Gear Up: Learning the Learjet

Wednesday, May 23, 2012 at 11:49 PM ET

Verified

** Paul Kanagie just happened to catch our
departure out of Philadelphia International
Airport (KPHL), flaps 8. It was my first flight
in the left seat.**

Key Takeaways:

The author, a former turboprop pilot, details his challenging transition and steep learning curve as a new Part 135 Learjet first officer, adapting to multi-crew operations, higher speeds, and complex systems.
He recounts numerous initial struggles, such as forgetting basic checklist items, fumbling with flight management systems, and mastering sensitive aircraft controls.
Significant learning experiences included effectively managing an in-flight inverter failure with good crew resource management and making professional flight decisions under the guidance of a patient captain.
The article highlights the awe and demands of professional jet flying, emphasizing the continuous process of building proficiency and confidence from a foundation of initial mistakes and persistent effort.

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It has been eight months now since the ink dried on my ATP and Learjet type rating, and I am just now getting my feet damp. Though I had some wonderful introductory flights in Elite Air’s Lear 31A this past summer, it hasn’t been until a recent spate of trips that I have really gotten a sense of the airplane and the life of a Part 135 first officer. What a ride it has been.

FlightSafety in Atlanta took this turboprop pilot of a certain age and introduced him to the wonders of the two-pilot cockpit and speeds and altitudes with which he possessed no actual familiarity. I spent most of those two weeks in awe and a flurry of memorization. I was dimly aware of the first officer to my right, but had no idea how hard he was working to make me look like I knew what I was doing. It wasn’t until last February that I got to make several trips and find out what this is really about.