Week 9: CTC are mocking us!

As previously mentioned, this week saw cp112 take their mock examinations in the seven subjects of module one. These are:-

1. Principles of Flight
2. Aircraft General Knowledge
3. Instrumentation and Autoflight
4. Air Law
5. Meteorology
6. VFR Communications
7. IFR Communications

Unless you're a complete weirdo, exams aren't the most pleasant of experiences, but having the mocks is good practice for the real exams whilst also giving a good indication of how personal learning is going (and therefore which areas need a little more attention!). Fortunately I came through unscathed with an average of 93%, but I still came across a few questions where my knowledge was distinctly lacking so will adjust my revision accordingly. However, as happy as I am with my marks, they make zero difference to my marks next week............so time for my revision to ramp up!

Apologies this post is rather dull, but the week hasn't been particularly interesting! On the upside, by next Sunday the month of November will be over, and for those intrigued ill post a picture of the handlebar moustache that's been living on my face since the start of 'Movember'. And if you respect the cause but don't know me personally, find a charity box and put some coins in; I know movember's for prostate cancer, but any money to charity's a good thing!

Have a good week, and be generous!

Week 8: Module one complete, just a few exams to go....

As the above suggests, I have now completed all instruction for module one, so find myself in the phase of material consolidation for the mocks/final exams. This week cp112 completed Communications which by many is considered a minor subject; that doesn't mean it's any less important, but the scope of the subject is fairly narrow and the lines of questioning reflect this. Given I spent the best part of half a decade in conversation with pilots as a controller i'm fairly confident when it comes to speaking on the radio, but annoyingly the rules I had learnt were for the United Kingdom, and there are subtle (but exact) differences from the ICAO rules (the observant will remember the ICAO being the International Civil Aviation Organisation)

Basically, comms' is the time to understand the alien language heard on the radio, recognise certain scenarios we will be faced with in a professional capacity, as well as building an appreciation of the technology that makes comms' possible. The below gives a taster of the radio traffic for those interested, its a YouTube extract with with the comms' from Heathrow Approach (its long, so just a few minutes will do!)

Heathrow Director R/T sample

As this week hasn't been especially interesting, I thought for the prospective students I would talk about accommodation. Differently to Oxford and FTE, the fact CTC students potentially train at four separate sites (Nursling, Dibden, Bournemouth and Hamilton) means on site accommodation isn't the best idea. Instead, students are grouped into shared houses (except Hamilton which has the purpose built 'Clearways' facility), which are spread across the town in which they're training. In my case, I am living in a large building called Oakmount Mansion, and I can honestly say the standard here is better than most university halls....

my ground school induced prison cell

For some of you this will be your first taste of life away from home, and in some cases also the first time you need to be self-reliant. Basic cleanliness and respect for the fact you are on a professional course of study unfortunately can sometimes be lost on some, and before you call me a 'moaning Michael', let me put things in perspective:-

• If you are on this course you will be close to or over 18, and therefore the argument for 'not knowing' doesn't wash!
• After 18 months you could be second in command of a commercial jet with upwards of 150 passengers......does a level of responsibility like this command nothing less than the highest levels of maturity?
• Through training you will learn quickly how to operate some pretty complex equipment, which you will do without argument.......so not knowing how to operate a washing machine just makes you look incompetent!

These are entirely my own opinions, and in no way am I having a pop at anyone in particular as my course-mates are all top drawer. What i'm basically saying is think wisely about who you are before you even consider penning an application to CTC (or any other flight training organisation). Airline pilots are no longer the jet jockeys from the 'golden age' of aviation; they have become managers and leaders, and this transition is reflected in selection for airline schemes. Aptitude remains an important aspect of selection, but it is no longer the only aspect and those of you not quite mature enough for the role will come up short in the eyes of assessors. This isn't a life lesson, simply food for thought and a catalyst for self-evaluation!

As for my week ahead, first mock on Tuesday with exams continuing through until Thursday, so wish me luck!!

Week 7: The letter of the Law

Unfortunately, as much as we'd all like to jump into a jet and clatter off into the blue yonder, akin to all other walks of life aviation has many rules/laws that must be followed in the pursuit of greater safety. These directives come from what could be seen as the governing body of all things aviation, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), with member states being bound by the standards and recommended practices (SARPS) set out by ICAO, or approved national differences. Given that I am boring myself describing it, the Sherlock Holmes wannabes among you will quickly deduce that a week of Air Law is best described as 'cruel and unusual punishment'! But I did say I would give an impartial insight into training, warts 'n' all!

The subject is very broad, ranging from legislation and licencing (yawn), through to the rules of the air and airfield markings (slightly more relevant). We also looked at Air traffic services, something I am particularly knowledgeable about given I spent a few years stopping aircraft 'bumping' into each other, something which really ruins a holiday. It was this that demonstrated that Air traffic control and the flight deck are still worlds apart in their understanding of each others roles, as the air traffic section was very dumbed down, in the same way that the pilot workload was dumbed down during my training as a controller. However, in an attempt to improve understanding on both sides pilots are getting increasing opportunities to visit the area control centres, whilst controllers are sitting in the flight deck during revenue flights.

As some of you have followed my training (and the above titles) you'll be aware that I have been at Nursling for just short of two months. For those of you considering the training but initially put off by the prospect of 6 months in ground school, I can honestly say that the time flies by. I have 3 days of lectures left, a week of revision/mocks, a week off to revise thoroughly, then in the first week of December I get a crack at my module one exams. Between now and then ill have a birthday which most likely will pass without event due to revision, and also I have to endure having a moustache for three more weeks (thank you 'Movember'). That said, in the grand scheme of things these are all minor sacrifices and irritations for the ultimate goal of zooming round Europe in a shiny jet. I count myself lucky; I could be stuck in a fence while a cow laughs at me.....

Enjoy your week, and watch out for the sly fences that sneak up on you!

Week 6: CTC open their doors.

Firstly, even though the charts and petrified weather reporters suggested the UK was about to turn into a post-apocalyptic landscape, the storm didn't exactly deliver the biblical bad weather that was promised. Highest winds were reported at the Needles lighthouse (~90mph), but given the proximity to Southampton we escaped with a few fallen branches and a re-route to get to Nursling. However, I do believe the below picture summarizes nicely the anticlimax we all experienced:-

This week, cp112 continued and finished Met, and also finished Instrumentation. For those not conversant with the day-to-day operation of aircraft, there are very limited occasions when the pilot flies with visual reference to outside cues, their eyes focusing on the instrument panel and the wealth of information it contains. These instruments display a wide spectrum of information ranging from vertical level, direction, speed and attitude (what the picture out the window would look like if clouds weren't spoiling the view), right through to the systems used for fuel flow, pressure systems and inertial navigation. Obviously to be competent in the role a pilot will understand these instruments, and one of the aims of the course is that students get into the simulator to 'play' with the different systems to further their understanding. Unfortunately for my course this hasn't happened as the sims currently lack capacity, but in time hopefully we get the opportunity. Below is the panel from an Airbus A320, to give a taster of the flight deck environment:-

Away from course studies, CTC had their Autumn open day yesterday (2nd November). These days are an opportunity for CTC to showcase their brand to potential cadets, allow those interested to tour the facility, whilst also bringing together the relevent experts (banks, trainers, past students, selectors etc) to answer any questions candidates come armed with. The recent announcement of this years British Airways Future Pilot Programme brought about plenty of interest, and Lindsay Craig (BA's FPP manager) was in attendance to speak during the main presentations.

These days draw a huge amount of interest, and in 8 hours approximately 600 people made their way through the various sections of Nursling. I volunteered to help, and fortunately found myself rostered in the main simulator hall. Given I am not currently qualified to pilot the sim I was stationed in the queues, talking to potential cadets and answering as many questions as I was able concerning selection and ground school. However, by lunchtime my luck changed and an instructor in the fixed base Boeing 737-800 needed some help. Initially I thought id just be answering questions for a new queue, but as luck had it Paul sat me in the right hand seat of the simulator, and I was talking through the approach and landing with each student flying from the Captains seat. On a personal level this was enormously beneficial to my learning of the various instruments and systems, as I got the best part of 4 hours playing with them and watching them operate. 

As the day wound down and the last of the visitors made their way to the exit, I found myself back in the main sim hall talking to two current First Officers who had recently completed their training. Mid-conversation, Carl Haslem (ex BA Captain) called me over to one of the A320 sims and said he was quickly testing the motion and I could ride the sim. Initially I thought I was just ballast, but as I entered was instructed to strap into the left hand seat as I was about to get a go with full motion and visuals. After an ex-CTC student and current Flybe First Officer completed a circuit from the right hand seat, Carl set us up on runway 27R at Heathrow and instructed me to give it a go. Given that this was new territory for me, the combination of visuals, noise and movement as I advanced the thrust levers left me grinning like a Cheshire cat, and very quickly any thoughts questioning the realism were quickly dismissed. To make matters more interesting I was given an engine failure in the upper air to demonstrate the clever handling characteristic of the Airbus, an engine failure that was never rectified so I had to attempt an approach on a single engine. If I ever needed motivation for my upcoming mocks/exams, that 20 minute flight was the catalyst!

I'm sure your eyes are now bleeding from all the text, so until next week stay lucky!