How I landed at United Airlines
The question I hear most, is, ‘Are you ex-Military?’ Funny question actually. Funny because I really wanted to fly for the Air Force when I was a teen-ager. I called a recruiter when I was 17 and told him I wanted to fly in the Air Force. He asked me where I was going to school. I told him, ‘La Porte City High School’, (now Union Community Schools). He laughed. Then he said, ‘No, where are you going to go to college’? College! I told him I did not plan on going to College and that I was already flying (with a private and instrument rating). He said, ‘Well, you have to have a 4 year degree to be an officer in the Air Force. And that was the end of my Military Career.
College was never a question for me. Driving home one day with my Father in our ’72 Grand Torino, down a gravel road, my Father said he had to talk to me about something. Now, this was very rare, a deep discussion with my Dad. So I thought the worst. He went on to say however, that since I was almost 16, he seen two roads for me. He told me he would support either decision, 100%. He also said I did not have to choose either road, and I could do what ever I wanted.
I was 15. I had been flying since age 9 (Dad started my logbook in September, 1979). I was going to solo 3 airplanes in a few weeks when I turned 16. Flying was the only thing I really thought about. I did ok in school, I was not a straight A student. But if the subject held my attention, it was upper B’s and A’s. So my answer did not take long. I said, ‘Fly’.
My Dad told me that he was very confident in that, if I ‘Flew, Flew, Flew’, someone would pick me up based on my age/experience. He may have been taking a gamble, but it payed off.
Red arrow designates where I learned to fly, 6C8 (now listed as Private). I grew up 1/4 mile South of this airport. Black arrow indicates where I live now, just 7 miles away from my fathers house.
Age 9? What can you learn at age 9?
It all started flying a Cherokee Six, from 6C8 (Nichols Field) to 8C6 (Traer). All of 10 minutes in the air, maybe. My Dad had two students in Traer, and they kept the airplane they owned at Nichols. So when they wanted a lesson, we flew down there, I played with their kids, and Dad gave two lessons. Then we fly home. I remember it plain as day, I’m in the left seat, can’t hardly see over the glareshield, Dad is in the right seat, teaching. Those are my first memories. I’m sure I flew before that, but because the logbook was started...maybe I tie that event to my first flight memory.
From there, all family vacations to Virginia, flying around the state of IA, or just flying was done with Dad along side me. Every minute went in the logbook.
At age 12, I shot my first ILS approach into Cedar Rapids, IA, runway 13. We were returning from Virginia (my Dad’s best friend lives there...so we were out there quite a bit), around Christmas time. It was snowing the way it used to, hard and sideways. We were in a Cessna 182 (my favorite airplane to this day). Again, I can barely see over the glareshield, but I’m on the ‘gauges’. We listened to the ATIS, Dad said, ‘This is all yours’. I flew the approach to the runway, and landed in the snow! I was really hooked now. I also remember riding home with John Nichols in a car because we had to land in Cedar Rapids. Some memories will never fade.
We had a variety of airplanes at Nichols. Nichols airport was 1/4 mile from our house. Just North, on Foulk Road. I was ALWAYS up there. I had to be, if I wanted to see my Dad. He worked at John Deere during the day, came home around 3, changed his clothes, and went to the airport to teach others how to fly till dark. So my mini-bike made plenty of trips to the airport. But there were 150’s, 152’s, 172’s, 182’s, 206’s, 210’s, a 310, and later, an Apache that I eventually got my Multi Engine Instructor Rating in. We had plenty to fly. Gas was cheap, rental was reasonable ($22 for a 150).
I was the typical airport kid. I was always there, helping with what ever. Sweeping the hangar, moving airplanes, cleaning airplanes, filling them with gas, etc. If not at school, I was at the airport.
16th Birthday- lets go fly alone!
By the time my 16th Birthday rolled around, I had been flying for 7 years :) I had plenty of hours, through all types of weather, in plenty of different airplanes. So, the plan was to solo a 152, 172 and 182 on my Birthday. Meaning, there would not be much of a shirt left by the time Dad cut 3 swatches of material out of the shirt! I’m sure Mom was thrilled.
The big day comes, and it’s raining. It’s foggy too, with visibility down around 1 and 1/2 miles. Adapt, overcome, improvise. Dad said maybe I should just solo the 152 on this day, and we’ll find a better day to fly the other two. So we made a few circuits in the pattern together, then I was off...all alone. What a feeling. I remember Dad telling me the same thing I told my students. ‘It’s going to fly much better with me out of here’. ‘It will climb faster, take a little longer to slow down, etc.’. Wow! Was he right. What a thrill!!! Nothing much matches that feeling of your first flight alone. I encourage everyone to do at least that, get to solo and see what you think.
Age 16, Photo taken for Waterloo Courier article
After I completed my solo flight, we drove to Waterloo so that I could take my Drivers test. Fly first, drive second.
Priorities.
Priorities.
The rest of the 16th year was spent preparing for my Private Pilot check ride. I had a written exam to pass (ughhhhh), solo cross countrys to fly, and just a polish of what I had been doing for quite some time.
‘Shawn will not be in school today for what reason?’ (the School said to my Mom as she called me in absent to School)
The Private Pilot check ride is the first encounter with an FAA designated examiner. Up to this time, you are working with your CFI (certified flight instructor). And you think your CFI is all mighty...after all, he knows everything you are trying to learn, and more! But the FAA examiner, is, well, intimidating (he was for me). He knows all that CFI stuff, and more! He will ride with you on your big day and check to make sure you know your maneuvers, and are safe to carry other innocent people around. That, of course, after you pass an Oral exam. Which, for me, until I was about 23, was always pretty difficult. I was always nervous about the Oral. I knew if I could get through the Oral that the flying was easy part- still is.
This large of a day, fell on a school day. So the obvious solution was to skip school! Why be in school when you can get your license to fly people around, on your Birthday?
I passed the check ride. We flew home. And I had the largest Birthday party I’ve had to date. All my friends were there. I gave them rides in a Cessna 172. We grilled food, we had an awesome time! It was probably one of the top 5 days of my life. I was ‘on my way’.
Age 17-18, fly, fly, fly!
The idea was this. Graduate High School, with a CFI, and start teaching at Nichols. There are plenty of things that get in the way of flight training. Weather being the one you have absolutely no control over. My Dads schedule (he was still working at Deeres, and teaching others to fly). My schedule, I was in Football as a Senior, so that consumed my after school time. I had to get an Instrument, Commercial, Multi Engine and Multi Engine Commercial rating before I would start preparation for my CFI.
It took time. When your young, time stands still. And when you’re waiting for your dreams to take shape, it takes even more time. All I can now is, enjoy the ride. The journey to where you are going is almost all the fun.
I had a few part time jobs out of High School. I worked to spend money (much like today). I had a Maintenance position at JC Penneys, I worked at a Car Wash for all of two days. All while I was working on that coveted CFI. I knew once I had the CFI, my world would change. And change for the much much better, since then, I would be ‘Flying, Flying, Flying’...and someone else would be paying for it! That was key.
I kept working on the CFI until March of 1989 (10 months out of High School). In March, I took that CFI check ride with the FAA in Des Moines, IA. I drew Roger Clarke as my FAA Examiner. Now, before I continue, I have to set a little tone here. Your CFI check ride is probably the largest ride you will ever take (until you move on to bigger airplanes that is). The Oral is long, in depth, thorough. You need to know a lot of information, because you will be teaching not only basics, but Commercial maneuvers as well. There are legal aspects, Flight Test Standards, Regulations, Lesson Plans to develop, not to mention, the mechanics of flying maneuvers- you need to be able to explain how things are going to be done before you go flying with someone. Due to all those components, the Oral can take a long time! Mine started at 8 am, we broke for lunch, and then started again....and I was done by 2 pm. Grueling! Luckily, Dad had covered all the bases. And I studied.
So off to the flight test. When you fly the CFI ride, it’s done from the right seat. You are the instructor, so sit in his seat- makes sense. You are going to show the Examiner that you know how to demonstrate the maneuvers to your student (which means you need to perform them about flawlessly, and to the Practical Test Standards). You are even asked to teach the Examiner something during the ride. It could be a landing, it could be a simple maneuver, or it could be a Chandelle. What ever it is, you’ve probably already done that. The flight test did not take nearly as long as the Oral. Under 2 hours. Back on the ground, big hand shake, and Congratulations! New piece of paper stating you are a CFI...and off you go to teach the innocent ‘all your knowledge and skills.’
33 Students my first summer!
Now, I’m a CFI. 18 years old. I quit working the part time jobs to begin the long road of building time. At this point, I think I had 324 hours flight time. To fly for a Commuter Airline (at that time, without knowing someone), you needed at least 1200 hours total time. I was 18, I had 324. I needed 1200 just to qualify for the next step of my career. It seemed daunting! Until the students came out of the woodwork.
My Dad had been teaching in that area for 20 years. He had a fantastic reputation. We had a strong customer base already, between current students, aircraft owners, friends word of mouth, etc.
When people found out that an Instructor was now on the field, full time, it was like opening a flood gate. Long story short, I quickly found myself with 33 students by June of 1989. I was flying 110 hours per month, between pilot service, flight instruction, more training from Dad, etc. I was running my own show too. I was not paid by the FBO, I billed all my students myself. Dad and I ran our little company, Wings Limited. It was fantastic experience. I had 16 year olds, I had 50+ year old students, and everyone in between. The late 80’s were much much different than today. Everyone was learning to fly (so it seemed).
I think what set my experience apart from others I have worked with, was my age and enthusiasm. I was 18, I had no other job. I was not married with kids, I worked for myself, I loved teaching. It truly was one of the most rewarding things I have done in Aviation. I would fly at 5 am, I would start a lesson at 10 pm. So what! ‘I’ll fly when you want’...you are paying me. When you have time away from work and family, call me, I’ll be available.
Due to that scheduling flexibility, and the reputation that my Father had built...it was ‘on’.
During this time, I also started flying Pilot Service for a few people. One that I remember the most, was Mr. Vose, of Vose Moving Co. The company had a Cessna Pressurized 210. It was beautiful! And, it was the hottest thing on the field. Loaded with Avionics, able to cruise in the Flight Levels, it was awesome. Mr. Vose felt more comfortable with someone along side while he flew to job sites. We flew primarily between Nichols Field, Akron, OH, and Waterloo, IA. 2.2 hours out, and 3.0 hours home. Sometimes, twice a week. Other trips took us to Dallas, TX, Toronto Canada, Scottsbluff, NE. I flew the wheels off that airplane. Awesome experience.
Keep adding ratings, keep flying!
After a year of teaching the basics, I thought I should learn something new. It had been a busy year with new pilots, new students, pilot service flights, etc. But I was ready for more. So Dad and I began working on the CFII, or ‘the double I’. Instrument Instructor. This, would be very cool. Much more technical, much more in depth, and another Rating. With the CFII, you are primarily teaching students that already have the Private, how to fly Instrument, or in the clouds. A very big step for a Private Pilot. Private Pilots fly on nice days, in clear weather, with not much weather affecting the flight. Instrument Pilots are certified to take off (legally with no visibility), fly in the clouds, shoot an instrument approach down to 200 feet above the ground, and land if they can see at least 1800 feet in front of them (or 2400 feet depending on the lighting system and visual references).
This is a BIG step.
This is a BIG step.
The CFII was taken in Minneapolis, MN, with an FAA Designated Examiner. At that time, 1990, the FAA was so busy certifying new Instructors, and all the other responsibilities they have, that they would designate a few Examiners in each state to conduct this Check Ride, which was usually done by the FAA.
I will not hide anything...I actually failed my first attempt at this Rating. To this day, I don’t fully understand how it all played out in the examiners mind. I say that because we completed the Oral exam, went to the aircraft to fly, and he found something wrong with the airplane that he did not like. And he advised me he would not be flying with me in that airplane until it was fixed. I had flown the airplane up to Minneapolis from Iowa, to take that check ride. So, I would not be completing the test that day. Much to my surprise though, when we went back inside the building and sat at his desk, he wrote me a pink slip stating that I had failed the Oral. I was in shock. After all, we went to fly...why? It’s water under the bridge. I went home, polished everything up. The airplane problem was corrected, and I returned a few weeks later to pass my check ride. Home as a CFII I went.
Less than a year later, I added my MEI, or Multi Engine Instructor. We had a Piper Apache on the field for a short time. While it was there, I seen my only opportunity to add this rating. I’m glad I did. The airplane was sold shortly after I got my rating in it. I delivered it to Poplar Grove, IL not long thereafter.
Also during this time, Nichols Aviation had started to manage the Waverly, IA airport, C25. Tom Nichols became the Manager of the FBO up there, and I went with. It was 40 minutes from home. The airport itself was pretty nice, hard surface runway (Nichols was grass), pretty nice t-hangars, etc. And, it was ‘our show’. I moved out of my parents house, and into an apartment in Waverly. I continued to teach, now Private, Commercial, Instrument, Multi Engine, and CFI students, all out of the Waverly airport. It was 1990.
It was time for more, time to try the Commuters
In late ’90, I finally got the urge to try and get hired with my ‘dream company’, Great Lakes Airlines. While teaching around Waterloo, I would hear them on the radio. ‘Lakes Air 980, out of 8 for 3, information Charlie’. Beech 1900’s, in and out of Waterloo, going to Chicago, ORD Eastbound and Mason City, IA Westbound. The 1900 looked HUGE! Faster, more capable, all your flying done in a short amount of time...sign me up!
There were many reasons to make this step. One, that type of flight experience is needed to move on (if you don’t know anyone). Two, the schedule! You can expect to be off work, at least 12 days a month...I had no days off teaching. Three, you are just flying, not teaching anymore. One reason not to move on, was the money. You start out at $10 an hour as a First Officer. You are guaranteed 75 hours per month, so $750 a month. This is not for a married guy, with kids. Unless your better half is supporting your ‘habit’. Luckily, I was 21. No bills to speak of, plenty of piss and vinegar, sign me up!
I interviewed the summer of 1991. It was a casual interview with just the Chief Pilot. It was pretty short, and I was nervous, nervous, nervous. I went home not knowing what to think. It was the typical parting lingo, ‘Don’t call us, we’ll be in contact’. Well, a week went by and I could not stand it. I called the Chief Pilot back and he told me they decided to go ‘with other candidates’, thanks for your time. I was devastated.
You have no idea why you’re not hired. So you run the interview through your mind time and time again. Looking for that shred of light that would explain why you’re not sitting in ground school at your new job. I could come up with nothing. Well, not nothing, I made myself feel better by surmising that I did not have enough Multi Engine experience. So I went with that.
Where to find Multi Engine airplanes to fly?
Great Lakes was my goal. I thought I had not been hired due my lack of experience in Multi Engine airplanes. I had over 3,000 hours flight time by now, but very little Multi Engine time. Our airport did not have a ME aircraft...so I made a difficult decision to go work for another FBO that had multi engine airplanes. The idea was that, if I could find an FBO that had ME airplanes, I could fly them, build my time up, re-apply at Great Lakes, and start building the Turbine Engine time.
I opened up the IA Airport Directory, in the A’s, and started calling every airport. I went through the entire Directory until I got to W. Webster City, IA. My rehearsed question was met with, ‘Yes, we are looking for an instructor this summer, and a Multi Engine qualified pilot’. DingDingDingDing- Winner! I interviewed a few days later...and was hired.
This is where life started to change...
Up to this point, I had been working for myself. I had my own student base, I did my own billing, I made my schedule, it was all ‘under control’. And I liked that.
Now, I’m employed by a Flight School, who also happens to operate two multi engine airplanes for Charter, Cargo ops (sometimes), and flight instruction. I was also a ground instructor now, teaching Instrument Ground School at night. It was actually a cut in pay, but I was there for one reason, and one reason only. Multi Engine flight time. And, Great Lakes had been hiring people out of this school for quite some time. An added benefit.
Working for the flight school was ‘different’. And that’s all I’ll say about that.
I checked out Part 135 in the Piper Aztec, and began flying Charter flights around the Midwest. It was great, the plan was working. I also had a few ME students by now, so hours were coming that way as well. The schedule at the flight school was killing me though. 18 hour days were not uncommon. Every once and while, I just had to write myself off the schedule! If I didn’t, I would have gone bonkers!
Up till now, I’ve not mentioned my better half- Corinne. We started dating in high school. She has been there since day one of my ‘Professional’ flying career. She was also very instrumental in getting me hired with Great Lakes. She was a key player because she started working there before me! She became a Gate Agent in Waterloo, IA while I was working at the Flight School (Storm Flying Service, Webster City, IA). While she was in Waterloo, she dealt directly with Great Lakes Pilots on a daily basis.
Corinne is ‘a looker’...she always has been. So picture an attractive girl, surrounded by Pilots at the airport. People get to talking, and it comes up that she has a boyfriend. And oh by the way, he is a pilot. Questions start, and pretty soon, the discussion is leading in a direction that is going to give me another shot at getting hired with Great Lakes.
You’ve heard this before...it’s not what you know...it’s Who you know. It’s true, I’ve seen it work more than once...
One day, Clay McNaughton (Mac) flies through Waterloo. Mac is an Instructor Pilot with very close ties to the Chief Pilot, the Director of Operations, etc. He’s ‘in the circle’. Mac strikes up a conversation with Corinne (then girlfriend, now wife of 14 years), and the question arises as to wether I want to work there (Great Lakes). She tells him the history of an interview, the rejection, etc. He says, ‘Have him here on such and such a day when I fly through and tell him to bring a resume’. Done. I met Mac a few weeks later. A 5 minute conversation, a drop of a current resume...and I had an interview within a week!
This time, it’s a panel interview with the Chief Pilot, the Director of Ops and a line pilot. It seemed to last an hour, but it did not. I walked out with a good feeling, went back to Webster City and went about my business. A few days later, I got a call from the Director of Ops, Jeff Davis. I was invited to start class the following week! Finally...it is done- I’m in the door.
Hold on tight young grasshopper...you’re in for an education.....
No comments:
Post a Comment