I can’t believe the internship is already over. It seems like yesterday I was writing my first journal entry and now its time to write my last. But even though its time to pack up my things and head back to reality, Continental did not disappoint me. The internship ended even stronger than it started. Last week, I began my full motion simulator training in the 737. The full motion simulator is an actual cockpit just like the FTD, however, it is mounted on top of hydraulic actuators. This allows it to move and simulate actually flying through the air. There is also a visual image of in front of the cockpit, simulating the flying environment. The first day of the simulator we learned how to take-off, land, and fly instrument approaches. This first and only day I would practice normal flying skills. The next 5 days consisted of the most intense flying I have ever experienced. We performed take-offs with engines catching on fire at 150 knots, all 6 tires blowing on takeoff, and learning how to successfully takeoff, fly an instrument approach, and land with one engine failed. Our instructor threw every emergency he could at us and we handled it with perfection. This is proof of just how much Embry-Riddle helps their pilots transition to the real world of flying. My simulator partner and I were able to learn flows, and perform with nothing less than perfection. Our simulator instructor said our flying skills mimicked pilots with over 3000 hrs. Without the demanding training Embry-Riddle provides their students, none of this would have been possible. By the end of the week I logged over 30 hrs of 737 simulator training in my logbook. This has definitely been the best flying experience of my life.

I cannot stress enough how beneficial a co-op/internship can be to your future career. The connections I have made this summer are priceless. Between traveling around the world, learning how to fly a multi-million dollar jet, and the overall experience working for an airline, my internship with Continental Airlines has further enhanced my passion to become a professional airline pilot.