to be able to understand what the instructor is referencing when “bleed air” and “compressors” come into play.

-      If you haven’t flown glass in a while or ever before, time to figure out what’s what. Take some time to go over “what went where” on those TV screens you’ll find in the jet cockpit. All the same information exists. The difference is how it’s being displayed. Learn where to look for the information you’ll need and fly that flight director!

-      Studying for the ATP Written Knowledge Test is the great big elephant in the room that not many people want to acknowledge. Better to address that stressor now and knock out some study material before your entire life becomes consumed with systems, flows, callouts and flight profiles.

-      Within that ATP theory comes things like V1, V2, VFTO(or VFT/VENR/whatever your manufacturer will call it), VREF, VAPP and much more. In the schoolhouse, they’ll reference these speeds and procedures related to them, show you where to derive the numbers for your jets during performance planning and even integrate them you’re your callouts. The real question though, is what ARE those acronyms? How about that stuff like 1st 2nd 3rd and 4th segment climbs? Take Off Safety Altitude (400’, anybody?) Go Around Safety Altitude? Best find out before you take your seat in class.

-      Precision of language is important too. Time to learn a new dialect of aviation. Jets don’t produce power, they make thrust. You may need to re-wire your brain to effectively communicate in the cockpit with CRM.

-      Learn how to operate in the high-altitude environment, as well as the transitions that bring you in and out of those flight levels. You’ll be spending two to three months (sometimes more) learning a new airplane, systems, profiles, SOP’s, OpSpecs and more. Don’t over burden yourself by throwing in more stuff to learn. The last thing you want to be figuring out while the box is on motion is what the instructor wants when they give the clearance “RNAV DOCKR, runway two-five right, cleared for takeoff”. 

-      Pre-Study Materials: no matter where you go or who you work for, either the carrier or the training provider will give you pre-study materials. Don’t slack. Limitations are some of the weakest skill sets for jet pilots. Get ahead, stay ahead.

All in all, the transition from 100LL to Jet-A isn’t much to be afraid of. It’s actually a TON of fun! But, as much fun as it is, it’s also a LOT of work. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and reach out to those around you. You’re not alone and certainly aren’t the first one to go through the process. There’s plenty of resources out there, so take advantage of them! 

See you in the flight levels,

Matt

Matt Rutowski is a professional pilot mentor, aviation business consultant and Part 91 Captain on Falcon 2000EASy and Citation XLS jets. With previous experience in Part 91 International Operations and department management as well as Part 135 flight operations, Matt works to help individuals and departments overcome and succeed when presented with the unique struggles that go along with Private Aviation, operations and safety management and Professional Pilot Training.