Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: SFRT - Frenchy on April 24, 2002, 09:52:59 PM
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Here's an update folks,
I had to go back to France as most you know. I could came back as a tourist and I can stay till June17th.
I finally could find a job in Chino, CA. It has yet to be approved by INS, and me to find the $5,000 for the papers.
Here is how it happened : I answered an add from climbto350.com, for skytyper pilots. They wanted to make a class of 20 people and select 5 of them. I put all my money in it, $1,500 between the plane ticket, 1 week at the hotel and the flight training (5h).
I cruised thru the training, flying formation was a no brainer, I knew all those hours of AH would be usefull for my career ;) Skytyping works as such :
We fly modified Cessna 150, only the body is a C150. We have modified wings, bigger prop, striped interior and a kickass 180HP engine. A true hotrod of the sky, our initial climb rate is more than 1,5000 fpm.:cool:
We take off in a 5 ship formation, nb 1/2 and 4 at the same time, followed by nb 3 and 5, 2 secs after the lead trio starts to move. By the end of the runway, we are in a nice VIC formation 30ft appart from each other.
We climb to 10,000ft or more. We move to an inline formation over the target and start skytyping. Each plane his linked to the lead plane (a cessna 175) who carries the leader and the mission commander. The MC (computer geeck), types the message on his computer and presses Enter. When he does so, all 5 planes start to puff smoke and those puffs make words like shown on the web site : Skytypers.com.
You need to maintain a perfect inline formation. Too ahead or backward; too separated or too close and you distord the letters and screew up the show. If you are too higher or lower than the lead plane, your wings will block the signal and you will not emit smoke, thus screewing up again.
When the job is done, we move back in a VIC formation and RTB. Above our base we move to an echelon formation and peel off at a 2 secs interval, perform a tight descending 360 and land stagered on the runway.
It's a ball! Kind of dangerous because we have no chute, so if we collide that's it but man, what a fun job. We are about 20 in the world to perform skytyping, it's a unique opportunity, I'm proud to be one of them. Maybe you guys from LA saw us perform already.
The beauty of it is that we may fly to Japan/Korea for the Soccer world cup for 2 months. We will fly the C150s there, 6,000 miles in formation via Canada/Alaska/Bering straight/Kurile ilands/Japan/Korea. I don't think anyone tried such a journey yet :p
You guys know it all now. Next step is to find a way to move from FL to California. They want $1,500 for a small moving truck and a tow for my car, it's a ripp off, I will never have such money. I will end up putting all my stuff in my car and pray for my Lincoln Town Car 1986 V8 not to blow up in the middle of the desert.
Advices, previous experience and help are welcomed. Any kind souls whilling to offer me a bed for the night along my journey will have my eternal gratitude :D
(http://home.cfl.rr.com/rauns/sig-frenchy1.jpg)
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When do you see yourself in Chino Frenchy?
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Cant you get a U-haul and put a hitch on your car and tow it yourself? Cant be more than 400 bucks i think. Or send it by train?
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Frenchy, sell everything you can. Package anything left that you can, and UPS it to your new address, or the company hangar. That way, if you have to hitch your way out of the desert you won't lose your possessions. I'd take my hard drive out of the computer and mail the rest, too.
Congratulations and good luck, mate!
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$1,500 is the Uhaul quote, 14' truck + trailer.
I have a rear wheel drive, I need a tow where I can put the car on.
I'll move to Chino prob around May1st.
Delivery of the car via truck is $1,000.
Couldn't find a quote for the train.
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WTG Frenchy!!
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The American Dream.
From being a jobless bum, to having a kickass job I very much envy. Way to go dude. What credentials do they require for that kind of job? I want to do stuff like that.
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So it's safe to say you'll be in Chino for the airshow around May 18-19?
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WTG Frenchy! Sounds like a dream come true!
Get a chute. You can get special ones for pilots that take up next to no place at all, and I can almost guarantee you that if the toejame hits the fan, you'll be happy you made the little extra effort.
In scuba diving, regarding regulators, scuba shop people have a favourite saying when people complain about prices:
"How much is your life worth?".
It's life saving equipment, and considering what you now will do, I think it's worthwile :).
Or maybe not. I dunno if your life is worth a parachute. You fly allied planes. Hm. Will have to think about it. Forget what I've written so far.
:
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made my day french , sooo happy to hear from you, if you need a stop in texas on I 10 ( or 20 miles off it ) just holler.
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WTG :D
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Congrats man..
I joined AH when you started the postings about your difficulties finding a job...I felt sorry for you.
Now, I am jealous of you!
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WTG Frenchy! Congrats :)
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WTG Frenchy.....I live about 30 miles from Chino. I'd offer ya a bed, but I worry about Frenchmen and my teenage daughters, (or Mrs. Tahgut for that matter). :)
Drive your car and expect it to perform as the well engineered piece of American iron that it is. Talk nice to it the whole way, and carry extra water when you cross the desert. Interstate 10 will take you around the Rockies instead of over them, that should help your car.
I hope to see you in the sky over my head very soon.
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congrats frenchmeister!
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BRING SKYTYPING TO ACES HIGH!!
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WTG Frenchy!!!..I bet it won't be long before you are flying lead in the formation,then you only have to worry about what's behind you...:D
..Heheh!
HT,we need an "jealous" smiley face thingy.
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beauty job clark!!
WTG
SKurj
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Originally posted by SFRT - Frenchy
Any kind souls whilling to offer me a bed for the night along my journey will have my eternal gratitude :D
I live smack in the middle of Colorado (a bit off of I70), if you get that far north I'd be happy to put you up.
Mail to: flyfisher@chaffee.net
dh
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WTG, if i was still in that area, i could have helped you...but i'm about 600miles off target...:p
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Animal, here is the add I answered :
Hello, Tom King Aerial Enterprises is looking to hire skilled pilots for its West Coast Skytyping Team based at Chino Airport, Chino California. Skytyping is a 5 ship team that climbs above 10000' and with the aid of an internal smoke system create a 5 mile long billboard across the sky! Some of you may have seen our prior ads, but at this time our priorities have shifted. The Skytyping Team will be going to South Korea and Japan for the summer 2002 for 2 months with a possibility of moving on to Australia afterward. Pay is $3000/month for 2 months + room and travel. The 8 pilot, 3 mechanic team will be departing the United States for South Korea on May 23, 2002. Minimum requirements: -Commercial certificate (airplane) -Second class medical -700 hrs total - Valid passport -Able to pass a background check -Available for minimum 45 days during operation Due to time restrictions, only one training class will be held from Friday April 12 - Friday April 19, 2002. In the past we have noticed a high volume of pilot washouts due to pilot inability to perform. Due to this factor we require pilots to financially cover their own training and hiring is NOT guarenteed. Skytyping course: Price: $500 -Ground course -5 hrs flight -Formation sign off For those applicants who require room acomidations we have obtained a group rate from the Country Inn of Ontario. Rates are $50/night included are shuttle services to/from the airport and local privleges, daily continental breakfast, and cable.
See, nothing really fancy on what you need to have. What they noticed is that the number of hours don't really matter. They wached out 10,000h airline pilots, warbirds owners, museumpilots, ex military pilots. Usually the problem is the inline formation or even worse, turning into an inline formation. Those C150s are way more unstable than jets, sometimes ex jet jockeys can't adapt fast enought.
Grunherz, I plan to be to Chino for the airshow, I pretty sure we will perform there, heck it's our homebase:D, but you never know what can happen . I will be more than happy to meet any of you guys once I moved to Chino or maybe for the airshow if I'm around.
TOWD, thank you for the offer, I will see what's going on, I'll keep you posted via email or here. Santa, I wished I had a chute but others don't so, I can't have one, I'll will look like a sissy;) Off course, when I will be spining down to the ground from 10,000ft, all LA will ear me squeaking and squealing hehehe.
In Chino I will not need a room I thing, a fellow skytyper will help me till I can raise some money and share an appartment/room.
I have a blast flying for those guys, i just hope I will barely make enought money to pay the bills hehehe.
Ty for those kind words folks, appreciated.
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Stick this all over your boxes being shipped via UPS and they will arrive *very much intact* :D
(http://www.checksix.net/ups.jpg)
Local UPS Employee, and Teamster :cool:
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Attaboy!
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WTG Frenchy - great to hear you're doing well! :)
That sky-typing thing looks superb.
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WTG Frenchy! :D
Just don't make typos, they sure must be expensive! :eek: :D
Daniel
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Originally posted by SKurj
beauty job clark!!
WTG
SKurj
Perfect use of a Bob and Doug Mckenzieism!
:D
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It would cost a fortune to ship all your stuff via UPS. Plus, everything *might* not arrive intact.
fdiron2-UPS EMPLOYEE
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Oh please! If he packs it well, it'll be fine!
I don't know how your center is, but I know me and the fellas I unload with are pretty sensitive to going easy on the packages.
But, if something is poorly packed, no matter WHO they ship it with, it'll get bounced around and possibly damaged.
Geeesh, where's your espirit de corp?
Whoa, wait a sec...you aren't, perhaps, flying Rook are ya? Muahahahaha :D
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Originally posted by SFRT - Frenchy
$1,500 is the Uhaul quote, 14' truck + trailer.
I have a rear wheel drive, I need a tow where I can put the car on.
I'll move to Chino prob around May1st.
Delivery of the car via truck is $1,000.
Couldn't find a quote for the train.
Frenchy,
If you are in Tucson AZ on a weekend, let me know. I'll spot you a bed for the night. Got a guest room you can use.
Drop a line via e-mail.
motor31@yahoo.com
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Very glad to hear of your good fortune in job hunting. Best of luck to ya Frenchie...:)
Good to see you back in AH also. Been a while:)
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Congratulations Frenchy !
Glad to see you're back on your feet. The new ride sounds like fun. :D
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Ah man, 740 hours minimum :-P
i wont have that for 2 years
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Moose, 3 fatalities last year.
This year, 3 crashes so far, no fatalities.
We had a great team, but it changed when 2 pilots left. They recruited a bunch of old timers who have warbirds experience and think they are top notch pilots. Those guys are morons, they can't hold an inline formation for more than 10 minutes despite their xxxx hours. They are totaly unsafe and not whilling to listen. Up there I cannot trust any of them.
When I'm in formation, I twist my head all around to look EACH plane, which make my workload pretty heavy ... but it saved my life more than one time. Freacking morons following leader blindly, leader who have a big head because he's leading but don't know how to.
Example, I fly nb5, I'm the guy in the far left when inline. So we are inline at 15ft wingtip to wingtip, the lead calls for a VIC formation and left turn right away. because he calls left turn right away, we are still in an inline formation. The guy on my right, doesn't even bother to look if I'm still there. Despite me almost punching him on the ground, it's always the same scenario :
He turns into me, I need to lift my right wing to leave room for his, because I'm inside the turn at 13k I'm about to stall. I need to fly sideway to maintain visual contact with the group while hanging on the prop riding the stall.
Or the lead calling an echelon for a landing break and pilots deciding to fly their own way. So here u are wing in wing, and one of the guy goes zooming away, the guys who following him is confused and starts to jink, while me the trail end charlie have to go fancy to stay on his butt. Then the escaping pilot decides to come back to it's spot, and without safety concerns, just slides back in without colision concerns.
The worst part, is that you cannot teach those old timers :"Hey French dude, I flew this and that and I have xxxxh so don't tell me".
As it stands now, I don't recomand joining the team. Maybe if the boss decides to finally go pro and stop hiring it's friends, I'll sincerely put u on. the boss needs to get it's head back together, he already proposed me to get a team together, but I wasn't happy with it's condition, he's not serious enought about it's behavior.
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:)
I know I'm way ahead of myself by already thinking of what kind of career i'd be into when I finally get my commercial, but right now I feel more at home flying then anything else i've ever done in my life. If you ever need someone and remember this conversation down the road a few years, try to find me ;)
merci :
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Frenchy, buy a chute.
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Yah FunkedUp.
I gather it would be no fun to be thinking "why didn't I reign in my French macho pride and listen to Funked and Santa?" as you spin towards your death :D.
Beside, you'd get a free skydive. Can't beat that.
Our meatbomb wagon haulers have specially designed chutes - very small and compact and not too expensive (a normal skydiving setup can easily reach $3k US.).
It'll be good to have should the manure hit the centrifugal gas disperser device
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I so want your job.
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flyin with fools that are gonna kill you eventualy with no chute?
you got to be kidding .
french get a chute and another job. few enough cool folks as it is now.
good luck tho .
Towd