FlightGripe

HD: 737 Christmas Decoration (by Santa's Elve's)

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 08:17:39 PST

It appears as though Santa's Elves had some free time this year.

Being supremely productive and creative they came upon a terminal full of bored passengers and there just happened to be 737 parked outside.

Here's what happened next...

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 08:05:20 PST

Hello Everyone,

It's that time of year again for warm sentiments.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and both an enjoyable and memorable festive season.

Best Wishes,
Jim

p.s. For those of you with an interest in tracking Santa live the following is an absolute must for the Santa follower:

Norad's Live Santa Tracking Facility

Boeing 737 Type Rating Account: A Long Road From The Start

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:59:48 PST

I'd just like to say a huge thank you to my good friend (no names) for agreeing to write the following interesting account regarding his experiences during his type rating training.

A Long Road From The Start

"Take off thrust set....Indications normal....80kts....V1...Rotate!"

That's a far cry from what I used to be doing in my previous job as a golf pro on tour, but now those words will get said by me at least four times a day on the flight deck.

I thought I would write a little bit about my experiences of going through a Type Rating for a major European airline. I wont mention any names but I hope that it may be of some use to people who are considering a life in aviation or those that are waiting for that first job.

As I mentioned, this is a second choice of career for me. I was originally a golf pro but due to injury I had to leave the sport that I had loved and travelled the world with. It was a choice of work in a golf shop (which I have nothing against as I have some very close friends who do this, it just wasn't for me) or get my head into the books and study to do something that, as far as I was concerned, was only what other people did.

I'm not going to go into all of the details about me going through the training and issue of CPL and IR but I want to share my thoughts and experiences of the Type Rating itself.

The hardest part through all of this was without a doubt trying to get a foot in the door for the interview itself. With so many low hour cadets out there like my self, it's very easy for ones head to drop and start thinking about all the negatives of an industry that one hasn't even managed to get into yet. Couple that to all the forums with people posting who have been out of jobs for so long and you could be forgiven for thinking why have I even bothered to pursue this type of career. All I can say is keep sending off the CV's because it does happen getting interviews, it's just a matter of waiting and there is no way of knowing how long that time will be.

My interview was a good cop bad cop routine. One person asking the questions, the other looking bored and trying to off put you by playing with his phone and taking calls etc etc. I would say though that the best advice I could give would be to read over some ATPL notes, read up on the airline you are having the interview with and learn items about the aircraft you would be flying. After that it's down to you, and hopefully you'll get a little bit of luck.

I was told I had the job two weeks later, then its time for you to prepare for what you are letting yourself in for. I cant stress enough how important it is to read the manuals early before you start any type rating for the aircraft you will be flying and if possible try and get a copy of the SOP's for that airline as this will reduce the work curve dramatically! I had two weeks for my ground school and it was a very very intense two weeks. Yes there is a lot of work to be done but don't be afraid to put the books down one night and have a beer to relax, it will keep you sane, I promise you! One thing that I did find was that the instructors who were serving pilots in the company were fantastic and very approachable. If they didn't know the answer to the question you asked then they would take as long as it was necessary to find it out for you. All the time you are learning the systems for the 737 (oops did I say 737! Well you have a few ideas now who the company is, but telling you would spoil the fun!) you should also be learning the profiles for the aircraft i.e. VNAV PTH apps, ILS, Take off etc etc and learn the SOP's, once these have been learnt the simulator part will go more smoothly.

So the day arrives for the tech exam and if you say you won't be nervous then just wait till you get there, even the best prepared student will feel a slight twinge of anticipation as he/she reads that first question. Generally speaking though if you put the hours in you should do well, it's not rocket science, more a test on how good you can organise your time for studying and how good your memory is!

So hopefully after the tech exam you will have a week or ten days off before the simulator sessions start. Again a good careful mix of study and time off is whats needed! Learn the aircraft profiles so you can say them off the top of your head, learn both sets of calls from right AND left seat as you will be flying from both seats in the sim. Once you have had a few sessions it should start to become more natural and you will start to settle in, but don't start to relax, as soon as you have started to feel comfortable then something new will come along and knock your confidence and believe me this is totally normal. The workload in the sim is more than that of the ground school as things happen much faster and you don't have the luxury of getting the books out and re reading what you should have learnt the night before. Yes it becomes very tough, especially in the run up to LST (License Skills Test) but I can guarantee that the last sim session before this will be used as a confidence building step so that you are fully prepared for the big day of the test.

B737-800 NG Simulator

The LST itself has a stigma attached to it. Yes everyone wants to pass first time but everyone also fears it to a certain degree especially as a cadet. However everything inside this test is what you have seen and done before, the instructors would not put you forward to it without you showing that you can pass it so take that as a big confidence boost. Generally on an LST you can expect single engine work (V1 cut, Engine out ILS etc), non normal situations (loss of hydraulic system A for example) and emergency situations (RTO). I can promise you that the examiner is not looking for genius, brain child flying. He/she is looking to see that you are safe, have a good understanding of the SOP's, know the aircraft systems and that you can cope in a situation and be able to communicate to the person sitting at the side of you so again don't get too nervous about the LST, its what you have been doing up to this stage but only this time it has a name attached to it.

One thing I would say is that if possible try to enjoy the type rating. Yes its a stressful time of your life and I've only really managed to scratch the surface here, but you will meet some interesting people and remember that this is the beginning of the career you have studied hard for! The fun starts after here when you get to fly the aircraft for the first time in base training, but that's another story altogether!

HD Ode to Joyous Flight (Sky Fighters/Les Chevaliers du Ciel)

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 08:45:57 PST

If this was my day job I can affirm with utter clarity that FlightGripe probably wouldn't exist - because i'd be flying - always!

5 Essential Aviation Forums For Pilots, Students and Industry Professionals

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 05:46:46 PST

I always think of forums (or certainly the ones listed in this post) as cities, in so far as they're always buzzing with so many different threads of conversation. Like all cities forums have a darkside too. I would wager that forums are most likely to contain the highest concentration of modern day neanderthals possible in any one place at any one time in any one sector. But they'll also contain a not so weak concentration of extremely smart, talented and professional people with valuable advice, insights and opinions.

Of course, I mean no insult to the genuine forum goers but as a word to the wise I would have to say: make sure to take a bucket full of salt and after a few days of sifting you'll become very adept at cutting through the fat - which is a great skill and one in which you can develop acutely by using forums.

One of the things that makes pilot forums particularly great is that behind all of those people that (a) vent their mis-givings at you, (b) pretend to be real pilots when they're not and (c) just seem to attack everyone else, are real people with real stories.

Forums are a great way of interacting and meeting new, likeminded professionals. Have a look at the infographic below (click for the very large size) for the 5 most essential forums for Pilots, Students and Industry Professionals. I've also listed the descriptive parts below the graphic, with clickable links.

Forums Listed:

PPrune.org
http://www.pprune.org
One of the most well know, and established aviation forums on the internet. PPrune boasts a large user base supported by a formidable array of topic areas. The site is well moderated, however opinions are rife but the depth of information/responses is impressive.

Airliners.Net
http://www.airliners.net
The forum arm of the hugely popular and prestigious aircraft photo database site Airliners.net. The forum offers a wide variety of discussion topics and has the 2nd largest number of users in the forum group.

FlightGlobal Airspace Forum
http://www.flightglobal.com/airspace/forums/default.aspx
One of the smaller forums but the content is excellent and well toned. This forum is a little quieter with a less confrontational user base. Of course the forum is supported by the FlightGlobal brand and there are frequent appearances by editors and journalists from the flight global publication division.

Flyer Forums
http://forums.flyer.co.uk
A refreshing and excellent forum focusing mainly on the in’s and out’s of general aviation. There’s a community spirit within this forum which keeps things friendly and relevant.

OxfordAviation.net
http://ask.oxfordaviation.net/
One of the things that sets Oxford apart from many is its shear size. I thought that it deserved a space in this list because of the content of it’s forum. As a training provider that specialises in providing airline grade training solutions Oxford have developed an acute knowledge and competency of airline and industry employment methods and conditions. Anyone looking for employment or information on selection, aptitude testing, interview advice etc would be well advised to take a look.

Add your comments below.

Known Issue: (FIXED) Commenting

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:28:05 PST

I'm trying to resolve the problem that is preventing comments from being added to the site. In some cases the commenting facility appears sporadically on posts and then dis-appears!

Sorry and thank you all for your patience.

It's probably Human Error!

Jim

Update: All fixed - It was human error after all! Please feel free to post your comments.

AMR / Chapter 11: Further Perspective

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:48:22 PST

AMR and it's recent Chapter 11 situation is a topic which is sparking a significant amount of interest at the moment.

Robert Mark at JetWhine.com gives his views on the AMR situation in an interesting post and discussion. Really worth a read.

Link: http://www.jetwhine.com/2011/11/aa-pilots-bankruptcy-is-your-fault/

Decision Tree: Should you work for free?

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:20:56 PST

Working for free in any sector is a controversial topic. Personally I think unless it's for a very good or alturistic reason then not really. However that's just me.

To help you make the decision Jessica Hische has created a really cool chart to take you through the considerations and help you make the best decision for the right reasons!

Click on the chart to open the larger graphic or click here for the html/css version.

5 Key Ways To Stay Fit Whilst Away From Home

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:55:59 PST

It's commendable that most of us have some sort of fitness regime that we try and follow despite the problems associated with non-stable rosters and time spent away from home. Hopefully these 5 key ideas will keep your fitness regime achievable and keep you healthy, well rested and de-stressed!

The following is not just for Pilots and Cabin Crew, rather anyone that frequently spends time away from their normal routine.

Use the facilities available or Improvise
Most (reputable) hotels have a gym or health spa available for guest use during their stay. However in the absence of such luxuries have a list of exercises that you can do in your hotel room. Exercises like running on the spot, press-ups, star jumps and variations thereof can easily match the calorie burn you may have achieved in the gym.

Take up Running or Walking
Seems like an obvious one and most people know that regular exercise purportedly reduces ones risk of heart disease. The key to this tip is effort, meaning that a leisurely meander around a scenic vista is a weak contribution to reducing heart disease. A raised heart rate is required for about 20-30 minutes several times a week. Unless there's a real security/safety concern it isn't too much hassle to take 45 minutes out of the hotel and stretch your legs, get your blood pumping and help to keep those heart valves ticking.

Look for opportunity
There's opportunity everywhere for exercise. Some people take a run, walk, or go to the gym. Would you believe that others actually do all their exercise whilst on duty! It's true... Some people do a couple of hundred stomach and/or leg tenses in the cruise. Others bring interesting rubber bands to work and spend a few minutes doing some resistance training (mild form of). Think of the amount of terminals with the gate in a different district than the main terminal - Walk a little faster with your flight bag and the calories will melt away.

Eat Sensibly
This is the most important thing you can do to keep the weight and cholesterol down. A fast food meal can easily contain 1500+ calories and some people live off the stuff. The best thing I have found is to try and eat as you would at home - if that is keeping you healthy.

Stay Motivated
We are all naturally lazy and most will always, as evolution foretold, take the path of least resistance - or at least consider it. All I can say is Yes - I admit I've procrastinated before and may be put off running because it was raining - as in water was falling from the sky - albeit slowly and infrequently. The phrase I use on myself now is "Just Do It" and trust me it really does work - try it!

AMR, The Airline Industry and the Blood Diamonds in Chapter 11.

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:21:45 PST

I'm sure it comes as no surprise to hear of the news this week regarding the filing of Chapter 11 by the AMR group which, while positive for American Airlines et al and it's parent company (AMR), will undoubtedly throw significant challenges in the path for it's employees, suppliers and the air transport market in general. It's making the move with a tidy $4bn cash reserves (to pay bills) and cites "high costs, amongst other forces, as a contributory factor in it's decision.

One can't help but notice several issues regarding the increasing and somewhat prolific use of Chapter 11 protection within the US airline industry.

The first issue regards the protections element of Chapter 11 and whether or not the possibility exists that airlines are abusing this legal shelter as opposed to negotiating, effectively and fairly, with their workforce and suppliers. Nobody would deny that aviation is a complex business that requires sharp minds and deep pockets. However using a legitimate legal framework to essentially tear-up employment contracts, decimate pension provisions and crush supplier agreements is poor form and something that is afforded this level of protection in only a very few countries around the world.

In an interview with CNN, given shortly after the news broke over the Chapter 11 issue, Tom Horton - AMR CEO, said when quizzed by Richard Quest (CNN) on the topic of the preference of Chapter 11 filing:

Horton: "...it never has been our goal or preference..."

On the surface it may appear that AMR have been conscientious and diligent about saving their business - and in some ways I'm sure that they have. However consider Horton's other statements from the CNN interview and you may find that they, taken in conjunction with the $4bn cash reserve, lend strength to an argument that this action was in fact planned all along - as a way of imposing forced changes in terms and conditions to AMR's employees.

Later in the same interview Quest raises the question regarding the employees within AMR et al. Horton states clearly "Well, I think the most important thing is that day one, the Chapter 11 filing itself won’t cause any changes to wages or benefits.". However seconds later he says "...clearly it was our preference to do this in a consensual fashion. Unfortunately, we were not successful in that regard, Richard. " There is of course a potential inference here that AMR may seek to impose any changes non-consensually.

This situation then begs the question - Why are AMR in this position anyway? The answer to which would seem to be because they haven't run their business properly, the second issue.

The second issue from the Chapter 11 story is whether the airlines (collectively) themselves have caused this situation as a result of (a) a failure to run their business properly and (b) a failure to react to threats within the marketplace appropriately.

Point (a) does not simply apply to aviation. The practice of reducing pay and working conditions, ever increasing productivity requirements, cost savings and questionable outsourcing have affected other industries as well.

Point (b) raises questions as to whether the airline industry sat on their hands when low cost/low fare carriers offered rock bottom prices for airline seats at the expense of something else - usually dignity.

Is it acceptable that an industry endorses business practises that result in pilots and mechanics that sleep in car parks because they earn less than a kid on a milk round?

Is it acceptable that an industry endorses airline practises, regarding terms and working conditions, that contribute to fatigue and fatal events (e.g. Colgan Air 3407 )?

Is it acceptable that a global industry thinks that flight safety is improved by practises such as Pay2Fly, Working for Free and deprecatory salaries that are next to impossible to survive even a frugal existence on?

Most would agree an answer of No! It simply is not acceptable however it exists and exists, in part (although not solely) due to the "re-structuring" abilities afforded by Chapter 11. This notion then lends itself to the argument that Chapter 11 is both a crutch and a legal stick so to force submission on the part of a subjects workers and suppliers.

It is of course not acceptable to build a business model around offering the cheapest fares in history at the expense of your highly skilled and highly qualified workers - but yet it happens.

Such a business model can only fail as there exists a point of conclusion in which workers will not be able to afford to work. Traditional model airlines stand no chance of competing against low cost/fare model airlines just as an average family man, in all reasonable probability, could not compete against a worker that works for free, and an employer that expects this.

Consequently this argument arrives at the third issue that behind that sizzling low fare, no frills service exists industry conditions that are akin to modern day slavery. Whilst a startling parallel it is clear that by definition (see def.4) 'Severe toil; drudgery' - i.e. burdensome and degrading labour, would contribute to this comparison.

Maria Weston Chapman, an American abolitionist, said that "Slavery can only be abolished by raising the character of the people who compose the nation; and that can be done only by showing them a higher one." - Modern aviation is not so to be regarded as promoting abolition, rather it demonstrates a somewhat promotional tone, as the "character" being shown is consistently lower and lower - with regards to the business models and practices.

What those fares and business models actually represent is an abuse of real people, the abandonment of meritocracy in favour of plutocracy and the promotion of a global culture that extracts value from society and industry, as opposed to injecting and building upon it.

AMR is not the first airline to use Chapter 11 to support its race to the bottom and it certainly won't be the last - providing such conditions persist so as to inhibit any mitigation of the working conditions and practises prevalent in the modern economy. It would so be accepted that today's aviation industry is increasingly reliant on the idealism of "low cost - at any cost" which unfortunately is not set to change in the near future.

In the sentiment of Maria Weston Chapman I would like to wish every worker and dependent of AMR the very best of luck and one can only hope that the impact of the "re-structuring" process allows for a more prosperous future without significant sacrifice to you or your families.

Flight Safety Petition - The issues affect all of us!

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:21:56 PST

It is so important that anyone involved with aviation - flight crews, ground crews, passengers and stakeholders contribute to improving flight safety by lending our support to this petition.

The changes, set to be introduced in 2012, regarding flight time limitations within the EU zone are a backwards step in flight safety and present a credible long term threat to the integrity of our professional working environment.

You can give your support by signing the E-Petition available at:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/16050

For more detailed information please visit:

http://www.balpa.org/Campaigns/Flight-Time-Limitations-(1).aspx

The best bit about airline job applications...

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:22:04 PST

So you've just spent a tonne of time filling in an online application form and have a couple of sections to complete. One of those sections is probably going to be ask you:

'Why do you want to work for us?'

Now lets face it - people would just love to put 'Because I need a job!' - and I'm sure that some people probably have put that. In fact, I'm confident that some have even left it blank, in the hope that airline recruiters will, just miss it. Think again!

The thing is - it's actually a question you need to answer for yourself, never mind on a job application. Why do you want to put up with the early/late starts, crappy/good terms and poor/good promotion opportunities? You may be a person that actually likes a certain type of lifestyle and will be the perfect fit - if so - then you need to say that.

The reason that an airline is asking you this question is for two reasons (a) to see that you've done some homework at least on them, and; (b) that your passionate about it and that the job/culture is right for you.

Airlines invest significantly in training pilots and would rather not have a situation where you get a year into the job and become one of those people that bores the crap out of the skipper whining about management, terms, the infamous 'union' and your Mother-In-Law and her nagging!

It's not actually that hard to do... and it's certainly nothing to be stressed about. Just sit down with a piece of paper, a pen and a coffee and jot some reasons down about the aspects of the airline you admire and why you would fit in to their 'model'. Remember every airline has a custom model of their 'ideal' pilot, so your task is to try and find out what this is and show how you fit the model.

Just some advice - when I do my answers I look for things like fleet, route structure, safety record, internal culture, customer service, management direction and competence. I also check recent performance, any news items and the last set of financials (if the airline or group is a Public Limited Company). In addition, I'll ask any of my contacts, that work there, about the 'real' situation and how they composed their personal statements.

So the next time you're faced with this question - take 10 minutes and jot a few notes down about you and the company and I bet you'll surprise yourself with the results. It really is the best bit of the application as you get to be creative, and have an opportunity to match yourself to the airline that you're applying to.

* For those who use 'generic' answers and just change company names I would say the following - try not to do this as (a) it's obvious, (b) it shows a lazy attitude and (c) when there are possibly hundreds of people applying for only a few pilot vacancies then recruiters are more likely to use this question to as a filter.... it's your choice though.

Don't give up!!

Please feel free to leave your comments below and share your experiences regarding the application process.

Airflow During A Stall

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:22:28 PST

Whilst we're on the Stalling theme...

Here is a really good example of the what happens to the airflow over a wing as it approaches, and surpasses, the critical angle of attack and stalls.

On the video you will see the tape disruption moving towards the leading edge, which is actually the airflow separating from an earlier point and the turbulent air kicking round to affect the tape strips. So in other words as the angle of attack increases the airflow separates closer to the leading edge.

Nicely included is the slow motion which shows the stalling phase, but also shows just how quickly a recovery can be effected to get air flowing smoothly over the wing; by reducing the angle of attack.

We're Stalling!! - Erm...Now what do we do?!?

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:43:59 PST

It is a strange, but true, fact that there are pilots out there that seem to think that a stall is just something to be played with or ignored - it is not!

Some trainers even advocate the completely wrong stall recovery technique (like 'pull back on the stick') which, quite frankly, is appalling, given how much time is spent drilling it in to student pilots about the stall and it's associated dangers.

Recovery techniques will always focus on the following:

Un-Stalling the wing(s)

Restoring safe flight conditions within appropriate margins.

The most important action to take is step 1. There should not be any confusion about why this has to happen. A stalled wing will not fly - and if you are attached to it then you are not going to fly either.

Every aircraft has a stall recovery technique and the number one method to correct a stall is to reduce the angle of attack of the wings, in relation to the relative air flow. In most cases this is going to require a forward movement of the stick to reduce the angle of attack.

I just want to point out - that this 'Forward Movement' does not need to be a violent manoeuvre, it can merely be relaxing any back pressure. If you assess the need for any further forward movement then input it.

So if you forget everything else just remember to either relax the back pressure and/or push forward on the stick. You'll get the wing flying again and improve your chances of recovery along with it.

In addition: always follow the recommended stall recovery procedure in your Aircraft Operating Manual / Pilot Operating Handbook.

Safe Flying.

Additional Information:

Civil Aviation Authority - Safety Notice SN/2011/08 - Stall Recovery Techniques

The Age Of Farewell

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:51:54 PST

We've had the Industrial age, the Stone age and we've still got old age, but I never, for even a moment, thought that I would live through the Age of Farewell.

I think it is safe to say that the current era is not mankinds' finest hour. The post-war decades were an age of 'Discovery'. Mankind had an excitement about its future and people wanted to succeed. We put a man on the moon and made a Space Shuttle, we created a supersonic passenger aircraft and we created the Jumbo Jet. Sadly, decades later, we have said farewell to two out of three of these achievements, and to replace them we have nothing.

It's a harsh reality that for the first time in modern history we are not seeking to climb higher, go faster or break some other record to push the envelope and re-define the limits of human accomplishment.

Farewell from the crew of Atlantis (STS-135 )- The Final Space Shuttle Mission.

Final Space Shuttle Landing - 21st July 2011

July 21st, 2011 we said goodbye to the Space Shuttle and thanked it for its tremendous contribution to science and humanity. To replace it, at the moment, are the letters 'TBC', as officially the replacement has not been decided.

British Airways Concorde.

October 24th, 2003 commercial supersonic travel came to an end with the retirement of the British Airways Concorde fleet. Air France had retired their fleet as of 27th June 2003. Thousands of people turned out to pay their respects and mark the sad occasion. As part of the farewell Heathrow Air Traffic Control organised co-ordinated landings of the last three British Airways Concorde's.

The Space Shuttle and Concorde were regarded as iconic, seemingly transcending aviation and appealing to the very things that make us human - emotion. They symbolised humanities finest hour and showed us all what 'we', as a race, could achieve - having faced such adversity only 25 years prior. In addition, they did it with a level of style and grace not seen in today's society/world. It was indicative of the standards and moral values of the time.

Lets face it - behind the design of both of these symbols were some extremely smart people and an enormous amount of focused intelligence. The quality of the work and the attention to detail was beyond exemplary. It is understandable that both of these craft enjoyed a 30 year reign and provided many happy memories for multiple generations.

This attachment to emotion is what is particularly fascinating about these machines. Yes they were beautiful and amazing to see, but there was a certain human quality about them that many people empathised with.

The emotional attachment was a consequence of their presence, grace and beauty. People aspired to fly them as they represented the best of the best. Aspirations like this pushed people to exceed their own boundaries and re-define their own limits. To fly one of these aircraft you had to be the very best, which was in part due to the limited vacancies but also to the reputation of each craft also.

Sadly there is less and less to aspire to in this world. These machines have been retired because of fiscal/economic considerations. In recent times most countries have spent frivolously and, rather selfishly, brought their economies to the brink of collapse. Ironically, the acts of selfishness and economic stupidity are the very things that will bind us together once more, as each country supports the others recovery (i.e. EU / USA)

Commercially - these 'symbols' didn't work and without the support of service/parts and a viable business case, the fate of both would just be a matter of time, as the priorities of the people that make the decisions were not with humanity - they were with the bottom line. This then raises an interesting point - Were these 'symbols' ever really designed to make a profit and an interesting question that arises, therefore, is should we as a society seek to aspire to make a commercially economic environment, such that at least one of these machines can continue to exist?

If someone asked me what the next Concorde should look like, if there was ever going to be a replacement, then my answer would be simple: Exactly the same. Don't change a thing - Modernise the inside, flight instruments and engine efficiency but keep the design the same and get it back flying ASAP.

Whilst there are proposed replacements it's clear that these are at least two decades away until we reach a viable alternative from a commercial perspective.

The Space Shuttle and Concorde inspired hope in all who cared about them. They provided humanity with the leaders it needed to aspire to make themselves better in everything that they did. They brought people together, brought happiness to many and made the world a smaller place.

Whilst this may be the age of farewell, there will always remain a little piece of each of these beautiful machines within all of us - as the things that they stood for are the very things that define us, fundamentally, as human being's.

Some tributes:

The following is a 1:20:00 documentary on the Shuttle Program.

Still Red Hot...

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:41:30 PST

1984 was a fairly important year - Aids was discovered by research groups in Paris and California, Apple released the 'Macintosh' computer, and, on the 22nd June 1984 a 747-200 flew between London Gatwick and Newark.

The London Gatwick - Newark flight was, of course, the maiden voyage of a scheduled service for a new airline: Virgin Atlantic. Since 1984 the airline has grown to become one of the most recognised brands in the world.

I think the success of Virgin Atlantic has been due to it's attitude towards it's customers, it's public perception and it's internal culture. The airline emanates a certain romantic flair from the red colouring of its brand to the advertisements that it promotes.

Virgin creates an experience for its customers which is epitomised in the following video clip. I've chosen to include this on my blog because it's representative of some of the great attributes of aviation - way back when.

Enjoy.

HD Cockpit Video 747-200 - Max Weight Takeoff

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:18:02 PST

This is an excellent video of the 747-200 Max Weight Takeoff. When things get this big you can see why everything needs to be done a certain way. What's more it's all steam driven instruments which is just great to see and some 'real' flying is going on - mostly raw data stuff and excellent CRM.

Here's the numbers:

Airport / Rwy: Ostend 08

V1:164 / Vr: 176 / V2: 186

MTOM: 371 Tonnes

Go Jumbo! (make sure to switch to the HD setting to get the close-ups of the displays)

A Pilots Quick Guide To Dealing with Rejection

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:23:19 PST

At some point in life and your professional career you are probably going to experience some kind of rejection. It could be from a relationship, a job or some other situation where you were emotionally invested.

I don't know anybody that deep down isn't hurt slightly by a rejection. Anybody that says it doesn't hurt is simply saying so out of pride. It is the realisation that someone else's view does not match the view that you held and ultimately it feels terrible to be rejected.

Pilots are especially vulnerable to rejection. We have an end goal in mind and rejection usually means that we haven't achieved our desired path (even though we still have other plans to execute). Some react well and some don't. Some look on it positively and strive to find another option. Unfortunately there are some that regard themselves as complete failures and think that the whole world is against them - which is simply not true.

Whether you take rejection positively or negatively the following may help:

In terms of pilot specific rejection - We all send off our applications and CV's in the hope to be invited to shine at an interview. Then sadly, sometimes, we get the aviators 'Dear John' letter/phone call and get told to 'PFO' - (Please F*ck Off).

The first thing to understand is that it is completely your fault. Now before you try and find me to scream four letter superlatives in my face let me explain why this isn't a bad thing.

The reason it's your fault is because you are you, airlines are airlines and either you match or you don't. The reason you don't match is because of you - not the airline (remember this). This is because it all comes down to attitude.

Airlines have a model of their ideal pilot. Every airline has a different model which is related to their culture and (whilst they'll never admit it openly) their idea on how you fit. In other words if their model pilot is someone who is young, single, and cocky and who has maybe some ability with their hands then if you fit this bill, and the interview is probably yours to fail. However if (in this scenario) you are more mature, married, humble but yet have the spirit of Chuck Yeager inside of you then you might get told to PFO.

Now some of you may be sat their screaming 'Discrimination!, Discrimination! - well yes it is and guess what - it happens everywhere secretly, not just in aviation - get over it and play the game.

At one point a very well known British airline was accused of hiring only cabin crew that had excellent looks and an ample bust. The airline of course responded and immediately pointed out that they have an 'Equal Opportunities and Diversity' policy. What they didn't mention publicly was that their view of that policy was actually :-

We give every good looking girl, with a great pair, equal opportunities and enable them to work within a large diverse group of other good looking girls, with a great pair.

Of course they had their odd plumper or coat rack but secretly this was the commandment from the top - the boss wanted good looking people serving his customers - the job of Human Resources was to make this happen and make it look 'legal'.

Not fair, I know, but a fact of life and something you need to come to terms with.

It is not just about raw ability, much of it comes down to the person. You either fit in to the company culture or you don't. You may be thinking "Oh my God!! - I'm never going to fit!!" - the thing to remember is that you are - you just need to keep applying and learn more about yourself and the airlines you're applying to. For example a British Airways pilot may be the most amazing, competent BA Captain in the entire history of BA, but wouldn't last two seconds at Easyjet - airlines know this and this is what they are really looking at.

Other aspects could be the Sim assessment or the technical side of the assessment such as poor ATPL theory knowledge. To be honest though, from experience, you kind of know deep down when it is either of these. The best thing to do is improve and keep applying and do it better the next time round - all be it maybe that will be at a different airline.

So develop a good attitude and look for positive ways that you can improve and try to get a sense of the culture within an airline. Airline interviewers are always thinking - is this guy/gal a good person? or are they just an arrogant sod that will whinge, whinge, whinge about union terms or management - you know the type (don't be that guy!!).

Any advice that I have ever been fortunate to receive has been that the people who persist with applying and develop a good professional attitude are the ones that succeed....Makes sense.

Anyway...You could be the Discount Airline Pilot Guy!!

SkyDemon Light - The future of Notams and Flight Planning

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:23:30 PST

It's not often that something comes along that makes you think "wow! - that's going to change everything".

NATS and SkyDemon have designed a software package that runs from the Internet, shows everything a pilot needs to see about airspace, notams, important notices and is free. I'll just say that last bit again - It's free!

The software is called SkyDemon Light and is available by going to http://www.skydemonlight.com/

I can't think how many times I have wanted something like this - the ability to quickly check the area on a route or even just the airspace around my flights for the day. Humans think in terms of spatial contexts and pilots in terms of airspace, restrictions, route structure and hazards. Pilots love to see the big picture and this SkyDemon Light does this very well and intuitively.

Latitudes and Longitudes on a notam report are often just ignored - i would estimate that 90% of general aviation pilots who have supposedly 'read' the notams, for a particular day, wouldn't be able to recall any of it or have related it to the airspace they'd be transiting through for a given day.

The software is accessible by the link above. Once the browser has installed some web files the main screen appears:

That's right it's a full VFR map with airspace! At the top is a menu bar, map is in the middle and information on the right.

The idea is that you can just stick in a route via a very intuitive search facility:

Once you have selected a departure and destination then the map will show your route and also the associated route information under both the mouse cursor and on the right hand side (see below)

SkyDemon Light is a giant leap forward and will hopefully contribute to flight safety as a result of its intuitive features and accessible interface. This is what I would call the 3G of notams and it's certainly something I would recommend to any pilot - regardless of type of flying.

The link again is: www.skydemonlight.com

A look back at the emergence of Self-Sponsored Type Ratings and Pay2Fly schemes - How did it all go so wrong?

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:39:22 PST

What a difficult proposition to comprehend and one that torments every single modern pilot unfortunate to be trying to get on in the pilot job market today. I dare say it is possibly one of the most emotive topics within the pilot employment industry.

Up until recently I was vehemently against such a practice I viewed paying for type ratings as something that was just plain wrong and should not exist. Either way, whatever your view, it's important to be familiar with the wider issues and that is the focus of this article - or at least my thoughts on it.

First let's think about how it used to be. In the 'olden' days (not to sound like a condescending p*ick !) flying was 'the' career. If you were a pilot in the 1960's, 70's and 80's you were a celebrity (within reason). Pilots were held, in the public perception as the creme de la creme - They flew all over the world, had nice big houses, drove nice cars and sent their kids to private schools because they (the pilots) were compensated very well for their expertise.

Back then expertise counted for something. It was right and proper to recognise the responsibility that people were willing and qualified to carry. It was morally correct to recognise the amount of effort that people put in to obtaining those qualifications. I think this was due to post-WWII and the baby-boom - there was a real sense of meaning and purpose to life. People were motivated and passionate about some cause - peace, science or even love! Yes there were extremes, there always are, but back then society was concerned about moving forward - as a society and not just as individuals.

In modern times (post 1990) things have changed dramatically and the prestige and respect has been reduced to practically nothing - we are are but a number - turn up, fly plane and push off.

One perspective is that todays' society is an age of consumerism - want want want. Morals are a dying concept and there is a decreasing focus on the bigger picture. Nobody cares about the guy next door - he can die for all they care. Every man for himself and screw the rest - is the attitude of the present.

For what it's worth, personally I think it's appalling. I remember some of my elders that used to say "oh the youth of today", in despair, and I used to think it's not that bad - but now, in my middle ages, I look at said youth and think - actually they are very self-centered, devoid of social morality and don't appear to care about the bigger picture.

However - the 'youth of today' - are not to blame. In fact if anything is to blame then we need to blame evolution. Things are running out - nothing lasts forever - and our resources, that were oh so plenty, are struggling to keep up with demand. One that springs to mind is Oil.

The shortage of oil is a serious issue affecting the aviation industry and one that contends a bleak future, given the lack of viable and sustainable alternatives currently available. Yes there is testing being done, like the introduction of test flights that have a 50% fuel burn, derived from alternative fuels. It works but the question is can we meet demand (another post altogether).

Back to the business of type ratings...

So we know that society and business has evolved, and that in the business world it is getting harder to turn a profit because of increasing costs. So in other words we can say that business has become much more cost orientated. But why? - possibly the most annoying questions for any parent with a young child!

Just because costs go up does not mean the business should be any less profitable...surely. If your costs go up and your margin reduces then shouldn't the selling price also go up to protect margins. The answer is yes it should, but airlines are not raising the ticket prices - it's called the low cost business model.

So what does this have to do with type ratings?

In terms of type ratings (sorry I keep diverging from the topic) it used to be the case that an airline would select you, via an interview process, and then pay for your training. In return, naturally, you would guarantee them several years of loyal service (a small bond), so that they hadn't just wasted tens of thousands of pounds training someone to take their new found (paid for) skills to another airline. Of course you were free to leave but the only stipulation was that you would repay the circa amount - a fair deal.

There was a code of ethics - it just wasn't proper to do a runner after some kind company had given you a break and also had the courtesy to invest in your future. The code relied on social morality, something that was strong several decades ago and has weakened over time. But pilots had the 'right stuff' and most of them were happy with abiding by the code.

At the same time ticket prices were relatively high and aviation was not overly available to the masses. Higher ticket prices covered the costs of running an airline and resulted in good profits - a business model that worked.

Enter the 'low-cost' model...and the desire to bring aviation to everybody.

The 'low-cost' model relied on several things, but the key behind it was this: keep costs low to offer low ticket prices to attract the masses. So previously where traditional airlines had made a generous margin per ticket, instead low-cost airlines would make a minuscule profit per ticket and go for volume rather than quantity. Examples: Ryanair (Europe) & Southwest (USA)

The value proposition was changed so that customers actually expected to be treated like cattle and charged for every single thing - as a short intermission have a chuckle at the Southwest/Ryanair parody below:

Coming back to type ratings again: naturally it wasn't long before the people that invented 'low-cost' noticed how much the human resources element was costing. Pilots weren't cheap and this just wasn't in-line with a cost reduction strategy - something had to give.

Perhaps there was a primordial moment when it changed and paying for type ratings was seeded. For now lets just assume that the eureka moment came in a defining moment where a recruiter dared to ask a pilot applicant - "Would you pay for a type rating?" - and that applicant (for whatever reason)said "Yes".

The game had changed now and once one had paid for a rating everyone would eventually be forced to do the same. Once the airlines realized this the practice began to become the norm at low-cost carriers.

At first it was all rather new but somehow it worked. Pilots would pay the cost to rate themselves the aircraft (e.g. 737/A320) and then the airline wouldn't have the cost burden and could make a higher margin on a low costs/low fares model - fantastic!! - but like anything - it was open to exploitation and low and behold look where we are now (in Europe at least).

The exploitation of pilots started relatively smoothly - at first they would pay for their type rating only. But it was OK because they had a guaranteed job and really the expenditure would be mitigated quickly as a result of pilots' still relatively high compensation. Major airlines still paid for the rating so really this practice was only to get pilots on to the ladder - not too bad a value proposition.

However, certain airlines found a way to contract pilots in through an agency and fill their first officer vacancies with agency pilots - in other words most pilots would be temps at this airline. This negated any sick, holiday or tax obligations incumbent on employers as the pilot, being essentially self-employed, was now responsible for all of this. If a pilot left, it cost nothing, if he/she was sick it cost nothing and if the airline didn't want them anymore - it cost nothing.

Around the same time the economy was beginning to feel the squeeze and jobs began to dry up - in addition to the ramifications from 9/11. As a result airlines began to close the door from around 2007 and airline jobs became unheard of.

Pilot desperation grew. Flight schools were still pumping out freshly minted JAA/EASA (f)ATPL holders. Integrated schools created holding pools that grew in to the hundreds for their airline streamed pilots - who were now out £100k with no job to go in to.

Some airlines went bust - notably Zoom, XL, Denim Air, Highland Airways and flooded the European market with experienced Type Rated pilots.

The situation was dire and list of people trying to get an airline job ran in to the thousands. Desperation grew further and for every job there could be 2000-3000 applicants.

As a result of the over supply of pilots and the low demand airlines could have their choice, once things started to move - but the recession had given much food for thought and even traditional airlines had changed their attitude regarding type rating arrangements.

In addition terms and conditions were a constant focus of discussion, planning and industrial action. Established legacy carriers reduced terms, and other airlines decided to take advantage of pilot desperation.

When the airlines began to re-hire in late 2010 (within UK/Europe) they were doing so with a very different attitude. Pilots were desperate people and airlines knew this.

They now offered temporary contracts or part of year (e.g. fly summer and push off over winter).

They offered much lower pay - which was confusing because the pilot was paying for the type rating now so why pay lower? - Airlines justified this by claiming that this was because you were a cadet (frozen ATPL) - despite their cadet pay being much higher previously.

They made you pay inflated type rating training costs at "approved" training providers.

Some made you pay for the interview/assessment.

Modular pilots were discriminated against by some airlines who had signed deals with integrated schools to provide their crews.

Pretty disgusting but none the less evidence of supply/demand.

Desperate pilots agreed to accept the new offerings and hence provided credibility to these dubious practices of taking advantage of pilots, in their desperation.

It therefore was not long before the next evolution occurred - Pay2Fly was spawned. This was the concept of flying for free, paying for everything and never being paid a cent. This was driven by the more recent minimum hiring requirements of most airlines being that applicants should be rated with 500 hours on type - the typical job advert in industry magazines/websites.

I need to say that the concept of Pay2Fly is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen. Selling experience to desperate individuals is exploitation, and those that accept to participate in such practices are incredibly foolish and selfish.

In some airlines Pay2Fly meant that pilots, desperate for a job, would pay for their type rating, their line training, 500hrs (usually) and not be paid anything. At the end of their 500 hrs there was no guarantee of a job and pilots would be kicked out the door as there was another 'little runt' waiting to take their place - disgusting!

Further the cost of this to a pilot would be something in the order of £70k (30k for type, 30k for 500hrs) + £10K living costs (est. £800 GBP / month bare min for around 9-12 months). This is in addition to the personal flight training costs that the pilot has already paid - usually between £50k modular and £100k+ integrated).

So does this sound right to you - (according to the above example) To have a career as an airline pilot you may be asked to fork out between £100,000 to £200,000 to end up being paid £20k per Annum and be self-employed?

Answer: No!

Let me ask anyone who is thinking about entering in to Pay2Fly - even if you get the finance how would you ever pay it back, based on the low incomes of new pilots and decreasing incomes of experienced ones? In addition how on earth are you going to have a life as well, start a family, buy a house etc.

That's right something has gone terribly wrong and with EASA and little regulation of the training terms it is not likely to correct itself in the near future.

In addition the safety issues arise from such practices as Pay2Fly. This is due to the potential for financial hardship and the pressures that this puts pilots under when they need to perform their duties. Pilots reporting for duty having just had a debt collector at the door does not bode well for the safe environment of the cockpit.

I know it sounds selfish to talk about salary but whilst most pilots just do the job for the love of it - there is also reality as well. Love don't pay bills, and no amount of love is going to deal with debts. If a salary is not sufficient enough to live and repay training costs then what exists is essentially a countdown to disaster. Getting you or your loved ones in to 200K of debt is absolutely disgraceful and if you default on the financials then you place others at risk as well.

What a mess...

When social morality was strong we left it to ourselves and airlines to self-regulate and to ensure that conditions remained fair and decent. Unfortunately society has relinquished to economic pressure and the people that make the final decision to support the schemes (the pilots) have shown themselves to not be responsible enough to to make that decision.

This notion may be surprising or inflammatory but I make no apologies, because at the end of the day nobody holds a gun to their head and makes them sign on the dotted line. There are other jobs and ones that pay much more but they choose to support this. These schemes were bound to proliferate but pilots could have just said no. After all if someone offers you stolen goods - are you obliged to buy them? - of course not! But it's a moral choice.

The Pay2Fly practice needs to be addressed in law and paying for type ratings needs to be addressed by the industry as a whole.

There is no doubt that to enter this market currently one must pay for a rating - it's as simple as that. Most airlines are fair and do not charge the earth - some are not and you need to be smart. For example don't pay for a rating for the sake of it - have a confirmed job offer first! I'm going to write different post on how to be smart when paying for a rating.

The type rating arrangements came about because of supply and demand and the Pay2Fly concept came as a result of evolution. Things need to change and the entire industry needs to want to restore its' state to the vibrant, purposeful and morally strong environment it once was. This will take courage and strength and if the ticket price has to increase then so be it.

Airlines need to be mindful of the bigger picture, Pilots need to be smart, Customers need to expect higher prices - but with more value attached and lawmakers need to change the law regarding Pay2Fly.

It's only a matter of time before the low-cost model becomes un-viable and then hopefully we can just get on with the business of flying aeroplanes - which was once beautiful and uncorrupted.

Happy Flying.

Would you like clear ice or rime ice with your drink Sir?

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:37:14 PST

As pilots we all know/should know the dangers associated with aircraft icing. Basically if it's cold and moist you're probably going to get some ice. Icing For General Aviation Pilots is especially useful, and worth watching, because one of the most dangerous icing conditions exists for General Aviation aircraft flying IMC, in cold conditions with no de/anti icing equipment!

It's always good however to refresh our memories and for those who haven't seen these videos they're well worth 10-20 minutes of your time....and of course anything investigated by NASA gets the gold star!

It's in black and white but I just love the logic they applied to the subject matter.

Pilot Recruitment Drive 2011

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 15:36:43 PST

More optimistic times ahead as middle eastern recruitment continues.

Last year saw the largest recruitment drive in three or four years within the European airline market. Pilot movement, created by the demand from Middle Eastern carriers, such as Emirates, Etihad and flyDubai has vacuumed pilots in to the sand pit very quickly indeed.

Airlines within Europe, especially the UK, struggled to fill outgoing positions with airlines like EasyJet requiring 150 odd pilots from it's holding pools to make up the shortfall.

The problem is that there is very little growth within European Airlines - things are stagnant (still) and it's very unclear as to where European airlines will go next year, in terms of growth - so why the recruitment drive?

Because of the void.

First Officers just can't move within Europe. Captains are staying put, airlines are not in a growth phase and there are no opportunities for command. Naturally, faced with this type of situation these FO's will go to warmer, more hospitable climes, which leaves a nice void for cadets.

Just because European airlines are in a period of decline doesn't mean that you can not get on the ladder. Come September/October time airlines will be desperate to fill right hand seats. I might even go so far to say that possibly they'll review their training arrangements to make them more accessible this year than last.

Airlines such as Flybe and Bmi are inviting applications, in anticipation of future recruitment. What this really means is they know that when they get the nod from upstairs then they're probably going to need pilots quick smart.

So get your application in and get yourself ready to rock and roll.

5 Things To Bring You Closer To That Airline Job

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:24:54 PST

Airline pilots have a certain kind of 'stuff'. In fact back in the 'old' days pilots were selected on the basis that they had the 'right stuff'. One of the ways by which pilots acquire this 'stuff' is through the job hunting process itself - it is usually prolonged, complex and deeply testing. Even Chuck Yeager would change under those conditions! Thank fully the 'changes' we're talking about are good ones and will help you for the rest of your life.

The 5 tips below are ways in which you can enhance your skills and ultimately enhance your chances of achieving that ticket to the right hand seat.

Keep Applying - Sounds obvious but you'd be surprised at just how many people don't apply. I don't know whether they forgot or are lazy but one thing's for sure, if you don't apply then you've got zero chances. Keep applying and don't give up!

Treat it like a job - Exams over and you're freshly minted with a Frozen ATPL - who wouldn't slack off. But remember everyone else is out there feverishly filling out those applications and doing the next step (which is equally as important).

Network - I'm not talking about boffin corner ;-) rather the social/business essential skill of networking. How many stories have we heard about people who got a job just like that? - Lots. Networking is key to fast tracking your applications and despite the more in-personable online application systems - networking still works - so try it.

Learn a new language - I don't mean some ancient Patagonian whisper - I'm talking about something that could be highly useful to future employers. For example most airlines in Europe require you to be fluent in their local language, in addition to English. Use your time effectively and give it a go - it really isn't that hard and there are plenty of online resources.

Keep Current - Your theory, interview prep and flying skills need to be ship-shape for when the interview call/email arrives. Don't let it slide as it will be an uphill battle to re-revise everything in time for an interview - your choice - being lazy I like to make things easy for myself.

Have A Strategy.....Three moves or less

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:24:46 PST

Opponent: (smug winner that borrowed your hedge trimmer two years a go and never gave it back - git!) "Checkmate!"

You (Loser): [fake smile] "No!!" - you say gracefully as words like - how?!, what? and but! - begin to congregate around your frontal lobe. Maybe when I was a child (in other words: when I was actually smart) I may have been more apt at Chess, but now that I'm a fully fledged adult (lazy) - thinking 'X' moves ahead is just far too much to handle.

Let me ask you a question: What do you want out of aviation?

You should be able to answer this - after all you must have been able to justify spending all that money in some way - what was the end goal?

Having a strategy is so important. Napoleon Hill once said "a man that has a purpose and a plan attracts opportunity"

I hear a lot of people say "Emirates" - which is great - but when I ask how they intend to get there, they just don't have a clue. In reality they're probably only a couple of steps away from being able to apply to Emirates, or similar carrier, but (a) don't know and (b) don't know about Emirates recruitment minimums.

Whilst there is no doubt that the most prestigious conditions for pilot employment exist in the Middle East, currently, this environment will not last forever.

The Middle Eastern pilot hiring trend is driven by their demand for pilots due to their large aircraft orders and insufficient local resources. Once the aircraft have all arrived they won't be so needy for pilots - which begs the question - how long will the current trend continue? The answer to this will determine if you'll be in a position to access their market, or whether a stronger proposition exists, or will exist, elsewhere.

Let's face it - trying to make a good living, as a pilot within Europe, is like trying to run against the flow during an evacuation - it's just not going to work. Yes - maybe in the past, and when I say past I'm talking 20 years ago, things were good, maybe even very good, but not today.

This situation is especially true for new entrants, in particular, those freshly qualified modular students. It's not going to be an easy ride when you have to compete against Integrated, Multi-Pilot licence holders and appalling pay-2-fly programmes. (a subject to be covered in lots of detail in an upcoming post).

It's hard to make it in this business but you're not alone.

Whatever your route to the left hand seat make sure that you exercise some due diligence so that you don't end up like the unfortunate gentleman that entered in to a 7 year bond for a caravan type rating; not smart! Last time I spoke to him he was looking forward to being upgraded to a Seneca as an FO - Don't be that guy.

So how do you form a strategy?: Simple - but you're going to need some extraordinarily complicated technology - a piece of paper and a pen/or pencil.

Do a little research and figure out what you would like out of aviation. Where would you like to retire, What do you want your life to be like?, Do you intend to have family?, What kind of aircraft/flying interest you?, cargo or walking cargo? etc...

Then identify targets that meet some or all of your desired qualities.

Then work backwards - figure out the hiring requirements for your targets. For example you could decide to go and fly a medium size corporate jet for a few years, only to find out that Emirates only want applicants with hours on aircraft with a MTOM > 25Tonnes!! So by knowing the answers to the questions above will enable you to plan an achievable direction.

Of course this is not to say that the plan can't be changed: it can, it's flexible and malleable. But as the old saying goes 'if you fail to prepare then prepare to fail' - which has extreme significance when you'll be competing against a couple of thousand applicants for one job.

Refer to your plan every now and again and assess it. Change it if you like but always keep it in mind. For instance if you are offered a flying job think to yourself - what does this mean for my plan? - will this take me closer or further away? - in other words make an informed decision.

You never know, we may have a game of chess together one day and you can tell me about how you arrived at our chess game, and hopefully that game will be over a beer at the Emirates bar.

Good luck.

Parody: The perfect pilot interview

noreply@blogger.com (A) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 17:24:36 PST

Haha! Real man of genius - Unfortunately we've all been here in our careers at some point trying to get on the ladder.