Although they were both conducted in the Twin Otter, looking back, the IOE phase was quite different from the Flight Training phase.
First and foremost, the plane handles very different outside of the Flight Training environment. Once you add 18 passengers with their bags, full fuel, and any applicable cargo, the plane becomes a bit more sluggish because of the increased weight. This change really becomes noticeable during the critical phases of flight (take-off, accent, decent, and landing). During most passenger flights, you are putting around 2500lbs more weight in to the fuselage of the aircraft. This extra weight decreases climb performance, and makes the plane slightly more difficult to flare at landing. By the end of IOE, I seemed to have adjusted to the extra weight and was flying the plane within standards.
Second, the presence of passengers was a welcome change during IOE. Working in the hospitality business, I’ve had plenty of interaction with customers, but this was the first time they were putting their lives in my hands. Up to this point, with the exception of flying my parents, Lisa, or friends around in a Cessna, I’ve never felt such responsibility for the safety of the people around me. It’s a great feeling to know that people trust me with their lives.
Third, the actual work schedule is different. During the Ground School portion of training, I would sit in a classroom for about 8 hours. During CPT, Simulator, and Flight Training, I came in for a few hours to complete the day’s assigned tasks. Now, since I am actually “flying the line” on IOE, schedules vary depending on the days demand for pilots. Some days this means arriving at 4:40am for a 14 hour day, and some days this means arriving at 1:00pm for a 6 hour day. Each day is different. Welcome to the life of an airline pilot!
Finally, the actual flights themselves are different. During Flight Training I would depart Boulder City with an instructor pilot, and fly in the local area. But, during IOE, I actually flew flights with passengers on them with a Captain to the various airports we service. With the exception of some light instruction during the pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight portion, IOE flights are just like normal passenger flights. IOE flights allow a new pilot to transition to the controlled chaos of actually working "the line."
Well, it took less then a year for me to finish training at my first airline. Am I a better pilot? Sure. Will I ever really stop learning/training? Nope. The day I stop learning things behind the controls of an airplane is that day I’ll pack it in and call it a day.
Thanks for your support of Nick's Great Aviation Adventure.
-Nick
PS: For your viewing pleasure, here is a snapshot Lisa took as I was leaving for my first day of IOE.
