Multi crew license

[wings of glory]

I am in year 11 and when I leave school I want to be a pilot, If I do a multi crew license will I have to fly cessnas and that or can I go into jets straight off? And do I have to do maths and physics in yera 12 to do multi crew?

[The Messiah]

So long as one of you has done maths the other can have done physics and vise versa, but don't do both or you'll be too smart.

No you do not have to fly Cessnas and that if you don't want to, you can fly Pipers and that.

BTW this is clearly a wind up!

[stevie g]

Cruel JC .....

Wings of Glory ..... go for whatever is best on offer when you get the chance ..... and if you have to fly Cessna's at some point, well everyone should do some form of apprenticeship before they fly my kids around!!

[captain_rossco]

BA will accept you ontoi their new fleet with the MCL.

http://www.bafc.co.uk/gallery/2005/TN_G-OWAP.jpg

[stevie g]

Very funny .... and SO in the back seat!

[Ropey Pilot]

Don't pooh pooh light aircraft so quickly - they are a lot more fun to fly than the big jets!

Get in a light aerobatic aircraft and off you go looping and barrel-rolling. Nip across to France for an airborne 'booze-cruise' for some cheapies. Get your mates to chip in and fly somewhere different for the day and have a laugh.

The 'need' to have light aircraft experience before going on to the jets has been debated many times but among other arguments I can see two very good reasons:

1) You learn how an aeroplane works. You can see the ailerons working, feel the buffet and then drop out of the sky as you stall (in a controlled manner having done all the appropriate checks). You can see the effects of wind on a cross wind landing as you fly is smoothly all the way on to the runway. The feedback through the controls of a big machine is usually artificial and you can be somewhat detached from it - to land many still do it by numbers (ie 30ft slam the throttles closed and flare the nose up 2.2 degrees. +/- 10 feet depending on weight). They do know why though and have a chance of conpensationg if conditions suddenly change (huge gust of cross wind). If you have never flown anything light where even small gusts make you think you have nowhere to refer to in that split second (as you freeze up totally wondering what is happening, the sim didn't do that!)

2) In a big machine you are second in command. If your hypertensive skipper drops dead of a heart attack in the Heathrow TMA and you have 0 hours on real aeroplanes, and 0 hours in command of anything all the sim time in the world can't replicate how alone you will feel the very first time you have to take charge in a stressful situation. Back in the Cessna you will have got lost/hit unexpected weather possibly faced a technical failure and had to 'take charge' make decisions and save the day. A lot of people underestimate how much difference these small 'emergencies' (for the want of a better word) boost both your confidence and ability to aviate under stress. When/if you plough it into the ground in the sim you know you will find yourself back at 3000 ft trying it again 2 mins later. You can't replicate the stress of a 'real' emergency in the sim.

The life of an airline pilot is still a good one - but don't be in too much of a hurry to bypass actual flying - you may regret it later.