| Name: |
Yngve Geirstad |
| Company: |
Scandinavian Airlines SAS |
| Position: |
First Officer |
| Current Aircraft: |
B736/B737/B738 NG (MD-81/82/83) |
| Age |
N/A
|
| Country |
Norway |
| Airline experience: |
yes |
| Corporate or fractional experience: |
no |
| Cargo experience: |
no |
| Military, government, or law enforcement experience: |
no |
| Mentor profile: |
At the age of six I had my very first flight onboard a B737-200 with the old Norwegian airline Braathens! That was in 1975.After that I always wanted to be a pilot! I started at Statens Flyskole (in Norway) which in English is a Government Flight school, In 1989. I was poor and broke and lived a bit on my parents house and food! I worked hard in all kind of jobs, and to gain more flight hours I became an instructor. After 4 years I was hired by SAS! I was almost hired by Linjeflyg, but SAS took them over in 1993, so that doesn’t matter now anyway! (and believe me: that was hard work and loads of asking and applying for pilot jobs, so it did not just slip into my hand!!!:-)
I moved to Stockholm and started training course at SAS Flight Academy, and after three weeks of theory and a good old exam I was ready to start simulator flying. I was assigned to fly on the MD-80 (DC-9 super 80) and after three months I got my first flight (Oslo FBU to Copenhagen CPH) I flew the Mad Dogs from 1993 until early 1999.
In 1998 SAS took the first delivery of the Boeing 737-600 NG, and so I signed up for the training and checkout program in -99.So it was back again to Stockholm and the Flight Academy for six weeks of intensive training! After a while I got checkout on all series of the NG's owned by SAS, that includes the B737-700 and -800 series as well (In Europe you are allowed to fly three different types Maximum!!)
|
| Favorite thing about flying: |
| I love the work! Pre-Flight planning, going into the cockpit, filling out the papers, setting the instruments, and the great views you get!! I love flying over the Alps and Northern Norway! Not to forget the good old coffee!! It's not just one part but many things put together! |
| Disadvatages of being a pilot: |
In the Airline industry we have allot of night stops, late working hours (sometimes drunk passengers, or unsatisfied customers)
|
| What you would have done different: |
| Perhaps taken the licenses in the US! much cheaper! |
| Advice to aspiring pilots: |
| Hard Work!! |
| Problems encounterd along the way: |
Don't take any licenses before you have some money for it! At least here in Norway! But after EASA (JAA) new rules came out, making a pilot career in the US is not smart if you’re planning to fly here in Europe!
|
