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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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When Pilots Make Mistakes
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In Episode #355 of Aviation News Talk, Max Trescott and I discussed pilot decision-making behind the wrong runway landing of an American Eagle Embraer 170 at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in late September. A few extenuating circumstances mean the NTSB should also consider ATC’s role in that incident. I also added some historical context to Max’s Episode #353, which focused on how pilots troubleshoot system failures.
Sometimes, pilots make bad decisions.
Thanks, Rob Mark
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The Boeing Strike Is Just Another Symptom
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The past decade has not been kind to Boeing.
737 MAX 8 Until 2018, America’s premier aircraft builder appeared extremely successful if money was the only assessment. Boeing also had a solid defense business with billions in military contracts in addition to its space venture. By the end of 2018, the company had more than 5,000 orders for the new 737 Max aircraft. At its peak, Boeing stock traded above $440 per share. With the revenue the company earned each month, Boeing’s Board of Directors could see only one direction: up and more. Melius Research analyst Rob Spingarn estimates the company spent $68 billion on stock buybacks and shareholder dividends to reward investors.
Then came October 29, 2018, when a Lion Air 737 Max 8 crashed into the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, Indonesia. All 181 passengers and seven crewmembers perished in the deadliest-ever crash of a 737. Early on, experts pointed to Boeing’s new flight control software, the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, or MCAS, as being responsible. MCAS forced the nose of the Boeing down during the climb. The two pilots were unable to recover. Around the world, pilots realized their Max training never mentioned MCAS. Just five months later, another Max 8 was lost within minutes of takeoff from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, claiming another 157 people. The initial investigation again pointed to MCAS.
The world was in shock, as apparently, was Boeing’s C-suite team. Boeing pointed the finger at the two airlines as being responsible. Following the second crash, global regulators quickly grounded the 737 Max. They didn’t fly again until December 2020. In January 2024, a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines 737 during departure from Portland, exposing passengers to the harsh reality of the outside atmosphere until the crew successfully landed the stricken aircraft. No one was injured during the debacle. The cause was an earlier faulty door plug reinstallation.
Since March 2019, Boeing has ousted two CEOs, Dennis Muilenburg and Dave Calhoun, as the company’s quality control system took one hit after another, including on the 787. Boeing’s current CEO, Kelly Ortberg, a mechanical engineer by education, assumed the helm in August 2024 following three decades at Rockwell Collins, where he eventually served as CEO. With Boeing the target of accusations and lawsuits, as well as increased oversight by the FAA and the company’s reputation in tatters, Ortberg had his work cut out for him. Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft returned from the International Space Station (ISS) uncrewed after an onboard systems failure. The spacecraft was deemed too risky to allow the crew to pilot it back to Earth. That crew remains stranded on the ISS to this day. In June of this year, several US Senators told CEO Dave Calhoun Boeing should face criminal prosecution for its behavior in the marketplace. In July 2024, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the U.S. government for misleading regulators who approved pilot-training standards for the Max.
Then, in mid-September, 33,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 751 called a strike against Boeing in Seattle that halted aircraft production, except in
the non-union factory in South Carolina. The union last negotiated a successful contract a decade ago. Analysts warned the strike could be lengthy, with demands for a 40 percent pay increase over four years and a new defined benefit pension plan on the table. There was also the union’s long memory of Boeing’s 2013 decision to move 777x production to South Carolina to avoid union entanglements. A month into the strike, with the union rebuffing both of Boeing’s initial offers, the company announced layoffs for approximately 17,000 other employees to preserve cash.Boeing has become a global embarrassment, most of all with the company’s 170,000 employees. Boeing shares are today trading at $150 per share as the company tries to raise $10-15 billion in fresh capital to see it through the first half of 2025. (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
End Part One