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Thursday, Nov 26, 2009
What happens when you drop dry ice into an airplane toilet? And are regional pilots just rejects from the big airlines?
Sep 20, 2002 | All right, so I outlined the workings of airline code-shares, but to at least one reader's dismay I neglected to address the terminology itself. Code-share? The "code" refers to an airline's specific two-letter identifier assigned by IATA, the International Air Transport Association. IATA is a trade organization comprising hundreds of airlines around the globe. Every airline has an IATA code. In the cases of our Big Three, for example, they are UA, AA, and DL. These are technically part of every flight number, though in the United States we routinely drop the letters. Flying Air France's Concorde from JFK to Paris, for instance, your trip is AF001. In a code-share situation, a specific flight is split among two or more airlines and their respective prefix designators.
To make it as confusing as possible, the number part will also vary. Delta's flight DL8718 might also operate as Air France's flight AF718. Same plane, different flight number (notice the 8 is dropped). If you're confused about which airline you're actually flying on, always look at the lower number. In the above example, Delta might have sold you a ticket, but Air France will be serving the coffee.
Everyone with me?
Meanwhile, in last week's discussion of reverse thrust, I made this simple parenthetical statement: "(No, neither jets nor turboprops will reverse during flight.)" I wanted to avoid an in-depth discussion of the matter, but yes, as assorted nitpickers so ardently pointed out, airplanes can reverse in flight. Sure, just as your Honda can drive backward down the interstate. My point was that an airliner will not do so as a matter of routine. Most all planes have the apparatus to prohibit an inadvertent reversal in flight. At least one model, though, the old Douglas DC-8, was authorized to reverse its engines (inboard only) while aloft.
In 1991 a Boeing 767 operated by Lauda Air, a highly regarded Austrian charter company, suffered an uncommanded inflight reversal of its left engine after takeoff from Bangkok. The airplane crashed into the Thai jungle, killing more than 200 people. Boeing later redesigned the thrust reverse system.
Are the pilots of commuter planes castaways from the big airlines, and not skilled enough to fly jets? Or are they simply building experience?
The pilots at the commuter (now called "regional") level tend to be younger (though not always) and less experienced (though not always) than those at the majors, and many see their job as a steppingstone. But putting it that way leads one to believe a regional pilot lacks the skill to fly a big jet. And that's simply not true. Everything depends on the hiring trends. Moving on depends less on a pilot's aggregate experience than on the number of jobs available at the bigger airlines.
In a lot of ways, flying at the regionals is much more demanding than at the majors. And the airplanes are, in many cases, no less sophisticated. Smaller, yes. Quaint, no. Schedules can be quite demanding, and the pay humiliating. I know because I flew regional turboprops for the better part of seven years. I entertained thoughts of spending a whole career in that realm, as many do, but the lure of a decent salary, an easier lifestyle, and more glamorous destinations was too enticing. All told, it took about 15 years from the day I received my private pilot's license to the day I was hired by a large carrier. For some it comes much quicker, for others never at all.
Working conditions at the regionals are improving. Today, a six-figure income is not unusual for a senior captain at companies like American Eagle or Comair, and increasing numbers of pilots are staying put.
