It’s the ultimate checkride; the one no one wants to bust.
I had decided to go for captain on my airplane as soon as I could, and my number had finally come up. But then a terrible thought entered my mind: “Am I going to make this one? Is this going to lead to my first busted checkride?”
I’m sure most pilots think about this when they first realize what lies ahead. People talk a lot about pilots going for their captain checkrides and busting on what would seem like petty details. But I was fortunate enough to learn early in my career to always try to think like a captain flying from the right seat. I was determined not to become the subject of one of those “stories.”
But how can the transition be made easier?
First of all, the big difference is whether you have flown the same aircraft as a first officer (FO). If so, the transition should be fairly natural, provided you’ve prepped yourself in a few ways that I’ll cover later. If you haven’t flown the airplane before, but are going from left seat to left seat, then your advantage is your previous captain experience, which counts for a great deal. If you haven’t flown the airplane before and are also upgrading to captain, then you might be in for a challenge.
In my case, I had flown the CRJ200 and then the CRJ700 when my upgrade came with Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA). I was upgrading to CRJ200 captain from the right seat of a CRJ700, which is very similar to the CRJ200 in most respects. So, while I had different limitations to re-learn, the systems are very similar because both aircraft are on the same type certificate. I was going to miss the CRJ700 though, with its upgraded and simplified systems, avionics, wings with slats, and new, more powerful engines with FADECs (Full-Authority Digital Engine Controls).
Typically, ASA calls its pilots to class within about two weeks of issuing an upgrade notice. Training is divided into several stages including systems training for 10 days, a five-day general operations module, captain leadership training for two days, and four days of cockpit procedure training. Then, a trainee captain and first officer are paired for eight simulator sessions before both take separate oral exams and rejoin the next day for their check/type rides.
The biggest difference concerning the captain checkride itself is the fact that it is a type ride. You cannot redo a required task—if you fail one task, you fail the ride. The check airman cannot put on his instructor hat, redo the task, and then test you again. You have to fly to ATP standards all the way through.
The day after the type ride, ASA also conducts a LOFT (line oriented flight training) to give pilots the experience of some more realistic line flying scenarios. ASA employs Bombardier’s computerized training modules, in which the student spends each day divided between classroom teaching sessions and computerized training modules incorporating animation and video clips. This, I must say, is the best method I have ever seen or heard of in my career for pilot training.
It was the second time I had used these modules, and I think they are truly great. I spent half the day working through a multitude of chapters involving all the systems on the aircraft—including FMS (Flight Management System) navigation—and the other half-day in classroom sessions. After each chapter I had to take an exam to advance to the next chapter.
I learned early in my career that among the first things you should study and memorize are the limitations and immediate action items for the airplane you’re training on. This is no secret, but I can’t stress it enough. Make this the first thing you do—because after you’ve learned these items early on, you can concentrate on the other studies, which makes your learning much less stressful. This also goes for the captain cockpit flows, which usually are a bit more involved than what you may be used to as a first officer. As captain you will be expected to know the finer points of the operation of the airplane, so your oral exam also will be more thorough than what an FO would encounter.
After getting through the systems portion exams, I moved on to the general ops module, which deals with things like flight planning, aerodynamics, and standard operating procedures (SOPs). (One of the bigger changes ASA made to company procedures was the decision to let the FO fly during an emergency. This is to free-up the captain to manage the situation.)
If you flew the same aircraft before as an FO, there should be little that’s unfamiliar to you here. Knowing the aircraft will make your captain upgrade training that much easier. While flying the line as an FO, it’s always a good idea to keep up with things like the finer points in fuel planning and better understanding the flight release, but also try to imagine the “what if” planning of each flight you make. This means trying to imagine yourself as a captain when different problems arise on the line—and seeing if your decisions are at all in line with those of your captain.
On the CRJ, managing the FMS is a big part of flying the airplane. The captain usually programs the FMS, but if you ask your captain to let you program the FMS on your legs—time permitting—it will make your eventual transition to the left seat so much easier. Understanding the FMS early on will help you a great deal in your transition, and there are captains on the line (as I found out) who have delved into the capabilities of the FMS a great deal more than what’s taught in class. Learn from these guys!
When you make it to simulator training, one of the most obvious differences for your new role as captain is, of course, flying from the left seat. Apart from this, another little detail that many transitioning pilots don’t think about is taxiing, which also is a new experience and can get real “fun” in a hurry when you have to taxi in low visibility. A good idea is to review your company procedures regarding low-visibility taxi operations, but also other scenarios such as freezing precipitation requiring holdover time charts, minimum brake cooling times, and company maintenance procedures, including how to use the MEL (Minimum Equipment List).
When you go through upgrade training at ASA, there usually are one to two days allocated for captain/leadership training. In this stage you get a chance to discuss different kinds of CRM scenarios and learn from the experiences and mistakes of others. It’s also a great forum to discuss captain/FO relationships with your colleagues.
Another important benefit of this course is learning to utilize all available resources as a captain and how to be a manager of these resources. For instance, flight control/dispatch can be an especially great resource when things go awry. They have the ability to make many (if not all) of the performance calculations pilots do on the line and also have all the publications we carry in the aircraft available to them. They also have a “big picture” view of the weather that we don’t have in the flight deck, and their ability to see minute-to-minute weather changes makes them invaluable to line captains. If it’s not already included in your captain leadership class, I highly recommend a visit to your flight control/dispatch center.
In captain training, the emphasis from the get-go is on developing good decision making and management skills. This is what you’re expected to do as a captain—make the right decisions at the right times and manage your crew. Unfortunately, a lot of people underestimate these skills or just don’t think of them as a big deal.
Well, they are. Because when you actually get there and it’s all up to you, you’d better be ready when things get serious. This is where crew resource management—CRM—comes in rather than cockpit resource management, because it involves utilizing resources beyond as well as within the cockpit.
Never forget that you are not alone as captain of a ship. Next to you is a pilot who will offer his point of view if asked. I say asked, because a lot of times captains don’t seem to ask. Even if it’s nothing serious, to ask a second opinion is to realize that we never stop learning, and FOs can teach a great deal too. You’ll be surprised.
On the other hand, while flying as an FO, watch your captains and learn. Ask them to explain and discuss why they do the things they do. A lot of times the captain makes decisions he doesn’t elaborate on. Even the smallest pointers can be of great value, like how to handle situations for which there are no direct guidelines, such as scheduling issues, difficult passengers, or any one of the infinite number of problems that can arise in daily operations. In my opinion, a good captain should teach his first officers, prepare them for the left seat, and not assume that his FO knows and understands everything already.
As captain you also become responsible for all flight briefings and have the chance to set the tone for each trip with your FO and flight attendants. Personally, I make a point to make them feel like part of the team, so I always ask them if there is anything I can do for them. A smile goes a long way.
The FO briefing should of course include all of the company required items, but I take it a step further by letting my FO know to speak up if he sees anything wrong, items being missed, or anything else out of the ordinary. Speaking up is not only okay, but expected. No one is perfect, and it’s all about working together. In other words, captain: check your ego at the stairs.
With all the new security directives today, briefing your flight attendants (FAs) involves a little more then it used to. If you take the time to look in an FA manual, you’ll find a whole lot of information to clue you into the flight attendant’s perspective. For example, different airlines may have somewhat different procedures as to where and how to brief the flight attendant and how to utilize passwords, but you need to make sure you’re always up on the latest procedures and codes at your airline.
Also, your flight attendants are just as much part of the team as you and your FO, so make them feel that way. Allow FAs to make suggestions or comments as they relate to cabin issues. Flight attendants can also teach you things.
When I look back at my FO checkride on the CRJ, I remember it as being pretty much the same as my recent captain type ride with very few exceptions—at least as far as the actual flying goes. But the question you have to ask yourself is: What does the captain do that’s different? Most of the time he just sits there while the FO does all the work, right?
The captain is the flight manager. He or she is directly responsible for the operation of that aircraft. He is always thinking—or should be thinking—Are we safe? Are we legal? What did I forget? What else can I do?
These are the questions I constantly ask myself now. These are the questions you should ask yourself, too, as you prepare to become a captain.
When you finally get to go out on the line to do your IOE, you will find being a captain is a very humbling learning experience. It’s new and exciting, and to be honest, once you’re let loose it’s quite daunting at first. Once you realize the company trusts you with countless passenger lives, a crew, and an aircraft worth about $30 million—not to mention the good name of the company—you’ll be glad you’re not alone.
