1 hr 46 min
#12 Rob Bendall-Lead Certification Pilot: Virgin America 5x5 with Scott Corley
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- Aviation
Rob Bendall was the lead certification pilot for the launch of Virgin America. Along with certification Rob has had a role in most things involving the pilots at Virgin America. Hiring, checking, training, and otherwise supporting the pilots; he has acted as certification pilot, check airman, base chief pilot to system chief pilot. In this interview we talk about what it took to launch the airline from a pilot’s perspective and many other aspects of the airline. Rob’s integrity is something I have always admired. I hope you enjoy this conversation. Bendall Interview 00:00 Role in Certification 6:00 Pre-Virgin Background 12:25 How the FAA tests the operation via scenario cards on test flights. 16:45 Early VX manual sets 19:45 Pilot Culture and uniforms. 25:30 Goatees, FuManchus, and Professional looks. 44:00 The VA Inflight Entertainment System. 47:45 Ken Beiler Cabin 3.0 49:00 Unions and VX 53:00 ALPA organizing drive. 57:00 Biggest Challenges 60:00 Interviewing Pilots 69:00 Consolidation 71:00 B6/NK 76:50 Who owned the Planes 81:00 The Most Virgin Virgin Company 83:15 Own Safety 84:15 Props to Tech Ops 87:00 Protecting the dignity of the airline.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-corley/support
Rob Bendall was the lead certification pilot for the launch of Virgin America. Along with certification Rob has had a role in most things involving the pilots at Virgin America. Hiring, checking, training, and otherwise supporting the pilots; he has acted as certification pilot, check airman, base chief pilot to system chief pilot. In this interview we talk about what it took to launch the airline from a pilot’s perspective and many other aspects of the airline. Rob’s integrity is something I have always admired. I hope you enjoy this conversation. Bendall Interview 00:00 Role in Certification 6:00 Pre-Virgin Background 12:25 How the FAA tests the operation via scenario cards on test flights. 16:45 Early VX manual sets 19:45 Pilot Culture and uniforms. 25:30 Goatees, FuManchus, and Professional looks. 44:00 The VA Inflight Entertainment System. 47:45 Ken Beiler Cabin 3.0 49:00 Unions and VX 53:00 ALPA organizing drive. 57:00 Biggest Challenges 60:00 Interviewing Pilots 69:00 Consolidation 71:00 B6/NK 76:50 Who owned the Planes 81:00 The Most Virgin Virgin Company 83:15 Own Safety 84:15 Props to Tech Ops 87:00 Protecting the dignity of the airline.
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-corley/support
1 hr 46 min