Type rating - My Diary

[flyfish]

I have put together a type rating diary. If anyone would find useful/interesting drop me a PM and I will send you a copy. (Microsoft word format)
Whilst the feedback I have had from the selected few who have read it is good, for one reason and another I have decided not to post it on the forum as yet.
If you are thinking of a SSTR you may find it helpful to know what to expect.

Regards

Flyfish

[Craggenmore]

What a/c did you rate yourself upon?

[flyfish]

737 classic and NG.

[Just another student]

flyfish, your inbox is full :)

Would love to read about your experiences.

Cheers

JAS

[GrahamK123]

Whether you agree with SSTRs or not this makes a excellent read, is well written and would be of great use to someone considering going down the SSTR route!

:D :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[ccc111]

I agree, Nice read

[Jimmy The Big Greek]

why dont you post it here on pprune?

[flyfish]

sorry,
inbox is now empty for anyone that wants to have a copy, just let me know your email address.
I didnt post it on the forum for fear of it turning into another anti SSTR thread and there has been enough of those over the last few months.
Its really for anyone that is about to embark on a similar journey and wants a heads up as what to expect. thanks for your comments though.
Flyfish

[Superpilot]

flyfish, have you embedded photos into the Word doc? if not, just copy and paste it here mate.

[flyfish]

Thank you to those who have been kind enough to read it and let me know what they thought.
I am now struggling to keep up with the requests for the diary so I will post it here for all to see.
It’s large so I will send it a bit at a time.

Regards Flyfish.

PS. If I haven’t replied to you via email as yet, I will and will forward you a copy in full.

cheers.

[flyfish]

Sitting at home having sent out my C.V and realising the airlines were not going to be beating down my door I had in the back of my mind plan B.

A little background - I am 36 years old, I got my PPL in the UK with the intention of doing nothing more than pottering around the English countryside on my days off, with perhaps the odd adventure to France.

Having completed the ppl, I realised that the option was there for the likes of me to ‘go all the way’ to achieve the dream. My father had been in the airline business so as a child I found myself sitting in the flight deck of Bcal DC10s wondering in marvel at this fabulous office while my father flicked the light test and GPWS warnings . WOW I was hooked; I was gonna be an airline pilot when I grew up!
Well school seemed to pass me by, and before I knew it I was 17 years old, 5 olevels a job in a warehouse and the dream of flying seemed to sit in the back of my mind as something other ‘gifted’ people do
I don’t know,it just seemed to happen, but I ended up at a police training college and graduated 14 weeks later as a police constable.
Life went on and before I knew it I woke up one morning and found myself with a mortgage, wife and 3 children! That was me for the next 10 or so years quite happy with my lot. I still wanted to get my pilots licence so on a sort of whim really I popped into the local flying club. A trial flight later and I was signed up for the whole course.
PPL completed over about a year, yes a year, 3 kids a mortgage, a full time job and the great British weather all extended the time it took me to join the world of aviation.
While training as I am sure most people reading this will know, I began overhearing conversations from Flight instructors. The routes they took to get where they had, the job market, the costs etc . But the biggest revelation was the fact I could try this game for myself.
Well the long and short was that having spoken to the family I would give it a go. No A levels, no degree, but it didn’t seem to matter.
The only gamble really was the two grand or so it would cost for the 14 ATPL exams. If I wasn’t up to it, well at least I gave it a go and the wife probably wouldn’t divorce me for that amount of money!

I did find the exams heavy going, but doing them modular with a great school got me through in the end. I did realise however that I had paid no attention in school and had to learn some of the basics from scratch. SohCahToa! I didn’t have a clue.

Having got the exams out of the way I was desperate to start the flying, just one small hurdle, money!
I really hadn’t thought passed the exams, perhaps in part to my lack of confidence, I guess looking back now that I really never thought that I would succeed, and it was more of a personal challenge than anything else.

I started hours building, well, hours in the book to keep current and do those things I originally set out to do with my PPL.
I had discovered PPRUNE by then and having used the search engine time and time again, (SCROGGS you would be proud) I found all the info I needed, even down to the most sympathetic bank.

HSBC – a couple of visits a business plan that took weeks to compile, a promise to stay employed throughout my training, security against my house and it was done. All the money I ever needed to get a FATPL.

Now I could hit the hours building hard, every spare moment I got I was on a trip somewhere. Something I did learn was that unbelievably it’s really difficult to find people to tag along. Once you have shown ALL your friends their houses the offers of FREE left hand seats seem to dry up. Perhaps I should be concerned!!
Finished the hours building and went straight into the CPL. I completed this at Stapleford in the south east of the UK. My instructor, fantastic. She in fact became more like a friend in the few weeks we spent sitting together making the whole process great fun. Well I passed on Christmas Eve, which was rather a nice pressey.

The New Year saw me complete the multi rating and then into the Instrument Rating.
When I think back to the IR I think of it as just another part of my training, a hurdle to get over, it really now doesn’t seem that bad.
However at the time, it was the most stressed I have ever ever been about anything in my life.
I remember sitting on the runway at Cranfield at the start of my test thinking 2 thoughts.
1) Oh god, I have forgotten to set the transponder code, what was it?
2) How the hell am I going to keep this straight on the runway, my legs are shaking sooo much.
As this isn’t a diary about the IR (or any other facet of my training, wow I have waffled), so I will spare you the details other than to say I passed 2nd attempt series 1.

MCC was completed at Oxford, which great fun, much needed after the stress of the IR.

So here I am where you began reading, me thinking about plan B.

Perhaps if I tell you my thought processes you may, even if you do not agree with, understand why I opted to go the type rating route.
I bashed out the CVs and filled in the online applications, which where either not replied to or sent back with a letter saying no thanks. I did have some luck with one application so that did mist the waters a little, but after I hadn’t heard anything for nearly 2 months I began to think that avenue was not going to open for me.
I figured that as I was now 36 years old, I really didn’t have too much time to hang about. If I went down the F.I. route, I would be perhaps nearer 40 before I had the sort of hours some people half my age had and were not getting any better replies than me.
I had to keep working remember, 3 kids mortgage etc, flying at weekends would be slow progress to a large recognizable amount of hours
If I hung on for the interview with the T.P operator I may not get through, and if I did, the way the market is going, the chances are that when I eventually wanted to move on to that dream job ( remember the jets I sat in as a kid) I may have to fund my type rating anyway.
I know that some people will despise me for doing it this way, but my interest lies in a jet job, sorry I can’t change that, that’s just me.

Another thing that helped was the housing market; I had made enough on a house sale to pay back my original loan, so I was perhaps in a better position than some to fund the rating.

Whatever you think on the dos and don’ts of self funded type ratings I hope you can see some method in my thinking.

Having completed my CPL/IR at Stapleford, I was aware of the 737 rating with 100 hours they did with Astraeus/Bond. It was also important for me to do it all in the UK, so I could get home for the family and possibly work in between.

Ok the reason for all this –
THE TYPE RATING DIARY

It was December again, doesn’t time fly. I went down to Cranebank at Heathrow to fly a British Airways simulator on a Sunday evening for a Simulator assessment.

I parked the car in the multi storey opposite, about 3 hours early and sat there briefing the pre read for the millionth time. You are given the basic profile and standard calls as well as the power settings you should use.
I had flown the 737 add ons for flight sim and practiced time and time again to myself.

We met up with the assessor and the other 4 candidates and after a coffee we had to decide the running order between ourselves. Always one for thinking lets just get on and do it, I made a lame excuse about going first and no one seemed to argue the point so that was that.

Sitting in the 737 simulator with training Capt. beside me on an assessment should have scared the pants off me. However this particular chap (a TV star but that’s another story) put me at ease from the word go. I flew as he had asked and well, just did my best. At one point the motion dropped off and the simulator and the system crashed, making the whole thing jump around, but a quick reset and away we went again.
When I later spoke to him during the course he said he was impressed the way that the system crash hadn’t fazed me, but if I am honest it gave me a few extra minutes to think about things.
Without giving to many secrets away this type of assessment is flown raw data, that is no automatics or auto throttle. Speaking to people since, the thing that gets most seems to be the pitch power couple, but I had read somewhere (probably PPRUNE), to treat the power levers as if they were attached to the electric trim. That is when ever the throttle is advanced; the trim should be as well in the same direction. So that’s what I did !
Hold entry worked out well, or at least I thought it did. I got it all worked out in my head, got the correct hold entry sorted, flew the hold and then on down for the arrival and landing.
(It wasn’t till I got my assessment report that I realised once in the hold I had turned the wrong way and it was more luck than judgement it worked out ok).

I got out 45 minutes or so later and after a goodbye and thank you I went off back round the M25 not having a clue how I had performed.
Bond/Astraeus say the assessment report will be with you within 5 working days, and true to their word, it was, oh goodness how did I do?

The grading is 1 to 5, 1 being the lowest 5 the highest.
I think that if you score 3 or less you have been assessed as requiring a Jet orientation course.
Well despite being a complete tool and turning the wrong way in the hold, I scored a
4 +
I was over the moon; a flying god had thought I wasn’t so bad after all. The big bonus being I wouldn’t need to find an extra couple of grand for the J.O.C.

Bond contacted me soon afterwards and asked if I would like to start the course the following week! Yikes!!
As it turned out I couldn’t get the time if work until a month later so I opted for the Feb 2006 course.

I spent the month in between on Microsoft flight sim, reading profiles, SOPs the 737 technical web page ( very good I must say), and watched as the days rolled ever closer to my big course............. to follow

[thunderbird-1]

Very nice read, thank you to share your experience with us :) .

cheers

[flyfish]

GROUND SCHOOL

Beginning of February 2006 and I went down to Bonds training facilities near Gatwick like a nervous new schoolboy, for the start of my ground school.
The ground school is the computer based training (CBT), i.e. you are basically plugged into a computer and go through the 737 program from start to finish. They have an experienced trainer at the front to go over anything you have questions on, but generally you are left to get on with it. This sort of teaching was great for the likes if me, I do tend, after about 45 minutes or so of someone at the front of the class teaching, to switch off a little. This way I was able to study until I felt I needed a break rather than when someone else felt I needed one.
The CBT is broken up with afternoons on the ‘cardboard bomber’. It’s a basic mock up of the 737 cockpit where you are shown the switches, ergonomic layout and get an introduction to everything you need to push and twiddle with to prepare a 737 for flight. When you are first shown how to do the ‘cockpit safety check’ the ‘rainbow scan’ and the checklists it’s all very daunting, but after a few days it all seems that little more manageable. After a few weeks, you have it off to a fine art.
One of the complications for line pilots today is that Boeing has changed the way they run their office. The checklists used for I guess the last 10 to 20 years have now been streamlined to enhance safety. These include complete changes in responsibility for each pilot, the FO for instance while on the ground, doing more on the switches and buttons side , to allow the captain to concentrate on not hitting anything while taxing. I am quite glad then that I started the after the new system came in. It would have been a nightmare to learn it all one way and then a few weeks later have to do it a whole new way. So the cardboard bomber, yes I know it well know, just looking forward to the real switches and buttons.
Back to the classroom and progress tests are completed to ensure you are up to speed for the final exam. Again with these there is no pressure to take them on time although my class all sat them on schedule and passed.
Once you get to the end of the CBT, its time to learn the performance side of things. I quite enjoyed this bit as during my ATPLs it was a real sticking point for me so I was glad to be able to understand it all. Although this training is completed by the teacher student method, the line pilot/trainer who taught us it was top notch and completed it with a great power point presentation and loads of enthusiasm.
After 3 weeks of endless study in the class followed by 2 or 3 hours at night, it was time for the final exams. There are two the Technical and the Performance.
Were they tough; yes is the answer, but all that hard work seemed to pay off and we all got through with flying colours.
WOW that’s it ground school over time to start on the flying training well the simulator at least.
There were 3 of us in the class and that meant the 3 of us would be going through the simulator together. There is a downside to this but a rather larger upside.
We would do the simulator training in a round robin fashion, meaning that while 2 guys fly the other is in the back watching. After 2 hours we all swapped round. The downside meaning the simulator would take a third more time to complete, but the upside is that you get to learn so much from the back, its really free simulator time.
The guys I was with were both switched on and had both completed a J.O.C. so I was a little concerned about the head start they had over me and whether I would be able to keep up.
The simulator training is broken up into two parts. The first is the fixed based sim,(18 hours) this is either done in a ‘fixed base simulator’ i.e. one without hydraulic legs to give you the movement, or as we did, a full motion simulator with the motion turned off. The idea being that you learn to manage the aircraft systems without worrying too much about the handling side if things. At the start of the course you are given a break down of each of the simulator session so you can prepare in advance.
After that, it’s the full flight phase,(36 hours) building up to the proficiency test called the LST. This whole section would take a month or so.
Note – the sim sessions add up to the correct amount of time required for licence issue, just some days I did both seats and others only the one.

Part 3 to follow.

[Rote 8]

flyfish

Good work fella - I enjoyed reading through this last night. I see you have elected to post in in full anyway, as I suspected you would. I guessed you would probably be swamped with PM's and relent eventually.

[Antonio Montana]

What a great read. It is a huge benefit to anyone who is thinking about doing a type rating, very consise and unbisaed. Thankyou for taking the time to write this.
Tony

[G-IBBO]

When do we see part 3??? :ok:

[*Globex*]

Well written and very interesting!
I look forward to part 3, Thanks for posting!

[flyfish]

SESSION ONE – FIXED BASE SIMULATOR.
Our sim rosters have been completed for about 2 weeks in advance there doesn’t seem much of a gap between each session, I am still unsure if that’s a good thing or bad thing, weighing up tiredness with continuity. One blessing is the slot times, bearing in mind the sim is a 24 hour thing, my roster shows the earliest start 6 am and a latest finish of 12am.
Bright and early this morning, to the Alteon building near Gatwick. We met up with the instructor who gave us our brief and into the sim by 7am.
Today was all about getting a feel for the aircraft, putting the SOPs into action having our first go at the different MCP modes. Landed it for the first time , but a little late on the flare, ‘firm’ was the term used. Fantastic to be flying the 737 – 300 though.
Right back to study for tomorrow morning, same time same place same instructor

SESSION TWO
My turn to load up the FMC for the first time today, which was the same as the Microsoft one I had been using at home so that seemed to go ok. Today it was my rotation that was the issue, two rapid, need to work on that. Had to change the destination in the FMC following an airport closure, which kept me thinking, but it all worked out ok .Comment from the instructor to take away today was that I need to think ‘big picture’ a bit more and monitor the aircraft while doing briefings etc. Did my first go arounds which were marked as ‘good’ so pleased with today overall. Lots of study for tomorrow, amongst other things its Non precision approaches!

SESSION THREE
CRM has been marked as very good in both sessions so far, which is good because you really are aware that its easy just to want to get on and do things your way at the risk of cutting the other guy out of the loop.Non precision approach went nothing more than ok, I didn’t feel as ahead of the aircraft as I should have been. I do need to work harder on the track line as I tended to let it drift away a bit too much. Will read like mad to get that sorted. Still its early days and got a ‘good progress’ comment from the instructor so I must be doing something right.

Spent this evening getting my head round the track line and how to pull it in where I want it. Got a couple of days off now so I will read up for the next two sessions’s to try and give myself a head start.

SESSION FOUR
System failures are coming on thick and fast now. Tried our hand at the loss of either hydraulics systems today, which although challenging is quite satisfying when completed to a safe standard. The big thing I think with this sort of flying is time management. If it all starts to go wrong, then give yourself time. Get things done in the order they should be done, but don’t rush. I am still managing to rotate to fast. Instructor said don’t worry, its easier with the motion on, god I hope so!
Did pilot incapacitation today which was great fun! Oh that sound terrible doesn’t it. I mean it was great having to get the aircraft safely down on my own. Perhaps not great fun, perhaps a satisfying result would sum it up a little better.
I am still not happy with the track line side of things.

SESSION FIVE
Extra session today, a spare if you will, to ensure that we have completed all the necessary items of training so far. We all had, so we used the session for things we were not happy with. I was advised to leave the rotation issue for the full flight sim, so guess what I chose --- the track line and NPAs.
SORTED!!!!

Full flight sim tomorrow, looking forward to that.

FULL FLIGHT SIM SESSION ONE
This is our first time at Cranebank, Heathrow, on the course and the first time I have seen it in daylight. The first thing that stands out is the size of the place. With its own multi storey car park, numerous buildings for the simulators, cabin mock ups and the like. Very different to Alteon which feels a bit more ‘homely’.
Nice 10am start today so I got the train down in order to read all the way. After the brief we were led to the sim, passed all the other exciting looking F.F.S. the 747,757, 767,777, and Airbus sims. Next door to the 737-400 sim we are using is a huge crate in the simulator hall. Rather sad to think that it’s the Concorde sim inside.
Really enjoyed today, the motion makes a huge difference, and the last training Capt. was right, the rotations were sorted within 10 minutes.
Today was all about flying techniques, the flight envelope and protections as well as a few stall recoveries thrown in. Also had a look at visual patterns which so they tell me are more difficult in the sim due to the limited visuals. All in all, a good day, with the following written in my report. ‘A good start to full flight sim. Well done keep it up. CRM - Excellent’
This session was a real confidence booster for me. The rotation issue was playing on my mind a bit despite the wise words of the trainers. I think from now on I will try and build on that confidence, my thinking being; I can take off, fly a departure, route, do the various types of arrival, and land it quite well. So everything else will just be polishing, that skill base.

FULL FLIGHT SIM SESSION TWO

Another pleasant 10 am start this morning. Today was handling more failures. I haven’t mentioned as yet a book that you use all the time on this course, the Quick Reference Handbook (Q.R.H.).
The QRH is used for almost every non normal situation that a pilot could be faced with on the flight deck. For some emergencies you are expected to learn and know ‘recall actions’ i.e. actions that should be carried out promptly and after those have been completed and its safe to do so, the pilot flying calls for the QRH drill for that non normal situation.
Today involved a cabin altitude warning followed by a rapid decompression.
This is in fact a good example of carrying out the recall drills first before piling into the QRH. After all you wouldn’t want to be reading a checklist before putting your oxygen masks on and start descending ( recall actions), you do those sort of ‘life saving’ actions first, then sort out the QRH drill.
Including the evacuation check list there are 14 of those recall actions to learn, which sounds a lot, but they are quite easy to pick up.
Started making a silly mistake today, not once but twice, I reduced the speed before the flaps on the descent, a real no no, will have to watch that one!
Carrying out the above failures gave me the chance to try out the oxygen masks and smoke goggles for the first time. I quickly realised how important the Standard Operating Procedures are. With the masks on, communication between pilots and indeed ATC becomes nearly impossible. SOPs ensure that even when you can hardly hear each other, you both know what the other is doing or about to do.
Quite pleased with the hand flying, that seems to be something I don’t have to worry about to much, the 737 really is a joy to fly.
Couple of days off now.
So far the tiredness hasn’t been a big problem and although I am mentally shattered at the end of each session, the thought of not screwing up next time keeps my head in the books well into the evening.

FULL FLIGHT SIM SESSION THREE

It’s been a month and a half since I started the ground school and I am beginning to feel I know the 737 quite intimately.
When you see line pilots flying it all looks very relaxed and almost casual. What I have learned so far that it’s far from casual. Today began with start malfunctions Up until now, I had just expected the jet engines to roar into life and settle down ready for us to go flying. Well from time to time they don’t start in the way you are expecting. There are different types of failed starts each requiring a slightly different recall and QRH action.
My point being that we are being trained to expect the worst to happen at every point. Engine start problems right through to APU shutdown at the end of the flight, could spell actions for us to have to take. I will never think of it as being casual up at the pointy end again, the body may look relaxed but the mind is motoring.
Start malfunctions well and truly practiced and it was into the air. Today was great fun, TCAS, Windshere and GPWS recovery procedures.
All exercises complete for today so some more hand flown approaches.
Report for today read – ‘good progress, 4 very good landings, handling better than average for this stage, but knowledge of the shut down scan was weak’. Doh ! Know what I will be reading in the bath tonight.

FULL FLIGHT SIM SESSION FOUR.

A lesson today I have really been looking forward to in a bizarre way. Something I have often wondered how difficult it would be to master in a big jet. Engine failures on take off.
Well I was pleasantly surprised when we all got them cracked after only a couple of attempts. The key phrase being, ‘stand on the bug’, as you are rolling down the runway your eyes are constantly flicking down to the heading bug , amongst other things, and if you see it swing, backed up with one of many other warnings, you simply apply pressure to the rudder in the direction the bug is swinging to. There is a bit more to it than that but it really isn’t a dramatic incident (in the sim at least). The thing I found most difficult, was making sure my brain had registered if we had passed V1 or not. Sounds daft I know but when the pressure is on I did find that a bit of a hurdle.
A good time to mention rejected take offs. They are progressing well, although I have not as yet got the brain capacity to turn the aircraft, once at taxi speed, into wind. More practice required I think.
Report was good today other than a note to watch, when stressed not to put in to courser rudder input after an engine failure. Again more practice required I think.

FULL FLIGHT SIM SESSION FIVE
It is dawning on me that the test is only two weeks away now, a scary thought as I don’t think I am polished enough yet to warrant being put anywhere near a test and we still have loads of other sections to get through. The pressure and pace of this course is relentless, you really only get one maybe two chances to practice some of the tricky stuff. One thing I have learnt is the value of armchair flying. Every night when I get home, I do try and go through everything in the armchair. Sounds silly, but it seems to cement it in the grey matter.
Some rather dramatic failures to master today. Uncommanded roll/yaw and stabiliser issues; runaway and jammed. All these failure if not dealt with in a prompt and efficient manor will really ruin your day. As with everything in the 737 there is a tried and tested format to ensure a successful outcome. If you listen to what’s been taught, it all works out. I think sometimes I don’t listen enough!
First chance today to fly a non precision approach since the fixed based sim.In a jet you really do rely on the other guy to help you out when flying an NDB approach. There is so much going on that it is all too easy not to be configured and descend on time. Got that track line nailed thank goodness.

Pleasing report today – ‘very good progress, very good handling skills, keep studying those SOPs and standard calls’.

part 4 tomorrow

[Mooneyboy]

Thanks flyfish,

Its good to read a diary like yours, gives us guys who have yet to do the type rating a good insight into what we can expect and how we can prepare.

Regards,

Mooneyboy:ok:

[TolTol]

Excellent stuff, I hope to be starting mine soon. Thanks flyfish:ok:

[Hamil000]

thank you for sending such a story
i cant wait for the next part
thank you again

[Hamil000]

cant wait for the next part

[ciao]

Fantastic...nothing short of a masterpiece! Chuffed to bit that i stumbled across this tonight - keep it coming....

[flyfish]

FULL FLIGHT SIM SESSION SIX

Back at Gatwick, Alteon today and back to 6 am starts. Not too much of a pain, just have to be disciplined not to study till late.
More engine failure work today, seem to have got rid of the gremlin of heavy feet. SOPs seem to need more work, cant answer why, I know them. I have revised them to death, but occasionally I mess up a call up, which does nothing for the other guy who is expecting to hear something else.
I have been lucky on this course to be with two highly motivated capable trainees. It’s good to have a little friendly unspoken rivalry to motivate. In addition, you don’t want to let your partner down when he is flying by doing something silly.
Lesson to take away today; make sure I know the SOPs inside out and upside down. If I have to think of what comes next then I have not put enough work in..



FULL FLIGHT SIM SESSION SEVEN


Two words ‘Manual reversion’! No gym for me tonight!
When you lose both hydraulic systems, very very rare, but has happened, the 737 is still able to be controlled by the now non assisted controls. Again a great lesson in pilot co operation, and together we managed to pull off a successful landing. But boy did we sweat; the controls are akin to pushing a car up hill.
I am told that it’s even more difficult in the real aircraft, and I must say I wouldn’t like to try.
A few comparatively relaxing visual circuits after that, it all went pretty well today.
Only one full more session to go and then it’s the big one, the LST.
Session eight is all about visual circuits to prepare for the base check so as far as prep for the LST goes I am done.
Not sure if I feel ready or not, in fact I don’t get signed off until after session eight so I am not sure if the trainers think I am ready either.


FULL FLIGHT SIM SESSION EIGHT


Visual circuits all seemed to go well today. Had enough time to practice other bits which I was pleased about. Pleased with the session throughout. Report read as follows.

‘Landing technique good throughout circuits’ session. Can tend to over correct on final approach at times. In capitation and x – wind take off/ landings completed to a good standard. EFATOs / RTOs practiced to a good standard’.

Importantly, I got signed off to take the LST.
The big disappointment here would have been the extra cash an extra session or two would have cost, so I am pleased to have completed the course in minimum time. Was dreading telling the wife, that I need an extra grand or so. Just got to get through the test now!

Test is set for 3 days time, so I have been busy eating and sleeping SOPs I have all the calls etc printed out on paper in and have posted them everywhere. One for each loo in the house, the bathroom, the dining table, and the car. No newspapers, books (oh how I can’t wait to read the de Vinci code) or TV.

Hiccup, test has been cancelled due to examiner sickness so it looks like another week without letting the studying momentum go. Damm, just bad luck, nothing that can be done other than mentally prepare for the next date.


TEST DAY

I am not a nervous as I thought I would be. The test is at Gatwick the Alteon sim, the one I know the best. Don’t know who the examiner is going to be but I don’t suppose it matters; only I can pass or fail this.

I am as prepared as I have ever been for anything in my life. I thought I was well prepared for my I/R, but this I feel, I have worked my bits off for. If I don’t pass it then it won’t be for the want of trying.


Met up with the examiner, yet again another really nice chap who went out of his way to ensure I was relaxed and in a good frame of mind.
First of all the brief, which included an informal oral questions session. Once we were all clear on the objectives and the rules my partner and I were given the route and the performance books, to come up with the flap settings and V speeds. A few trips to the loo and it was time to get strapped in. I was to depart from Birmingham, and plan to go to Manchester. Completed the safety check and the scans before sitting down and strapping in only to look up and note I hadn’t set the IRS, donut ! Out of the seat again to align them and then took a conscious deep breath. Calm down and think about what you have to do!


All seemed to come together nicely, my partner and I worked well together, the rotation was spot on, the failures that we got thrown at us, we worked through to a successful conclusion , and the NDB approach was the best I had done to date. Even my heavy feet were not heavy today, and the single engine work went without a hitch. Arrived at Manchester, and handed over control to the left seat. After landing scan and checks all seemed to flow professionally.

It was over, sim was shut down and off for a coffee and the de- brief.
The walk from the sim to the 737 briefing room was one I will never forget; only a short corridor but it seemed like miles. I knew I hadn’t screwed anything up in to big a way, but you really don’t ever know if you have done enough.

‘OK a good pass well done’, were the words I got, when we sat down. I could hardly contain my excitement, but I did try to look calm about it.  All that work all that worry, all those hiccups, I had passed, WOW what a feeling.


Base check to go now, as well as all the extra courses to get me ready for line training. Back to the books!

THE EXTRAS

Haven’t completed the base check yet, that’s scheduled for 3 days time from East Midlands. I have completed all the ancillary courses, which were not too taxing, and great fun.
These involve separate days at the Bond training centre for the CRM, aviation medical, dangerous goods as well as a swim in the pool for the wet drills.
In addition to this I have been up to Heathrow’s Cranbank again, for the 737 slide, door and smoke drills.
The other course I have been busy getting done is the 737 NG differences course. The whole type rating course to date, having been based on the ‘Classic’ 737. To put the NG (New Generation) on your licence involves some ground school another exam and a session in the sim.
I completed the sim part this morning, at Alteon .Report time was 6 am and after an extensive briefing the other trainee and I made our way to this new environment. Straight away you can tell this is a completely different beast to the Classic.

The first thing that strikes you is the 6 ‘glass’ screens that dominate the cockpit. All the information you require and I am sure lots I didn’t discover, is presented on these six cathode ray tubes.

The four hours are spent being shown the differences between the types and what the new technology can do you for. I have to say I loved it. The presentation is fantastic to use and has been thought out, it appears to make the pilots life easier. The screens present information in such a way that your scan is made much easier and management is wholly more comfortable.
I did find it floated a little more than the classic, on landing, but perhaps that was just my technique.
That was signed off as all completed to a satisfactory standard, so should I get the base check nailed, I will be a rated 737 pilot, and ready for line training.


part 5 tomorrow- Base training

[pilotsearch]

Great story! Gl with your job.

[Polarhero]

Thanks for the Diary Flyfish, It was a Interesting read.

Its good to have an idea what the type rating is like. It sounds like hard work but very rewarding too.

It makes me want to get on and finish off even more.

:ok:

Cheers

Andy

[Hamil000]

reading your story is like watching "Lost" you never no what is going ti happen
is it possible that you can send me the whole story
thank you

[flyfish]

BASE TRAINING

Today I am at Gatwick to be briefed for tomorrow’s base check. Myself and the other students met up in class at 10am and were met by our training captain.
The briefing covered every moment of the circuits we would be flying, the speeds, heights, power settings and the differences in handling to the sim.
One of the last details in the sim had included circuits, so it wasn’t all alien to us, but all of a sudden it dawns that we are not going to be in a semi static box, but in control of a 50 tonne jet!
The requirement is 6 landings and take offs in order to be signed off, and these will be flown completely manually. Manually in this case means, no flight director, no auto throttle and obviously no auto pilot.
Briefing over, I got on the train, and spent the whole journey home rehearsing the calls and profile to myself. It was obvious that a little homework between now and tomorrow would free up brain space for the flying side of things. It all happens quickly in a large jet, so if you are having to think about the next command to give or flap setting to request, it’s too late, you are over on speed, height or out of your circuit.

Today I left home, with my son and my father in toe (the camera men). We drove to East Midlands airport for the scheduled base training. Upon arrival I met up with the other guys I was going to be flying with.

We got the call the aircraft was now inbound to the airport, so made our way to handling agents desk where we went through the security screening. We were led out to the apron and got on the bus which began its short journey to the remote stand our aircraft would be parking at. We all had the pleasure of watching it land and get bigger and bigger as it came in to park. As we got off I was struck by the sheer size of it. I know it’s not a 747 or indeed an A380, but to me knowing I was going to be flying it shortly, it looked just as big.

Once on board I realised why the briefing was the day before, it was straight in with the first guy. A quick introduction to the safety pilot and a ‘hello’ to the Captain, and it was doors closed, we were off.

I was scheduled to fly second so was in the jump seat for the first chap’s detail.
We taxied out and lined up on 27 at East Midlands. The runway is rather undulating so you can’t actually see the end, but once the thrust is set and the power builds, it quickly comes into view.
6 rather good touch and goes later, and it was my turn. The last landing was a full stop and we taxied to a quiet spot where I got into the hot seat. Once strapped in I put the speeds into the FMC and set the bugs. The captain and safety pilot went through the checks and he then taxied and lined up the 737-300.
Take off clearance for right hand circuits and I advanced the thrust levers to 40% N1. Once Stabilized I called for thrust to be set, and then felt as the massive engines drove me back into my seat, ‘80 knots, V1, Rotate, I pitched up to 15 degrees and after the positive climb call, I called ‘gear up’. Almost no time at all to relish the fact I am in control of this dream machine, a fifty tonne, forty million dollar Boeing 737.As quick as that would have been to say, and we are at acceleration altitude . I now pitch down to 10 degrees and commence the right turn, simultaneously reducing to 60% N1 and 6 degrees pitch attitude. This gave me 180 kts, at 1500 feet (AAL) at flap 5. The turn to downwind is continuous to a heading adjusted for the wind.
Take off, descent and approach checks out of the way and I now prepare to start the timing from abeam the downwind numbers. 45 seconds minus the tailwind. As the timing starts it stays busy, gear down, flaps 15 speed 150kts, and landing checks to flaps.
End of the timing, flaps 25, speed to top bug and a descent rate of between 500 to 700 foot per minute. Looking out of the window more now, I call for flaps 30, vref +5 and landing checks, while lining up with the centre line. Today there is a slight crosswind from the right so I try to allow for that, unfortunately a bit late. As I turn to track the runway heading, I have been blown through the centre line, so I correct to get the approach stable.
500 ft, 100, 50, 30, I start the flare and start closing the thrust levers. ‘Oh yeah baby’, as it greases down on the main wheels in just the right spot. Then ouch, as the nose wheel bashes down like I am going to see the tyres sitting next to me. Must do something about that next time!

As the aircraft is cleaned up I keep it centred on the runway and then moments after touchdown, I hear the rotate call for circuit number 2.
Five more later, the nose wheel now coming down at an acceptable rate and I am finished. A big handshake with the training captain and safety pilot as well as one of his celebratory wine gums, and I get out of the flight deck for someone else’s go.

I spent the rest of the flight exploring the galleys, the view from every seat and the loos. 28 landings later we are all done.

I now get to have 737 on my licence and I am smiling from ear to ear.

Once all the paperwork is completed I will pop down to Gatwick and the CAA and get my licence endorsed with the rating on it.

It has been a great course; I have learnt loads, both about flying and about myself. I have met some fantastic people, instructors and pupils alike. There is still along way to go to tell if it has been all worth while, but regardless, I have loved every minute of it so far and am excited for the future.

Line training to follow over the coming months, yes they are going to let me do this with passengers! I will let you know how it goes.



I Hope you have enjoyed my type rating diary and that it will be of help to anyone else contemplating this route. Just one last addition, a big thank you to my father who lives near Gatwick and who put up with me flitting backwards and forwards always making sure I had a bed if required. Cheers Dad!

Right I am off to have something that has been lacking since February, a beer!!


Regards

Flyfish

[jeano]

Hello Flyfish,
good to read your post and history. I did the same as you except that I am a bit older than you. I finished both NG and base training on march 2006 and still waiting for Bond and Astraeus to call me for line training. When I started the TR, I was told that everything would be completed by june but I still got only 1h05 hour on B737 to log on!! May be we will start our line training at the same period. Do you have any idea of when you should start...? And talking about money, how much do you have to pay for line training? For me it is around 10000 euro...
See you

[flyfish]

Hi Jeano, I have sent you a PM ,
Flyfish

[v1r8]

flyfish -

Good for you buddy! congrats and enjoy!

[boogie]

:ok: Hey Flyfish that was the best read I've had in a long time. Well done.

[ant1]

Excellent primer. Loved to read it :ok:

[Blinkz]

Awesome read, good job on now being a jet pilot! One quick question, what was the aviation medical you mentioned in the extras part? Did bond require you have another medical ontop of your class 1? :confused:

-edit- nevermind, just figured out what it is. Medical course for first aid etc, or something to that effect

[flyfish]

Thanks for your kind comments. Its nice to know people have enjoyed reading it and that for some it has or may prove useful.

And yes, your right Blinkz, the type rating does not , thankfully, require an additional prodding and poking.


Regards,
Flyfish.

[mr ripley]

A good read. Best of luck with your line training and beyond.