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Confessions of a New Corporate Pilot
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In the Citation III Confessions of a New Corporate Pilot
Life would be sweet, I thought, now that I’d successfully passed my Cessna Citation III (CE-650) type rating check ride (this was a few years back). It meant I’d be flying my first swept-wing jet. Surprisingly, my first day at the new job at Chicago Executive Airport (PWK) would also be the first time I’d been up close to a real Citation III since all the training and even my check ride happened in FlightSafety’s full-motion simulator.
From my research, though, I knew the 650’s cabin was roomy enough for eight, and its rocket-like performance was nothing short of spectacular with a VMO (maximum operating Mach) of Mach 0.85 and 39,000 feet on a standard day. In its day, M.83 was pretty fast. That meant we could make the West Coast out of PWK with four people in the back. I learned quickly, too, that the 650’s awesome performance meant I needed to stay much farther ahead of the airplane than I’d had to in the much slower Citation II (CE-550) I’d been flying in a 12-pilot charter department.
A privately held corporation owned this Citation III and I was the junior of three pilots. The chief pilot, my new boss, brought experience from several other flight departments, while the other pilot, I’ll call him Tom well, I was never really too sure where Tom had come from because the guy kept to himself as much as possible and wasn’t the chatty type. That made three-hour flights long when the entire conversation at FL390 ended with an occasional shrug of the shoulders.
But who cared what one guy acted like, I thought. I was there to learn how to fit into a flight department that needed another pilot on their team. Just like in charter flying, my job was to keep the people in the back happy. I came to know these passengers much better than we ever did in the charter world. These folks sometimes invited the flight crew to their home on Nantucket when we overnighted there.
The Interview
Looking back on this job now though, I guess the 10-minute interview the chief pilot and I engaged in before he offered me the job should have been a tip-off that maybe something was a little odd. But with a four-year-old daughter growing up at home, the chance to dump my charter department pager that always seemed to ring at 2 a.m. beckoned hypnotically.
Cessna Citation CE-650 Corporate line training began right away with me flying in all kinds of weather, where I regularly rotated flying left seat with the chief pilot and Tom. Having flown left seat on the Citation II, I wasn’t brand new to jets, just speedy ones.
After a few months, however, I began to notice a few operational oddities that started making me a little uncomfortable. Some sketchy flight planning and questions I asked were sometimes answered with annoyed expressions. If I appeared not to agree, someone might ask if I’d finished all the Jepp revisions (In those days there were no electronic subscriptions. Updates were handled by hand). I found the best solution for getting along seemed to be to just shut up and fly the airplane. Ignoring those distractions did help me pay closer attention to the little things that made my flying the jet smoother.
Then again … On one flight back from Cincinnati (CVG), I was flying left-seat with the chief pilot in the right. I wanted to add fuel before we left since the Chicago weather was questionable, but the boss overruled me explaining, “We’re fat on fuel.”I didn’t say anything. As we approached PWK, the ATIS reported the weather had worsened, considerably. The Swiss cheese holes began to align when Chicago Approach dumped us early. We ended up burning more fuel than planned. I flew the ILS right down to minimums, but my scan uncomfortably included the fuel gauges every few seconds. After a safe landing, we taxied in with 700 pounds of Jet-A, not much for an airplane that burns 1,800 pounds an hour down low. What if we’d missed at Chicago Executive Airport and needed to run for Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport I wondered? We’d have arrived on fumes. The boss looked at me after we shut down. “Don’t tell me that whole thing bothered you. It all turned out fine, didn’t it?” (more…)
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Remembering Gordon Baxter: Bax Seat was a Flying Magazine Reader Favorite
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(Reposted by request)
Each time I stand near my desk, my eyes naturally focus on the framed cover of the August 1983 Flying magazine. Below it is page 100, the “I Learned About Flying from That” (ILAFFT), where my first column appeared. On it, the author of Bax Seat, scrawled in brown ink, “To my friend Rob Mark. His story, my push. Gordon Baxter, August 5, 1983.”
Many months before, Gordon Baxter had given me the Flying editor’s phone number. When I rang with my brief pitch, all I heard was “yes.” I suddenly had an assignment for my first column. That 1983 issue was the first, but not the last, time my name and stories appeared in the aviation industry’s iconic magazine. That same issue also ran a pilot report about the then-new Cessna Citation III, an aircraft I later added to my list of type ratings. Looking back, there were so many aspects of my aviation career that came to life around Bax and that August 1983 issue, not the least of which was that we became friends.
Gordon Baxter, Bax as he preferred folks call him, helped shape my career as an aviation journalist like no one before him and only a few people since. The author of 13 books, Bax’s own magazine writing career at Flying spanned 25 years. His monthly column, Bax Seat, focused on vivid descriptions of his adventures. It was known simply as “Bax Seat.” Did I mention he was also a long-time radio personality in Beaumont, Texas, another interest we shared.
A Bit of Bax’s Background
I first met Bax in the mid-1970s. He brought his show, his act, or whatever the heck he called his evening of storytelling, to the Stick and Rudder Flying Club at Waukegan Airport. I was a tower controller not far away at Palwaukee Airport. Having been an avid Flying reader since high school, I switched shifts with another controller so I wouldn’t miss the event. Bax captured the audience for over an hour with stories from his flying career and his columns that often alternately “em rollin’ in the aisles” with gut-wrenching laughter and an emotional Texas-guy style that also brought tears to many an eye. Another way to think of Bax’s storytelling night was like an evening of improv but all about flying and airplanes.
Born in Port Arthur, Texas, he learned to fly after World War II following his stint as a B-17 turret gunner. Bax was no professional pilot—just a guy with a private certificate, an instrument rating, and eventually his beloved Mooney. On the back cover of one of his books, appropriately titled Bax Seat, Flying’s Stephan Wilkinson said “Bax tries to pass himself off as a pilot, but don’t believe him. He never could fly worth a damn. But Gordon feels airplanes, loves and honors them in ways that the rest of us are ashamed to admit. And he’s certainly one of the few romantics who can express what he feels so perfectly.” I couldn’t have written that myself, but I, too, felt it.
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Making the Brazilian ATR-72 Spin
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Note: This story was corrected on August 10th at 10:23 am, thanks to the help of a sharp-eyed reader.
Making an ATR-72 Spin
I wasn’t in Brazil on Friday afternoon, but I saw the post on Twitter or X (or whatever you call it) showing a Brazil ATR-72, Voepass Airlines flight 2283, rotating in a spin as it plunged to the ground near Sao Paulo from its 17,000-foot cruising altitude. All 61 people aboard perished in the ensuing crash and fire. A timeline from FlightRadar 24 indicates that the fall only lasted about a minute, so the aircraft was clearly out of control. Industry research shows Loss of Control in Flight (LOCI) continues to be responsible for more fatalities worldwide than any other kind of aircraft accident.
The big question is why the crew lost control of this airplane. The ADS-B data from FlightRadar 24 does offer a couple of possible clues. The ATR’s speed declined during the descent rather than increased, which means the aircraft’s wing was probably stalled. The ATR’s airfoil had exceeded its critical angle of attack and lacked sufficient lift to remain airborne. Add to this the rotation observed, and the only answer is a spin.
Can a Large Airplane Spin?
The simple answer is yes. If you induce rotation to almost any aircraft while the wing is stalled, it can spin, even an aircraft as large as the ATR-72. By the way, the largest of the ATR models, the 600, weighs nearly 51,000 pounds.
Of course, investigators will ask why the ATR’s wing was stalled. It could have been related to a failed engine or ice on the wings or tailplane. (more…)
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How the FAA Let Remote Tower Technology Slip Right Through Its Fingers
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In June 2023, the FAA published a 167-page document outlining the agency’s desire to replace dozens of 40-year-old airport control towers with new environmentally friendly brick-and-mortar structures. These towers are, of course, where hundreds of air traffic controllers ply their trade … ensuring the aircraft within their local airspace are safely separated from each other during landing and takeoff.
The FAA’s report was part of President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enacted on November 15, 2021. That bill set aside a whopping $25 billion spread across five years to cover the cost of replacing those aging towers. The agency said it considered a number of alternatives about how to spend that $5 billion each year, rather than on brick and mortar buildings.
One alternative addressed only briefly before rejecting it was a relatively new concept called a Remote Tower, originally created by Saab in Europe in partnership with the Virginia-based VSATSLab Inc. The European technology giant has been successfully running Remote Towers in place of the traditional buildings in Europe for almost 10 years. One of Saab’s more well-known Remote Tower sites is at London City Airport. London also plans to create a virtual backup ATC facility at London Heathrow, the busiest airport in Europe.
A remote tower and its associated technology replace the traditional 60-70 foot glass domed control tower building you might see at your local airport, but it doesn’t eliminate any human air traffic controllers or their roles in keeping aircraft separated.
Max Trescott photo Inside a Remote Tower Operation
In place of a normal control tower building, the airport erects a small steel tower or even an 8-inch diameter pole perhaps 20-40 feet high, similar to a radio or cell phone tower. Dozens of high-definition cameras are attached to the new Remote Tower’s structure, each aimed at an arrival or departure path, as well as various ramps around the airport.
Using HD cameras, controllers can zoom in on any given point within the camera’s range, say an aircraft on final approach. The only way to accomplish that in a control tower today is if the controller picks up a pair of binoculars. The HD cameras also offer infrared capabilities to allow for better-than-human visuals, especially during bad weather or at night.
The next step in constructing a remote tower is locating the control room where the video feeds will terminate. Instead of the round glass room perched atop a standard control tower, imagine a semi-circular room located at ground level. Inside that room, the walls are lined with 14, 55-inch high-definition video screens hung next to each other with the wider portion of the screen running top to bottom.
After connecting the video feeds, the compression technology manages to consolidate 360 degrees of viewing area into a 220-degree spread across the video screens. That creates essentially the same view of the entire airport that a controller would normally see out the windows of the tower cab without the need to move their head more than 220 degrees. Another Remote Tower benefit is that each aircraft within visual range can be tagged with that aircraft’s tail number, just as it might if the controller were looking at a radar screen. (more…)
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Becoming an Air Traffic Controller
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Have you or someone you know ever considered becoming an air traffic controller for the FAA? I spent nearly 10 years of my aviation career working for the agency, and I loved the work. Coincidentally, the FAA just announced its latest recruiting drive for new controllers. But there’s not much time to think about this opportunity. The application window closes on November 4, 2024.
I
always thought of air traffic control (ATC) like the 3D chess game they used to play on Star Trek. Your realm is the airspace in your area of responsibility, be that around a local airport’s control tower, or a larger area where the game is set by the limits of the radar screen in front of you. Your job as a controller is to think two or three moves ahead. There can be a fresh challenge every few minutes on a busy day. To make it all interesting, the chess pieces – aircraft – are already in motion. The trick is not simply to plan your next few moves but to attempt to maintain awareness of everything happening in your area. Pilots must also maintain a similar kind of situational awareness of what’s happening above, below, in front of, and behind their aircraft. The goal is always to prevent any two aircraft from occupying the same airspace simultaneously. That’s all there is to it.OK, I may have oversimplified the job a bit. There’s plenty of classroom work required long before a trainee controller begins earning the big bucks. While the FAA says the average US controller earns about $150,000 annually, there are some earning much less at less busy airports and others earning much more. Added to a great salary is a range of benefits like healthcare and a retirement plan.
Hurdles
Applicants should understand a few potential bumps that they might experience. Applicants can be no older than 31 when they apply. The mandatory retirement age for controllers is 56. Not everyone who applies for the job will be accepted, nor will everyone complete a training program that often takes years to complete. Fully 1/3 of the people accepted by the FAA never make it through the training to become fully certified. Training begins with a few months of classroom training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. There are a few exceptions to academy attendance if an applicant is part of the agency’s Enhanced Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative. Following classroom training comes actual on-the-job training at the facility to which a trainee is assigned. Assignments are based on the needs of the FAA. That assignment could be in a city the trainee has requested, but it’s not guaranteed.
My first assignment. Chicago’s KPWK tower. If you’re looking for a 9-5 job, ATC is definitely NOT for you because ATC requires working rotating shifts each week. You could begin work late in the afternoon and work until Midnight, or you might begin at 6 am and work until after lunch. You might even be required to work overnight beginning at 11 pm and leaving at 7 am the next day. Working some combination of these rotating shifts can be tough on a person’s body clock.
The agency has been short-staffed for decades, ever since the 1981 PATCO strike in which President Reagan fired 11,345 controllers in 1981. The current application for 2,000 new controllers is a start, but should probably have been increased to 3,500, considering the attrition of trainees along the way. Because of the shortage, many controllers today are working mandatory six-day weeks, often accompanied by 10-hour days. That means people are tired.
Inside the Chicago TRACON, also known as C90. I mention fatigue and staffing specifically because when a trainee arrives at their new ATC facility, they’ll normally be assigned to work with a certified controller to learn the job of air traffic control. A shortage of personnel could mean training lasts longer than it would under normal staffing. It all varies by facility.
Departure
Despite the rosy picture I’ve painted here, I left ATC because I had a pocketful of pilot certificates and I wanted to fly airplanes more than I wanted to stay on the ground watching them fly by. I’ve never been unhappy about my decision, but I still have enormous respect for the men and women who complete the training and continue to help keep a watchful eye on our national airspace. To this day, I love to listen to ATC chatter on LiveATC.net.
Decades of flying taught me there’s a symbiotic relationship between air traffic control and flying airplanes. Pilots and controllers need to better understand each other’s role in the National Airspace System to ensure safety. In other words, we all need each other in order to make the system operate safely.
The author outside Chicago Meigs Field’s tower. If you’re even remotely interested, be sure and file your application before November 4th. If you have specific questions, I’ll do my best to answer if you write to me at [email protected]. And let me know if you’re one of the lucky ones accepted for training.
Rob Mark, Publisher
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Remembering My First Airplane Ride
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Bell 47 Do you remember your first flight? I know I do. That image of a 12-year-old me climbing into the right seat of an old Bell 47 helicopter at Greater Rockford Airport in 1963 is indelibly etched into my brain. I even remember the pilot’s name, Rick. Actually, he called himself Captain Rick.
The other night on the Airplane Geeks podcast I listened as my co-host and master storyteller Micah Engber told us about his first trip aloft, as only Micah can. He said he was 13 at the time.
Micah shared his story in two forms. Read the copy below or click on the podcast player above to listen to the audio of his story. Readers along the eastern seaboard may recognize Micah from the stories he’s presented through Maine Public Radio, the area’s NPR outlet as well as the Airplane Geeks.
But don’t be too hard on Micah for that snappy picture of himself in the tux, ready to head out to a high school prom. It was all he had from that era. I’ll bet most of us guys have one similar.
And BTW, If you have a first flight story of your own, why not share it with us in the comments below or e-mail it to me at [email protected]
Rob Mark, publisher
Remembering My First Flight
By Micah Engber
As we record today, on August 26, 2024, it’s the 55th anniversary of my first flight ever. Now back in 2013 on Episode 238, this story was the very first piece I ever submitted to the Airplane Geeks, but based on this emerald anniversary, I thought it might be time for a retelling, live this time, and with a few updates and revisions based on a little research I’ve been able to do over the 11 years since its first airing. So here it is, warts and all.
But before we go any further, I need to tell you a little bit about my family. Many listeners know of my mother, Harriet, who left us a bit over a dozen years ago as an octogenarian Airplane Geek, but this story involves my paternal grandfather.
My Grandpa Max lied about his age to join the Navy. The Navy believed he was born in 1896. Being that his government birth records were destroyed in a fire many years before his death, and he lied about his birth year for so long, even he wasn’t sure of the truth. No one ever knew if he was really born in 1896, 1897, or 1898.
We don’t know what year he joined the Navy but we do know he was so small and skinny at the time, that the recruiting NCO weighed him in, turned him down, and then sent him away with a nickel telling him to go down the street and buy a quart of milk and a hand of bananas. He was instructed to eat and drink it all, and come back to be weighed again. Grandpa Max dutifully followed his first orders.
He said that part of his Navy training included sailing the square rigged USS Constellation, built in 1854, to her final resting point in Baltimore. He was part of the Mexican Campaign in 1914 serving on board the USS Celtic off the coast of Vera Cruz. In 1916 as a water tender on board the Armored Cruiser USS Tennessee, later rechristened Memphis, he sailed down the east coast of South America, through the Straights of Magellan, up the West Coast and through the then new Panama Canal. During World War I he was assigned to four piper destroyers in the North Atlantic.
While not a submariner at one point he was onboard a submarine during a test dive (probably an O, R or S class boat, he couldn’t remember). He said he wasn’t bothered by the close quarters, as he always served in an engine room, but it was one of the only times he was really worried while on board a Naval vessel, he just wanted to know they would definitely be able to surface.
After leaving the Navy Grandpa Max joined the Merchant Marine but came shore-side permanently when he married Grandma Sadie. He worked for the US Customs Service until he retired a bit less than a year before I was born. As I hope you can see my Grandpa Max was one tough old salt. (more…)