I will now pre-warn you. The updates over the next two weeks will probably be the most boring so far on the blog. It's not something I'm planning - but it's certainly something that is going to happen as the exams approach.
Since last week it's again been head in the books so to speak as we prepare for the coming exams. This time next week two of our PTC Consolidation tests (Air Law and Meteorology) will be completed and I'll be sat in this same spot trying to get my head around Human Performance/Limitations and Operational Procedures.
There have been times over the past few days where I've become frustrated and quite frankly bored of what I'm studying. The workload in this module is by far the greatest and with the end so close that final push is getting pretty difficult to muster.
I keep saying to myself "it's just two weeks; it's just two weeks" and it's slowly starting to work.
So, with six classes left this week it'll soon be the end of ATPL Ground School for good - or at least that's the plan anyway!
Other than spending many hours revising I was due to fly yesterday. The weather when I woke was an extremely cool 2 degrees Celsius - something I'm sure many in the UK and around Europe can relate to at the moment!
The sky was stunningly clear with views to the highest of the heavens; and with the temperature being so low it looked like a perfect day to go flying. I was planning to head across to Tampa and then into Orlando but arriving at the Flightline I was faced with the problem of winds.
Restrictions imposed by the flight school on pilots means that yesterday nearly all flights were grounded until the wind died down. Due to the busy schedule and the persistence of the winds (which were gusting into the mid-20kts) I had to cancel.
So it was back to Southgate to again get the head down for the exams next week.
Today however was a different matter. After cramming for the majority of the day I headed again to the Flighline to get into the air for two flights merged into one. When a pilot with PTC completes their FAA PPL check ride they have to complete two further lessons - both being one hour in the pattern here in KMLB.
With the lack of time available at the moment I wanted to kill two birds with one stone and duly after 2.3 hours and 27 landings I arrived back at the ramp before heading home.
Last week of Ground School starts tomorrow - lets hope it goes as quickly as it has done over the past six months!
A surreal weekend - one I'm going to find hard to describe; certainly the most difficult post to date and most likely the most difficult for some time...
Since the last update six more days have passed and I'm guessing it's getting a bit boring me repeating the usual "it's going so fast" comment but it really is! We finished ground school last Thursday and headed out for a meal on Thursday night to celebrate the birthdays of two on my course - benefit being two cakes!
I was in fact hoping to fly early on Friday morning but having checked the internal scheduling system on Thursday evening nothing was showing hence I stole a few extra winks the following morning. Waking around 9.30am I found a few messages both in my email inbox and on Facebook. Quickly reading through the information in front of me it was clear that all students at Pilot Training College (PTC) had been grounded by Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) Aviation until further notice. So whether I was to fly that morning or not - we shall never know!
With hundreds of students out here now not able to continue the training in the way that they would have liked to, the rumours in turn obviously began both on line and off. A statement was quickly issued to ourselves via PTC's internal portal and we were told it would be resolved as soon as possible. Come early evening another statement was made that we would indeed be able to return to the skies first thing on Sunday morning. I don't think it is my place or indeed necessary to go into the details that we have been told concerning the grounding other than that it was a disagreement between the two respective companies which was quickly resolved. I am aware that a joint press release will be issued by the companies in the coming hours - something I will hopefully be able to attach a link to.
Friday was therefore spent revising and trying to avoid the rumour mill as much as possible.
Saturday was again a day of revision interrupted by FIT's Aviation Day. I didn't in fact attend although arrived as the proceedings were coming to a close to conduct ground instruction with my flight instructor. Along with ATPLs and flying I'm still (slowly!) working towards the American FAA PPL which I'm hoping to attain in the coming weeks. This involves covering quite a bit of theory material with my instructor for the oral part of the check ride before the flight. A couple of hours later it was back home to the books.
The same evening over twenty new students arrived from both Kazakhstan and Europe to start their training here in Florida over the next ten to twelve months.
After an 'eventful' Friday and indeed Saturday; Sunday was certainly the worst day since we have been here in America.
The day again was full of revision (I hope you don't get bored of me saying this over the next four months as it continues!) and then I had a cross country flight planned in the evening. Come 3pm I set off for the Flightline. The weather wasn't looking promising and I was almost certain the flight would be cancelled. As expected, the weather was not playing the way it had been over the past couple of weeks and it was time for more ground school with my instructor.
With regards to what happened later that evening back at Southgate I do not want to go into any detail whatsoever yet as it would be very unfair of me to say anything. However what I will say; what did happen certainly puts life into perspective.
I would also like to point out, as stressed in the replies to emails I received, this blog is very much the experiences that I personally am experiencing during my training. I try not to make political points and focus mainly on what the course of instruction is like here at PTC Florida and in the future Ireland. What has happened over the past few days is for those who use forums to discuss, squabble and argue over. I want this to be a place for those wanting to know about what life is like for a 20-year-old training to be a pilot with PTC here in the US.
Yesterday class was cancelled this morning due to the previous evening and started promptly again at 1.15pm in the afternoon.
Today two of the final weekly tests were complete in AGK and Performance followed by the other two tomorrow. Today was also the last Performance lesson ever (I hope!)
Yesterday evening we received two emails detailing both the consolidation exam timetable and the real IAA exam timetable for three weeks time.
Soon they'll be here - just one more hurdle in each subject to reach them...
Nearly another week has passed and some more flying has been done. Not only work in the air but work on the ground has also been taking place as I write this from my new accommodation.
Last weekend dozens of students made moves to new residences across campus. For a number of different reasons since our arrival we were put into 'halls' where we each had a large room and a share bathroom.
Said building while on approach into Melbourne International (KMLB)
Each floor was split into north and south with a communal area in the centre. On the 'north side' there originally six of us but with a couple of additions and one leaving we ended up as a seven. The remainder of the male contingent of the course were on the 'south side' while our female colleagues were in a different hall on campus.
Anyway, it was announced we would be moving to our permanent accommodation last weekend and from Friday to Sunday it was time to pack up, move and unpack. Where we are now is a great improvement on where we were for the simple fact that we are now able to cook for ourselves (the halls had no cooking facilities other than a microwave).
Each apartment comes with a kitchen, living area, bathroom and two bedrooms (I sound like an estate agent [or realator as they call them over here...])
New room here in Melbourne
Where I am now staying is called 'Southgate Apartments' and is where I will stay for the remainder of my training here in Florida. It is just across the road from the main Florida Institute of Technology campus.
Southgate Apartments while on approach into Melbourne International (KMLB)
Flying wise this week I've been focusing on preparing for my JAA progress test in the coming week or so. The check is conducted internally by a JAA qualified instructor. The progress test covers everything required by JAA from stalls and cross country flying to different types of landings. More on that in a future post.
With my instructor we have been covering pretty much everything I have been doing over the past two months in the sky. I have never really been one for repetition but with each manoeuvre comes a different procedure and by doing each frequently and consistently I find it very beneficial. I'm sure all have improved considerably over the past week.
During the past week I've also started to look at the dreaded ATPL material. The worst four letters in any JAA student pilot's training. Just mention those four letters in that order to any JAA trainee and you'll see their eyes wince, their skin go pale and a shiver as if someone had just walked over their grave.
Every pilot's nightmare - 'the ATPLs'
Six months, fourteen exams, three modules. Almost everything that you would want (and even wouldn't want!) to know about everything with the word 'plane' in it or associated to it is covered. Our first day of ground school begins on the 29th August putting it little over three weeks away. However I'm sure this subject will be exhausted on here over the next six to seven months.
Finally, yesterday evening I back seated a night flight in the pattern here in Melbourne with a fellow student. Since arriving here I've wanted to get up at night as see the lights of the airport and the surrounding area. It didn't disappoint. Having arrived at the Flightline it was great to see how quiet and deserted it was. There was literally our flight and that would be it. All paperwork complete we headed out to the plane.
Due to work on the ramp the aircraft aren't currently parked in their normal parking spaces therefore after ten minutes or so we did eventually find our plane. Pre-flight complete, instructor ready, student ready, we headed out to the run up area where we would test the engine at a high RPM rate.
As my fellow student was running through his checks he noticed that in fact the flight controls (the yoke that makes the plane turn about two of it's axes) were not "full, free and correct." They were actually quite stiff so we returned to the ramp for a quick look by maintenance. A bit of WD-40 and a cloth did the trick and in no time we were back where we left off.
Taxiing to the runway I was a bit taken aback by the difference of flying during the day. Obviously I expected the visuals to be different but the beauty of a lit up airfield was truly fantastic.
We departed on Runway 27L and entered the pattern on Runway 27R. The instructor was very keen to put his student through his paces by having him land in different configurations and landing types.
Runways 5/23 and 9L/27R are much shorter than the main runway 9R/27L and only the latter has lights running down the centreline. It wasn't until the second to last landing (below) as we turned onto final and you could see the whole runway lit up like a Christmas tree that I realised how much I'm going to love night flying.
Landing at night on Runway 27L at KMLB
The best part of the evening by far was when the instructor, after take-off following the above video asked if she would be so kind to turn of the centreline lights for the final approach - much to the disapproval of the student!
Tomorrow I hope to get in my second cross country solo done and then early next week get back into it with my instructor.
