JUNE 2010 — WITH A SUBTLETY BORNE through years of experience, the captain pushed the power levers forward on the Super 80. Other than the occasional rattle and the whirring of the nosewheel below our feet, the cockpit was absent the typical sounds of a jet airplane accelerating. Engines mounted at the far end of the fuselage had some definite advantages. As the nose lifted from the runway, I scanned my interior surroundings.
Because of passenger loads, the only seat available was the jumpseat. I was perched in the required position with my back against the cockpit door, the soles of my shoes resting on the fold-out foot pads at the aft end of the center console. Prior to our departure from the gate, the captain had made the customary request to see my license and registration. With a smile and a twinkle in my eye, I apologized. The only license in my possession was a temporary certificate. The ink was barely dry from an hour earlier. I had just passed my final check ride that qualified me for a type rating on the 777. (For those of you who may have missed the May Jumpseat, I lost my 767 check airman position due to a reduction in overall airline schedules, a reduction in attrition and the resulting reduction in new training cycles. As per a contractual option, I returned to regular line flying on the 777.)
