ATC question?

[studentpilot27]

HI EVERYBODY I JUST JOINED THE FORUMS I JUST TRIED OUT THE DEMO VERSION OF FSPASSENGERS
AND I WANT TO PURCHASE THE GAME. ANYWAYS WHEN YOU PUSH
CNTL+SHIFT+M WHICH THE CO-PILOT CALLS A MAYDAY WE GOT A PROBLEM ON BOARD. IS THERE A
CERTAIN OPTION THAT YOU CAN TUNE INTO ATC TO LET THEM KNOW YOU
NEED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING? I KINDA GUESSED JUST TRY TO FIND THE NEAREST AIRPORT
AND LAND. ANYWAYS IM JUST WONDERING THANKS.

moderator NOTE: Do not use all uppercase from now on. You've been warned. Any further messages
posted in all uppercase will be removed. Thanks! ~SWAFO

[lightrail]

Please don't shout (don't use all upper case) - thanks

MS ATC does not recognise mayday calls or squawk 7700. To work around, wait until a little later in the flight, squawk 7700, cancel your
IFR plan and setup a new plan for the new airport and squawk whatever ATC wants you to squawk.

Or get Radar Contact ATC - it recognises 7700.

[studentpilot27]

Hi thanks for the advise. Sorry about using uppercase I will remember next time. Im guessing your a pilot for SWA I was thinking about going in the
military to have some kinda aircraft experience. Would you reccommend a military backround to improove someones chances getting into a civilian
airline? I understand they go 10 years back on your job history, ofcourse backround, and driving. Im just concerned about having a impressive job
history. I work for Virgin Atlantic airlines I thought about just staying in for a while and build up senority. What would you reccommend? Thanks

[SWAFO]

James,
Yes, I am a captain with Southwest Airlines here in the United States. I've been with Southwest for 3 years now, and prior to that I
was with Marine Corp Aviation (flying F/A-18D's) for 12. I definetly recommend getting a start in the military (since it's free of course, and
provides the best training available). I went to college prior to joining the military, and joined as an officer with the aviation MOS. I was
flying within 6 months of joining.

What exactly is it that you do for Virgin Atlantic? It's unlikely to move from a non-piloting position up to a piloting position, as
normally the airlines (operating on tight budgets these days) won't pay for any schooling or training you'd need (beyond training specific
to their operations). When I started with SWA, I was already a licensed ATP (Airline Transport Pilot), with a 737 type rating. I was able to
get different civilian pilot's licenses while flying for the Marines (flying for the military doesn't mean I can fly in the civilian aviation world...
it's completely seperate, and seperate certification is required.) Initially, it started as a hobby; I liked being able to fly fighters for a living,
and fly small single engine aircraft for fun. Eventually, I moved up from the basic PPL (Private Pilot's License), and invested quite a bit of
money in getting my CFI, Commercial, and eventually the ATP license (that I currently hold). It's been a lot of work getting to where I am,
but it was worth it. Now I live in a flexible, "semi-retired" state, where I'm able to choose my flight's based on a trip schedule that we as
pilots bid on (only the Captain gets to do this... the First Officer just follows the captain ). It's a fun career, and I wouldn't trade it for the
world!

Let me know if you have any further questions.

[djsebx]

lightrail wrote:
Or get Radar Contact ATC - it recognises 7700.

Sorry but I did try with Radar Contact and it will ask you to squawk the code you got at the IFR Clearance from Delivery at departure. You
can't squawk 7700 either with Radar Contact ... BUT...

the main difference about this topic compared to FS9 default ATC, is that you can declare an emergency as well in Radar Contact. You
should do it when that happens using FsPassengers, because this way, Radar Contact won't simply cancel IFR without any navigation
instructions. It can guide you to one of the nearest airports with vectors, to your planned alternate airport (#1 or #2), to another alternate
airport of your choice (appears a mini-keyboard so you can enter its ICAO code). And you'll be helped by ATC until you touchdown safely,
hopefully. The final audio debriefing by radar contact won't penalize you either since you declared an emergency that you had to handle
with.

[studentpilot27]

Thankyou for the great advise guys. Yeah I am 27 years of age and I havent had any college. So I figured I can enlist and do something in the
aviation field. If you dont mind me asking I do have a few more questions. Im sure if you got paid to answer questions you would be rich by now.
hehe Anyways Im in alot of debt I thought about doing a chapter 7 bankrupsy, and I heard if i file ofcourse it would affect my credit report and as I
go through the backround check that Im guessing the FAA does on a pilot applicant. Would that affect my chances alot if I filed bankrupsy? Because
someone said you need to have a perfect credit report. Due to the airlines wanting pilots that they hire to be stable, and responcible, would they
judge that on my credit report? My plan was to do about 4 years in the military hopefully get a degree, and hopefully make it into the aeronautical
program at Embry Riddle would you recommend that? Because I hear about high school grads. Going straight into a airline training academy saying we
will put you in the right seat of a CRJ within a year, seems hard to believe lol. Im sure Im not the only one thats been wanting to be a pilot since
i was a kid. I just want to double check my flight plan ask the people that been there. Thankyou again guys P.S. By the way
about the uppercase lettering the reason why I did it. I said to myself some people might not beable to read this because of the small lettering. So
thats where I got the idea Once again my apoligies. hehe

[SWAFO]

I never heard of any issue with the FAA looking at your credit report. I wouldn't put anything past those guys though! If you have an idea of
what you want to do, go for it! Doing something with aviation as an enlisted man is a great start, however I believe you're a little old to
enlist, aren't you? I thought I remember the maximum enlistment age as being 25 (at least for the USMC and Army). I'm not sure if it's
changed... you've got to remember that I joined `15 years ago.

[AeroJim]

Brad, with SWA when your an FO do you just pair up with a CPT and fly whatever he/she flies? And SdntPlt, i am graduating HS next year
(FINALLY) and going right away to University of North Dakota to earn all my hours, certifications, etc. But what i want to say to you is,
Embry Riddle is harder to enter into than whatever FAA regulation you have, (the thing with those airliner trainer acadamies is this they
tell you that they can put you in the right seat of a CRj within a year becuase you can earn certification that early, but most Airliners wont
hire people with that, its frowned upon as far as i have been told.

[FlyBoy2]

AeroJim,



Since i grew up in a AIrline Family and work for A airline (not as a pilot thought) I can answer that.... Pilots will bid a monthly schedual of what
they want to fly. The more senior they are with the company the more chances they have of getting their bid. Usally it works out that the month they
are flying they will stay with the same pilot but not always as sickness over hours ect come into play.



Brad you can back me up here but I believe it still works that way.




Joel

[AeroJim]

thanx, that answers it perfectly

[studentpilot27]

Hi this was my plan so far. Yes they did change the age requirments the Marines are like 32 if your still in perfect shape the Navy which where i
want to go you have till 34 to enlist. I saw that Embry Riddle goes 10 years back on your job history, and my job history isnt so impressive.
Ofcourse I understand Im to old to be a military pilot. But I figured I can do something around aircraft and it would look good on my resume after i
got out of the military went into pilot school and applied to get into a pilot seat someday. So that way I would have a better chance getting hired
having a military backround instead of lawncare or doing luggage lol. Or my other plan was to stick with ground crew at my job and dont expect
Virgin Atlantic to pay for my training my plan was to pay for it out of my own pocket. Build up senority and go to Flight operations and say I got
the requirments I got the hours there ya go. But Im guessing I would be better off going into the military for about 6 years doing aircraft maitence.
Having that on my resume and start training at ERU and hope for the best. Im just afraid by the time i get out of the military I would be around 35
or so is that kinda old to start off to reach a pilot seat for a civilian airline.

[silo]

In Italy airlines don't even hire you as a flight attendant, if during they interview they will somehow figure out that your intention is really to
become a pilot and hope to get promoted within the company. I guess it makes sense because it's like they are just wasting their time
and money for your training. But why do you want to go through all this trouble? The first requisite for most airlines is how many flight
hours you have and the type of flying experience. What jobs you did in the past or who you worked for is only an add on, unless you were
a military pilot but that's something you can't do anyway because of your age. I'd say don't waste your time; spend the time and money you
have available for studying and getting your licenses and build up experience in a regular flight school. You will eventually have to
become an instructor too, so that not only you can build your flight time without paying, but you also get paid to do that and build your
experience at the same time.
You can be instructor and have a different job at the same time, now that would work good on your resume...

[silo]

Oh by the way, just add IMHO to the front of that post...

[studentpilot27]

Ok Thankyou for that great advise. Its nice to be part of a group that has the same flying passion as you do. Your advise is greatly appreciated.
Thanks again

[SWAFO]

Sorry for not responding earlier. Yes Joel, you're right. That's at least how we do it here at SWA (as I've discussed in the past). Usually,
we'll be teamed up with a captain for quite some time (I was with one captain my whole 3 years as FO).

Now that I'm captain, I'm able to bid on the routes I want to fly (although I'm no where near the most senior pilot... probably closer to the
least senior pilot). I usually get the routes I want, since there are just so many. We also have a "auto-pick" system that will simply pick
the available routes for a certain day (since picking 4-8 flights a day can be time consuming... especially when picking a whole month).
I'll normally use the auto-pick, except when I want to fly somewhere on a certain day. This is usually when I'll stay overnight with
relatives/friends in other cities. Also, there are some routes that are more desireable than others. You'll have your Captains that like to fly
the long routes, and then those that like the short routes. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. With the long routes, you only
fly one (maybe two) per day. With the short routes, you'll fly up to 8 a day (sounds like a lot, but we can work a lot. 8 a day means you'll
have the same aircraft from the start of the day till the end of the day. Usually, you won't switch... some people love flying 8's. I don't! lol). I
like flying the short routes, and usually aim for 4-6 a day when I fly. Sometimes, I'll get stuck with the long routes (which I don't mind
either, they're just not preffered). I'm talking about the flights I'd do when I was FO... so far, I've only had a handful of flights as Captain
(about 10).

Also, as I understand it, some airlines simply assign routes. There is no picking and choosing, they just put you where they need you.
This is efficient (although doesn't give the employees that feeling of choice), so it's rarely employed anymore. The disadvantage of
picking routes (from the perspective of running an airline) is that you'll have some routes that no one likes to fly that will be open every
month. Now, you've got to go back and re-assign the routes so that every flight is covered. Kind of hectic. We've got a good mix of pilots
here at SWA (morning guys, afternoon guys, long route guys, short route guys, etc.). Usually, we'll get most of our routes covered.

Hope this helps.