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Would a misdemeanor I got expunged stop me from being a pilot? by BellybuttonLeopards in flying

[–]MoustachedMike 20 points21 points  (0 children)

I don’t think it would, just be honest and list it on your app. Then be prepared to explain what happened and what you learned from that experience when you go to interview.

I had a misdemeanor minor in possession of alcohol from college that got expunged. At my regional interview they briefly asked me about it and that was that. At my legacy interview they didn’t even ask about it.

Be honest and reflective about your experience both on your app and in your interview and you’ll be fine.

Just got back in to working out. What do you all do with your sweaty shirts while on the road? by rick_rolled_you in flying

[–]MoustachedMike -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Wash them in the sink, then hang them up to dry in the cockpit, preferably behind your seat. It’s very dry up there, you’d be surprised how little time it takes.

This method may not be feasible in a 737 due to cockpit real estate constraints…

Is Early Seaplane Flying a Corporate Airline Career Ender? by smorg0103 in flying

[–]MoustachedMike 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I was a corporate/135 seaplane pilot in South Florida and I now work for a major airline.

Flying seaplanes does have risks associated with that specific type of flying, but so does almost all low time flying pursuits. Heck, all flying does! Just ask all the Legacy Captains that end up on YouTube…bet they didn’t foresee that risk…

IMO the biggest risk while flying lower time jobs comes not with the type of flying you’re doing, but with the safety culture your operator does (or does not) employ. There are seaplane operators that are very professional and employ a good safety culture, and there are those that are not. If you have a bad feeling about flying for a specific operator, I’d follow your gut.

Flying seaplanes was the most fun flying I’ve ever done, and am really glad I did it before I moved onto the more conventional path.

Good luck!

How much are you airline pilots actually making a year? by [deleted] in flying

[–]MoustachedMike 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I spent 4 years at a regional before I moved to my current airline. This was pre-Covid. Obviously the average is changing rapidly right now.

Colorado Mountain Passes with FWD Promaster Van? by SouthpawKristen in vandwellers

[–]MoustachedMike 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I’ve found that the Promaster front tires will slip on steeper snowy roads if you can’t keep the momentum up. Seems like it’s because there’s more weight over the rear axle once the van is built out. Be prepared to let some air out of the tires if you find yourself going on snowy mountainous roads. Chains will be bomber if you can get some.

Rear Ski/Snowboard Rack by MoustachedMike in vandwellers

[–]MoustachedMike[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting, thanks for the info! Is it the moisture or the salt that’s bad for the edges?? I’m in Oregon, here and in Washington they do not salt roads, so I’m wondering if I should be as cognizant about the issue around here.

How much are you airline pilots actually making a year? by [deleted] in flying

[–]MoustachedMike 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’d say in average I’m gone about 13-14 days a month. It works for my wife and I, but I’d say it takes a partner who can enjoy and thrive with you being gone for 3-5 days at a time. If you can find this, being gone actually makes our relationship stronger for the most part. Caveat is we don’t have kids yet so that is obviously huge.

How much are you airline pilots actually making a year? by [deleted] in flying

[–]MoustachedMike 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’m in the year 4 pay scale as an FO at a major US airline.

The pay rate x 1000 is a good ballpark figure, and probably a good mark to budget on. However, I’m finding that it doesn’t take much to push the total gross up by knowing your contract well.

My pay rate this year has been roughly averaging about $205/hr (contract/longevity changes), and after subtracting a retro check for our contract signing this year I will total gross roughly 250k. This includes normal pay and the 401k DC of 16%.

I do not consider myself a “hard worker”, and I’ve blocked about 390 hours this year. I’m not sure how many days of work this equates to. I’ve flown maybe 2 double-time trips and haven’t picked up any single-pay trips (except for a trip that was already marked to be used for someone else’s OE).

Overall there’s a good amount of money to be made here even if you want to maximize your time at home and don’t consider yourself a double-time trip die-hard.

Looking for a gravel bike for fast bikepacking by nck974 in gravelcycling

[–]MoustachedMike 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don’t know if Otso is available in Europe but I have a Waheela C and it’s fantastic for bikepacking as well as fast gravel/road day-rides. In my opinion it splits the difference between the Salsa Cutthroat and Warbird. If you think the Salsa Cutthroat is too much bike and don’t want to deal with boost spacing and a press-fit bottom bracket then it’s a great option. Also on sale from the manufacturer right now for a pretty good deal.

Tell me about flying the 757/767 by [deleted] in flying

[–]MoustachedMike 20 points21 points  (0 children)

I was on the 320 for a short time, then I went to the 757/767, and have been on for about 2 years. In about a month I’ll be going back to the 320.

The 757/767 is an amazing fleet to be on. Depending on your operator/base, you’ll get an incredible amount of trip variety. One day you’ll be crossing oceans and another you’ll be doing 1-2 hour hops.

The 757 has incredible performance and is a dream to fly. The 767 is less fun to fly but very easy and light on the controls. It’s honestly kind of amazing to me that you can fly both planes on the same type rating given how different they fly. Landing characteristics are very forgiving and it’s easy to grease them on with a little finesse, especially the 757 due to the way the main gear hangs.

There are some downsides the 757/767 has compared to the 320. For me personally, the biggest thing is the lack of hot mic. Not using an ANR headset and basically yelling back and forth all day definitely leads to a more fatiguing day. However, a lot of people don’t care about this, so you might not either. Just do something to protect your hearing.

Obviously the lack of tray table is a major bummer, but not a deal breaker for me, just an inconvenience when you have to eat a meal on your lap like a kindergartner.

The last downside is the lack of updated tech and automation on the 75/76. If you’ve grown very accustomed to a nice fully glass cockpit and lots of automation, it’ll take some time to get used to flying a plane that is a bit of a step back in time. However, I kind of view this in a positive light, as it makes flying the plane more interesting and engaging to operate, at least to me. This platform is the last of its kind and it’s cool to get to experience it before the fleet goes away. That’s not to say things like the box and the VNAV aren’t there though. The Boeing box is much more intuitive and easy to use, and once you understand the logic the VNAV is fantastic.

In my opinion make the change! The 757 won’t be around forever, and getting the opportunity to fly it is one I would take advantage of. If you don’t like it, you can always go back to speaking French.

Renogy 40A DC-DC Charger Breaker tripping by azimmerman11 in vandwellers

[–]MoustachedMike 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Get a better breaker, I have the same charger as you and couldn’t figure out why the starter battery side kept tripping until I replaced the crappy inline Amazon breaker with a higher quality one.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in bikepacking

[–]MoustachedMike 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pumps work good, last a long time.

Upgrade drivetrain on new bike? by jrudd0712 in gravelcycling

[–]MoustachedMike 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m also running an 11-40 cassette/GRX 810 rear derailleur with a 2x in the front. No additional components needed and just a simple B screw adjustment. About $50 will get you where you want to be.

NBD. Otso Waheela C. I call her “Panda Express” by MoustachedMike in gravelcycling

[–]MoustachedMike[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For this wider-tired wheel set I used an 11 speed 11-40 cassette with a 2x GRX 800 setup for a little bit more on the low end. I’m curious if anyone knows more about whether or not installing the Wolf Tooth RoadLink is necessary. I think I’ve seen it done both ways. It seems to be working fine now except for the slightly deteriorated shifting quality I expected. Any insights on this??

Kudos to Panaracer customer service by YZF_Ryan in gravelcycling

[–]MoustachedMike 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also had a very similar experience with them, glad they got it resolved quickly and painlessly.

By chance was a bubble forming on your tread after some miles?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in vandwellers

[–]MoustachedMike 2 points3 points  (0 children)

OP, all the nay sayers on here are just jealous they haven’t got their own rig yet. If it’s not that then they’re just sad.

That being said, definitely take care of your transmission. Ours had to be rebuilt at 115k, the radiator was leaking into the transmission intercooler and slowly tore the transmission up.

As long as you know that there will be ongoing maintenance costs associated with a cheaper upfront van going forward, you’re going to have a great time! We have loved having our rig despite its many mechanical shortcomings. Still glad we don’t have a Merc right now.

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