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Photographs of pilot Marvin Renslow and co-pilot Rebecca Shaw from the AP
Renslow's training is coming under scrutiny. Renslow, 47, apparently failed three FAA proficiency checks before Colgan Air (which operated the Continental flight) in 2005; he only told Colgan about one of the failures. The Buffalo News also reports, "The plane that crashed, the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400, includes an unusual feature that increases the speed at which the plane's stall warning system will activate when flying in icing conditions. Colgan never provided pilots with any instruction in that unusual feature until the autumn before the crash, sources said. In addition, Colgan's training program does not include simulator training into how pilots should react when the stall warning system activates."
On the recorder, Shaw is heard telling Renslow, "I've never seen icing conditions. I've never de-iced. I've never seen any. I've never experienced any of that. I don't want to have to experience that and make those kinds of calls. You know I'd 've freaked out. I'd have like seen this much ice and thought oh my gosh we were going to crash." Shaw also apparently had a head cold and mentions she should have taken a sick day; sources add she may have been fatigued after taking a red eye to Newark for the flight.
The son of one of the victims said, "What the hell was this guy doing flying this airplane? ... It is not the pilot's fault, it's the airline's fault. If I go to the DMV and I can't drive, they won't give me a license."
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There's a reason why he was 47yrs old and still flying a turboporp for a regional airline.
he began his flying career in his early 40's.
He's no Captain Sully. And was she an intern?
yeah, as I'm sure most people have seen, NY Magazine did a piece about how Sully was one of the "last true pilots", i.e. former military dudes who just had an innate feel for and love of the art of flight. They knew what to do in an airplane...I feel less and less secure knowing that pilots today are any joe (or jane) off the street...with a few hundred hours of flight school training.
She was not an intern. She had far more experience in that type of aircraft than he did.
Here's something scarey to think about. The Captain paid for his job. Yep. Not only did he fail 5 checkrides but he paid to be a first officer (FO or copilot) at a company called Gulfstream Airlines. It cost him $30,000 to "play" airline pilot. I kid you not. This guy paid TO FLY PASSENGERS AROUND!!!! - when he completed his 250 hrs in the right seat, he applied for a job with colgan and got hired with only 625 hrs. VERY LOW TIME.
http://www.gulfstreamacademy.com/
"Gulfstream Training Academy’s First Officer Program offers airline bound aviation professionals training and experience at an actual airline flying real flights for Continental Connection, operated by Gulfstream International Airlines in only 3 months for commercial pilot certificate holders or as few as 6 months for zero time pilots.
At least 250 hours of airline flight time is included in the program – build your multi-engine time in a turbine powered airliner flying for a real airline!"
To put this in context, most pilots earn thier instructor ratings and build time beofre moving on to 135 or air charter in smaller twins. It is highly frowned upon to PFJ or pay for job. It takes a job from a qualified candidate.
Thankfully, most commercial pilots are ex Navy and Air Force.
see earlier comments. Unfortunately, increasingly that's not the case. The old unionized guys on the big airlines, yeah, but not these little ones popping up everywhere.
not really true, especially at the regional level.
that's why I would trust Theodore Calvin behind the stick.
that's if it were a chopper.
Island Hoppers FTW!
I smell a lawsuit.
"If I go to the DMV and I can't drive, they won't give me a license."
Uh... riiiiight. That's why every driver is a highly-qualified "Sully" behind the wheel.
FAIL
Regardless of this guy's aptitude for the job (methinks there are quite a few commercial pilots like him out there--crosses fingers) it's fucking terrifying to imagine what it would've been like to be in that cockpit.
Americans are obsessed with the "last moment". What happened at the last moment? Did they scream? What were their reactions? What was it like when they knew they were going to die?
Never mind that the other 99.999% of Ms. Shaw's life might have been perfectly normal, healthy and fine. To most readers, her whole life is only summed up in her final (terrifying) moments. I suspect that's not how she'd like to be remembered.
Again...a website that allows you to book flights based on crew experience...good idea. Just give me a shout out when you make a million.
Since you've posted that idea a couple of times, I'll now shoot it down. Airlines don't release that information, and aren't required to... and often crew schedules change at short notice. Even if it were to be made available, it would only work if people booked no more than a couple of days in advance.
Sorry, no millions to be made.
I accept no less than Frank Lapidus
Hmm...on one hand, regional airlines tend to have actually attractive and pleasant flight attendants, instead of the old surly ones on the parent airlines. On the other hand, they have crappy pilots. Hmmm....