A Few Important Questions.....

[737-500]

Hi all.
I have recently passed my JAA Class 1 medical and I am building my hours up. I am just wondering if it is a requirement to be able to swim if I want to be a airline pilot? Also is Morse Code still a requirement on the JAA PPL/ATPL courses? One last question is what is the most difficult theory subject on the ATPL course(in general)?

[Lalala]

Hi there!
No, you dont have to be able to swim or lear Morse code.
The most dificult subject depends on each person, for me it was meteology, for my class mates it was Navegacion. Best of luck.:)

[ultimatepro63]

I think it would be good to be able to swim, Its easy..If i can, you can :ok:

[IMC007]

You may well find that some job specifications do ask that you be able to swim 50 yards unaided and even if they don't when employed by the airline you will be sent on a number of courses including wet drills which means getting into a swimming pool and simulating a ditching and helping passengers and crew out so I would suggest you start learning sooner rather than later.

Regards IMC007

[captwannabe]

In the event that you have to ditch a plane in water, it will be completely destroyed. The fuselage will break up on impact, and/or then will break up like the Titanic (and of course lives will be lost in the process). Will the ability to be able to swim help you? Hmm............:ugh:

[Reverand Lovejoy]

737-500,

It is certainly not a requirement to learn how to swim or remember morse code for the JAA ATPL theory and the CPL/IR MCC (your frozen ATPL)

However, learning morse makes it that bit eaiser when Identing VOR's ect in older aircraft (without auto ident!!) and frees up a channel of your memory for something else (instead of cross checking it on a legend). You probaly know more than you think and I learnt it by studying the 3 local Vor's and remembering there idents. This covered about 7 letters (some were common before anyone gets smart ;) ). Eveyone knows SOS as .../---/...

Even your mobile phone is trying to teach you morse code. Remember the familliar message tone for Nokia?.../--/... That stands for SMS, SMS messaging.

It's not a pre-requisit but you may find it helpful. As for learning to swim I'm with captwannabee. If you are lucky enough to survive the ditching then somebody is looking down on you that day and you will probaly find something to grab hold of. If your luck is going well enough for you to survive then you'll find a lifejacket or million dollar yaught passing by. Dont forget to buy a lottery ticket that day. One last point, you could be the best swimmer in the world but if you cant feel your legs for whatever reason (cold, broken - both likely) then you are f**ked. I'd spend the extra time on learning the ditching routine than how to swim away from it!!

Chow for now
The Reverand:ok:

[Charlie Zulu]

The ability to recite morse code isn't in the JAA ATPL Learning Objectives for Communications. However they do state within the document that although it is currently not tested, it may be in future exams.

However I would learn it for the reasons stated in previous posts. It makes life a lot easier whilst identing VOR/NDB/ILS frequencies etc. I learnt Morse Code by using a DOS program a good 7 years ago after my PPL. I was going to go for my CAA ATPL exams which included a Morse Code test. i didn't actually get around to doing the old syllabus, thus having to do the JAA ATPL at the moment...

The ability to swim? Well I am not a strong swimmer and in fact until I was about 15 I couldn't swim. I had a complete blank when it came to taking my feet off the ground in the swimming pool at the same time as my hands being away from the side... then my parents asked if I wanted basic swimming lessons. Within 4 sessions I was swimming widths of the pool...

Anyway I can do one length of a normal swimming pool (not Olympic size) unaided but I would really like to do more. After my studies I will be starting regular swimming sessions, just for my own personal satisfaction and fitness.