Globe with the words Around the Pattern cured around the top half.

Ramblings about flying for fun and profit

Airline Training

  • Aviation Articles for May 13th, 2011

    I hope you all had a safe and sane Friday the 13th. Here are some articles that you may have missed this week: It’s just a big model airplane… This is from the Delta County Independent, a paper in Colorado. A model airplane builder decided it was time to move up in size. He is […]

  • Cockpit Experience

    One of my readers (Craig) posted a comment recently that contains questions or comments that could generate probably a half dozen articles. Thanks! We’ve all heard of the changes to go into effect soon requiring a minimum of 1500 hours of experience before a pilot can fly as an airline pilot (captain or first officer). […]

  • Training Complete

    I have finally finished my airline’s Airbus A-330 qualification course. I started training on November 1st and completed my Operating Experience (OE) and Line Check on December 19th. Fortunately not all of that time was in training. I had a 5-day break over Thanksgiving and I had a had a 7-day break between my type […]

  • Flight Training – Part III

    Sorry about the delay in getting back to you. Time got away from me when I came home on a Thanksgiving break. It’s amazing all the things that can pile up when you leave for five weeks. Let’s see, when I left off last I was in the Full Flight (Simulator) phase of training and […]

  • Flight Training – Part II

    Another week has passed in the company’s effort to make an A-330 pilot out of me. I have now completed the Procedures Phase of training and have entered the Full Flight Phase. There were some changes to my class this week too. I was scheduled to complete this course in a class with two other […]

  • Learning by Watching

    Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to see mistakes when somebody else is making them? The last two legs I have flown on this trip have been with a captain who is an OE instructor. One flight was at the conclusion of a pilot’s training and the next, with a different student,  […]