Week 81: So close, so very close!!

This week I came so very close to finally completing my base training, but irritatingly our continental friends in French air traffic control decided that a strike was a great way to follow the Easter weekend. For those of you that are unsure, base training is the first occasion a professional pilot flies a big jet and alongside a first solo leaves a lasting imprint on one's memory. The aircraft used is empty of passengers, and the training detail involves flying visual circuits to practice landing.

Unfortunately, forces were against me this week and completing base training was always going to be a challenge. Two students from my course that were supposed to fly the week before had their training detail cancelled because of high winds, and even though they spent three days flying between Cornwall, Northern Scotland and France, they didn't manage to complete their 12 circuits. To further 'improve' the situation, with the French air traffic strike easyJet made the tactical decision to cancel our second days training so that the aircraft was available in terms of contingency planning. This meant that there were now 7 cadets trying to complete 12 circuits in an aircraft we only had for 10 hours. No chance!

This is one of the realities of working for a large airline, the result being I just have to sit on my hands for a few days in the hope that crewing come up with a plan to get us flying. The reality is that our base training will be rescheduled at a convenient time for the company and not before; ultimately transporting passengers around Europe and earning money as a result is how my wages will be paid, and if customers aren't flying the company's not making money. Annoyingly there is a possibility the French will have a further three days of strikes starting on Thursday, so fingers crossed some sort of solution occurs. 

Luckily even though I haven't managed to fly my base training, as part of my introduction to easyJet's way of doing things I am rostered for 8 sectors of supernumerary flights, 4 of which I have tomorrow. These flights are designed to give me the opportunity to watch a crew perform a line flight without being part of the working crew, and I will spectate from the jump-seat which sits at the back of the flight deck. My first one goes to Palma in Mallorca, so I have a decent opportunity to ask questions, then later in the day i'm going over to Amsterdam which promises to be quite challenging given how busy the airport is.

For the moment i'm just waiting on some good news and a change to my schedule, so hopefully by next week things have developed a bit!