Kick The Tires And Light The Fires!

[chopperman]

From all the new hires I've done over the years the the thing we have noticed lacking the most is operational experience. One thing that seems to stand out is confined areas. We then have to put extra training time into the pilot to bring them up to snuff, so to speak. My training was similar to Cole's minus the long line, it was all short line but 21 years ago there wasn't the push for long lining. Tell me why you couldn't add a sling load to your last cross country, it's something your going to have to do in the real world, find that new location that you have never been to with a load under you. While making sure you avoid dwelling's and built up area's, I've seen poor airmanship in regards to this many times.

How many times does a student fuel out of a drum during their training? How many students experience a bambi bucket not releasing and have to set it down to see whats wrong (very much a reality in the real world)? By Cole manually draining the bucket this tells me he is getting good training and has a good head on his shoulders. The more they are trained in operational flying the more confortable they are going to be when I send them out on that first job. As long as the instructor keeps drilling the emergencies (which in Cole's case is happening) I think the slinging, mountain training and any other operational training the students do will most definately benifit them in getting a job.

I also feel that every individual is different whether it be skill wise or personality and it is up to the instructor or Chief Pilot to assess that and advance them training wise or work wise into aircraft and jobs suited to them.

 

Todd

[Ironclad]

I just wish I'd had the kind of ops training Cole is getting when I was in flight school !

 

 

I don't know Wendell Maki, but his reputation seems to be first-rate. I think we'd be better off as an industry if there were more schools operating as his does...

 

i'll second that! wholeheartedly.

while i feel my training was some of the better out there, and i enjoyed it, i wish it had been more diversified. so i could have had a broader foundation on which to build on.

 

"the future's lookin' so bright....... "

[Skidz]

"the future's lookin' so bright....... "

 

 

Yep ! :punk:

[skullcap]

Cole;

 

My only comment on this is, if you show up looking for work somewhere, and you have a video of yourself showing your ability to longline, you should include part of it showing youself going into a confined area with a crappy bunch of bush in the bottom. Learning to longline is great, in a past life hired a young man with about 680 hour tt and around 400 of it was longlining,,,was he awesome....but he sure was uncomfortable doing front end seismic and going into pads all day. Not saying anything bout the training you are recieving so don't get me wrong. Just remember it is sometimes a drag to do confined areas but they are the area which will bite you the most in our line of work.

 

Most young folks with the video game era can learn and do longline circles around some of us(especially me), but the multitude of problems arrising with heavy aircraft and crappy confined areas is something which takes alot more than hand eye coordination to become proficient and efficient at. Have seen alot more experienced pilots have problems with confined areas than their abliltiy to longline.

 

You are not too far from lots of tall timber and rain and snow, excellent value.

 

 

Good luck

[Cole]

Thanks everyone!

 

Today we went and fine tuned toe ins, log landings (with the tails of the skids up on the log) and various other maneuvers of the sort in the jetranger befor heading south to the airport for more stuck pedals both left and right befor seeing a clear patch above the range to the east so we headed to the mountains. Once up there I landed on some really cool areas with the tails of the skids down only befor landing on another hydro pad along the major lines.

 

I have lots of photos and a couple videos I'll post once im in a good connection! (the video is of an approach to a 5050' pad and although its not my best it certainly wasnt my worst, Wendell hopped out and taped me doing it solo.)

 

It sounds like Ill be working the same pad tomorrow as well as some other areas solo in the S300 while the other student catches up (he took a few days off to speak with an operator) and were hurdling towards the flight test with the throttle being rolled off a few times per flight in every imaginable circumstance (thanks to Wendell haha)

 

Skullcap were doing our best to cover all of the areas we should have totally dialed, we do confined areas almost every flight and Wendell is teaching me to think like 'an old guy' more and more every day.

 

Have I mentioned I love this career? haha.

 

Cheers.

Cole

[SLB]

Well, now that I am drawn into this whole cole training thread. I feel compelled to add a little of the instructor side to balance things out a little.

 

Today I decided it was time to include a little training on some skills Cole will need to survive his first years as a pilot.

 

He has been observing me perform this almost every day since the start of training so I thought it was time to send him solo.

 

Now I’m not going to say he didn’t do well, but I think I may have to demonstrate the skill one more time for him.

 

For the benefit of any low time pilots or prospective pilots reading this I will go over the briefing now.

 

Open lid then remove old filter by pinching between thumb and index finger deposit in trash, if you drop it on the floor and spill the old grounds all over the place, you then say the appropriate word or words under you breath and clean it up.

 

Insert new filter

 

Now the important part, put the coffee in. As it was explained to me when I started flying IF YOU ARE GOING TO GO WRONG, GO STRONG.

 

You can always add more water, but if in is too weak it goes down the drain. If it is just a little weak everybody will whine and moan but still drink it, although you will hear about it all day.

 

So if you even THINK you might not have enough grounds add at least one more good scoop.

 

You will know you have it right when you see the secretaries adding hot water to their cups and the cranky old pilots start to acknowledge that you even exist.

 

I know I should not have to go over this but this younger generation seems to think that caffeine only comes out of a can of Red Bull.

 

Tomorrow we will start with how to clean a toilet. The one at the hanger is starting to look a little like the rotor head of a sky-crane after a hard day of logging.

[Cole]

I read the first half of that thinking I was in trouble haha. I read the second half KNOWING I'm in trouble.

 

I would point out that I dont drink cafine, but then I might have to point out your coffee is just a placebo haha.

 

(for that one, I feel the engine is going to fade out on me many times on my next dual flight haha.)

 

Tomorrow we'll be going over the basic technique for getting absolutely wired while flying, as well as setting the frictions and ground idle so you can visit the impromptu lavatory and I'll be rehearsing for the upcoming Nabob checkout.

 

Cheers

Cole

[Daz]

IF YOU ARE GOING TO GO WRONG, GO STRONG.

 

Duly noted.

 

Cole, looking forward to your vids and pics. Wendell, great to see your input on these threads. From the point of view of a wannabee looking to choose a school, this certainly highlights KVH.

 

Still hoping to get down there for a visit (with donuts, of course), but a pesky influenza virus meant it wasn't this week...

 

- Darren in Invermere

[dimit]

You guyz are hilarious, thanks for the morning smile!

 

W: I question your judgement in letting a non-caffienated junior pilot conduct such an important and sensitive operation. No matter how competent C may appear, he lacks critical experience and judgement in this. I don't think I'd trust him with MY coffee pot!

 

Cheers,

 

D!ck

[twinstar_ca]

f-ing hilarious, wendall!! :up: :lol: