I’ve officially been in California for over a week now; I arrived last Thursday evening safely.

 The past week has been quiet the learning experience for me. I just completed my first week as an intern, which consisted of Basic Indoctrination/General Subjects ground school at Ameriflight’s Burbank training campus. Topics discussed were: company history, general aeronautical information, instrument flight rules and procedures, carrying Hazardous Materials (HazMat), GPS training, emergency procedures, company policy/expectations and regulations, to name a few. During the week, the new-hire class got to meet the President, Director of Operations, Chief Pilot, Director of Training, and the Flight Department administration team. Indoc concluded on Friday with a test and receiving our ID badges.

After completing Basic Indoc, I began work in the Flight Department and Flight Training offices. I will remain there for this week as aircraft specific ground school begins the following week.

As an intern at Ameriflight, not only do I get paid, but I will also be receiving ground, simulator, and aircraft training to fly the Beechcraft 1900C Airliner as a First Officer (SIC – Second in Command) on daily cargo runs. This is an intense process that will really put my Embry-Riddle education and past flight training to the test. I have already received my training materials (cockpit flow diagram, aircraft manuals, standard operating procedures, etc.) and have begun studying aircraft systems and procedures, as required.

Contrary to public belief, there is a lot of prep-work and studying that goes into being a pilot. As you progress through a career (typically by flying different aircraft), your prior experiences prepare you for the next job, but even the most experienced pilots need to study, as it is a continuous learning process.

I will keep you informed on how my training goes.

Over and Out.