It's all well worth it!

[Pilot Pete]

Hi all Wannabes,

Just a quick update on my personal story which can hopefully give you some more inspiration to 'plod on' with the training.

For those who didn't read my posting some months back I made it into the right seat of a 757 back in January. I say right seat, but really started the job back in Jan. Spent 3 weeks on the 75 tech course, 1 week at Cranebank in the fixed base sim then 3 weeks in Brunei on Royal Brunei Airlines 757 full motion sim. Since returning I have spent several days on various other courses such as SEP's, LVP's, Performance, CRM (more of it!) etc etc. Then it happened, on Wednesday just gone. I sat in the right seat for the first time on the ramp at Manchester. Not only did I sit there, but I took control once the Captain had taxied us onto RWY24L............

"You have control"
"I have control" of an 85Tonne 757.
"JMC757T, the surface wind is 230/5, you are clear take off RWY24L"

I call for 1.2EPR to be set, releasing the toe brakes. The captain calls "stabilised" and I reach to press the 'EPR button' on the Mode Control Panel. The auto throttle spools the engines up to the derated take off power and we start to roll. Off we go accelerating to V1, Vr and I pull back on the column at 2.5degees/sec, the nose wheel lifts, and then the mains.......I am flying a 757!!!!!!! Boy does it go with no passengers on board! We're climbing at 4000ft/min all the way up to FL210 and off to Prestwick for some circuits! Wow, this is just the best.

PPL - worth it
IMC - worth it
Hour building - worth it
ATPL's - worth it
6 months at OATS - worth it
Hardship at home - worth it
Blood, sweat and tears - worth it

What a day. Manchester to Prestwick and an hour in the circuit trying to keep this 'homesick angel' to 1600ft! I shall never forget it.........on to the line training.

Keep smiling Wannabes, if you want it enough you can do it. Good Luck.

PP

[FLYINGCHICK]

Well done and thanks for letting us know it sounds incredible, can't wait till my day in the future. :)

[Joaquín]

Pilot Pete,

My most sincere congratulations (and well intended jelousy :) ). Also thanks for sharing with all of us such an exhilarating experience, it keeps us going!!!!!

Well done & Fly Safely

[Autofly]

I wanna go!!!!

Again PP, a great post. It's post like that that go make hire an aircraft in the afternoon even though I can't afford it. You sod!

Congrats mate.

Autofly

[SpeedBird22]

Pilot Pete,

Thanks for that update and congratulations!! Another one makes it! I hope this is inspiratino to all the other wannabes as much as it is me :)

Well done

:) SpeedBird22 :)

[Delta Wun-Wun]

I was wondering how you were getting on.Well done.Did you have chance to take it home to show the wife your new company motor? :)

------------------
GET THE BLOODY NOSE DOWN!

[Pilot Pete]

Delta

not quite, but may as well have done: I had to drive down from Scotland to Manchester(been gazumped twice in our efforts to move closer!) only to find that we were flying all the way back to Prestwick! Had to go back to Manchester to pick up the car!

Regards all

PP

[HomerSimpson]

Congratulations, I guess all the hard work has paid off. Shame about the long drive home, but after the day u had I guess it was worth it!

BTW, how many hours did you have when you were taken on by JMC.

Thanks, best regards,

Homer :)

------------------
Duff, Duff, that Wonderful stuff. Ummmmm Doughnuts

[Delta Wun-Wun]

Did you do your CPL/IR at OATs.Was this full time or did you do the CPL and then go back for the IR.Did you have an MCC before JMC took you on?

------------------
GET THE BLOODY NOSE DOWN!

[Wedge]

Good post Pete. It's unusual to get such a vivid description on here of what it's like to fly a jet for the first time......good on ya!

[WGW]

Just like a 172 then eh?

Wedge - keep meaning to ask you. Star Wars reference? Just a thought.

Congrats PP - will make it one day

:)

WGW

[juswonnafly]

Pilot Pete

Your obvious joy and enthusiam really lifts my spirits, just when I think it surely can not get any worse (?) you have shown that it can get a WHOLE LOT BETTER!

WELL DONE DUDE !!

JWF :)

[MUST FLY]

Thats it, I can't take any more....

....My deposit is in the post, on it's way to Oxford.


Thanks for the last minute inspiration Pete.

[Crosswind Limits]

Well done Pilot Pete! :)

Delta and Homer,

Regarding your questions to PP, I recall reading his "story" on PPrune a few months ago. If I remember rightly he did his upgrade at Oxford and he had about 900 hours before joining JMC. I think the vast majority of those hours were as an air taxi pilot out of Edinburgh. However, I am sure he will correct me if I am way off!

CL

[QNH1013]

Pilot Pete,
I know the feeling mate, I also got very lucky and started my first airline job at the start of this year after graduating from one of the very costly "give us all your money and your first born child" flying schools.

On the Boeing 737 now and words alone just cannot fully describe how awsome it feels to take control of an airliner for the first time!! Not to mention flying on line for real. I also agree with you and just to just tell everyone else, that it is DEFINITELY worth every effort with blood sweat and tears to jump through the CAA's hoops to get that CPL IR and Frozen ATPL to get you on the starting track. I feel nothing but Passion for this job and career and if anyone else feels the same way and wants it bad enough, I believe it will happen in the end. One day it all pays off :)

I will love this job for LIFE....

Well done Pilot Pete.

[This message has been edited by QNH1013 (edited 27 May 2001).]

[captainmacuk]

Well done mate , Im quite new to pprune and would love to know what route you took,(never got the chance to read your last message) how long it took and roughly how much it all cost.

I cant wait for that day (if it comes)

Im 18 years old, studying for my HNC aero eng and training for my PPL
Would you have any advice or anyone else have any advice on where to go for further training(CPL-ground studies etc)

did you say you were from scotland?
Where abouts. Im from Glasgow

See ya later , happy flying

[Wedge]

WGW -

Yeah of course it's a Star Wars reference! However you are the first person to have worked that one out and said something about it!

[Flypuppy]

Pete,

I just want to thank you and Bovey for sharing your experiences with us. It is partly due to your threads that Mrs Flypuppy has agreed to let me tackle this madness that is being a professional pilot.

Best of luck in your new career and hope you find a house soon.

[hasell]

Pilot Pete,
Once again another 'top' post from you.

Any chance you can send in another 'report' once you complete line-training and take your first load of fare paying pax?

Cheers.

[This message has been edited by hasell (edited 27 May 2001).]

[expedite_climb]

Pete,

How come you guys got to go to Brunei - I thought JMC had stopped that - we all ended up in that beautiful place - the LHR Forte crest for the sim !!!

Well done !

[Pilot Pete]

Delayed response to all those questions I afraid..........just recovering from the prune bash in Edinburgh last night........my head's sore!

So, in order as they were asked;

Homer - 950hrs
Delta - BCPL & CAP509 Upgrade at OATS & MCC at Multiflight
Crosswind - Yes pretty much correct
Captainacuk - no, not from Scotland, just been living there since last job, here's the original post with all the places, dates etc etc. www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/Forum2/HTML/008009.html (http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/Forum2/HTML/008009.html)
hasell - watch this space.

Thanks again all for your kind words, keep up the hard work.

PP

Expedite, just a quick edit to answer your q. I was direct entry JMC but sent to CTC to be trained. They still use the Brunei sim, hence there I was with 3 ATP Cadets for JMC and 2 for Air2000.



[This message has been edited by Pilot Pete (edited 27 May 2001).]