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!