SoCal Express Entering the Jet Age

[ehunyadi 0]

This week, SCE leased it's first A321. By the end of today, we will be trading in the ol' DC-3's for a second A321 and going all-in on jets. We have bases at KLAX and LSFO now, and will likely be opening a base in either KORD or KIAH later this week or next week.

 

The DC-3's (and one C-47) have served us well, but our growing reputation is bringing us bigger orders for farther distances. All our pilots are now certified to fly these bigger jets, and we will start putting them into the rotation for flight duties in the A321's.

 

Going from a negative balance to having 2 leased jets and two (and possibly a third) major airport base in three weeks was not easy, but it is satisfying. So much more fun than just flying routes in a flight sim!

[brett 2,316]

Wow, great job, you are running with the big dogs now.   Try not to get sick looking at those fuel bills, hire a secretary.

[ehunyadi 0]

The one thing I'm not entirely clear on in career mode is how I can progress to 1st Officer. Do I need 70 flights total? I'm at 45 now, so I guess I need to do another 25 jobs to get to be able to fly the A321's myself?

[brett 2,316]

Maybe a payoff would work but it's not modeled in AH.

 

I think as an owner you are legend rated and can fly anything, if you want to hold yourself to the same standards as your hired AI pilots, than the A321, at give or take 200,000lbs, requires the 70 jobs. 

 

Here is the chart and happy flying; 

 

Jobs Completed/ Rank/ MTOW (lbs)

< 5 PPL < 5,000

   5+ CPL < 10,000

   10+ CPL ME/IR < 25,000

   20+ fATPL < 55,000

   40+ Second Officer < 100,000

*70+ First Officer < 500,000

   100+ Captain < 1,000,000

   150+ Senior Captain < 2,000,000

   250+ Training Captain < 2,000,000

   400+ Test Pilot < 2,000,000

   600+ Legend < 5,000,000

[ehunyadi 0]

I just tried to take the A321; it was a no-go. I'm not rated. lol. Oh well, I guess I'll be flying the Bravo on as many very-short trips as I can fit in to get the 70. Here I was, thinking I was being slick and getting into jets. Good thing I still have the Bravo and the DC-3's around to fly myself while everyone else gets to jet-set around the Western US! lol

[brett 2,316]

I stand corrected, must have read it incorrectly. Nothing new,   You'll have those hours in no time, fly some shorter runs for awhile.

 

From the AH manual;

 

PILOT PROMOTION

Each time you start Air Hauler, all your pilots (including yourself) will be checked to see if they have

achieved a promotion in rank. If they have, their rank is updated and their pay increases accordingly.

 

 

[ehunyadi 0]

Yep. Too bad its not hours but jobs done-based. I have more hours than most of my pilots with higher ratings than me. lol

[brett 2,316]

Yeah right, puddle jumping for tens of years don't count.  I'm just glad AH doesn't make us take rating tests.

[ehunyadi 0]

Well, that's the thing. If I'm not mistaken, in the real world, it's about hours flown, not jobs done. I understand why it's like this in the game, I just wish I didn't choose career right now. lol.

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

If you are willing to *cheat a bit...lease a Piper cub. It will generate an arm's length of relatively short distance jobs that will either circle your base or make a bunch of "round trips" to a few nearby airfields. You can load up a bunch of those at a time onto one of your DC-3s and fly a few short legs to complete 20 jobs or so...and you will have a cheapo trainer bird in the hangar available to stuff new hires into for flight evaluation before allowing them to fly one of your expensive birds.

I also like keeping a variety of small birds in the fleet for when I just feel like bombing around the nearby area visiting local fields to drum up business...Marketing Flights to build up or repair reputation.

[brett 2,316]

Hmm. that reminds me of a guy I know that flies a C130 on ten mile cargo routes. He retired a very rich man.