Week 22: Mocked for a second time!

Common to module one, cp112 this week had their mock examinations ahead of the real exams (which I will unfortunately be sitting one week tomorrow), so we had the opportunity to once again discover where there were gaps in our knowledge, as well as the hideous feeling of time pressure that only exams can create! Most of the course did pretty well and i've come out with a good average so it's a relief to know my brain is retaining knowledge, but I still have some areas that need work. Accordingly, I've spent the last few days going into Nursling for study and as much as I hate sitting there for 8-10 hours at a time, I can honestly say it's working! So next week my blog will mostly consist of me describing how much i'm cacking my pants before my first exam, and how adult nappies aren't a bad thing.....be warned!

This week I had some interesting (but as yet unconfirmed) news concerning my course, specifically the length of time I will be in New Zealand. easyJet requested that the MPL students got some time flying in the UK (so I will get to zoom about in the twin star!), and this was mostly due to the specifics of the course being slightly different. Whereas the wings students get time in Bournemouth to get acclimatised to the busier, faster-paced radio activity in the UK, MPL students would get very limited practice and may be a little overcome on their first day at Gatwick when the controller is firing instructions like a machine gun. However, given we need to work through all of the Airbus stuff prior to March as well as spend a few weeks in Bournemouth, the only way we can achieve this is by spending a month less in Hamilton, which means our flying schedule is going to be a lot busier to say the least! But then more time at the airport means less opportunity to spend money doing silly things, money which is rapidly running out!! 

So thats it from me, another week of revision to keep me occupied and another week closer to getting back flying. yippeeeeeee!!

Week 21: Sods law is a real thing!

Finally I have finished all instruction required for the ATPL ground-school element of the course, and I can honestly say it is a huge relief to be in the home straight! The week ended with a really interesting lecture from the UK's leading mind on pilot disorientation, tying together our knowledge from both the physiological as well as psychological elements of human performance. The day ended with an exercise involving reverse glasses to prove how quickly the body loses it oritentation, and how the mind can be readily tricked by confusion from the visual cortex. In essence, the glasses have two prisms which reverse each eye, so what you see on the right is on the left, and vice versa.....

And on to the more entertaining part of the week.....as our mocks start tomorrow, cp112 were given the rest of the week off to study, so in a similar vain to module one I went in to make use of the quiet classrooms at Nursling. I had woken on Wednesday with something of a sore throat, thought nothing of it and went into CTC armed with a pack of Halls Soothers (which solve everything!). However, by about midday I was struggling to concentrate and found myself reading questions more than once as apparently my brain didn't pay attention the first time. This continued throughout the afternoon, and by 7pm my sore throat was giving me problems swallowing, and on closer inspection my tonsils were covered in white spots, a red flag for tonsillitis. Sod's law had decided to join the revision party!

I decided to go to bed around 10pm with the intention of taking myself to the Doctors the following morning, but at midnight was rudely awoken by my throat being completely closed as the two tonsils had met and stuck together! This seemed reason enough to see some sort of medical professional a bit sooner, so I went to Casualty only to find I was running at 39.6deg which needed sorting before anything else. After an hour enjoying a saline drip to sort my dehydration and various bloods being taken, my temperature was going in the right direction and I was confirmed as having tonsillitis which unfortunately for me had come on quite rapidly so my body didn't know what to sort first!

So for the weak stomached among you, try to concentrate on this side of the page, because I took that picture in my bored state whilst plummed in. Eventually I was released to go home at 4am, so back to bed for me and there I stayed all day trying to catch up on sleep and recover a bit! Proof enough for me that if something is going to go wrong, it's going to happen at the most inconvenient time!

Thanks to those that came and chatted with me whilst I was studying at Nursling during CTC's Career event yesterday, and i'm glad to hear the blog's of some use. Unfortunately after losing a days study I couldn't volunteer, but was able to chat during breaks so not the worst day ever! For now, back to study ahead of my mock tomorrow!

Week 20: All in a days work

This week we looked at one of the most relevant topics in the day-to-day life of a pilot, Operational procedures. Unfortunately it is an incredibly dry subject to learn as it mostly consists of learning facts (very similar to Air Law in module one), but some of the information is incredibly vital and therefore needs due attention. To give a flavour of what's covered, some of the subject matter includes:-

• Minimum equipment lists (MEL)- the list telling you what bits of the aircraft need to be working to operate a flight
• De/Anti-icing- holdover times and the danger of neglecting proper winter ops
• Dangerous goods- special information concerning the transport of something that ultimately carries a level of risk (i'm sure a wild lion would come under that)
• Cabin Decompression- Oxygen systems required on board
• Fuel Jettison- what to do when the plane needs to be back on terra firma but is too heavy to land
• and the list goes on......

As the subject is very much one tested by regurgitation, the easiest way to learn is via the online question bank. This isn't a suitable learning tool for certain subjects like navigation where a thorough understanding is required, but as ops is a subject of facts it's the most sensible course of action. And very shortly I will be back in revision mode, as I have two days of lectures left closely pursued by mocks next Monday!!!

As of Thursday cp112 are now the most senior course in ground-school at Nursling. Cp111 had their final exam and are now waiting anxiously for their results from the CAA, a position I will find myself in very shortly. To mark this cp112 had their course photos taken, a photo which will proudly hang on the corridors of CTC for many years to come. 

Finally next Saturday is CTC's next careers day which i'm sure some of you will be attending, and to break up my revision I will be there helping out (in the hope ill get some sim time too!); so if you've been following the blog and see me there, come say hello and let me know what you think. Criticism on the back of a postage stamp please....

Week 19: Best laid plans....

Pressing on with Module 2, we moved onto Flight planning and flight monitoring. In a similar vain to the other subjects we have studied in this module, there is a lot more practical application and the majority of our learning is geared towards the day-to-day  aspects of the role. 

For those of you that think a pilot fills the tanks to the brim, boards the self loading freight, then simply points the nose of the aircraft in the right general direction, there's a lot more to it! In very simple terms the subject encompasses fuel planning for the climb, cruise and descent, planning routes using the different types of en-route charts, as well as looking at points of safe return (ie. to go past it you've gone past the point of no return!). However, the most important aspect was working through the various section of the Jeppesen Airway manual, to gain a working appreciation of the different types of chart we will use on a daily basis. 

Even though many flight deck documentation is now computerised, some carriers still have a requirement to carry hard copies of the airways charts, either because their computer system is still in proving, or there is a requirement for increased redundancy. Regardless, it is a learning objective of the ATPL exams that we have a full understanding of the charts, how to interpret the not insignificant amount of information they contain, and how to utilise them with confidence. Eventually we will use similar charts in New Zealand (although a lot less cluttered), and on our return will get used to using the current European charts, known for being incredibly congested. Think of it as a road map, but if you miss your turning you best find out where you are pretty quick, as you're probably shifting at 6 miles a minute!

As the SuperBowl is on tonight and I intend to watch it (finishing around 3am) I best get back to doing some more work. Fortunately we've got the day off tomorrow for self-study, otherwise i'd be catching the result in the morning! So enjoy the week...