The end of the beginning...

Firstly an apology for not updating this blog since July! It's been an extremely busy time and only now have I really come around to looking at what I've abandoned over the past few months.

Since my last post (which doesn't seem as long ago as it actually is!) my day to day life has changed completely.

Having passed the Instrument Rating flight test on a glorious Friday morning in July, I was in the airline's Exeter hotel on the Sunday afternoon ready to start my type rating the following day. It was such a close turnaround and without the help and swift action of a certain few people I'm sure I'd be sat here now still waiting to get my hands on the yoke of the Canadian Bombardier Dash 8 Q400.

As I said in the last post, some people wait months; years to get into the right hand seat of a commercial aircraft. I had less than 48 hours.

The actual type rating includes one week induction with the airline followed by two weeks of ground school covering everything from the structure of the aircraft to the day to day paperwork expected to be completed when on line. Following this we are sent back to base to jump seat four sectors to see what the world of a line pilot is. After picking my jaw up off of the ground I was quickly shipped off to Farnborough to jump in the simulator and finally get to learn how to fly this thing.

Post sim. training comes the 'base training' (explained below) and then finally they put you in the real thing, passengers in the back and a destination in the flight management system. A whirlwind three months. In fact this is the first time I have actually had time to think back and realise how much we have achieved in such a short space of time.

So, to that Friday in July. After the ninety minute flight test I was given the good news and it was full steam ahead to get home to unpack, repack and try to find some time to get some revision in before heading to the south coast.

Clothes washed and ironed, they were back in the suitcase and before I knew it we were over Bristol starting the decent into Exeter on an equally warm Sunday afternoon. Having only flown once before on the Dash it was great to see what was going on in the back before jumping in the front only a few weeks later.

Arriving at the hotel where I would be staying for the next three weeks I met up with my colleagues who I had spent the previous fourteen months with as we tried to plan out what to expect for the week ahead.

The following morning bright and early, after breakfast, we were dropped off at the airline's state of the art training centre. Currently housing two simulators and dozens of classrooms the building caters for both internal and external airline needs for carriers around the world. It was great to see such a professional image from the very beginning.

We spent the first day completing all the relevant paper work and being informed as to how the following three months would unfold and what was to follow that. It was great to finally get a detailed view of what was to come.

Days two to five were spent becoming familiar with the airline and the environment the company works in. We complete our first aid and water training, our security training and most importantly our CRM (crew resource management) course.

The latter is designed to coach people into dealing with colleagues in a professional and acceptable manner. We were able to look at a number of case studies where flight crew had had their 'differences' which had led to problems both on the ground and in the air.

With all the general company based training complete we were given the weekend off!

Again, bright and early on the Monday morning we were shipped back to the training centre from the hotel to start the aircraft systems course covering everything from the communication facilities to the two grossly over powered engines they've fitted to the thing. This lasted just over a week and, apart from the electrics (I've probably mentioned I'm not a fan of electrics...) it was all very interesting! Following CAA exams we were all then allowed to complete the final part of the ground school.

This was completed on the final week in Exeter taking all of three days. It covered flight plans to icing operations and everything in between. This, again, was followed by CAA exams before they could sign us off for the simulator.

The three and a half weeks in Devon were intense. It was a lot of information to take on in such a short time frame, and if I'm being honest I don't think half of it stuck. It wasn't until I got into the simulator where I could relate what we had been told to seeing it in operation could I come to terms with it's purpose. Having said that, it was no greater than the ATPL study. In fact, as much as I loathed the fourteen exams that we took at the end of 2011 and into the start of this year I do now feel it was good practice for what was to come during my time in Exeter, albeit on a smaller scale.

One note I would like to make about those short weeks 'down south' was my new appreciation for the work cabin crew do in the air. Before starting the course I was aware of the work that went on in the cabin but not to the extent that the authorities and indeed the airlines in the UK do. The amount they need to know is quite mind boggling. About their aircraft, first aid, emergency procedures, current commercial operations and at the end of it all how to keep a smile on their face after eight hours on their feet. Having been on line for a few weeks now it has only cemented my view of what a great job they do. They are arguably any airline's greatest asset and in my opinion should be rewarded by the general public with much more respect than they receive.

Happy to have completed the ground school I was more excited at the following day's prospect. As part of the type rating every new First Officer or Captain on type gets to jump-seat for a number of sectors, depending on experience and basic license type. Having completed the 'traditional' frozen ATPL we were to sit on the middle seat for four sectors completed in one day.

Having never sat in the flight deck of a commercial aircraft during the critical stages of flight such as take-off and landing it was something I'd dreamed about doing as a kid and I'd finally got that opportunity. The whole crew were great and finally I got to jump into the third seat and see how it all goes down.

Checks done, push back complete, we were cleared to taxi to hold short of Runway 06 at Edinburgh. Destination Knock, Ireland.

"Jersey XXX" cleared for take-off Runway 06, winds 030, 5kts."

The captain added juice to the engines and they reveled in it, rushing up to 90% of their maximum power within seconds. We were rolling, and fast. The aircraft is known for the disgusting amount of extra power Pratt and Whitney have fitted to it and I must say, I'm enjoying using it!

"80kts both." The First Officer checks both speed tapes but they're moving so fast the numbers are simply a blur.

"V1....rotate...V2." The Captain pulls gently aft on the control column and the nose duly follows pointing towards the sky.

"Positive climb."

"Gear up." The gear begin to stow themselves for the hour flight across to the west coast of Ireland. I take a small glance out of the side window and see the ground disappearing at over 4,000ft a minute. This thing is a rocket.

The aircraft is quickly cleaned up and accelerating to it's 210kt climb speed. Air traffic control are kind and direct us straight towards Belfast.

During the cruise it was great to talk to the flight crew about what they like about the aircraft and more importantly what they don't like! They were also very informative about everything else I wanted to know during the four flights.

We were soon on the approach into Knock and we were cleared for the full VOR procedure to land on the easterly facing runway. Who said airline flying was all radar vectors?!

As well as being known for being over powered the aircraft is equally famous for being a 'hard lander.' I've heard it called more expletive things but I think that will do for now. Anyway, the Captain did a good job of "not breaking anything" as the First Officer called it and we were on stand on time.

Three similar sectors followed including a trip down to Norwich and soon enough we were back on terra firma in Edinburgh.

As sad as it sounds it was a day I had dreamed about for many years and it wetted the appetite even more!

Next stop - the simulator.

No rest for the wicked. We were soon shipped down to Farnborough, one of the world's busiest and well known business aviation airports. Every day we would pass through to the training centre and see dozens of jets sat in the Hampshire sunshine including a number of 737s and A319s, owned (obviously) by those from the middle east. A place where the recession clearly forgot.

We spent about two weeks in the simulator firstly becoming familiar with our surroundings then jumping into the emergencies and problems associated with the aircraft and trust me; there is enough of them!

These ranged from problems with the anti-icing systems to engine failures at the most critical point in any flight; take-off. We were taught to deal with dozens of different scenarios and before our check ride in the sim; I think we'd done more single-engine flying than two-engined!

The Line Standards Test (LST) which is taken over two days encompasses everything we had been practicing over the three weeks. It is a CAA conducted examination in the simulator which assesses our skills in operating the aircraft.

The two weeks in "the box" was arguably the biggest learning curve of my short career so far and I think we as student pilots underestimated what was expected of us. We were soon made aware, however!

Thankfully all went to plan in the machine and we were finally signed off to jump in that right hand seat. This was getting real.

Base training. Arguably the most enjoyable part of the whole Type Rating. Base training involves completing six landings in the aircraft with a specially qualified Captain. Doing 'circuits' is something I've done many many times in both single and multi-engine piston aircraft. Doing it in something with 10,000 horse power was a little bit different. Being extremely light it was indescribable as the nose pointed itself towards the stars. It was like something from the launch pad at NASA!

After departure from Manchester we headed over to Durham Tees Valley in the North East of England. The flight was short and we were soon in the pattern. Back to the Warrior days! Well...kind of.

While we were 'wizzing' around the circuit it wasn't until after the third landing that we heard there was another aircraft in the pattern making left turns as opposed to ours to the right. 

The Training Captain makes a comment "good to hear they're keeping the weekend flyers out of our way."

"Jersey 22T, the aircraft making opposite patterns will be completing two circuits for every one of yours. Expect long downwinds." Hold on a minute...what on earth was coming in?! "Jersey 22T, do you have the Eurofighter in sight?"

Through the morning's mist we could see a small figure moving at great pace through the lower altitudes. We're happily sat at 1,500ft scooting on along at approximately 200mph and watching the approaching fighter. The plane approached the threshold and suddenly pointed its nose to the heavens and just by watching you could feel the heat increasing on the deck as the Royal Air Force commander injected huge amounts of Jet A1. The most advanced aircraft on any frequency was climbing fast, and that really is an understatement.

It swings to the left before joining us on an opposite downwind yet gladly overtaking us with ridiculous ease. He made a similar approach as we turned onto the final before being told to maintain runway heading.

Unfortunately due to commercial problems we were called back to base early and in turn I wasn't able to complete my required six circuits to add the aircraft to my new license. Due to that I again had to return to Durham later in the week to finish the landings and then head down to the airline's HQ followed by a trip to the Civil Aviation Authority at London Gatwick airport to collect my new EASA license. As Europe becomes more integrated the new Flight Crew license is new to everyone and over the coming months every pilot flying for a European airline will need to be in possession of one of these books. I'm quite proud to say I am one of the first to be carrying one of these around with me every day!

So that was that. I'm now qualified to sit in the right hand seat of one of these aircraft. To say that at Easter I was flying around in a single engine piston aircraft and now I'm busy working in one of the most over powered aircraft in the sky it's quite humbling to think what responsibility the airline are willing to put on us and for ourselves, where I for one am amazed how much we have learnt and come to understand over the past eighteen months. 

Obviously giving us the license and then letting us loose on the aeroplane isn't as straight forward as it sounds. For a certain number of sectors running over around three weeks we're seated next to a Training Captain. Someone who is trained to a very high standard to instruct on 'the line' and familiarise us flying day to day with passengers and cabin crew sat behind us. 

This is designed so that at the end of the three weeks we can take a line check ride with a 'normal' captain where the training captain sits on the jump seat and assesses whether I am fit and able to operate to company standard. Thankfully the day went to plan and I was "released to the line."

I'm a very lucky person. I have a fantastic job, some fantastic friends and most of all a fantastic family. Without so many of them I wouldn't have been able to achieve what I have. Their support has been amazing. To think, two years ago around now I applied to attend an assessment day and this evening I'm sat in my hotel room having completed my first six monthly line check yesterday is truly unbelievable. 

I've experienced something amazing, too many high points to mention and thankfully only a small number of low points to brush over. Having said that; for those who have followed this blog for a long time will know, there was one major low point that when the company that were tasked with training us went into administration it put a lot of strain on hundreds of students and their families. I was one of the very fortunate ones and although in the long term it has added pressures being blessed with support from an airline the initial burden was managed so swiftly and professionally by those here in Exeter. The fight for those who have lost so much continues and I wish them all the very best of luck with their legal challenge and their continued training.

In my time in the United States, Ireland and the UK I have come across some indescribable people. Some I know I'll be in touch with for many many years to come. I have met characters from quite literally every corner of the globe. From America to Australia, from Sweden to Colombia and many other places in between. Not to mention some of the more 'exotic' destinations such as Kazakhstan! 

Now imagine mixing those people with experiences such as watching the sun rise over the Atlantic every morning from 8,000ft. Being raised to 25,000ft in a decompression chamber; doing barrel rolls in an Extra 300, flying across Ireland and into the UK in a Seneca and then finally taking the seat of a commercial aircraft are things I just can't put into words. 

I used to roll out of my pit at 8am and it was the hardest task in the world. I now wake at 4am and have no problems in getting out of bed. How many other people can say that? When we grow up we all change our mind in what we want to do to pay the bills. Everyone wants to be a fireman or a nurse, a policeman or a doctor. I never had that. I always knew what I wanted to do. It seems now that as people approach my ripe old age of twenty one years they have exhausted every career path in their minds and are simply lost in how to move forward. I, again, am fortunate to have had one direction since I was a small boy and I am now proud and blessed to be able to say I can enjoy my life as a pilot.

Thank you for reading over the past twenty months.

Multi-Crew Course with Jet Orientation

With the news in Ireland still full of stories concerning the future of PTC and it's deserted pilots we continue to plough on with our training.

The unique nature in which we're due to complete the training means we had to swap two parts of our course. The general progression is to complete the training in the twin-engined Seminole and then head to Dublin to learn to work as a team during the MCC. This has been the process for many years across the majority of flights schools within the European curriculum.

However, due to the problems arising with the school in Waterford and the availability of resources it was decided that we move to the capital first before heading to another college to complete the flying stage of the Instrument Rating. This was done to increase the chance of us meeting the magic date of the 29th July - the day before the start of the type rating.

We arrived at Simtech eleven days ago to begin the course. As said in the last post, the idea of the ten days is to introduce the theory of working as a team to a set of procedures set out by the airline which have been agreed by the manufacturer and authoritative body. It it designed in essence to reduce pilot error as well as create a consistency within company and industry.

It is something that has evolved over the decades with the enhancement in technology coupled with lessons learnt from events gone by. Today when you jump on board your aircraft to far flung destinations or even short hops to nearby cities you'll be taken care of by at least two crew members who will be working seamlessly to their company's procedures. For me, it's something very reassuring when I travel as a passenger.

We initially spent three days engaged in ground school with a significant amount of time spent in the simulator becoming familiar with the system we would be operating for a week.

The 'sim' is based on the world famous Boeing 737 with the most modern cockpit creating a very ergonomic and eye pleasing environment. Spending thousands of hours in such a flight deck wouldn't be the worst place to call "the office."

Over the seven sessions we covered many different scenarios that could be faced by a crew in a modern aircraft ranging from rapid decompression of the fuselage during cruise at 37,000ft (over six miles above the ground) to engine failures on the ground and in the air. With four eyes, four ears and two brains all being susceptible to the flashing lights, horns, sirens and flickering screens it is very easy for 'newbies' to come to terms with the problem they face within seconds so you can imagine how satisfying it is to know that two highly trained pilots who know the aircraft extremely well are facilitated with such fantastic warning systems.

We have always been told that safety is the number one concern for everyone and this past week has really put that into perspective.

Along with learning about teamwork we have also had a little insight into operating a jet aircraft, something with a lot of power and that boasts extreme performance levels both with one and two engines. To add to this the superb instructors (many highly experienced captains) were on hand to offer tips, advice and stories into the daily operations of a commercial aircraft.

So, having learnt a lot and had a fantastic time we are now in Cork with the small matter just ahead of completing the Multi-engine Instrument Rating (MEIR), one of the biggest hurdles on the road to the Airline Transport Pilot's License.

It's going to be intense coming to terms with a larger and more powerful aircraft over the coming days but it's a challenge we're all relishing, but not as much as getting a few days at home with friends and family. Something I think we're all overdue...

Pilot Training College comes to an end as we know it

What a weekend. I honestly don't know what to say. For those of you who are unaware, PTC yesterday went into what examiner-ship (a restructuring process). Their assets were handed over to an independent body and stripped by the IAA of their right to train in the interim.


Late last week we heard from the states that the Florida operation had been grounded by the the subcontractor, Florida Institute of Technology. This has happened once before when we were in the USA and again shortly after we returned.


Thinking it was a similar contractual problem we treated it as we had the previous two occasions. However, shortly afterwards a meeting was called for all students and staff in the USA. It was at that point that the Floridian based student body were told that the US operation had gone into administration and that they should try to contact those in Waterford for answers.


With today's technology the news soon spread over to this side of the pond and it was at that point we worried about our own futures with the company here in Ireland.


We were all told that operations were to continue as normal in Europe. Had it not been for the bad weather over the past couple of weeks I may not be sat here with this been a direct concern of mine.

However, yesterday morning we were told, while waiting to go flying, that training operations were being grounded until the afternoon. We were not told the reason immediately for this.


Later in the day the information was made available to us that the IAA had suspended the authorisation for the Pilot Training College to train any student in the United States or Ireland. With this news it meant we wouldn't be able to complete any ground school, simulator or flight training.


It wasn't until this morning when we were called to a student meeting where we were told that unfortunately due to the situation no student would be able to complete their training with the organisation and that each would have to speak to the IAA about their training and what they need to do to progress further with their training.

Over the past few days the airline along with certain companies and authorities have been able to make swift arrangements to reorganise the training for the four of us and keep alive the goal of making the type rating start date of the 30th July.


We're now here in Dublin waiting to begin our MCC/JOC stage of the training which was originally designed to be the final step before receiving our licenses. In this unique situation following the ten days here we will head to Cork to another flight school who will complete our Instrument Rating. I will be sure to explain what all this means in the coming days.


Going back to what has happened over the past few days it is a travesty that such a fantastic group of employees, both as instructors and other roles within the company at both bases have been put in such unfortunate circumstances.


It's no secret that PTC gets it's fair share of critics but throughout my training, as you will have seen on here, the quality of instruction has been absolutely superb. The people involved in creating the dream of being a commercial airline pilot are fantastic at what they do. 


I'm extremely proud to have worked with some of the most interesting, most intelligent and kindest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. 


We are in an extremely fortunate position and I cannot even think about coming to terms with what those in the United States are currently going through. It's great testament to them all who are actively and positively making moves to deal with their own futures.


The news has obviously made national press here in Ireland and today in the Irish Independent printed a double page spread. Something that stood out for me:


"The trainee pilots get to sample a slice of the famed American college life. The bunch I met lived on campus, mixed with other students and enjoyed the kudos that came with walking around in a pilot's uniform.


"There were other perks too. When I was there we did a 'fly over' to Nassau in the Bahamas, where the students got their first taste if international flying as our fleet of about 10 planes crossed from the US.


"Private airports, swimming with pigs, and a visit to the stunning Atlantis resort were just some of the highlights of an unforgettable weekend that would have seemed even more spectacular to a gang of teenagers.


"My overwhelming memory of their Florida experience, though, isn't any of that. It's the print-outs of a cockpit interior that were pinned up all over the walls of one of the apartments I visited.


"This was Florida, there was a whole world outside the dorm-room door, but they were all there to work."

The Emerald Isle - week 1

Having arrived home last week and enjoyed a few days in the UK it was time to head out for the next stage of the training - the Instrument Rating.

The Instrument Rating (IR) is designed to train pilots how to fly solely by the use of instruments they have in front of them using navigational aids along their route of flight. As we in the north west of Europe are so lucky to live in such a climate where clouds are predicted almost daily it was only right that the training would be conducted in this region.

Waterford, Ireland. A small city on the south east coast and the home of The Pilot Training College. I headed out on a flight from Birmingham on Sunday afternoon. It was great to see and experience the aircraft I'll hopefully be flying in only a few months. It was the first time I have been on the plane and it looked like a fun piece of kit!

The journey over was short and I was soon in windy Waterford. The housing here is far better than we experienced in the US and the PTC facilities this week have been fantastic.

The week began on Monday with an induction day. We were shown the building, the simulator we would be working in over the coming weeks, what is expected of us and we finished the day with a one hundred question hand written paper.

It certainly opened my eyes as to the level of knowledge expected and I must say scraping the back of the mind for a few of the topics that I hadn't seen in months was a bit of a challenge! The idea of this is for PTC to see at what standard of knowledge the students coming over from Florida currently retain and for we as students to understand where our knowledge level should be at. A very useful exercise and I would advise anyone coming over from the US in the near future to do a bit of study before arriving!

Tuesday through Friday we revisited a number of subjects studied during our ATPLs and developed further on flying 'under the hood' as it is known. 

This was mainly focused on starting to read and understand 'plates.' A plate is in simple terms a detailed diagram listing everything you could possibly need to know about flying a certain departure or approach into an airport. Everything from the route to the highest obstacle will be within an A5 sized document. These are extremely useful (and pretty much a necessity!) to pilots when conducting their flights.

This weekend will involve quite a bit of study in coming to terms and revising previously understood material as well as a lot of new concepts.

Thoroughly looking forward to getting in to the simulator later this coming week and I'll be sure to keep you updated as to how it goes!

                                      

United States - Complete

JAA Ground School                                         -     Complete

FAA Ground School                                         -     Complete

FAA PPL written exam                                    -     Complete

JAA PPL internal check ride                           -     Complete

FAA PPL check ride                                        -     Complete

14 JAA ATPL examinations                            -     Complete

JAA CPL qualifier internal check ride            -     Complete

JAA MEP/CPL check ride                               -     Complete

As trainee pilots we all learn the task of reading from checklists very early on in our training. They're our best friend. They detail everything we should be doing to make sure that the systems there to operate a safe flight are configured correctly at each respective stage of flight.

Over the past eleven months or so we have been working through that checklist of requirements we need outlined by both the training college and the national authorities. As you can see from above there have been quite a few and as I sit here, 35,000ft above the Atlantic ocean I'm ecstatic to say the final hurdle on the American adventure has been completed.

It's been about ten days since I've updated this page and this has solely been due to the amount of flying and ground study I have had to do to get out of Melbourne in time for the start of the next part of training on Monday morning.

I completed the flying programme on Monday evening and on Tuesday lunchtime I took to the air with the Chief Flight Instructor for my mock check ride. The flight went really well and he was happy to put me forward for the IAA exam the following day.

Preparing for the final flight in US airspace as well as preparing for a much larger flight later that evening if everything went to plan was extremely time consuming! The time passed over to 2am before my head hit the pillow. I was getting up on two hours and forty-five minutes later for the biggest test of the training so far.

4:45am. The alarm sounds. The last time my head would touch a pillow for over thirty six hours. Flight bag ready, the journey to the Flightline was as it ever was at this time in the morning. Very quiet and solemn. The fifteen minutes passed pretty quickly as I went through the emergency procedures which should be learnt to memory one last time.

Arriving early enough to complete the paperwork before the flight 7:30am soon came around and it was time to meet up with the examiner for a pre-flight briefing. He ran through everything very quickly and summarized the briefing we had had a couple of days earlier. Both happy we headed out to the plane.

The flight consists of around 2.5 hours in the air covering everything from a navigation route, flying solely on the instruments, dealing with unusual attitudes, system failures, emergency situations (engine fire, engine failures) and work in the pattern. 

It all went swimmingly (apart from a scary moment where I thought I'd lost me my during the navigation diversion!) and on parking at the ramp I was congratulated by the examiner on passing the flight. 

Over the moon I headed back into the Flightline to immediately book my flight back to the UK. With all the excitement the serious lack of sleep and thumping fatigue seemed to sit at the back of my mind bothering much less than it had at sunrise.

I now had a deadline where the car would be picking me up to take me one last time to Orlando International airport. Work to be done. Checking out of the United States was easier than expected. As with everything there is a serious amount of paperwork, most of it pompous and unnecessary but no less it was all complete, signed and delivered to the relevant persons.

Now was the hardest part. Saying goodbye to everyone. 

In the past eleven months I have had the great honour of meeting some of the most interesting, some of the kindest and most certainly some of the most talented people I could possibly wish to come into contact with. From school leavers and university graduates to those who have worked in the depths of central London. From professional sportsmen to photographers. Whatever the career path was, it was quite clear to see that everyone out in Florida is there to achieve that one goal and dream of becoming a commercial airline pilot. 

I do wish everyone still out in the US the greatest of success in the future and hopefully I'll see a number of them either in Ireland next month or in the air during the future!

With the goodbyes dealt with both in person and via email I was quickly descending on Orlando International airport. 

With the amount of luggage I was taking home I was pretty embarrassed when I saw the weight of the luggage as it was totaled up by the Virgin check-in staff. The kind lady smiled at me, gave me my extra legroom ticket and said "enjoy your flight." I can get used to these extra perks!

Through security and duty free and it was time to wait for the flight home. It was the first time since I had passed the flight test taken earlier in the day I realised what was going on around me. The rush of preparing for home blurred everything else and it hit me. 

"I'm a multi-engine commercial pilot." 

Looking out at the Boeing 747 affectionately named "Pretty Woman" by the airline that was due to carry me seven hours to the east very shortly; the perfect setting. 

The time I have spent in America will forever be remembered.

Seeing the sun rise over the Atlantic ocean from 8,000ft for the first time; visiting Miami and it's world famous beach; flying in to some of the US's biggest airports in one of the smallest planes on the market; being part of a world leading programme on hypoxia training and undertaking upset recovery training are just some of the highlights of an amazing eleven months.

So...what now? Well having been at home for a couple of days and catching up with some friends and family I'm back at the airport again tomorrow to catch a short flight over the Irish sea to Waterford. The Instrument Rating (IR) course begins on Monday morning and will take around six to eight weeks to complete.

It's time to continue packing for the next stage of training, maybe a few less pairs of shorts this time...

Hypoxia

Today's airliners and the equipment that they use boast some of the most advanced technology governments will allow civilians to use. Trained engineers on the ground in Derby (UK) can check second by second changes in the state of any Rolls Royce engine in the world, flight operations in Chicago can keep track of any United Airlines flight to the watt of electricity - planes can even land themselves nowadays! It's amazing how far we have come in commercial aviation over the past few years but there is still one factor that needs much more work - the human factor.

We're currently studying about the human body and it's reactions to working within a commercial, pressurized aircraft. I'm not wanting to scare anyone reading this blog but when I say that a rapid decompression in the aircraft at cruising altitude can lead to unconsciousness within eight seconds it becomes very apparent that it's a subject that needs covering! A lack of oxygen within the air causes a symptom called 'hypoxia.' This lack of oxygen into the bloodstream can cause a sense of euphoria, lack of awareness as well as many other symptoms with all having the same conclusion - unconsciousness.

Currently in place in nearly all cockpits are far more advanced oxygen systems than you see fall from the bins above the passengers in the rear of the aircraft. Quick donning masks which can be securely fixed to each flight crew member's face within five seconds sit within arms reach of every pilot sat in their seat. As soon as the mask is affixed it supplies 100% oxygen to both members for a minimum of 2 hours. Trust me, by that time the plane is going to be on the ground! As the aircraft makes it's emergency decent passengers will regain consciousness by 10,000ft. It is a subject that must obviously be covered as it is a worst case scenario event.

As you can see, the authorities in conjunction with aircraft manufacturers and airlines have come together to create a plan and procedure to deal with such an event. The technology is now in place and an understanding of the condition by experts but a clear lack of education for pilots within the profession.

On Saturday I'll enter a specially designed chamber with fellow students to simulate a reduction in pressure and therefore oxygen levels within the blood to help us experience and then learn about the early signs of oncoming hypoxia within a cabin. It's an invaluable experience I am thoroughly looking forward to and I'm hoping it will be the only time I experience such a thing! I'll hopefully have a video of the experience by the end of the weekend.

This week has gone well. Now we're into the second week the weekly tests have again reared their heads and all four I took went down very well - hopefully it will continue in the coming weeks!

Saturday morning I'll be taking the hypoxia training as mentioned above and on Sunday I'll hopefully be back into the air with my instructor continuing to knock off the hours before the end of the ATPL examinations on the very last day of February.

It's also good to hear some preliminary dates for the start of our other courses after the exams including the Commercial Pilot's License (CPL), Instrument Rating (IR) and Multi Crew Course (MCC) in both Florida and Ireland hopefully meaning the completion of the training here with PTC by the end of June this year.

Two more classes tomorrow - update at the weekend with the hypoxia training!

Below is a video from a flight a couple of weeks ago.

ATPL exam results - 1st module

Just a quick post.

Today we received our exam results from the IAA in Ireland here at PTC Florida. After completion of the examinations here in the US the invigilators return to Dublin to mark the papers and sort out any discrepancies in the paper, markings and/or results.

Today I got hold of my first set of four exam marks which go towards the total of fourteen ATPL sittings.

In Aircraft General Knowledge I scored 96%, Instruments 88%, Performance 94% and Principles of Flight 93% giving me an average of 93%.

Overall I was satisfied with the results however I was kind of expecting to score a little higher in three of the papers yet with regards to Instruments, which I believed to be an extremely difficult paper, I am more than happy!

Hoping to increase the average come the end of the next module...another update at the weekend!

Arrival

Well I've finally arrived.

Having had a fantastic evening on Friday I headed straight down to Gatwick to arrive in the early hours of Saturday morning ready to catch the first flight out to Dublin. In Gatwick I met a couple of the lads who were also travelling out and we waited patiently for the plane to the Irish capital.

The sun came up over a gorgeous morning in Gatwick. A quick one hour hop over to Ireland and we then had a 4 hour wait during transit. In Dublin (and Shannon in fact), the US Immigration authority have a station whereby passengers departing the America are able to clear immigration in the respective Irish city therefore arriving as a domestic flight. This is a superb idea as not only does it kill time at the departure point (during which you would otherwise be perusing the shops spending money on goods you really don't need or want) but also speeds up the process at the other end. I'd hate to have thought that we would have had to stand in a 1-2 hour queue in Orlando International (after the arrival of three UK flights) having endured a nine hour journey from the ROI. Anyway, having passed immigration we had little time to wait before boarding the Aer Lingus flight out to the States.

In Dublin the three of us that had originally congregated in Gatwick met up with a number of others. Having been placed in a middle seat and being quite tall I was dreading the flight however the aircraft had a significant number of empty seats meaning a number of us could spread out which was fantastic. By this point I'd reached sickly tired and was looking forward to nine hours of sleeping. However this was not the case and I spent much of the time either people watching or using the in flight entertainment.

Anyway, the flight passed without bother and upon arrival into Orlando International we again met up with more of our group. Unfortunately one who was travelling from Stockholm via Newark had a delayed flight from New York therefore did not join up with us until later on. The journey from the airport to the facilities was not a long one but it was a great time to get to know some of the people I'll be spending the next 14 months (and beyond!) with. They all seem a great bunch.

Having arrived at the accommodation we were all given our respective room assignments and were then left to settle in. Due to renovation of the new facilities we hope to be in by the end of the summer we are currently in something very similar to university halls. Personally I think it's great for getting to know the people on the course as it's very much more open and I wouldn't hesitate to say that it would be a good idea for all classes to start a similar way to ensure the group gel together. Upon arriving in the room we were greeted with our uniform. It was great to see what we'll actually be wearing and believe me - it's not the quickest thing to put on in a morning! Having unpacked (sort of) we headed out for something to eat and found a great little pizza place.

The following day was a day for us to visit the world famous Walmart Superstore and start to acclimatise ourselves to the weather and surroundings. As a group we visited the store to get supplies and then headed to Denny's for breakfast. It was something I have never seen before in all of my life. Bacon on an ice cream Sunday! The afternoon was spent at the mall and beach before again returning to the pizza restaurant for something to eat.

Today was the very first day of the course. Uniformed up, we went on a guided tour of the campus and in turn completed all of our tasks such as registering for ID cards, library, gym and postal boxes. The heat was quite unbearable, especially in shirt and tie. The initial holiday feel was well and truly gone.

This afternoon we went down to the 'Annex' where a number of classes will be held over the coming months. We again completed some more paperwork including registering with the relevant authorities so to keep in line with our student visas. We were also all given our flight bags with a substantial amount of gear that we will be using over the coming months. These included everything from headsets to books and measuring equipment to maps. It has certainly been an information overload sort of day but slowly but surely I'm sure I'll be able to take it all in.

Over here to get between the housing, Flightline (as you can guess, where we fly from) and the Annex we take specially laid on buses which run every fifteen minutes. This has been great in allowing us to talk to a number of students who have been here for a few months and to understand the workload involved. Let's just say we've seen a lot of red eyed, tired looking people walking around in pilots uniforms.

I've just looked over some of the books and it looks extremely daunting as to the amount of information we will have to absorb in such a short space of time. I don't think anyone can stress enough how much time and effort will have to be put into achieving that goal of a right hand seat.

Playing the waiting game

There isn't much to report this week really.

I've spent much of the past week trying to sell my car, get other administration in order and general tying loose ends. I never thought there would be so much to do before moving!

As I type I am awaiting my flight details and other relevant documents due before departure. Hopefully I’ll find these out before the end of this week.

While awaiting such information I am surfing my personal profile on the College’s extranet. It’s a fantastic tool, which brings together all the possible information I could possibly need before and I assume during training. Tips on life in Florida and Ireland, personal documents, course information and finance are just some of the options available.

So in the two weeks running up to departure it’s time to get packing and keep refreshing my inbox for that all important email!

It was also great to see Manchester United yesterday take one step closer to that historic 19th title yesterday.

Reality kicks in.

Having attended my medical a few weeks back it was simply a matter of waiting for the results. Before leaving the hospital I asked the chances of failing. The receptionist was very pleasant and just smiled and said "if there is a problem it would be discussed now." Handed me my receipt and then I left.

With this positive attitude I've waited a little over two weeks to hear back from the IAA in Ireland. Good news arrived on Thursday as the postman dropped off the golden ticket. Well, a green A4 sheet with a bunch of scribbles and the all important stamp of authentication.

With less than five weeks to go until departure, my medical certificate in the bag and US visa interview tomorrow the scary thought of this becoming a reality is slowly but surely starting to sink in. As I've mentioned before, it's been a long tiring journey so far and I haven't even left the UK yet!

I still very much have a long list of tasks to complete (which does seem to be getting longer!) before leaving the country. These range from giving up hobbies and professions to personal banking and a whole range of problems in between. It's a very odd situation. I'm used to a full calendar. Work, meetings and social events fill my weeks quite regularly and over the next five weeks I somehow have to reduce that from seven days per week to zero. I'm dropping things I love, stuff I'll miss as well as others which I am very happy to drop! The long term goal will hopefully make this all worthwhile.

So now I await tomorrow - one of the final fences to jump over before departure. By this time next week I hope to have all my paperwork in place for departure to Florida come May.