Multi-Crew Course with Jet Orientation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Pilot Training College comes to an end as we know it

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


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


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


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


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

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


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


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

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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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


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

Countdown to the skies begins!

There isn't much to report this week actually! It's been quite productive in reducing the number of simulator sessions remaining but apart from that quite uneventful.

The football is obviously hotting up in Poland and the Ukraine and we've been lucky enough to see a few games including the second half of the England game the other day. A great forty five minutes which showed signs of what we can hopefully see in coming games! Just the small matter of finishing top of the group and avoiding Spain now! Having said that, with last night's results (Russia and Poland being eliminated) anything could happen!

Since the last post I've been in the simulator again and I now have two more to complete this coming week. The current stage of simulator training is based around flying flight planned routes between airports across the UK and Ireland. Today for example was a short hop from Guernsey to London Gatwick. Obviously, as ever, nothing went smoothly and with a number of failures (including an engine failure only a couple of hundred feet from the runway) I managed to put the plane down on Gatwick's long piece of tarmac in relatively one piece.

With the ground based training coming to an end and we can finally look back above us to the sky it's getting quite exciting. Initially during the first part of the course here in Ireland it was quite refreshing to be able to do something different. Experience different scenarios that only a computer can provide. However the fact that we've been on the ground for a couple of months it's starting to niggle away and will be liberating getting back into the plane once more.

Last week, as part of the course structure we spent a couple of hours looking around the aircraft here in Waterford and familiarising ourselves with the older and less 'computer based' Piper Seminoles they operate here in Ireland. They're all very similar yet I'm sure they all offer something very different. It was also a good opportunity to have a look around the maintenance facility they have here at PTC. There wasn't much work going on when we had a quick peek but it's clear by the state of the aircraft sat in the hanger that they're very well looked after.

I'm hoping I'll make it into the aircraft within the week and get underway with the five flights we have to complete before the all important check ride.

Finally, the weather over the past few days has been nothing short of appalling. The winds have been strong and the rainfall equally so. When flight planning a couple of days ago in the Planning Room we became aware that the based Aer Arann aircraft was due in from London Luton. With the weather being so horrible we thought it'd be pretty interesting to see the aircraft make it's approach and landing. We duly headed up to the top floor which overlooks the airfield.

Below is a video of the aircraft landing and I must compliment the flight crew who made it look extremely easy!

Never take your eye off the ball...or indeed the runway!

It's been a week of bits and bobs! Not much progress in the simulator but a few things happening outside of it to keep myself busy. The European championships are now in full swing which should hopefully take us through to the conclusion of our training here in Waterford. As well as that we've visited the tower on two separate occasions with things happening on both tours. There was also an interesting situation regarding a commercial flight doing a bit of 'off-roading!' I'll explain later on.

Firstly I managed to get in the simulator on Tuesday evening which was indeed quite challenging; as we come to reach the end of our time in the box. Since then I've observed one flight and had a ground lesson. Thankfully in the coming ten days or so we should really start to push to getting to the aircraft stage of the IR training. Having seen a couple of friends who have only just this week completed their course entirely it is time to start to come to terms with the fact that this part of our separate careers will shortly be coming to a close and we look to the future (which isn't too far in the distance!) where we begin training with the airline.

Having been told my base back towards the end of the ATPL period I have kept it quite low key (in fact hardly anyone knew until after we finished the exams - not wanting to tempt fate!) and in the same email we were given a start date for the commencement of our Type Rating which will be towards the end of July.

The Type Rating is the part of the training where we will be taught how to fly the exact type of aircraft we will be flying. This is done through ground school, simulator training and then finally taking to the right seat where we will be under supervision and scrutiny for a certain number of flights. I'll be sure to explain more how that works as the training continues.

So, with a short time until the commencement of our further training it's time to start to look at properties, cars, future plans etc. and try to build a life again after spending fourteen months cocooned in the world of PTC. It is going to be a weird feeling but one I am quite looking forward to!

But...before this takes place there are two final hurdles. The IR exam and the MCC/JOC (our final basic training course that I will also explain in a future post). 

During our ground lesson on Friday evening, we were given the opportunity to visit the control tower here at Waterford. The airport is not Heathrow by any means but does provide a valuable and in some cases is a critical necessity to the city. It was great to meet such an enthusiastic controller who is superb at his job. He was very kind in showing us a number of the systems they use in controlling and planning at such a small field. It was great to see him liaise between the main ATC head quarters of Ireland in Shannon as well as Aer Arann's operations department in Dublin simultaneously to make sure the aircraft rotation was completed efficiently and correctly.

What was interesting at the time of our visit was the potential problem facing the crew at the time. The winds had been terrible all day and had been the cause of two flights in the morning being cancelled. One to London Southend and the second to Manchester. The afternoon Luton flight had managed to depart and we had arrived just in time for their delayed arrival back from the north London airport.

Again the winds were causing a problem for the airport and inbound traffic. Throughout the approach the controller was talking to the flight deck of the Aer Arann plane giving him live (2 minute average) winds for the field. The aircraft, under orders from the company, would only be able to land if the winds were at or below 25kts crosswind. It was going to be close.

As the aircraft turned on to final the winds died down and the aircraft was cleared to land. It was certainly an interesting approach with mother nature giving all those on board a bit of a ride but the aircraft was soon safe on the ground after a firm arrival. A very good job by those at the controls.

Unfortunately their work wasn't done. They had passengers to disembark as well as board while the plane was fed fresh Jet A fuel for the ride back to London, this time to Southend. Again, we got to experience first hand the work involved by the tower in providing all the necessary information to the crew before departure. It was also pretty cool seeing the whole operation with an unobstructed view from above.

Following our first visit we again made arrangements to head on up to the highest point on the field on Saturday. This was to see the arrival and departure of the daily Flybe flight to Birmingham. This flight began only shortly before we began training here in Waterford and has since struggled with loads but with a revised summer timetable and a bit of advertisement and awareness this route will hopefully pick up.

We arrived in the tower and met two of the other controllers who we would be working with over the coming weeks when we get into the planes and begin to practice what we have learnt in the simulator. Both again seemed extremely competent in their roles and it's quite comforting to know we're in the hands of people who really know what they're doing and do so in a calm, concise and professional manner.

As we entered the room we heard the Flybe aircraft make it's first contact.

"Waterford Tower, Jersey 755 is 20DME, flight level 80."

"Jersey 755, good afternoon. QNH 1015, ILS runway 21 in use. You're cleared to descend at your discretion to 4000ft; report established on the arc."

The above gives the aircraft approach instructions as well as key information about the airfield at that time.

We could slowly start to see the aircraft approaching in the distance. 

"Jersey 755, report established on the localiser."

The aircraft continued it's approach until it received the correct information from the signal being sent from the far end of the runway.

"Jersey 755 is established on the localiser, 10DME."

This is the crew confirming that they're now established on final and reporting that they're approximately ten nautical miles from the airport.

"Jersey 755, roger, continue your approach."

As the aircraft became larger in view the time had come for the controller to issue the magic words.

"Jersey 755, you are cleared to land runway 21; winds are 250, 14 knots."

"Cleared to land runway 21, Jersey 755."

The aircraft arrived as smoothly as it is possible for a Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 and backtracked to park on stand. A quick change around and the flight deck requested it's departure clearances.

"Jersey 2FV, you are cleared to Birmingham and filed, route direct Strumble; initial flight level 130." 

These words basically give the crew their instructions for the motorways (or highways) in the skies. In the aviation world they're called 'airways.' It also clears the aircraft up to 13,000ft. Before reaching that altitude the pilot not flying will be talking to Shannon control who will indeed clear the aircraft to the higher realms of the clouds.

There was a bit going on at the time the aircraft was waiting to depart including the local coast guard, the flight school and general aviation all causing work for the busy controller.

Soon enough the other magic words of "you're cleared for take-off" were issued by the man next to us and the turboprop engines were both filled with that all important juice. The Q400 accelerated down the runway at frightening speed before coming airbourne within half of the runway length and indeed followed by point it's nose towards the heavens. That thing climbs like nothing I have ever seen before. The words 'homesick angel' are often overused but I think in this case they're very relevant.

The controller said that for the Aer Arann flights he would ask that the crew report passing through 4,000ft where he would duly request they contact their next frequency. He then went on to say he asked the same question of the Flybe flight to which the reply was "we're already at 5,500ft..." I am certainly looking forward to getting to work in that office in the near future!

Finally, when we were in the simulator last week we were informed quite early on that the Flybe flight in from Birmingham had slipped a wheel off of the runway while trying to turn around to depart. Quickly enough we headed upstairs to a meeting room where we saw from the window the stuck aircraft.

I wouldn't like to comment on what took place as the report hasn't been released but unfortunately it led to the airport being closed for the evening due to the aircraft being on the only runway available at the field.

So a lesson learned - 100% awareness is needed 100% of the time!

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...

Downtime...and lots of it!

The IR is now in full swing and six lessons in the simulator have been completed out of a total of twenty.

They're coming along pretty well with little problems established so far. The ideology is something I'm really enjoying compared to visual flying where everything is so procedural and ordered that it almost makes navigating easy!

Over the past two lessons we've experienced an increase in the workload and an idea of what is to come. It is no easy task as a single pilot operating a commercial flight under instrument conditions and I think we're all starting to appreciate that.

Alongside the 'flying' in the simulator we seem to have a lot of downtime. It's very easy to say 'downtime' and associate very little with it but there is a significant amount of theory that we need to learn and in some cases seriously review before coming to the end of the training here with PTC.

Having said that the material is hardly something that gets the heart pumping and it has become quite difficult to just sit down and go through although slowly pieces are starting to come together.

This week the plan is to have another three simulator sessions before the weekend off and see what lies ahead next week. The first internal check ride tomorrow reviewing everything we have done so far including steep turns, stalls, unusual attitudes, NDB approaches and NDB/VOR holds.

I'll be sure to explain what all of that means in the coming weeks...

The Simulator

Within any establishment there are rumours, myths and general chit chat about certain aspects associated with that particular institution. At The Pilot Training College it is no different. During the later stages of training in Florida word is always being passed back from the eastern side of the pond related to the simulator here in Waterford.

Buried deep in PTC HQ the FNPT II has caused pain and suffering for many a cadet coming through the system. The 'sim' is a mock up of the Piper Seminole, an aircraft we have recently become accustomed to at the very end of our training in the states during the CPL stage. It is an analogue system encompassing all the relevant navigational instrumentation we will need to complete the Instrument Rating.

The problems so passionately described via the internet over the Atlantic are mainly focused around how difficult the simulator is to control with the lack of feedback and it's temperamental attitude to the controlling forces.

It was certainly an interesting experience the first time you start to play with it however after two lessons I do feel now that it isn't as bad as I've heard it being described. Although different from flying the real thing the idea behind everything we will be doing in it is pretty much exactly the same - the major difference being that the instructor is practically playing god with the ability to change almost everything! And apparently those horror stories contain no myths!

Having had the night shift for the first two lessons (21:30 until 01:30) it was quite tiring once the clock moved into the next day but enjoyable non the less. Two days off to revise and rest before starting another five days.

I have found Waterford to be a much more relaxed environment of training where they have found a balance of expecting high quality work from both instructors and students whilst nurturing that in comfortable surroundings.

Outside of the training there is nothing much really going on. The only point to note was in fact on the way to the PTC building for our first simulator session. We saw a plane on the terminal apron which seemed familiar to something we're hoping to be flying in only a few months time. As we got closer we realised it was in fact the Dash 8 from the afternoon Birmingham flight which had indeed 'gone tech' with a fuel leak and would be spending the night in sunny Waterford.

Hopefully I'll have all those wonderful problems to look forward to in the summer and beyond!

The Emerald Isle - week 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                      

United States - Complete

JAA Ground School                                         -     Complete

FAA Ground School                                         -     Complete

FAA PPL written exam                                    -     Complete

JAA PPL internal check ride                           -     Complete

FAA PPL check ride                                        -     Complete

14 JAA ATPL examinations                            -     Complete

JAA CPL qualifier internal check ride            -     Complete

JAA MEP/CPL check ride                               -     Complete

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now was the hardest part. Saying goodbye to everyone. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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