The New Era of Captains Authority This article is meant to take a deep dive into the concept of Captains authority. It could be well argued with great emotion that captain’s authority on the flight deck has greatly decreased.   If you fly the line long enough you have no doubt heard countless takes on various views of the loss of input.    Taking the emotion out of the topic is the key to an effective discussion between upper management and pilots. This has to be constructive, and to effectively address the subject we have to clearly define some old concepts and introd ..read more

American Airline Crew Bases This article is broken up into two parts.  It has resources and information for American Airlines pilots as well as American airlines flight attendants. It will continue to be added to as more resources become available. American Airlines is a major US airline and has a main headquarters in Fort Worth Texas.  Currently it is the largest airline measured by size, however in todays competitive market, that is always subject to change.  American Airlines became large due to key acquisitions over their inception as a commercial air carrier. They have ..read more

United Airlines Grapples with Pilots Avoiding the Captain's Chair By Rajesh Kumar Singh   CHICAGO, July 18 (Reuters) - United Airlines (UAL.O) first officer Phil Anderson has turned down opportunities to be promoted to captain as he does not want the unpredictable schedule that comes with the bigger paycheck. Anderson is one of many who have passed on that promotion at United, and analysts and union officials said a resulting shortage of captains - who function as head pilots - could cut the number of flights available to travelers by next summer. One industry official dubb ..read more

What Were Some of Aviations Most Valuable Lessons?   Discipline I think one lesson my kids learned was watching their dads work ethic when it came to honing his craft.  Every year was recurrent training and they would see their dad lay out all of his notes and training materials on the dining room table.  It was organized by systems.  He would make flash cards to memorize or walk through procdeures.  My husband was a pacer, he really did not sit much when studying except for the computer part.  He would walk around and talk to himself.  You could see he was f ..read more

So what is an optimizer and how does that affect the average life of an airline pilot working the line for a airline? Pilots complain about schedules, seniority and how the trip pairings are created every month.  If you are not paying attention, you may notice the pairings and duty days changing ever so slightly. Current Crew Schedules Currently the airline industry is operating in a very dated and neanderthal way.  Most airlines are scheduled 3-5 times per month with pilots rotating in and out of trips either via trade or disruption.  But there is a new sheriff in town that is ..read more

If you are plotting out your aviation career, you should think about it as a strategy. That may sound funny, but hiring trends in the airline industry are cyclical and follow a pattern.  There are times when airlines are desperate to hire pilots and others where you have to pretty much a lunar landing to get a look. So, as a college graduate myself, let me guide you into making a decision that is right for you.  This is just input that is time fixed. What I mean by that is that this particular point in time (2023) these are the things in which I would think about and the questions I ..read more

Airspeedjunkie is kicking off their new rewards program for Flight schools. This is a new program in beta test that will reward new pilots that get a new rating. How it works First this rewards program is for any pilot that gets a new rating or certificate.  Airspeed Junkie will partner with your flight school and send you an aviation achievement plaque free of charge for your accomplishment.  Here are the rules of engagement. Only one plaque award per pilot.  It does not matter which rating or certificate, but we only send one per rated pilot.  So if you get the private p ..read more

There is a demand amongst airline management teams that is getting a fresh look and its called the Pilot Experience.  And to be honest, its not just for airline pilots either, it extends into flight attendants, regional airline crews and even down to flight instructors, charter pilots and the like. Yes there is a pilot shortage, but what about when there is not? Everyone knows there is a current pilot shortage (as of this writing 2023).  But real focus is now on retaining pilots and crews so that airlines do not have to absorb the large costs of training.  Early in aviation, tra ..read more

F 16 Fighter Jet The F16 fighter jet is also known as the Fighting Falcon. It can be described as a single-engine, single-seat jet fighter that is 49 feet long with a 31 feet wingspan. It was made for the United States alongside a dozen other countries. Originally, the F-16 jet was built and designed by General Dynamics, which is a part of Lockheed Martin. This incredible fighting jet is known for being able to fly at the speed of sound. When it comes to weaponry, it includes 20-mm rotary cannon along with attachments under the wings as well as fuselage for a variety of missiles and bombs.&nbs ..read more

A Family Story  About 20 years ago I was flying freight out of Burbank California and decided to stop in and see my grandparents who happened to live close to the airport.  They were always glad to see me and much to my surprise the topic of conversation would lead a lasting impression in my brain.  So my grandfather somehow decided he was going to tell me his version of aviation history from his perspective from being in the war.  The Hurdles of the Story  Now keep in mind as fascinating as this sounds, there were a couple of hurdles to overcome. First of all is that ..read more