It all starts tomorrow

Since Thursday it's been a very good three days.

Friday was the day of the US FAA medicals. Upon taking my JAA (European medical) in March, it was a very stringent a thorough process testing and measuring many different parts of the body and mind. Compare that to what we experienced on Friday and it's very quick to see how much more in depth we Europeans take everything. Having spoken to a couple of people already into their respective courses, they also duplicate the theory that actually we in Europe are extremely strict in all things aviation which from a reputation point of view is great.

The actual test didn't really involve anything major. It covered urine sample, blood pressure, weight and height and short time with the doctor. Just a special thanks to the lads who had been in before hand who thought it would be amusing to add that there would also be a prostate examination. Very funny...Anyway a short while later we received our medical cards/certificates and it was off to the Flightline to have them copied and have a short tour around the place we would be spending a considerable amount of time in the next ten months.

Friday evening involved TGI Fridays and the cinema (or 'movies' as Americans like to call it). We went to see 'Hangover 2' which I must say was a pretty big disappointment.

Anyway, onto Saturday and after the first lie-in in a while a number of us headed to the beach for a couple of hours before retiring to the down town Melbourne Irish bar to watch the big game. Manchester United being taught a footballing lesson by arguably the greatest club side to walk the earth. Afterwards we returned to the halls before going out into Melbourne during the evening.

Today, after a short walk to the local Walmart we had a BBQ by the pool this afternoon which was very nice. On our heads be it tomorrow morning if anyone wakes up with food poisoning... This was followed by a game of outdoor basketball. It's amazing how much of a tan you can accumulate at sunset!

The evening is now here and it's time to get into the PPL (Private Pilot License) books for the coming 2-3 weeks of ground school. This involves learning many different areas for basic flying ranging from how the engine works to the weather. I'm sure I'll do a full in depth piece on the PPL in the near future. That all starts bright and early tomorrow morning at 8.30am.

To the books I depart...

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.

Jumping the hurdles

Last week I focused on the amount of paperwork involved in just being allowed to travel and learn on both sides of the Atlantic. It is very much built up like a 110-metre hurdle race. Speed and accuracy are of the essence. Jumping the different hurdles is proving to be difficult, tiring, time consuming and frustrating. However the final goal is always at the back of the mind and after leaping each hurdle the satisfaction outweighs any preceding problems encountered.

Last week's hurdle was most certainly the Class 1 medical all future and current commercial pilots much complete periodically to be allowed to fly. Having travelled out the night before, fasted for 14 hours and the medical beginning at 7.30am, I wasn't exactly in the best of shape for poking, prodding and even more paperwork. Having arrived at said time I began with eye tests. This involved initially what you would normally encounter at the opticians. It was quite embarrassing that although I could see the text the lack of sleep and starvation made it difficult to read the letters and words! Following this I had eye drops for both cataracts and glaucoma tests.

Paperwork again popped it's ugly head up throughout the morning. In between the dozens of questions I quickly completed my hearing test which involved sitting in a small room looking at a wall waiting to react to beeps in the earphones. If you've ever seen Mr and Mrs with Fern Britton and Philip Schofield it's just like that box but without the glitter. Following weight, height and blood pressure measurements I was sent for the worst part of the day.

The next three stages were very simple. ECG, blood tests and then a process of blowing into a tube. I'll come onto this later. Firstly the ECG took place with no problems whatsoever. I love how quickly private hospitals work - so quick and efficient. Then it was time for what I had been dreading the entire trip. The 'bloods.'

I'm very open in admitting I'm not the greatest fan of needles and blood. In fact the idea of a Saturday night with Casualty makes me feel sick even thinking about it. Who in their right mind thinks it's "interesting" as the trainee nurse said to me. "I don't watch Casualty - I watch the real programmes." Whatever rocks your boat love. Anyway, there is nothing worse than a student nurse standing there with a five foot needle (I'm not joking - honest!) while your strapped into a seat. Long story short she must have only just begun her on the job training as it took the senior nurse (on their fifth attempt) to get some blood out of my arm. Has left me with a lovely bruise as a memento. At least I got a free Lucazade.

Now that my torture was over I could start to relax a bit. I only had a few (most importantly non-intrusive!) processes left to complete. The next was the most peculiar. Sitting in a chair I then had to blow directly into this big tube which was connected to the computer. Apparently it is to measure the size and efficiency of the lungs and is only completed on one occasion throughout the career - I may be mistaken! I had to breathe in and blow out as fast as I possible could and hold for six seconds. The computer would then record the air flow and create this chart. I didn't really understand the process as at this point I was still tired, still hungry but worst of all down on the blood count but I did pass.

A urine test later I was then able to devour a lemon drizzle cake, Kit Kat and a bottle of coke to get the sugar levels back to somewhere near what they should have been.

A bit more waiting and paperwork it was now time to see the doctor who conducted a physical examination before giving me the good news he could find nothing wrong. All tests complete - it was time to head home (via the pub).

I'm a great lover of the art of people watching and the journey home was certainly no disappointment. Having played the 'Ryanair game' I'd bagged myself an emergency exit row seat with extra legroom for the short flight home. Another gentleman was also as fortunate on the other side of the isle. Having ordered a coffee and a small snack he duly went to lower his tray table in front of him. For both safety and practicality reasons the tray tables are, on emergency exit row seats, stored in the side of the seat. This elderly fellow was obviously unaware of this as he spent 10 minutes (and this is no exaggeration!) attempting to lower a table that simply didn't exist. After a good moan he finished his beverages and prepared himself for arrival. As he went to attach his seat belt for landing he discovered the tray table at the side of his seat. I've never seen an old man get so annoyed so quickly. I had a chuckle with the business man next to me as we descended into a murky Manchester.

Having completed the medical I now have to wait fifteen working days to hear as to whether I have been successful or not. I also now have to look forward to the visa interview in London in the coming weeks.

One more hurdle down.

Paperwork

The word everyone despises - paperwork. I think I hate the answer "it's there for a reason" even more. I'm quite used to it actually and find it bearable - just.

However, this past week I have learnt a new meaning to the word. The USA has one of the strictest boarders in the world, and rightly so. It also has one of the most strictly regulated airspaces in the world. Again - rightly so. On Friday I received all the information I would need to gain access not only to the 'land of the free' but also the skies above it.

We use the word 'paperwork' now more as a term for administration; after all we now live in the age of the internet. The first step I have to take is to apply to fly within the USA. This is focused solely online giving quick turnaround times - great! The second stage however (student visa) is somewhat more drawn out.

When the millions of people from across the world descend on Florida, and Orlando in particular every year, a significant number are usually able to take advantage of the American 'Visa Waver Programme' in force for certain countries which is usable throughout the country. This allows them to access the US for up to ninety days on business or pleasure and avoid the hours of paperwork associated with visas. A fantastic tool for encouraging both enterprise and tourism. However as I'm due to be studying in Melbourne for approximately ten months the government want to know a little bit more about my time in the sunshine.

The process now involves collating all the paperwork needed (thanks to the fantastic people working behind the scenes at the training college it's all brought together for me) and booking an interview at the US Embassy in London. This will then hopefully lead to the country offering me a US Visa for my time in America.

However before all this can take place I still have the small task of completing my medical in Dublin.

One by one I'm knocking down the barriers.