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.

No time to think

It has been an extremely long week for all students and their families both across the pond in Florida and here in Ireland.

In Europe the Irish and British governments are sending representatives to speak to those in the United States about proceedings for getting them back to their respective homes. There is a very public argument going on between many different parties and it has spread through Irish aviation like a knife.

We are now here in Dublin two days into our Multi-Crew Course (MCC) and Jet Orientation Course (JOC). The company we're being trained by here in the capital are fantastic. Their facilities are state of the art being the main centres of simulator training for Aer Lingus, Aer Arann and CityJet.

The simulator that we are using is based on the Boeing 737-800 series, one of the most successful and modern aircaft in the sky. Those who fly with the likes of Ryanair, Continental or American Airlines will certainly know which machine I am talking about.

With it's glass cockpit encompassing more information and facilities that our brains can possibly take in in such a short space of time we will be taught the basics in how to operate this piece of kit. The main aim is not to master the plane, but to learn to work together as a dual crew. This is paramount in our future capacities as commercial airline pilots. In only a few weeks (if the training schedule is kind to us and we can finish on time) we will be jumping into the specific simulator for our future aircraft with our airline and it's now here where we learn to work as a team, the benefits, risk and responsibilities involved in creating a synergy on the flight deck.

The ideology is to create a slick, efficient and most importantly safe environment where all pilots within a company work towards one set of rules and instructions when operating their aircraft. These are called 'Standard Operating Procedures.' These are created by each airline in conjunction with the manufacturer and national authority of their home country.

The idea is that two pilots who have never met each other before can jump into the cockpit together and work seamlessly throughout the operation from gate to gate. It is something that has worked very successfully throughout many decades and with a lot of fine tuning over the years has become a stalwart in cementing commercial flight as one of the safest modes of transport available today.

We hope to be here for only another eight days before heading down to Cork to recommence our instrument training and finish up before the end of the month. Plans haven't been finalised yet so I'm not able to say what the training will involve.


I'm hoping that many of my friends and colleagues that I've come to know over the past fourteen months or so will be able to sort the remainder of their training out in the very near future. I know some are looking at continuing the same type of training while others are looking at different options with regards to their aviation career paths.

It really is a sad state to see so many people, their families as well, having to go through such a terrible time. We're the fortunate ones, we have a company looking over us and seeing us through to the end. The majority don't.

Unfortunately we don't have time to take in what is going on around us at the moment. We're on a strict programme with only limited time but maybe when it slows down in coming months we'll actually be able to come to terms with what has happened this past week.

A video from today when we had a 'practice' in the simulator.

Home for the weekend

It's been a couple of weeks since I've updated the blog. I've actually managed to get quite a bit in! I've been up for the first time into the air in Waterford, completed a number of simulator sessions and returned to the UK for a great weekend enjoying the early summer.

The simulator is progressing slowly, a little slower than planned or wanted but all the same it's moving. I've now completed thirteen simulator sessions with another seven to go. In the past fourteen days or so we have progressed from the basics to working with single engine and more in depth and demanding approaches. It's also great to see the instructors adding in certain tricks. Last night being a prime example.

An ILS approach is something that is the norm for most major and smaller airports across the glove. It stands for 'Instrument Landing System' and is designed for the final approach to landing by giving a vertical and horizontal approach path. The system is quite basic in design but in today's larger more advanced aircraft it can be used to put the plane on the ground in zero visibility and bring it almost to a stop on the runway, all with the use of computers.

Unfortunately for us our aircraft aren't capable of doing that and neither will our licenses be when we leave here from PTC. We are however trained to fly, solely by the use of the instruments, to follow the ILS down to 200ft above the aerodrome. Having yet to experience it in a real situation, the simulator can create something like what we can expect in the air. It is quite an amazing sight and satisfying feeling to pop out of the clouds only 200ft above the surface with lights glaring at you from the terrain.

Anyway, I digress. We were situated at Blackpool airport in the 'sim', a local airport in the UK where in the real world a small number of airlines use. We departed and headed towards the larger and more well known Manchester airport just 40 miles away. On approach we were giving our approach procedure. We were told to fly over the airfield and track a radial (track over the ground - I'll explain in a future post) to a certain distance from the airport. We would then make a series of turns to in effect make a 180 degree change of direction to follow the approach path to Manchester Airport runway 23R.

To follow the ILS we need to insert a frequency into the aircraft computers which in turn create the vertical and horizontal profiles on our dials in front of us. Frequencies obtained and entered in to the system we began the final approach. 

To confirm that we indeed have the correct signal we are required to 'ident.' This will give us a Morse Code to confirm we are receiving the correct signal from the correct station. They're usually identifiable by three letters. Manchester, being quite a large airport, has more than one ILS station (in fact it has three!) so there is the chance (well, in the simulator there is...) of there being an incorrect signal being received from a different runway which uses that same frequency.

It's all very complicated I know but the general gist of the story is that we had not correctly identified the signal and therefore were following a signal desired for the other end of the runway. Our confusion intensified as we continued on our intercepting heading for a far greater time than would be required. 

If this were to happen in real life and we did indeed overshoot and end up somewhere we really weren't supposed to be, especially in such busy airspace as the north west of England (I dread to even think about the south east near London!) then it could all get just a little bit messy...

Obviously the likelihood of this happening in real life is slim to none with the safety factors put in to such equipment and the procedures in place to make sure that only the correct signals are being sent on the correct frequencies. However, having experienced it in a simulator, it's certainly not something I plan to experience in real life any time soon!

Alongside the simulator I have also managed to jump in the back of one flight around the local area here in Waterford. The weather after arriving hadn't been spectacular but this particular afternoon the weatherman was on our side and I headed up in to the Irish sky for the first time. 

It was such a change from what we have experienced over in the US. First and foremost the radio telephony is far more strict and advanced here in Europe and the there was no doubt from the tower of what he wanted us to do that afternoon. It's very impressive to hear the crisp, professional and efficient radio calls being used. It's something I think I am going to like.

Anyway, we headed out to the south Irish sea and performed a number of approaches in to Waterford. It's great to actually see them being performed in the aircraft as opposed to just in the simulator - it's also seems much easier as well! The flight was quite short at just over ninety minutes and soon enough we were back down on the ground.

The whole operation with regards to the flying stage over here is a complete contrast from that in Melbourne, Florida. 

With over forty aircraft, state of the art ground facilities and hundreds of students, the FIT facilities at Melbourne International; as I have referred to before, are some of the best you can experience anywhere in the world. The size of the operation makes everything much more affordable and accommodating.

Here in Waterford, where the operation is on a much smaller scale the facilities are there to mirror that. For example, in the States the majority of aircraft parking spots were 'drive through' style where one could park and then the following student simply taxi the aircraft forward and back onto an active taxiway. This worked very well and meant there was no need to push the aircraft. 

Here the process is a little different. The aircraft is parked near the hangars and pointed in the direction easiest for the re-fueler. It is then the duty of the instructor and student to push the aircraft back in to a suitable position for start up and taxi.

All in all the flying when airbourne is very similar. I'm not saying the facilities here are any worse than those in Florida, just that they shouldn't be compared for obvious reasons.

In the simulator last week, both myself and my simulator partner were unfortunate enough to have three sessions cancelled between us due to the simulator having technical faults - we still say that it wasn't our faults! This was something that was quite frustrating but obviously there is nothing we could do! 

Fortunately, after the final cancellation I was able to jump on a plane from Dublin back to the UK for the weekend. It was great to get home and enjoy the fantastic weather that we seemed to be missing down here in the south east of the Republic. 

Having enjoyed the great weather at home hopped back over the Irish Sea early Monday morning to head straight back in to the simulator in the afternoon. Upon our arrival back here we were told the weather hadn't much improved and they had only had one day of sunshine - this made the trip home sound even more rewarding!

The arrival of the remainder of our class two weeks ago from the US has added a little bit more life in to the place with the downside now being that there are a lot more students to use the facilities here. We have received our schedules for the up coming two weeks and thankfully we should be getting a significant number of 'events' but there is still a lot of downtime to play with. 

With a completion date now set to be at the start of July here in Waterford we'll head up to Dublin for a week to complete our MCC/JOC in the larger, more sophisticated simulators. This will realistically leave us with about two weeks before starting the the Type Rating in England.

This will be a very short space of time to sort out housing and transport etc (I love car shopping!) but we are some of the very fortunate so it's something we're just going to have to put up with...

Twin flying

The past week has been pretty intense. Coming to terms with a new aircraft in such a short space of time is quite challenging.

Since the last update I now sit with seven flights remaining, five with my instructor, one mock check ride and then the real thing, hopefully next week at some point.

The thirteen flights in which we take to the air in the Seminole are designed as followed.

The first four are called MEP flights including an internal check ride on the fourth. The 'MEP' stands for Multi-Engine Pilot rating. It mainly consists of flying the aeroplane and understanding how it works. What to do when an engine fails, what to do with an engine fire, flying with only one engine (asymmetric) and coming to terms with a different type of power-plant (not to mention there being two of them!)

It has been a steep learning curve and I hope I'm more settled in the aircraft moving forward over the remainder of the course. My instructor is the Chief Pilot here at the flight school and he is notorious for expecting extremely high standards from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave the Flightline and I think this will certainly put myself and his other students in good stead not only for the check ride but for future flying.

The second stage of the training in which I am currently completing is advancing on that already set in stone in the single engine aircraft - the Piper Warrior. The Commercial Pilot's License (CPL) will allow the holder to fly for reward which is certainly something we shall need when sat in the right hand seat of a large passenger aircraft when we're expecting a pay cheque at the end of the month!

This involves a lot of 'under the hood' instrument work and planning navigation's to grass strips quite literally in the middle of nowhere. I've completed one of each and although there is an increase in workload it is easy to appreciate the similarity between both aircraft. Hopefully I'll be able to build on the feedback from my instructor over the coming days.

So...with less than two weeks until I'm due to report in Waterford for the beginning of the next stage of training there is so much to do I wouldn't know where to start.

Although Melbourne, Florida doesn't have the excitement of Miami South Beach or the thrills of Orlando's theme parks; spending ten months in one place does bring it's affections (however small they may be) and in compliance with Newton's third law grievances which will most certainly not be missed! 

The state of Florida, as I've said in previous posts, is the world leader, without a shadow of a doubt, of the best pilot training facilities (both man made and natural) there is on offer not only in the United States but across the world. Global gateways accepting small aircraft travelling at barely half the speed of those around them being an everyday occurance for those talented enough to be sat two hundred feet in the air overlooking the fields from the control towers. Their common courtesy and professionalism knowing no bounds.

Closer to base at the Florida Institute of Technology where one of the busiest and most well run flight schools is operated. It is something that we in the UK especially can only dream of. The money invested and the options available to anyone who wants to learn to fly are truly world class.

I don't want to get too sentimental just yet as there is a lot of work to be done before I can turn my back on this small city on the eastern coast of the sunshine state.

Seven more flights, packing, checking out of the university and then preparing for the next stage of training lie ahead over the coming ten days or so.

There will be time to reminisce over the past ten and a half months during the journey home. And with what I have planned ahead before the end of the year there will be little time to continue living in the past when those wheels touch down on UK soil.

With my journey in the aviation world moving fast so too are those of my two previous instructors, both who are currently enjoying great success in their new jobs. I hope both continue to prosper and I thoroughly look forward to seeing where they end up in a few years time!

Exciting times lay ahead both with PTC and my future employer.However, the sun still has to set over the horizon in Melbourne first...

Upset Recovery Training

Wow! What an eventful past week or so! From losing 4,000ft in a couple of minutes to taking some of the family into the air for the first time it's been a period I'll most likely never forget!

Since the last update where I had been frustrated with weather conditions it was confirmed under the agreement with our sponsor airline that we would take part in the Upset Recovery Training outlined by a company called The Airplane Company based in Sanford, Florida.

The flight training group operate a number of different type of aircraft but the one that we would be most interested in (and be spending five hours in!) was the Extra 300 as mentioned in the previous post.

The course was to be conducted over three days consisting of three hours of ground school on Wednesday last week followed by a flight in the afternoon. The following two days consisted of two flights each.

I wouldn't like to comment on the performance of the Extra as we weren't briefed with such numbers nor do I have time to trawl the internet to find such figures! However, I will say this; it was far more powerful than what we have been used to!

The ability for the aircraft to get airbourne within only a few hundred feet was quite impressive as we rocketed up to 1,000ft before the end of the runway.

During the ground school introduction it was made clear that the main purpose of the whole three days was not to familiarise ourselves with the everyday flying of the aircraft but to understand more the principles of how certain situations in the air occur and how we deal with them.

"So wait a minute; we're going to be allowed to go up in these planes and you'll take care of everything? We just get to play with the yoke and throttle of a quarter of a million dollar piece of kit?"

"Pretty much."

"Well that suits me perfectly!"

The ground school consisted of briefings of each of our flights followed by case studies of situations where the actions taken by the pilots (based on poor knowledge and/or understanding of the basic principles of how an aircraft remains controllable) ended in significant fatalities.

In the afternoon the four of us headed to the airport to take part in our first lesson. This was mainly an introductory lesson where we got a feel of the aircraft, did some steep turns followed by a couple of barrel roles and one loop for good measure. Pulling significantly higher G's than normal (I reached over the three days +5.8 and -1 while a colleague nearly reached 7) made for a rather uncomfortable hour or so after landing. I'm not one for travel sickness but this was something else.

The next day we again headed to the airport for two more lessons. These started to look more at recovering from situations which could be experienced in commercial aircraft (as opposed to those built specifically for this type of operation). This was mainly focused around stalls and effective ways of recovering from them using the control surfaces we have available to us as pilots. In this case, the majority of authority is placed on the rudder, a control surface on the tail plane of the aircraft.

This led to two types of spins. Those where the nose was pointing down and those where the aircraft was completely flat on it's stomach heading towards the ground at an alarming rate.

Both were fantastic to do and again made for an uncomfortable hour on the ground post flight - not as bad as day one though!

On the third and final day we brought together everything we had gone through. Unusual attitudes, steep turns and stalls - all those scenarios that could be found in a commercial operation, although unlikely, could still be found. We also managed to fit in a few corkscrews and loops for good measure - it would be rude not to!

The experience was amazing. Being able to take the controls of such a fantastic piece of engineering was awe-inspiring at some points such as being half way through a loop approaching zero speed staring overhead directly towards the ground. Fantastic.

The highlight for me was definitely the following.

On Thursday afternoon we started our taxi to the active runway here in Melbourne. We were given 9L which is adjacent to 9R, the longest runway here in KMLB. As we taxied towards the threshold similarly the Delta Airlines 757 heading to Atlanta completed it's own taxi to the threshold of the runway, in it's case 9R.

"Delta 2213, cleared for take-off 9R."

"Extra, cleared for take-off 9L." This was a race...

The flight instructor opened the throttles on the Extra and as predicted we hurtled down the runway lifting the wheels off of the ground within seconds. This was ours. The plane was kept in ground effect (a few metres above the runway) for some time until the 757 began it's rotation. The instructor then conducted what he called a 'rocket departure' soaring into the air at a ridiculous speed. The Boeing had nothing on us. Or so we thought! As we left 800ft behind us the jet, now well into it's departure hurtled past us towards the heavens only a hundreds of metres away.

We certainly had the edge during the early stages but when that plane got warmed it we had nothing to come back with. Truly brilliant two minutes of fun!

At the same time as flying these flights over the three days we also got to see something that doesn't offer make an appearance in sunny Melbourne too often. A Russian cargo aircraft arrived to pick up two helicopters to take to Nevada for logging. Amazing machine to see and left quite a bit of smog over it's departure path as it left the runway!

On the day of commencing the Upset Recovery Training family members from the UK had arrived for a week. The weather had been unfortunately bad (to go flying) for the majority of their trip but finally, the day they were to depart back to Europe we got up in the air for just under an hour. Great weather made the flight very enjoyable!

Having had a good time with the upset training it was back into the classroom on Monday morning to begin the CPL ground school. 

The Commercial Pilot's Course (CPL) is the next license we will be completing and to keep things simple it will be done in the twin-engined Piper Seminole. This is a similar aircraft to those that we have been flying now with a couple of major difference, the most obvious being lack of engine in front of the cabin and the addition of two on the wings! I'll be sure to explain more about the aircraft in the coming couple of weeks.

This course is designed to last around a month and will see the conclusion of our training here in the United States. 

The plan at the moment is to return to Europe at the beginning of April after completing around twenty five hours in the plane.

First however, I have another seven flights to complete in the single-engine Warrior. Having flown this morning and two nights ago to West Palm international I am slowly working through. Hopefully they'll all be done within a weeks time!

Had a great week and hopefully those coming will be as enjoyable. The end of our training in Melbourne is finally coming in to view...

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.

Enjoying Christmas

As someone once said “it’s the most wonderful time of the year.”

Having arrived home last week there was little time for rest. We moved home on Thursday meaning I spent the first few days of my time back here in the UK packing boxes and then come the 22^nd move to our new home. It’s not the best time to be moving so close to Christmas day but it’s nice to be somewhere new.

It’s also been great catching up with family and friends including a couple of late nights and rough mornings! What has been most interesting has been the lack of change here – it really does feel like I haven’t been away!

The biggest shock has obviously been the weather. As I mentioned when landing in Manchester, it was clear to see the UK wasn’t enjoying the delights of Florida but as crazy as it sounds, it’s nice to be out of the sweat box for a few weeks. Another downside of being home and moving house is the fact we are without the house internet for some time – it’s almost like losing a limb. 

Apart from Christmas day and catching up with numerous people I’ve also been to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United demolish Wigan Athletic. The ground is somewhere I used to spend a lot of my weekends and many a weekday evening and it was thoroughly enjoyable going back to somewhere I know so well.

The ATPL results were released last week but as I’m not in the US at the moment I will have to ring up tomorrow to obtain my results. Having spoken to a number of fellow students who have been lucky enough to already have got hold of theirs it’s great to hear of so many good scores – hopefully mine will be something similar!

So as the 25^th has now passed it’s time to continue to demolish the remainder of the food in the cupboards and look forward to the new year.

I started this blog early this year before starting my training out in Melbourne. The main aim was to keep family and friends updated on my progress but it seems to have grown a bit bigger than that with over 13,000 views from 85 countries and over 850 cities. It’s something I enjoy updating and hope to continue doing so in 2012.

Speaking of 2012, the year will hopefully bring the end to my initial training and switch over to airline job. I have three more months is Melbourne, two spent completing the final set of ATPL exams followed by the CPL course which should last just three to four weeks. Following this I shall travel to Ireland, more specifically Waterford, to take on the Instrument Rating before heading to the Irish capital to complete the training in the simulators. Following this it is will be time to await the airline’s word as to when and where the training will continue!

It’s going to be a busy twelve months but at this moment in time I’m more looking forward to new year’s eve and to whoever has been reading this blog I hope you have all had a good Christmas and are looking forward to a prosperous 2012.

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…

Consolidation and Thanks Giving

This week we concluded our five weeks of ground school for this module. We now have one week of Consolidation starting tomorrow followed by a study week and if all goes well during the mock exams the real IAA sitting in just over two weeks time.

This week was also a time for the United States to celebrate one of it's biggest holidays. As someone who lives in the UK we are well aware of the tradition but not a nation who takes part was a whole. So to be here in the US on such a day, I was hoping for an insight into the 'pre-Christmas' holiday - something a number of us certainly got! More on that later.

The time comes again where we must spend many an hour sat in front of the computer and books revising for the forth coming examinations. Round 2 is almost upon us as General Navigation kicks off tomorrow morning bright and early at 9am.

As it was eight weeks ago we all sit Consolidation exams to determine whether we are indeed ready to sit the IAA tests. We will be put forward for any or all of the subjects we achieve a score of 80% or above on.

The Consolidation papers take place over one extra day compared to the IAA running from tomorrow morning (Monday) to Thursday afternoon. All three modules will sit any of their respective fourteen subjects they're currently studying for. The results are usually distributed pretty swiftly within hours.

This week I have General Navigation on Monday, Radio Navigation on Tuesday, Flight Planning on Wednesday and the two Communication papers on Thursday.

Following this, assuming all are passed, we will have ten days to swat some more before the finals the week before leaving for Christmas.

As mentioned above, Thanks Giving is a big day on the American calendar where all families come together (maybe for the first time in twelve months) to say thanks, whether that be to their family, their friends or through their beliefs. 

Eight students from my class including myself were lucky enough to be able to attend a real traditional Thanks Giving in the home of a big American family. With what must have been over forty people coming in and out all afternoon the food production was run like clockwork. It was great to meet so many different people from so many different backgrounds who had all come together at one time.  

The evening was concluded by all gathering around in one room (I'd never imagine a family being so big!) to each say what they were thankful for. Overall it was a fantastic day and I can't thank enough the family for their hospitality.

The day following Thanks Giving is known over here as 'Black Friday.' Another national holiday (for those who don't work in retail anyway!) where the nation almost comes to a standstill...outside of their nearest superstore anyway. The country goes into lock down with consumers snapping up what I as a European can only describe as eye-watering cheap deals. Seeing people camping outside of Best Buy on Thanks Giving with tents it's the extent some will go to to make big savings and get their early Christmas shopping done. 

Needless to say I also took part in this tradition - it would after all be rude not to!

So...back to the books I go - less than twenty four hours to go...

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I'm not wanting to make a habit of these bottom post-blog comments but I think it's only right to highlight the sad news today of the death of one of the Premier League's all time greatest players; Gary Speed.

The Welsh football (soccer) manager was this morning found dead at his home, believed to have taken his own life.

I grew up with the Premier League and the entertainment it has brought to billions around the world. Up to only a couple of years no other player had contributed more playing time to the spectacle that is the greatest sporting league on the planet than Gary Speed - he will be a great loss to the game.

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.