The Green Mile

Tomorrow my class hits the flight line.  Following each flight we do a debrief with the instructor in one of the rooms off this hallway to find out the mark we got for the flight.                                                                    

Altimetry

I mentioned how impressed I was with the on-line training program and how interactive it is.  We carry around lap tops and can log in whenever.  This one shows what happens to the altimeter when an airplane flies from a high pressure system into a low one.  The altimeter thinks it is higher than it really is and the plane can hit terrain.  By clicking around on the image, I can see exactly what the gauge would indicate and why by getting a look the inner workings of the instruments.  It really helps for understanding and how to avoid making mistakes in the air. 

Bedtime Approaches

I mentioned it's better to be friendly than smart.  One of the guys who just finished the course gave me a Google Earth image that he printed out of the airport and surrounding area along with his approach cards.  So rather than fumbling around in the air, I can fumble around on my bed and figure out reference points.  When departing certain runways you have to maintain specific altitudes and fly to certain landmarks.  Leaving runway 08 for example, 3500 feet must be maintained until a certain landmark is reached.  There are 6 different runway procedures to be memorized so figuring it all out while relaxed should make life easier in the air. 

Home Sweet Home

I feel like I'm living in a Super 8 Motel some days, but it's not too hard to take.  The room comes complete with a temporary Mom, ie a maid with empty nest syndrome.  It's like reverting to childhood because she makes my bed every day, brings fresh towels and always calls me "dear".  She even brought the building a pot of stew because she thought we all needed a home cooked meal.  Her kids just left home so this job gives her 50 should-be adults to take care of.  

Going Nowhere Fast

Every day there is a weather brief first thing in the morning with the whole school in attendance.  One poor sap from the audience gets picked to stand up in front of everyone and say what they would do in a given emergency.  So, if you don't know the Red Page by heart, you are left looking silly.  To get ready for it I spent all day today in the simulator practicing.  I'm still hoping I don't get pounced on tomorrow!

Meteorology Monstrosity

The Air Force has more acronyms than you could shake a stick at.  FOD for instance stands for "foreign object damage" to an airplane.  Believe it or not there is a rule/regulation stating that no pens with pen caps are allowed into aircraft at the school for fear of them becoming "FOD", ie an insidious little pen cap could get caught in prop wash and whack another plane.  It makes sense when you think about it, but I never thought I would be prohibited from protecting the precious ink in my pen.  One thing that really tickles me is when acronyms get turned into verbs for example "That plane was FODDED today".  

A flight student's least favourite acronym by far is PRB.  It stands for Performance Review Board and that is where one goes after failing a string of exercises, flight test, or written test, and today the ominous "P" word reared its ugly head.  Fortunately, I wasn't the victim, however I suspect I had a very near miss with it.  The MET, or weather exam today was absolutely brutal and one of the guys in the class failed it.  That means it's off for a visit with the Course Director, usually a Major, which is 3 ranks up from us lowly students, and never a good time.  The test caught us all off guard and was considerably more difficult than anticipated.  Most of the tests so far have been more or less regurgitation based however this one required applying knowledge at a much more complicated level.  We were given a string of coded weather reports for example for Portage which are called METARS which look like this: 

CYPG 1500Z 13025KT G25 P6 SM BKN 035 2995 RMK 5SC SP1098=   

Rather than being asked to simply decode them as anticipated we had to interpret a whole bunch of them and then figure out where in relation to Portage a low pressure system would be situated.  

80 percent was the pass mark.  One person got 86%, two got 84%, six scraped by at 80% and the one guy "failed".    Over half my class is made up of Quebecors and my hat really goes off to them for being able to absorb everything in their second language.  The international standard or official language in aviation is English so I am thankful my parents decided to set up shop in British Columbia.  

My test scores have been pretty good.  I got 100% on the first test and 95 on the second.  It's not that I'm a shining star or anything because we usually have a pretty good idea going in exactly what will be on the test and the class averages are usually right up there.  People in courses ahead of us compile a "GEN" (general) file with a databank of test questions as best they can remember.  So, it's better to be friendly than it is to be smart!! :)

It is a strange and stressful environment to be in where a string of poor performances can end it all.  The guy who failed today won't be sent home, but a failed test does not look good in front of a board and one more could do him in.  The bummer of it all for him is it could have been any number of us in the same boat.

I'm off to study Air Regulations which is things like how long a pilot needs to wait between consuming booze and flying and how far a VFR pilot needs to be clear of clouds.  I'm not sure how much time must elapse between test writing and alchol consumption, but my freind who pooched it today may be able to tell me.  Until next time, I hope you are all FOD and PRB free! 

Seeing Red

This weekend has certainly been tamer than the last.  The blood alchol levels have stayed at a level a lot more conducive to academics as we've got a big week ahead of us with a meteorology (weather) test tomorrow, an air regulaiton exam on Tuesday, aerodynamics on Wednesday and then one more to round out a fun filled week on Thursday.  So if any of you want to know what happens to wind, temperature, turbulence and air pressure when a warm front passes, I'm your guy.  One more week of ground school and then the flying starts.   

I took a time out from being a study hermit in my room yesterday and went over to the simulator to practice emergency procedures with one of the other guys in my class.  We have access to it more or less 24 hours a day and can get in after hours with swipe cards.  It doesn't move so there are no barf bags involved -unless it is the day after initiation night- but it is surprisingly realistic and is pretty much like sitting in a real Grob.  The computer can be set up to throw random emergencies so that I can sit in and get the procedures mastered.  All critical emergencies have to be memorized, mastered and performable in my sleep.  There are 13 of them in total (I'm not superstitious, so having to memorize 13 is no big deal, they don't have 13th floors on buildings though so maybe I should talk to someone about such an unlucky number:) )  They're known as "Red Pages" and as I mentioned we're expected to know them cold.  I feel like an actor some days trying to memorize lines for a movie.  For instance, if there is an engine fire in flight the pilot needs to do the following:  1)reduce speed to 120 knots and manoeuvre the plane away from the direction of flames 2) shut the fuel supply off from the tank 3) cut the fuel-air engine mixture lever 4) put the throttle full forward 5)  turn the ignition off 6) turn the fuel pump off 7) turn the cabin air to off and cold 8) make mayday call 9) turn on emergency locator transmitter 10) turn unnecessary electrics off 11) carry out forced landing procedures, harness tight, landing gear down, flaps as required, and just before landing turn off the alternator and battery.  One of my tactics for remembering all this stuff has been sticking post-it notes all over my room like my headboard and bathroom mirror.  If I can recite my lines while brushing my teeth, surely I can recite them in a real emergency.  And just for the record, on the topic of actors, I do not fancy myself Tom Cruise or Val Kilmer, yet at least.  However, there is a Quebecois guy here named Pierre Gosslein who is a spitting image of Goose and we do call him just that (much to his delight I think).  

I hope you are all doing well.  Thanks for reading.  Back to the books for me.