It’s pretty unbelievable how fast the past few weeks have gone. Next week will be the sixth week of groundschool for CP110/EZMPL01 and, with only Air Law and VFR/IFR communications left to cover, the work is piling up fast! We are no longer the newest CP either, with CP111 (including EZMPL02, the second intake of easyJet MPL cadets) already at the end of week two.
So, groundschool….
Over the past few years, I have been told about the work involved with ATPL groundschool, but it still hasn’t prepared me for the amount of work we have to get through! We have already finished Aircraft General Knowledge, Instrumentation, Principles of Flight and Meteorology which may not look like much, but there is a LOT of theory contained within those four subjects. We have four or five days worth of lessons per week, with scheduled CBT (Computer Based Training) days which allow us to review what we have been taught, read through our CBT, complete progress tests and go through questions on the online question bank. We are the first CP using a new system called PadPilot, whereby our 14 ATPL theory books are all in the format of interactive iBooks on the iPad. It’s huge leap forward from the traditional pile of printed books, and allows us to take our work with us anywhere.
Out of the four subjects we have covered so far, I would say that Aircraft General Knowledge has been the one I have found the most interesting. The subject is broad, and is split up into Systems, Engines and Electrics which each cover a huge amount including hydraulic systems, fire protection, pneumatics, AC and DC electrics, gas turbines, propellers, piston engines……..I could go on! It’s nice to finally know more about how aircraft work, and just what is involved in keeping them in the air! For me, Principles of Flight has been the most challenging subject so far simply due to the number of graphs and formulas it involves. It really is hard work, and a lot of effort is required to stay on top of it all. Despite the sheer amount of theory, a lot of the subjects are really quite interesting and I’m not finding it too hard to sit down at my desk and study (unlike A-Level maths)….
The simulators at the Nursling training centre are a great resource for those of us in the Groundschool phase, so the instructors book us in for flights in the fixed base 737 to help reinforce the theory. A few weeks ago, myself and three of my housemates had a four hour simulator session and it was a fantastic experience which not only helped to boost our motivation, but reinforced some of the theory we have been covering. I found that it helped me get to grips with the concept of stability, and allowed us to have a closer look at some of the advanced Instrumentation used on the flight deck. We each did a number of general handling exercises and did manual approaches and landings at Gatwick. We also set up and executed a CATIII fully automated landing, and had a closer look at some of the complex systems on board the 737. We were at the training centre until around 9pm, and it was a great feeling to come home after having flown a 737 into Gatwick….
Away from the 9 to 5, we have managed to fit in a few days out to help us relax and take our minds off of the theory. We have been Go-karting, had a couple of BBQs, the odd poker game and most recently, a day at the Bournemouth Airshow. I’ve never visited the airshow before, so I couldn’t get over the size of it and how many people were in attendance! The weather was perfect, and we saw a number of displays including the Red Arrows, the Blades and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight; another great motivation boost!
So, that’s pretty much all I have to say! We have our mock exams two weeks on Monday and final exams just two weeks after that, which is a scary thought at the moment! It may be a few weeks until my next update but in the meantime, if you have any questions then you can contact me by clicking on the email icon on the left side of the screen.
Back to work I go….. speak soon!
Chris
Above Ground Level 