FNG wondering what life is like on the backside of the clock

[PetrolBurner]

Anyone else on how it is for them on the backside of the clock? How many years do you guys plan to fly all night, is it just to get the turbine PIC and move on?

So far it sounds like you will lose your girlfriend, start drinking, and play lots of computer games if you fly night cargo for long, but anytime anyone mentions their days of 135 cargo they get this sentimental gleam in their eye like it was the best days of their life.

[mikecweb]

Originally Posted by Ian J

I hope you guys make it to BOS - but if you do, there will be no puking. Social drinking is what I'm about! I'm not in my 20s, you know.

Is that going to be your excuse when I out drink you.

[spilot]

Ouch! Switching to the night schedule is the worst! ZooooOOOooooMBIE!

Just saw the last bits of daylight two days ago, now I've been in caves for two days.

Those AirNet simulators are touchy!
All good fun though.

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by mikecweb

Is that going to be your excuse when I out drink you.

Yes!

This ain't ERAU anymore, Mike. I'd hope your days of binge drinking at the eternal sausage party were over by now. Drink less and the girls might talk to ya!

[mikecweb]

Originally Posted by Ian J

Yes!

This ain't ERAU anymore, Mike. I'd hope your days of binge drinking at the eternal sausage party were over by now. Drink less and the girls might talk to ya!

Ouch.

[Ian J]

You know I'm just messin' with ya Nancy...

I am looking forward to having some beers with ya though. The random passes through LCK and BDL are nice, but I don't think we're getting any quality time together. I'm hoping to join Lloyd in your sig.

[mikecweb]

Originally Posted by Ian J

You know I'm just messin' with ya Nancy...

I am looking forward to having some beers with ya though. The random passes through LCK and BDL are nice, but I don't think we're getting any quality time together. I'm hoping to join Lloyd in your sig.

For sure.

So now that you're a floater do you even know what your deadlines are?

I was up in dispatch and I guess the guy covering 163 the other night had a rough night. They said it wasn't you.

[Ian J]

Heck, I haven't floated anything but 163 yet! I've yet had the opportunity to screw up.

And, no, it wasn't me - I know the guy floating it though and he is very new. This is only his second rotation out of training.

[ackeight]

Don't let mike near your girlfriend while he's drinking either, he might hit on her. Or was that gibson who did that?

[mikecweb]

Originally Posted by ackeight

Don't let mike near your girlfriend while he's drinking either, he might hit on her. Or was that gibson who did that?

Grant it 97% of the time I was around your :cough: wife :cough: girlfriend I was wasted, I don't remember hitting on her. I do remember telling her how Jersey girls were trash. She didn't like that so much.

[ljg]

Originally Posted by mikecweb

Grant it 97% of the time I was around your :cough: wife :cough: girlfriend I was wasted, I don't remember hitting on her. I do remember telling her how northern Jersey girls were trash. She didn't like that so much.

I fixed it for you. As far as binge drinking goes, I highly recommend it after week 1 in Dallas.

[mikecweb]

Originally Posted by ljg

I fixed it for you. As far as binge drinking goes, I highly recommend it after week 1 in Dallas.

Hey if you goto Bennigens, tell the waitress Charlotte that I said hi.

[PetrolBurner]

Originally Posted by Ian J

I'm hoping to join Lloyd in your sig.

Can somebody fill in the FNG on what that is all about?

[Boris Badenov]

Originally Posted by PetrolBurner

Can somebody fill in the FNG on what that is all about?

Lloyd (mtsuav8r) has managed to ingratiate himself with the hairspray-wearing primping primadonnas over at Airnet by virtue of now having a fancy FMS, much like their "GPS" and "working instruments". He's lost sight of his origins and believes in things like "MEL"s and "minimums". He was the subject of much ribald speculation down at the Mangia Italiano tonight, I can tell you. I hear wildfreightess is about to upgrade, too. So many we've lost to the Dark Side Of The Force.

PS. One of the great pleasures I've had in freight is getting to check in on center saying "Rough Rider 421 level flight level 190". Presuming I live through this, one day I'm going to have to say "It's Sooper-Important-Get-Out-Of-My-Way-Every-Drop-Of-Fuel-Counts-and-Dispatch-is-####ting-bricks Flight 1104, level 380" I'll be glad for the paycheck, but it won't be quite the same. For my money, get salted. You can always go forward, you can't really go back. FWIW.

[mikecweb]

Originally Posted by Boris Badenov

Lloyd (mtsuav8r) has managed to ingratiate himself with the hairspray-wearing primping primadonnas over at Airnet by virtue of now having a fancy FMS, much like their "GPS" and "working instruments".

I like it.

[ackeight]

Originally Posted by mikecweb

Grant it 97% of the time I was around your :cough: wife :cough: girlfriend I was wasted, I don't remember hitting on her. I do remember telling her how Jersey girls were trash. She didn't like that so much.

I do remember someone saying "nice boobs" and it wasn't directed at me. haha. I'm still amazed that you fit into Gibsons shirt. haha classic.

[mikecweb]

Originally Posted by ackeight

I do remember someone saying "nice boobs" and it wasn't directed at me. haha. I'm still amazed that you fit into Gibsons shirt. haha classic.

You're confusing your Adams.
And I was the drunk one!


Hey I just call em like I see em.

[ackeight]

Originally Posted by mikecweb

You're confusing your Adams.
And I was the drunk one!


Hey I just call em like I see em.

WTF adam was there. There are too many at airnet.... sheesh

[mikecweb]

Originally Posted by ackeight

WTF adam was there. There are too many at airnet.... sheesh

Shouten. He's at Measaba now.

[ackeight]

Originally Posted by mikecweb

Shouten. He's at Measaba now.

That's it! it was buggin me!

[klondiked]

Originally Posted by PetrolBurner

So far it sounds like you will lose your girlfriend, start drinking, and play lots of computer games if you fly night cargo for long, but anytime anyone mentions their days of 135 cargo they get this sentimental gleam in their eye like it was the best days of their life.

First off, if she loves you, she won't leave you. You might have to work a bit harder at making her love you, though.

That's not START drinking, I think CONTINUE drinking might be more appropriate. If you're just starting, welcome aboard! Beer and wine are fine, fine things. As is scotch. And martinis. Not the fruity ones, either.

And you're lucky if you play lots of computer games.

You don't hang out with a lot of other pilots like you would at a regular FBO. At 2 AM, you only ever see other people that are out flying because it's their job. And you do meet some surprising characters, for better or worse. Most people I know don't want to spend their entire careers working at night, and I am certainly among them. Everybody's experience will vary, ranging from your personal adaptation to vampire schedules to the professionalism of your employer, and everything in between.

The job has some great rewards, as most jobs will from time to time. The feeling you get when you hand fly a raw data ILS down to minimums is great, and sometimes, when you get down, people say things like "daredevil" and "how did you get in here?" You think to yourself "well, I had these approach plates..." but it still feels real, real good.

I recently read a post about an airline that was bringing some WWII vets to LA so they could connect on a flight to Hawaii. It was their first time going back to Pearl Harbor in about 60+ years, and their flight was being delayed. The author talked about how he explained the situation to his company, to ATC, and he budged in front of the line to get them out there. It was a great story. You'll never have one like that in freight.

But in this industry, every job you take is a roll of the dice. Good luck.

[PetrolBurner]

great post Klondiked, thanks