A final goodbye…
It’s a post that I wasn’t expecting to make so soon, but as one door opens another closes. My time flying the Embraer 175 has come to an end to pursue an even greater opportunity that life has thrown at me. This has been a rather quiet mission that I’ve set out on and thought that I could tune you in to what’s going on.
The evolution of the aviation is a weird animal, not Frontier or Spirit Airlines weird, but rather an unpredictable chaotic mess. COVID threw a massive wrench into my life back in March 2020 as it did for the rest of the world. I was placed on furlough (put out of work) for just about 13 months. It wasn’t until April 2021 that my company called me back and offered me a slot on the Embraer 175. This was a different aircraft for me as I had previously gone through training for the CRJ700/900 series pre-COVID.
The Embraer 175 better known as the EJet has been nothing short other than a pure joy to fly. One of the more technologically advanced aircraft out there. Only thing it won’t do is taxi to and from the gate for you. Autothrottles get turned on upon entering the runway, AP goes on at 1000ft AGL and doesn’t come off until 200ft AGL on landing. You can program the aircraft to fly speeds based on flap setting and the aircraft will adjust accordingly as you move the flap lever. Crazy stuff.
It’s an aircraft that taught me how to be a better pilot. It’s very easy and by very I mean extremely easy to be complacent with this bundle of joy. Like other modern airliners out there today, you’ve got to monitor your automation. The flight computers are only as smart as the programmer (pilots). I’ve found myself assuming the aircraft will do what I expect it to do, in some cases, only to quickly realize that it wasn’t doing what I wanted it to do. End result… pilot error. Understanding the system logic and how things work internally helped overcome many hurdles. I’ve found that the automation can be overwhelming and thus creating more of a workload. How does one quickly dump that excessive workload? Disengage all automation and fly the aircraft like I did in commercial or private training. Raw. With a flight director guiding me the way and good CRM with my captain, hand flying was the easiest way to get back on track. We both had agreed in these rare cases that this was the best option due to our workload and the workload that ATC had.
The moral, don’t get wrapped up in automation. Automation dependency can be dangerous and can get you in trouble… especially when you’re traveling at 250kts (290mph) near an airport.
I say all of this as just a little recap of some of the key takeaways that I’ve learned with this aircraft over the last 6 months. It’s been a short time flying this aircraft but with just under 500hrs in her, she will be missed. People have asked how she flies and my answer is the same. She flies like any other aircraft. She flies like a Cessna 208, which flies like a Diamond DA42, which flies like a Cessna 172 and so on. It’s a very easy plane to fly. It trims out beautifully. It takes a good beating with weather. It handles crosswinds like a champ. Overall a very solid plane.
This has been one of my favorite aircraft that I’ve had the pleasure of flying and will honestly miss flying it.
To my Brazil friends, your country has built an amazing bird! 🇧🇷
Now, you’re probably asking yourself, where are you going? Who are you going to fly for? What aircraft will you be flying?
The answer, I may drop some hints here and there over the course of time. Not quite prepared to share the name of this company quite yet. What I can say is I will no longer be flying for the airlines. Not going to a major or regional. I will be moving to the darker side of the industry and moving to the world that is better known as corporate aviation. For my US friends you would know this as, Part 91, 91K and Part 135 flying. The aircraft is to be determined but I will now be cruising above the airliners at FL410 and higher. 🤠
This new opportunity will open the doors to even more traveling both domestic and abroad. Meeting even more awesome people and offering a better quality of life. The airline industry is not for the light hearted. It’s a tough business and in the current state, crews are overworked and underpaid. Which is a bit unfortunate and an unhealthy working practice. With just about all aviation companies hiring at the moment, pilot hiring is an absolute frenzy and an overall great time for pilots in general.
In order to be happy, you’ve got to love what it is you do or will do. Chase your dreams, set a goal and go for it. Don’t look back. It’s the opportunity that you don’t take that could be the most rewarding in life.
Buckle up because we’re turning to the next chapter in life… 🛩
~ Matt ~
If you read this post and thought I was leaving the world of IF or the IFC, not so fast! Hold your horses! 😅 I’ll still be here