29 Apr

Today was a fun day, compared to the other days so far.  After a couple classroom lessons, we got to go out to the flightline and check out the aircraft.  Some of the folks from the senior class showed us what is involved in a preflight inspection.  Also, today was the first day we got to wear our flightsuits...not normally a big deal, especially since I wear a flightsuit to work normally, but the only other option is wearing blues.  Those get uncomfortable after a few hours of sitting, so wearing the bag is very nice!

We also got a taste of what a formal brief and a standup EP is like.  For those who don't know, the formal brief is simply briefing the flight on winds, runways used, NOTAMS, etc first thing in the morning.  A standup Emergency Procedure (EP) occurs in the classroom and is where a student pilot is given a situation that could occur in the aircraft and is given control of the aircraft and has to take the situation to a logical conclusion.  This could last for about 30 minutes or even more depending on the situation and how screwed up it is.  We have to go through every detail or we will get sat down, which is bad, and we probably won't fly for that day.  No pressure!  Fortunately, i've been practicing these with my boss back at work, so they are familiar to me, but still very difficult.

It felt like we were actually making a little bit of progress in this program today.  Just a small step on the way to UPT and wings!