Cherished Readers,
Warm regards from my fascinating cockpit and high praises to our Almighty God for His abundant goodness and mercies in our lives every day!
During aircraft training, the Instructor is supposed to teach the Trainee on prescribed maneuvers to fly around the airport area with the prime objective of practicing to perfection the takeoff and landing procedures on the aircraft in question. We call it “Flying Circuits” or the “Airport Traffic Pattern”.I won’t bore you with details about these maneuvers. However, there is a striking analogy I want to share in relation to the approach and landing phase of this training procedure in this last Epistle for the year. During this phase, the Instructor informs Air Traffic Control of his intention when he is about 6 nautical miles (9.6 km) to the runway, which is that he will either “GO AROUND” or make a “FULL STOP LANDING” or do a “TOUCH AND GO” landing.
A “Go Around” maneuver is published by every Airport for all approaching aircrafts to execute if from the Pilot’s judgment, a safe landing cannot be made. Sometimes during poor visibility, very low clouds or a misaligned aircraft, safe landing is difficult. Consequently, at one thousand feet to touchdown, the Pilot is required to execute the “Missed Approach/Go Around” procedure or takeoff again in the same straight angle to about two thousand feet above the Airport and repeat the landing procedure.Depending on certain conditions, after attaining two thousand feet, the Pilot may have to follow a prescribed holding pattern (ie circling) above the Airport to either wait for improved weather conditions or to be sequenced again by Air Traffic Control. Good airmanship stipulates that the Go Around/Missed Approach procedure is the safest maneuver to execute at one thousand feet (or lower) to touchdown.
Let us now explore the “Full Stop Landing” procedure. It is decelerating the aircraft to a stop and exiting the runway either to the parking bay to terminate the flight or refuel for another flight. After the full stop, the training flight could taxi again to the take off point for another flight. With the “Touch and Go” approach, the Pilot reconfigures the flight controls, throttle (accelerator) and makes another take off without decelerating. All the above are prescribed training maneuvers for perfecting take off and landing skills.As I share with you my last Epistles for the year, I have a message for my “Go Around” readers. Some of you have made wrong or hasty decisions in your journey to become future Pilots. By this, I mean you haven’t done any intense fact finding about the profession and have as a result, spent unnecessary money following erroneous paths. However, all is not lost for my Go Ahead readers if they can follow the advice I have for them and my “Touch and Go” readers below.For my “Full Stop Landing” readers who have religiously followed my Epistles since April and sent me several questions and comments, I say “Ayekoo” (well done) to you all!Now let me advice my “Go Around” and “Touch and Go” readers. Psyche yourself that Pilot training and the profession are not as easy as some may mistakenly perceive. My next statement may shock you, but it’s true. If you really want to be a Pilot, your first assignment is to develop a high level of “craze” for the Pilot profession! Same “craze” I had when as an 8 year old, I sneaked from home to the airport every Saturday just to watch aircrafts take off and touch down! Same “craze” a Pilot friend of mine also had when instead of spending his pocket money as a 9-year-old, he saved it in order to pay for a “tro-tro” to the airport for a similar objective.Passion is the number one requirement to become a Pilot. It will save you from quitting throughout the regimented training and assessments in Ground and Flight School. Without “crazy” passion, I would advise you to reconsider your career ambition! Some of the “crazy” things you can do to ignite your passion is to go online and search for the numerous sites on Pilots to heighten your “craze.”Next, all Pilot aspirants should be assured that I shall be glad to give you some preparatory insights before you embark on your Commercial Pilot License programme.My subsequent advice to all Pilot aspirants is to begin to make fitness and healthy eating habits an integral part of your lifestyle from now on, otherwise you’ll have to kiss this profession goodbye!Let me refresh your memories concerning this from my earlier Epistles. The Class 1 Medical Fitness exams is crucial since it determines whether or not you will be selected to pursue a Pilot career. So start an exercise regime from now and keep your weight between 70 -75 kg. Also, keep your blood pressure at 120/80 (worse case) and ensure you conduct full medical screening at least once a year to check your Electro-Cardiogram, Audiogram, Blood Sugar, Cholesterol and all other essentials.For those of you who plan to train abroad after working there a while to save some money, my advice to you is to sacrifice about two to three years’ savings to raise your Ground/Flying School fees, cater for extra lessons and other unforeseen expenses. However, once you start Ground/Flying School, I wouldn’t advice you to work alongside your training since that could seriously interfere with your focus. The only exception to this is when the Flying School employs you in their Dispatch or Operations Unit since such a rare opportunity shall definitely be beneficial to your flight training.When you eventually start training in a Flying School psyche yourself beforehand to conform to an intensely regimental training period. Let me explain further here. The Commercial Pilot License is equivalent to a Bachelors Degree course, but in our world, the duration is between 12 to 18 months. This makes our learning curve very steep with none of the mid-terms and semester breaks you are all so accustomed to.At Ground and Flying School, each day’s lesson is very much linked to the following day’s lesson so there is no room for “last minute learning” or the usual “chew, pour, pass and forget” approach! Here are some pointers to help you adjust to this steep learning curve:
- First, draw a daily schedule to wake up by 4.30am, have your Quiet Time, then revise the previous day’s lessons. By 7.00am you should be leaving your hostel for Ground School.
- After returning from Ground School in the evening, take a shower and study for a minimum of 3 hours before going to bed.
- Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by relationship issues. For instance don’t call family members to settle disputes or a whining girlfriend/boyfriend who is pissed off that you never call her/him again! Quick calls to your loved ones to check on them during weekends or off-flying days are all you need to do throughout your training period to ensure you don’t fail your periodic exams frequently since this will result in the termination of your training by the Ground and Flying School!
Finally, in summary, develop your “Pilot craze”, contact me to recommend some vital airline courses for you to take now to build your foundation, ensure you are medically fit, discipline yourself while in Ground/Flying School to enable you successfully graduate as a Commercial Pilot with Instrument Rating and Multi-engine (CPL/TR/ME) and be a hot cake sought by most Airlines globally!!!!
Folks, I’ve enjoyed sharing these Epistles with you all since April. On behalf of my Editor and myself, may you all have a blissful new year!!!! Adieu!