Part 2 - the course itself
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.