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....