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!

Week 5: The Weather

My "favourite" place

Week 5 has drawn to a conclusion, and cp112 are now a chunk of their way through Meteorology, the study of the weather. Met is a fairly important subject for pilots to have a thorough knowledge of, as it tends to have the most significant bearing on day-to-day operations, and therefore questions around the topic are often scenario based to help give some context to the information being learnt. The key areas are:-

• The Atmosphere- including altimetry which is a life saving area
• Wind- horizontal movement of air in the atmosphere and further effects
• Thermodynamics- the relationship between temperature and the atmosphere
• Clouds/Fog- whether the sheep are in the sky or on the ground
• Precipitation- rain, snow, hail
• Air Masses- ties in all the previous knowledge into a 3D concept
• Climatology- worldwide differences, seasons
• Flight Hazards- icing, poor vis, thunderstorms (things that might end a flight early)
• Met Info- information to prevent the above! 

As a subject, the majority of pilots I have spoken to have found Met interesting as it is a practical subject which is easily applied on a daily basis. Unfortunately, it is rather vast and therefore the challenge once the material is understood is to keep it from escaping. For some students reading over the topics continuously works, and for others the answer is practice exam questions as the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) have a knack for asking questions in the most difficult to decipher manner. For one element I decided to get a wall map and cover it in arrows and key words so hopefully I retain all the necessary knowledge, especially when it comes to global climatology!

The timing for Met is also brilliant, as Britain this evening is to be pummeled by a large storm created by a deep depression in the North Atlantic. Unfortunately I failed to grab last nights synoptic chart, but below is the situation forecast for midnight tonight, the 27th October. Put simply, the black lines which join points of equal pressure are very close together, and in the same way that close contour lines on a map signify steep slopes, the closeness indicates strong winds.

Separately from my studies, CTC's newest course cp113 had APD1 on Friday. APD means Airline preparation day, and throughout the course CTC use these days to help train cadets for the non-technical skills required to successfully pilot an aircraft. Arguably a monkey could be taught to fly (as I have proven), but to be a good airline pilot requires sounds communication, confident decision making, strong situational awareness as well as a flexible approach to tasks. There is some amount of role play but also group discussion to help the learning progress, and as the course progresses the content of the APD changes to maintain relevant. However, cp113's arrival signals the end of cp112 being CTC's babies, and in only three weeks our instruction for module 1 will be over and the exams will be rapidly approaching! 

Enjoy the storm!

Underway, overworked...

Cadet Uniform items

On Friday, I passed the four week point of my course, which sees CP112 halfway through the instructional element of module 1. In four weeks we have covered:-

• Aircraft general knowledge- Airframe, Hydraulics, Landing gear, Pneumatics, Electrics, Piston engines, Turbines, and logic systems.
• Principles of flight- the theory of flight examining Flying controls, Forces in flight, Stalling, Stability, High speed flight, Operational limits and Propellers
• Instruments- thus far we have covered half of this but have managed Gyroscopes, Magnetism, Sensors and Pressure Instruments

For those of you shy of hard work, this is not the course for you! Unfortunately, given the pace of the course there is no opportunity to rest on your laurels at the end of a days lectures. The only sure way of passing is to immediately consolidate the new information, whilst revisiting previous topics so that they remain fresh. An average day during ground school is:-

• 0900              Lectures
• 1200              Lunch
• 1300              More lectures
• 1600- 1700   Home
• Evening       Grab something to eat and strap yourself in for some study! Personally i'm                            heading to bed somewhere between 10 and 11pm, but that is down to the                            individual. 

CP110 (July Starters) have just done their first set of exams, and CP111 have just done their mocks for Module one, so it won't be long until the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) send an invigilator to oversee the first 7 of ours!

Being at Nursling is also something of a mixed bag. It's great to be on the course and underway, but months of solid ground-school ahead will take it's toll. However, given there are three full motion simulators on the walk from the car park to the classroom, inspiration arrives first thing every morning! I am also in the fortunate position that even though I only get 6 months in New Zealand, as of September next year ill be spending the best part of 6 months in the Airbus A320 simulator due to the specific learning objectives of my MPL course. 

That'll do for this week, and hopefully from now I will be in a position to make a post a week. So look out on Sunday, and ill attempt to find a different topic to let you in on.

Fly safe

Paperwork.....not all fun and games

As mentioned, the posts on this blog are currently rather weak as my course doesn't start until September,  but the wheels are already in motion with regards to administration. I will therefore attempt to give you an impression of what happens between selection and commencing the course.

Initially, acceptance is fairly informal and it's via email, so no changes there. Once you as the cadet have accepted an offer, CTC begin to put together what can be classified as joining instructions, which also serves as a more detailed explanation of the various elements. The key aspects include:-

• Contracts to be signed (for both the main course and the foundation course in New Zealand)
• Information on the specifics of the easyJet MPL
• general run down of the wings course (although the MPL is slightly different)
• Criminal record check through Disclosure Scotland

The joining instructions also give a clearer insight into where your life is going and how long each element will approximately take. Given the timescales quoted and pending no delay, I am forecast to commence base training in March 2015, and hopefully will have passengers on board by the end of the month. Base training is the first time you fly the aircraft you have gained a type rating on; essentially a group of cadets will take an empty easyJet aircraft to a more quiet aerodrome, and attempt to demonstrate what has been learnt in the simulator under the watchful eye of a base training Captain. Pending a successful result, the cadet is then released for line operations in this case across the easyJet European network.

Given base training is comfortably a year and a half away, ill leave it there. But hopefully as the months wear on the content will become more interesting!