Knocking down the hours...Part II

Firstly, sorry for the long time between updates - I've been extremely busy this past week or so!

I know sit here writing having completed all of my single engine hours. Tuesday was the final day of making up time I was short.

Over the past week I have done so much with my flying it has been great and it is sad to see the end to the work horse that is the Piper Warrior. The thousands of miles I've taken inside the cockpit of the aircraft produced only down the road in Vero Beach have been busy, sometimes stressful, challenging and most importantly thoroughly enjoyable.

As much as instructors try to say that every one of them is the same it really isn't the case. They each have their own ways - some are good climbers, others very responsive on the controls. One thing I can say about each and every Warrior here at FIT is that they're maintained to a world class standard by a truly fantastic team of mechanics who quite literally work through the night to make sure as many aircraft are available as possible for students and rentals to use; even if that can sometimes drop below the number so dearly needed. I'm sure everyone would agree that they'd rather have wait for an airworthy aeroplane than take one there and then that is not.

My final few flights included a trip across to Tampa and then on down to West Palm International before returning home. This four hour flight completed the two that are included in the programme. It is great to get out of the local area and explore some of the major airports in Florida, especially in a state that is designed more so for general aviation than any other location on the planet.

In the US the air traffic control is much more well invested than what we will be used to in Europe (although when flying with airlines there is very little difference). However, for general aviation here in America we can really take advantage of the services on offer, the most frequently used and user friendly being flight following.

As VFR pilots we're supposed to be flying by reference to what we can see outside of the aircraft. This is all well and good but when entering or maneuvering around airspace that has jets moving at over 200kts at flight levels similar to those we operate it really is of benefit to use ATC.

The majority of the time is spent under our own navigation but with the assistance of the controllers can be vectored on altitudes, headings and traffic advisories. Working in much heavier airspace is a great benefit as it increases the workload and prepares us for what we face ahead in our careers.

Using flight following on these legs was fantastic. In fact all the controllers over here are very good at what they do and are also very used to students who may not have the skills and knowledge in place to react as those with increasing full log books would do. It is also to their credit the amount of patience they have in dealing with such people, effectively from all corners of the globe.

My final solo flight (well, in the progamme) was a two hour navigation flight. Since arriving here in Florida and began to fly I have always wanted to go into Orlando International (MCO). It's the gateway to the world famous theme parks and the majority of traffic heading to the northern parts of the state.

Handling over 35 million passengers per year it puts it just ahead of the likes of Gatwick (albeit it with three additional runways) and the second largest here in Florida after Miami. The flight went very well and with the help of Orlando Approach and the tower I was in and out of the airport within minutes before heading back to the practice area to prepare for the internal check ride known as 3.D.15 due a couple of days after.

During the run in to completing my hours I was extremely lucky with the weather and aircraft availability. There has recently been a shortage in the number of planes, mainly caused by an unexpected rise in aircraft having to enter the hanger for maintenance issues. Hopefully this will be sorted as soon as possible and the usual number of aircraft available will resume.

After completing another two duals with my instructor I was then ready to take the all important 3.D.15.

3.D.15 is an internal check ride and is designed to be the final single engine flight students take before moving on to the twin engine Seminole to complete the Multi-engine Commerical Pilot's License (MEP/CPL). The flight is conducted by either the Chief Flight Instructor or another senior pilot within the company. The idea is to complete a full review of everything that we have learnt in the Piper Warrior and moving forward if we are prepared to cope with the increased work load experienced in it's larger brother.

The flight went well and having discussed my hours with the CFI I was told that I needed to complete an one hour solo and just under one hour dual to meet the minimum required hours outlined under the JAA scheme we currently reside under.

I spent one hour in the pattern here on my own before in the afternoon taking to the air on my final single engine flight.

My instructor and I decided we would head up to NASA and complete the low approach now possible over the 15,000ft runway.

With 0.9 of an hour it was going to be tight but managable. We made the low approach only 100ft above the runway heading over it to the north. We then made a right teardrop and flew down the opposite end to the south.

I wasn't aware of the shear size of the facility. Not only is the runway ridiculously long but the launch pads that we could see in the distance really did show the scale of the operation that has and continues to go on here in Florida.

It was quite surreal seeing below us where history has been made on so many occasions - a truly memorable trip that I would recommend to anyone who is flying general aviation or flight training here in Florida.

So, with 3.D.15 complete, my single engine hours in the record books it was time to prepare for the Seminole. As I said at the start, I've had a great time learning how to fly in the Warrior. It's an aeroplane I would almost insist anyone with a pilots license get to at least take for one or two flights.

A true work horse.

The Piper Seminole. The big brother to the Warrior. Two engines each producing 180bhp accelerate the aircraft to it's rotation speed of 75kts (just over 80mph) within seconds.

The design of each engine is more complex than that of the Warrior and it's something that is particularly interesting to learn. So far I have had one lesson in the twin with more coming over the next five days.

With the intensity of the course (the plan is to be out of here in just over two weeks) it's definitely worth getting as many back seats as it is possible. Over the last few days I have managed to get in the back for two flights.

With such an increase in the amount of work within a reduced time period as the plane travels at higher speeds that we're used to it is a great surprise but a challenge I'm sure we'll all relish.

Wind, wind and more wind...

Since the end of ATPLs it's all been about flying as much as possible. Flying is the sole restriction now (well...apart from an internal CPL test at the end of next week) between me and a twin-engined Piper Seminole.

My new instructor was quite pro-active and scheduled me for four solos over four days - fantastic! I had the opportunity to knock thirteen hours of flying within such a short space of time!

Eagerly checking the weather on Friday afternoon my heart sank. The weather on Saturday morning was to be fantastic. A cold from was passing from the north on Friday evening bringing with it some spectacularly high pressure the following morning. This is great for flying. Clear skies and cool temperatures are a pilots dream; what isn't is the winds that are almost always associated with it.

Winds gusting into the mid-twenty knots meant I wouldn't be getting back into the air as soon as I'd planned.

Sunday morning, god must have taken a rest and blessed us all with calm, cool conditions. Got to love that guy! 

Flight planning complete, it was time to head off to Fort Lauderdale! The flight was due to run just under three hours with strong northerly winds creating a fast outbound flight and a long, slow in bound journey. The plan was to enter the pattern in Melbourne on the return flight to finish off the journey.

I departed Melbourne and began the flight south. Melbourne international and the area around 20 miles south of the city comes under the ATC jurisdiction of Orlando Approach. For convenience it always seems easier to continue VFR squawking 1200 until reaching Sebastian, an un-towered airport on the boarder of Orlando/Miami Approach. 

"Miami Approach, N642FT with VFR request."

"N642FT, negative. Airspace too busy due to IFR traffic."

Just my luck. It was either continue the flight without flight following or head somewhere else, preferably north. It was at that point a cunning plan that'd I'd previously seen used entered my head. I turned around and pointed the nose in my original departure airport. Just outside of Melbourne's airspace I again made a 180 degree turn back to the south.

"Orlando Approach, N642FT with VFR request."

"N642FT go-ahead."

Result! This allowed me to register my flight following giving me ATC to Fort Lauderdale. Soon afterwards, as I again approached Sebastian airport I was passed over to Miami Approach.

"Miami Approach, N642FT with you."

"N642FT roger."

Having got one over on ATC I continued my journey passing Vero Beach, Fort Pierce and Stuart. In land I could see a large fire taking place on the ground causing quite a few problems for a number of aircraft on the same frequency who were suffering from reduced visibility caused by the smoke.

With a bit of a tail wind causing a ground speed of 125kts (144mph) West Palm Beach (a large city north of Fort Lauderdale) came into sight.

The very nice lady on West Palm Approach frequency asked me which runway I would prefer - 9L or 9R. Considering where the port is placed and my route after leaving the runway in Fort Lauderdale I opted for 9R which would allow me a low pass over the shoreline. Little did I know - this wouldn't just be a short trip at such a low altitude!

"2FT, descend and maintain 2,500ft. On approach you will head directly over the field to enter the right downwind for 9R. Maintain 2,500 until turning downwind."

What I was hoping for! Directly passing over the airport before turning to make an approach on to the requested runway - this was turning out to be a good day!

"2FT, cleared for touch and go. After departure, head east until the shoreline. Upon reaching the shoreline head north at or below 500ft."

500ft?! This was going to be fantastic!

While turning final I was asked the following by ATC. "2FT, out of your left side, confirm sight of traffic. Type Jetblue Airbus A320 on short final runway 9L."

I looked to my left and in what looked like an arms length a European manufactured commercial airliner was partnering me on to solid ground. A mesmeric sight.

A quick touch and go in a windy Fort Lauderdale and I was airborne within a very short period of time. It was very odd leveling out at 500ft . Our standard procedure is to climb on runway heading to at least 700ft before making a turn.

Cruising over the shoreline at 500ft I made a turn towards home. The coast would take me directly back to the home city here in the US. I asked on a number of occasions to be cleared back to a reasonable cruising altitude but was refused every time; I wasn't complaining too much - the views were fantastic!

Finally, having passed below the airspace surround West Palm Beach their approach allowed me to climb up to a respectable 4,500 feet for the journey back to Melbourne.

It was a pleasant flight back. The winds were as predicted and it took some time for the international airport to come in to sight.

Due to the ATC dodging earlier in the morning I had used up the allocated time I was allowing for a few landings and also owing to a well overdue bathroom break I proceeded back to the ramp.

The winds had considerably increased since the departure three hours earlier so it made for a challenging yet satisfying approach.

Three wheels on the ground I taxied back to base and shut down the engine. Arguably my favourite flight yet.

Today was the same story as that of Friday. The winds were predictable last night and having exceeded 30kts today it was a certainty that another enjoyable afternoon in the air wasn't going to happen.

Tomorrow is the start of three days I have been looking forward to for months. We're finally going to be taking our upset recovery training.

This involves a ground school covering the subjects we will be learning about over the coming three days followed by five hours in the Extra 300 (those famously used in the Red Bull air races.

This course is designed pretty much as described. To train pilots on how to recover from flight situations which can be extremely dangerous to both the aircraft, those on board and people on the ground. There have been a number of incidences where an aeroplane has got itself into a situation whereby the pilot's are not trained to deal with. I am of the understanding that a number of the maneuvers that we will be covering are also not taught in the simulator training during the type rating stage of training.

I'm also hoping we can do a couple of loops too!

Tomorrow also is the day that some of the family is coming out to visit. Arguably not the best time (although since last summer there hasn't really been any good time!) to come out but I'll hopefully get to see them as much as possible.

With the weather causing problems and a list of flights I need to get through it looks like the next five or six weeks will be extremely busy and there will simply be no time for rest.

Pretty similar to the past six months really...

Back in at the deep end

So I'm now back in Florida and it's been a tough couple of days with more to come!

I left a very windy Manchester on Thursday morning and made my way back across the Atlantic to Orlando and then on to Melbourne in the Sunshine state. Leaving Manchester was quite interesting. As many in north western Europe will know the winds have been extremely strong over the past week and come 10.30am on Thursday it was no different. The winds were so strong that as we boarded and waited to leave the gate the plane could be felt rocking in the airflow. Not only this, upon pushing back from the gate we had to wait for twenty minutes due to cargo containers sat by aircraft stands which had been carried by the weather and were now sat covering the main taxiways. The captain advised he would refrain from starting the taxi until all had been safely removed to save 'embarrassment' on behalf of the airline and airport in the case of one again been thrown into the air and in the worst case scenario striking the aircraft.

Anyway, we were soon airborne and after an extremely bumping departure we quickly got above the clouds and on our way to the US.

After landing in Orlando I joined the long and laborious immigration line which lived up to it's infamous name. Finally arriving at the desk I was asked kindly to follow the immigration official into a room for secondary checks. I wasn't thoroughly informed as to why this was the case at the time but soon enough my documents were returned and I was able to leave the arrivals facility and meet up with some of my fellow students before the journey back to Melbourne.

Shortly after arriving back and unpacking I was on to the computer to see if any flights had been scheduled by my instructor. True to his word the following morning I would be flying bright and early - at 7am. I'd been awake many hours and with the five hour time difference it added extra time on to an already long day. I had to get some shut eye.

Waking up the following morning bright and early (not long after 5am!) I headed to the Flightline. Since returning I was quickly informed that the weather was not what it had been when we left less than three weeks ago. It was apparently much cooler when the sun set and as was said I soon felt the chill (even after enduring the English winter for two weeks) of a cool Floridian January morning.

The aircraft was prepped and ready to go. Just one problem - mist. Unfortunately until the obscurity had burnt itself off it wasn't possible to get back into the air for the first time in 2012. To keep the plan alive I delayed the flight and went for breakfast at a local diner with three other students. Arriving back around 10am the weather had improved quite considerably and I was able to soon get back into the seat and head towards the runway.

The checklist had been thoroughly 'checked' and I sat there, waiting to make my first radio call of the new year. If I was to ask every student here the worst part of the flying (apart from the paperwork of course) the majority would most likely say it is making that initial radio call at the run up area. It's a very simple request to the controller and we have all done in many times yet it's one of those things that we all just have to sit there for all but a couple of seconds and just think - "what on earth do I have to say?!"

Luckily I got the first call under my belt correctly and it all flowed back. Within minutes I was pointing towards the sky and heading south. The air was still cool which helped the aeroplane climb much quicker than would normally be the case. Soon enough I was at my cruising altitude of 6,500ft. Aircraft configured, radio checks complete and check lists again re-checked I got to again appreciate some of the glorious views on offer here on the east coast of the United States. Only twenty four hours earlier I was being rocketed into the tropopause in a metal (well...composite...) tube containing some of Europe's latest technology while now I sat in an aircraft designed in the seventies (albeit kitted out with twenty first century navigation equipment) cruising at 117 knots (135mph) just a mile above the earth's surface. The difference being, this time I was in control.

Soon enough I was ready to begin the descent into Okeechobee, somewhere I had been many times before. With the terminal information gathered (the weather for the particular airfield and any other relevant information) I began the approach. One thing was for certain - it was going to be quite windy!

After a few landings (which went OK - safe but not what passengers would 'appreciate' had their been many in the back) I headed back to Melbourne, this time at a lower altitude of 3,500ft. This allowed me to experience a more detailed view of the landscape and get some great shots.

"FIT 37, cleared to land Runway 5."

So that was that - first flight of 2012 complete. Although it had been quite an effort to get myself organised and ready for the trip so quickly after returning to the US I was especially pleased to get it under my belt.

Again today I was scheduled for a 7am solo flight. As yesterday I arrived nice and early and again the weather told the same story - fog. Due to me also having a dual flight with my old instructor at 10.30am I unfortunately had to cancel the flight as I simply did not have the time to wait and fit the journey in before the following lesson.

I'm hoping to get my FAA PPL in as soon as possible and after cancelling the mock check ride before going home for Christmas this has now been reorganised for Monday. Before this I wanted to get a flight in with either my current or old instructor so that I was able to iron out any creases that had formed over the past few weeks on the ground while at home in Europe - and indeed there were a few!

Luckily I was able to get a flight with my old instructor who took me up for two hours and went through the majority of the procedures and manoeuvres that would be covered in the FAA check ride. It was great to get some feedback on areas I need to work on and hopefully there will be an improvement come the mock flight.

So, having gotten out of bed at not long after 5am for the past couple of days I was looking forward to taking the Sunday off to relax before the flight on Monday and the ATPL classes which start again on Tuesday but no, tomorrow morning by 6am at the very latest I'll be at the Flightline preparing another solo cross country flight. It's certainly not something that I am complaining about and I am extremely happy to be getting as many flights as possible under my belt as the CPL training lies only nine weeks away.

So, a busy few days and a few more to come - and that's before we start class again this week!

Next week I'll give more information on the final module including the subjects and the new changes with regards to the timetables.

Time for bed - another early start in the morning.

Home

Whether it be in the centre of a bustling city or down a quiet country lane it’s always the same – it’s home.

We now live in a world where we can travel with ease across boarders at costs unimaginable twenty (even ten!) years ago. As the world becomes a smaller place and business moves ever more quickly ; the phrase “leaving the nest” has become a lot more distant than ever before.

There are certain times of year, different in different cultures, where those, wherever they may be, come together to celebrate or simply to reunite for old time sake. For those in the Christian world, this time of year is more prominent than any other.

Over the past seven months away from home I’ve worked pretty hard. Through long days and short nights it has been a rollercoaster of emotions and something twelve months ago I would never have dreamed of encountering. It’s almost been surreal but here I am, back to spend three weeks with family and friends over the festive period.

Having concluded the short stay in Orlando we headed to the airport for the flights back to our respective countries and more particularly cities. The flight to Manchester was delayed by one hour due to snow the previous day here in the UK; having a knock on effect on the airline’s schedule. As predicted the plane arrived sixty minutes late into Orlando International and the operation got underway to turn the aircraft around as soon as possible.

Plane fed, cleaned and refreshed we took off into the night sky and headed north east bound out into the Atlantic Ocean. Thanks to some impressive tailwinds the flight time was reduced to seven hours meaning an on time arrival into the northern city.

Living in a climate that would feel embarrassed below twenty degrees Celsius, landing in Manchester where a frosting of snow covered as far as the eye could see was a bit of a shock to the system. The first time I’d seen the white stuff since I was last at the airport in January!

Touchdown was particularly impressive after a smooth ride. To add to a very good flight, spending only twenty minutes from disembarking the aircraft to leaving the terminal it was impressive to see the new passport chip system in operation – fantastic idea!

So here I am. Back at home. It’s been seven months; and it’s most certainly been worth the wait…

Round two complete - countdown to home begins...

So the exams are finished and it's almost time to return to the UK for Christmas.

Monday through Wednesday saw everyone here at PTC who are currently taking the ATPL exams sit their respective subjects.

For myself, all five tests went well and I'm hoping to receive the results within the next few weeks.

Since we finished on Wednesday I was hoping to relax until returning home this weekend however on Tuesday evening I became aware that I would be having my mock-check ride on the Thursday morning. So, having completed however many hours sat in my room learning about the relevant ATPL subjects I now had less than twenty four hours to cover a number of different subjects relating to the aircraft we fly, US airspace, pilot performance and much more.

So, up at 6am the following day. Slightly tired and a head ready to burst with information I arrived at the Flightline slightly after 7am. The weather was looking good - almost cloudless and a cool (well...21 degrees Celsius) morning in eastern Florida. I started to prep for the oral and the following flight.

Due to a number of reasons the flight was cancelled in favour of rescheduling it in January. It was disappointing, especially with the amount of effort that went into preparing, but was completely understandable.

The rest of Thursday was spent resting the brain and starting to look forward to the journey home.

Awaking today (Friday) I became aware of  how little I had done to prepare for the journey home. A list of jobs needed to be completed before finishing off the packing.

This evening a few of us had dinner in the local Irish bar before heading up to Orlando to spend the rest of the time here in the US before the festive season in the villa of my roommate. En route we made a detour and headed towards a place known as 'Celebration,' a small town off the beaten track. It's known for it's perfection and cleanliness. It was quite an interesting site to see!

With all the Christmas decorations on display and the inability to spot an imperfection in the entire town it was something to behold.

Anyway, it's now time for bed and it will be the last time I post from Melbourne for a few weeks. Home bound begins soon - the countdown continues...

Module 2, one week down as Australia comes to a stand still

It seems only days ago that we travelled to the Annex on the bus to our very first ATPL lesson however I now sit here nine weeks on having completed our first week of the second module. The five subjects before Christmas cover General Navigation, Flight Planning, Radio Navigation, IFR Communications and VFR Communications respectively.

This module involves ground school over three days of the week and self study for the remaining four. The classes start at 9am and on certain days run through until 6.30pm in the evening. 

So far we have had General Navigation, Flight Planning and Radio Navigation as the two communication courses are much shorter in length than the other three and will come into the module in the coming weeks. The set up is exactly the same as previous. We have five weeks of ground school with weekly tests in each subject followed by one week of Consolidation exams, a revision week and then the real IAA exams. 

With a three day week we didn't begin proceedings until Wednesday which meant we had Monday and Tuesday off. Having seen Manchester United fall to the hands of the noisy neighbours quite emphatically on the Sunday morning I was very much looking forward to the flight on the Sunday evening.

Having arrived at the Flightline my instructor told me that he was to run out of hours before we would land back in Melbourne later in the evening. Therefore it was decided we would plan a shorter route north to Sanford, an airport north west of Orlando International and is mainly used by low cost and European charter airlines. 

The sun started to fall below the horizon as we departed waited for taxi clearance from Melbourne Tower.

"FIT 42, taxi Runway 5 via victor. Hold short Runway 5 at victor."

Pre take-off checks complete.

"Melbourne Tower, FIT 42 is holding short of Runway 5 at victor, ready for departure."

"FIT 42, cleared for take-off Runway 5, proceed on course to the north west."

We lined up with the smallest runway here in Melbourne. Part of the line up checks are to check that the heading indicator (HDI) is corresponding with the small compass placed midway up the cockpit window directly between the two pilots. With the Avadine glass cockpit that a number of FIT's aircraft are fitted with this isn't necessary as there simply isn't a manual HDI thanks to the many computers taking care of figures and representations we see on the screens in front of us.

"Ts & Ps are in the green (temperature and pressure gauges); airspeed is alive...55 knots, rotate."

The little Warrior lifted into the autumn sky as I pitched for the most efficient climb speed of 79 knots. She had recently been fitted with a new engine and the effects were quite noticeable as she climbed quite impressively, turning on course to our destination.

We soon left Melbourne's airspace as we powered on through 1900ft, aiming our sights on our cruising altitude for the thirty five minute flight of 4500ft. 

We made contact with Orlando Approach who guided us through to Sanford where we completed one touch and go before departing back to Melbourne. With a small amount of time remaining we asked to enter the pattern at the home airport and completed a few more touch and go's before calling it a night.

The flight to and from Sanford was my first flight in over a month but it was good to get it under my belt and get back into the swing of things. I wouldn't say the landings were anywhere near textbook but I was satisfied all the same.

The glass cockpit on board the Piper Warrior

Monday and Tuesday were spent relaxing and not having to think about anything to do with theory work however come Wednesday morning we were well and truly back into the swing of things.

General Navigation is very much focused on maths theory and we have been working this week on calculating changes in coordinates based on different factors such as speed and varying latitudes/longitudes - something I am finding quite interesting.

Flight Planning is pretty much exactly how it's named. We have so far covered basic map reading and different fuel requirements for different trips - something very relevant for future commercial piloting. 

Finally Radio Navigation, something I have yet to see the joys of. For me it is like picking the worst areas of high school physics and putting them into an intense course. This week has been very theory based however looking further into the course areas such as instrument approaches and navigation are covered which will hopefully ease the boredom that has started to creep in.

All in all a very good week in the classroom which I be matched with good results in the coming week's tests. We shall see I'm sure...

On another note, I started writing this at lunchtime yesterday (Saturday) and after reading the news it was quite shocking to see what is happening out in Australia, in fact unprecedented. 

For the national airline, a well known iconic airline to make such a move is outstanding and I'm sure it will do only damage to the name of company. Not good for the industry...

How this flying stuff works

Having found out that my instructor would be changing on Thursday it was the following day I would find out who would be continuing my training for the foreseeable future. I was pleased to see that it was in fact the instructor I would have chosen had I had the choice. Having back-seated on a couple of his flights I like his teaching style and look forward to working with him.

Late last week saw six of us on the May 2011 course take a break and head up to Orlando for the weekend. One of those on the course has parents who own a property in the area and therefore on Friday evening we set off north. Having hired two cars we eventually managed to stop off for something to eat. Lake Okeechobee, one of the largest lakes in Florida, has a high concentration of catfish and said restaurant specialised in such delicacies as catfish and alligator. Now I am one for trying different foods but unfortunately these two do not fall into that category and I stayed with the tried and tested cow meat.

Saturday morning was spent by the villa's pool and just enjoying being away from what we know here in Melbourne. In the afternoon we ventured to Florida Mall, quite well known for it's size. Having never been before I was quite surprised and disappointed at how small it was compared to the reviews. It is what I would class as a large shopping centre in the UK, something along the lines of The Trafford Centre, Manchester. Shopping done, stomachs full we headed back to the house.

Today was spent mainly by the pool and heading back to Melbourne. Although it wasn't the most eventful weekend I've experienced, it was just great to get away from here for a few days.

Also, a special thanks to those parents who did let us stay at their villa this weekend. I know that from time to time you read this - it was very much appreciated! :-)

Anyway, having gone through my weekend I thought it about time I explain how the whole process of flying here in Melbourne works. I've covered things such as the how the basic airport pattern works and what I do in the air but not much about what goes on on the ground before and after the flight.

When working with an instructor the idea is as you would expect any lesson plan. Discuss the lesson learnings before, practice during and evaluate when back on the ground. I'm going to base this on a non-navigational flight. I will discuss navigation flight planning at a later date.

Upon arriving as the Flightline I check in for our flight with one of the dispatchers. It is usually at this point we are told our aircraft for the day and I can from then start planning for the flight.

Initially I need to get hold of the aircraft's weight and balance figures. Adding in the weight of both my instructor and myself as well as any other baggage plus fuel. A Piper Warrior will carry up to 50 gallons of fuel, 25 gallons in each tank. 48 of these are usable, the other 2 not for different reasons. The flight school here fill up the tanks before every flight therefore one can always assume to be carrying 48 gallons on the weight and balance sheet.

Once the weights are inserted the aircraft's centre of gravity (CG) can be calculated. There is an envelope of limits in which the CG must fall for the aircraft to be airworthy. Should the CG be too far forward the aircraft will become too nose heavy and pitching the nose will be a struggle. If the CG is too far back (aft) then the pitch will be far greater and more forward pressure on the yoke would be needed.

The basic idea of calculating the weight and balances is so that when the aircraft is airborne it is able to be operate within it's safe operating limits. Following this I will get the METAR information (weather) for the local area at the current time and in the coming few hours. This will allow me to calculate the aircraft's performance levels in the current conditions such as take-off distances and speed rates.

Once these have been done and filed with dispatch I am then able to get hold of the aircraft binder. This gives me the information regarding engine figures and maintenance records over a certain period of time. It also contains the key for the airplane.

At this point I am then able to go and be dispatched by PTC's arm. They provide me with all the lesson plans as well as a black can containing all sorts of legal documentation I hopefully will never have to call upon. With all flight school and PTC information checked and cross checked I can then approach my instructor who will run through with me the plans and goals for the lesson ahead.

This usually involves a short brief on the different things we will be doing and any questions/schooling that can be done on the ground to save time in the air.

Brief done and documents signed we head out to the aircraft to pre-flight. The process up to this point can take up to 30-40 minutes. Under FAA regulations, wearing high visibility jackets is not must however as we're training under JAA we must, by law, be correctly attired which includes such safety features.

Each instructor has different ways of working with the student to pre-flight the aeroplane. It is always the case that the student will fully inspect the aircraft before the flight which includes checking the cockpit, lights, moving parts, wheels, fuel and much more. This takes place before every flight from the small Piper Warrior all the way up to and including the heavy commercial jets. The instructors often then confirm the relevant checks have been done and the next part of the paperwork is checked, completed and signed off. Now for the flying!

After landing and taxiing in to the ramp more paperwork is checked and completed including the aircraft's figures which basically calculate the time in which the engines were running and therefore how long the flight was to the nearest tenth of an hour (6 minutes). After re-securing the aircraft we close the flight by visiting the flight school dispatch and then PTC.

Following this my instructor and I will then run through the lesson, discussing positives and what needs to be worked on and anything in between. Any questions or problems I may have had can then be discussed and clarified before closing the lesson with PTC. This can end up with a pass of the exercise or a failure (the dreaded red paper!) In a future post I'll run through the lesson plans including how they are assessed.

Lesson done and then back onto the bus back to get showered and changed.

That is a very basic insight into how the before and after flying works on an exercise flight. I didn't want to go into great detail regarding the paperwork as the majority of it, in fact all of it, is boring and monotonous and although is something I am going to have to become accustomed to for the rest of my life, it's not something I like to talk about all too often. I'm sure over time I'll be publishing more posts describing this in much more detail as the workload in flight increases and inevitably a linear pattern occurs on the ground.

This week I hope to get up in the air on Tuesday with my new instructor for the first time. With it being almost a week since I was last up I'm rather looking forward to not only getting back into the plane but also with a new teacher who will hopefully be not only able to offer me advice moving forward but maybe a different perspective on practices I'm already getting accustomed to.

I think I'm getting used to how this flying stuff works...

Finally, something that may not have appeared around the world in the news but here in Florida a small aircraft crash took place yesterday involving three people. The plane was based here in Melbourne but crashed nine miles from Valkaria, an un-manned airfield mentioned in earlier posts only a few miles south of here.

Taking advantage of the time we have

Over a week has passed and another week closer to those looming six months of studying. I keep mentioning on here, far too often in fact, that the time is passing us by so quickly but it is so very true. Over eight weeks down here in Florida, approximately thirty two more to go.

With regards to my own personal flying over the past week it has been very much focused on what is known as 'flying under the hood.' This basically constitutes flying with no outside visibility to the student pilot. There are a couple of devices that can be used to do this. Firstly are the 'foggles' which we were issued with during our induction week. These are basically glasses as you would expect a lab worker to wear however the majority of the plastic lenses are covered in a foggy material similar to that of some bathroom windows. The other option is what I would call half a dog collar. It's basically exactly that with an elastic strap around one end which goes around the head and the dog collar covers the view north of level sight. I prefer the latter which is more effective in blocking any outside view and therefore helps combat the temptation of 'cheating.'

The idea of these lessons is to teach us how to fly the aircraft solely on the instruments we have in front of us. Fortunately we have been able to use the glass cockpit aircraft which not only make it easier for working with navigational aids but give that little sense of the future in the airline industry with regards to the tools we will be using. Obviously the depth the systems go into is no where near as hi tech as those in the jets you and I fly as passengers everyday but they're the nearest thing to it - for now anyway!

By using the instruments we are able to learn how to fly and navigate heights, speeds, rates, distances, locations and much more, often multiples at a time. It was quite challenging and very tiring but extremely enjoyable. I've probably enjoyed the past few hours more so than any other stage of my training so far. Having a great instructor also helps.

Anyway, so having completed 10 hours or so in the past week it was great to have a weekend off and it's been quite eventful I must say! On Saturday I again back seated a flight (or four!)

We left Melbourne International at 7am to head down again to Fort Lauderdale and this time we were successful in making a touch and go at the airport. Fort Lauderdale is quite a large airport handling multiple daily scheduled flights across the country and on certain days transatlantic flights so this was my first time of entering airspace such as this. Being a passenger it was great to see what I'll be doing most likely this coming week as I begin my navigation cross country flights.

After departure from Fort Lauderdale we headed in land to cross Florida to Naples on the Caribbean coast.

The state of Florida is not the smallest in the USA but when flying directly over the top of it it can be covered quite quickly, even at low speeds around 100mph. Less than an hour later we made a full stop landing in Naples and headed to the Fixed Base Operator (FBO) to take advantage of their facilities.

Having filled up with fuel we departed Naples and headed north to Tampa. Tampa international is one of the larger airports in Florida taking in hundreds of scheduled movements and thousands of passengers every day. When flying a cross country flight it is always an advantage to take 'Flight Following.' This is pretty much as read. When operating a VFR flight it is not always a necessity to contact Air Traffic Control (ATC). However, by being tracked by ATC at all times it makes the pilot's job that little bit easier. It allows he/she to be directed by the controller on the ground which takes away quite a lot of the navigation and helps the pilot concentrate on flying the aircraft.

In busy airspace such as Miami and Orlando this can be quite stressful however listening to your call sign, directions, vectors, weather advisories etc. Having listened to such frequencies for a few hours now I can start to appreciate how hard it can be however I must always remember that upon returning home I'll be hoping to fly in UK airspace which is without doubt one of the busiest on the planet! 

Anyway, with Flight Following giving us our altitudes and headings we could being our approach into Tampa. The airport has three runways, two parallel and one running perpendicular through one of the parallels. It was clear very early on that the two major runways were being used for incoming and outgoing commercial jets and the latter for smaller aircraft needing access to certain FBO's. 

On approach we were sent pretty much directly over down town Tampa. Following a left turn onto final we made a full stop landing in Tampa International Airport for lunch.

Final approach into Tampa

Tampa International Airport

After landing we taxied to the Signature FBO (one of the largest ground service companies in the US) who quickly parked us up, sorted out of fuel order and presented us with a free complimentary car for our stay.

One of the perks of flying around the US is the free car hire often available. We then headed over the road to the International Mall for some lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. Definitely recommended!

After lunch we returned to the airport, got our flight information and weather, sorted fuel payment and headed to the plane for the cross state flight back to Melbourne.

The flight back to Melbourne was fantastic in terms of ease. We departed on the opposite runway to our arrival and the runway heading pointed us almost directly towards our final destination. Cross the state there are a number of areas to avoid as either private or commercial airline pilots. The two we encountered en route were the military practice areas and the Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over Disney World. However due to our course we were able to stay directly on course and avoid said areas quite comfortably.

As we approached Melbourne we got the Airport Terminal Information (ATIS) for the airport. This tells us the main components of the local weather around the field, the runway information and any other notices that should be known to pilots operating within the area. Luckily for us the winds were favourably meaning we were able to land on the runway we were directly lined up with for over 100 miles. 

With a Delta jet ten miles ahead touching down well before ourselves it left the runway completely clear. Auto-pilot was used until on final and after a very good landing by the Pilot in Command (PIC) we were given taxi instructions onto ramp. The final flight of the day complete and a great way to finish. Although I wasn't piloting the aircraft it was fantastic experience for me to get over five hours flight time of just observing what I will be doing over the coming months.

Having had a great day on Saturday, Sunday was just as good. The time we have available at the moment means we have a lot of free time. We are in one of the most beautiful areas of the United States and we are definitely trying to take advantage of this. Sunday morning, nice and early at 8am we left the dorms and headed towards the docks. The morning would be spent on two speed boats wizzing around the river that runs between two land masses. With water skis, donuts and refreshments packed we headed out.

The morning was spent relaxing, exploring and just generally enjoying ourselves. It was great to get out onto the water and have a bit of fun with the boats. 

For anyone coming to Florida I would definitely recommend hiring a car and getting out of the usual tourist traps of Orlando and head for the coasts. Melbourne, although not the best tourist resort, there are still some fantastic things to do - this certainly being one of them and for a fraction of the price you would expect to pay back in Europe.

The afternoon was spent resting and recuperating plus I also had my first flight plan to prepare for the following day. Yesterday was my first cross country flight, well all 51 miles of it. Having completed two hours of ground school my instructor and I headed for a popular un-towered airport of Okeechobee to the south west of Melbourne. It was great to finally put into practice what we have learnt and manipulate it into something resembling what our job in the long term will involve. Altitudes, headings, speeds, RPMs, fuel flows, weather and radio frequencies all had to be calculated, recorded and prepared before departure. 

The flight went really well and having returned to Melbourne we debriefed on any problems and questions that needed answering - luckily there weren't many!

Today's flight was a complete mix of everything we've done over the past week or so with a new element of diverting while en route. I filed a flight plan the same as yesterday but during the flight my instructor said we were diverting to another airport. While still flying the plane the idea is then to quickly yet accurately plan your route to that new airfield including heading, distance, time en route, estimated time of arrival and fuel used during that time. Although it is a hell of a lot to do at once I did find it quite manageable as we had discussed it in great detail yesterday therefore I was aware of what needed doing and when. Following this we revisited the 'under the hood' work before a simulated engine failure followed by pattern work in Valkaria, a small non-towered airfield south of Melbourne.

Again the flight went really well with only minor topics to cover in terms of development. However some bad news did come today in that I'll be reassigned a new instructor within the next few days. The reason for this is that my current instructor is being taken to concentrate more on the latter stages of the training here in Florida. Having started flying only a few weeks ago the amount I have learnt has been mainly down to him. His teaching style is very suited to me and and I'm quite disappointed to be losing him. Hopefully when I get to the Commerical Pilot License (CPL) stage of my training early next year I'll get him back!

So at the moment I sit in a bit of an odd place not knowing when I'm next flying and who it will be with! Take advantage of the time you have...

An amazing day

As many people know I'm one of the world's best (or worst, dependent on how you look at it) moaners and I can do it with the best of them but today has been an almost life changing day.

Since Monday we have been doing a number of exercise and sitting in a number of lectures with my respective classmates for the next 14 months. Many have been about rules and procedures, the dos and don'ts etc. To be very honest, they weren't the most exciting lectures I'll ever sit through.

We currently are being taken care of, during our induction week by three fantastic PTC members of staff who are not just kind but also really passionate about their jobs, the students and the company. The 'main man' this week is really something special. Not only does he have a voice to rival those of Denzel Washington or Morgan Freeman, he has a background and an ideology to match. He is one of those people you cannot help but listen to. His ideas about life are quite inspiring and the advice and tuition he has given this week has been absolutely top draw.

This afternoon he had us taking part in an activity that, for me, put a new slant on life. Since our arrival, the 13 of us who met in London, Dublin and Orlando have worked and socialised as a group which has been great. Earlier today we took part in an exercise which was designed for us to interact more with the half a dozen or so other men who have since joined our group. They are all from Kazakhstan (a country put on the map by the infamous Borat film) and have been sent here by their national carrier to become the next wave of pilots of the country's flagship airline.

Our groups were designed so that all were able to intermingle. We were each able to talk and share information about our backgrounds, our likes and dislikes and our beliefs. It was absolutely amazing to find out about a country I have never really studied (or much thought about!) before. Their culture brings them up to act like absolute gentleman and the backgrounds of a number of them have been so interesting. One being an agricultural pilot flying old soviet planes in Southern Russia and another the U19 football (soccer) national goalkeeper!

I've always been interested in learning about different cultures from countries we 'Westerners' are not too familiar with. I've been luck enough to go to places like Shanghai in China, Jerusalem in Israel and Havana in Cuba. Each country has it's own type of fascinating people and the Kazakhs are right up there with the best of them.