Hello again, it’s November! I can’t believe it, one more month and the fall semester is over. I’m a little sad that this is my last semester taking aviation related classes. I’m going to miss the enthusiasm from the teachers and their wonderful flying stories. This semester has truly been amazing.
Flight technique analysis has been a worthwhile class, and the best is yet to come! This week, we are starting the application part of the course. This is where crews of 5 people get together and simulate several situations using the Aerosim program. Aerosim is flight sim times a million. It is super accurate and realistic. The cockpit is an actual picture taken from a real 747-400 and every button and switch works just like the real one. The point of these sim sessions on the computer is to tie everything we have learned in my past 3 years at Riddle together. Every student has an opportunity to be in a pilot position, while the others play the role of air traffic control, dispatch, and the lead flight attendant. It should be a wonderful learning experience. The neat thing about the sim sessions is that it takes the place of a final exam. We are graded on how well we work as a crew, handle an emergency, and get 400 people on the ground safety in a timely manner. Where else can you say you played flight sim for a final? Truly awesome!
In flight management systems, we use the same Aerosim program used in flight technique, but we learn the specifics on how to use the automation. The first 3 tests were over how to properly fly the 747-400 using the autopilot. There was one written test, and two practical tests using the simulator. I love it! It is such a great learning environment to actually see how every thing works through Aerosim. Last week, we started to learn how to program the flight management system. This is the little computer that holds all of the information relating to the flight; truly the heart of any aircraft operation. I can’t wait to see just how much can be accomplished with this equipment!
Crew resource management is also way above my expectations for a college class. Last week, we had crew led discussions. This is where 3 students run the class and are in charge of starting a discussion on a specific topic. This was so much fun. Our topic was how time and task management is important in the cockpit. Because of the fact that I am a flight instructor, I talk in front of people everyday. Therefore, I love giving group presentations and leading the class. You learn so much from everyone when you lead a classroom discussion.
Last week I took my second test in flight safety. I have learned so much from this class. It is a perfect example of a class that is focused on the students learning as much as possible with out any tricks. The tests are straight forward and allow to you leave with knowledge that will stay with you forever.
Finally, I had my third test in airline dispatch last week. Whew, what an interesting one. It was over aircraft performance. I was given weather, an aircraft, weights of cargo and people, and a bunch of other information relating to the flight. From that, I had to determine how much fuel we needed on board, how much we could weigh at take-off and landing, climb data, etc. Tons of fun! It was an intense test, but I did really well. The reason I aced it was because of the performance class I took last year. This is a perfectly good example of how Riddle provides you with information that you will never forget. I didn’t do a performance problem for over a year, and I still remembered 75 percent of the information. I was truly shocked. I hardly had to study for this test because most of the knowledge was already in my head.
Finally, I just want to say just how much fun I’m having being a flight instructor. I flew every day last week at sunset! It was probably the most amazing week of flying in my life. The weather was clear skies and about 65 degrees. This proves that I truly love my life at Embry-Riddle and I would not change a thing!
Well I hope everyone has a great start to November. I am starting to get sad that my senior year is almost half way over! I still can’t believe it. Well, it’s time for me to start my day. I have two classes to go and I’m flight instructing for most of the night. Have a great day everyone!
Hello everyone. Wow, I can’t believe this semester is halfway over! Time flies when you’re having fun. Wait, you can have fun going to school? Well you can if what you are studying is your passion. I enjoy attending all of my classes because it enhances my knowledge of flying and makes me a better and safer pilot. While we are on the subject of classes, I can’t believe how great they have been this semester. This is definitely my favorite semester so far! Like I said earlier, I am taking my last 5 classes relating to aviation. They are tying together everything I have learned over the past 3 years, and wow, I can’t believe I have learned so much! Embry-Riddle definitely prepares you for the real world. I would not change anything about my past 3 years here; it has by far exceeded my expectations of a top aviation university.
That is when you realize that you are truly a pilot. One of the best feelings in the world is taking off, going into the clouds at 400 ft, flying for 2 hrs without ever seeing the ground, and coming back to land. It is so neat breaking out of the clouds at 300 ft and seeing the airport right in front of you. Now the private flight course is a whole other ball game. I am now teaching someone who has no aviation experience how to be a pilot! This is truly a blast. It is so satisfying watching a student go from knowing nothing about flying to flying completely by him/herself. Life couldn’t be better, I’m going to school, learning about my favorite subject, and sharing my joy of flight with my students. What more could I ask for?
Hello everyone, I hope your October has been going well. This semester definitely has been an exciting one for me. Now that you have an idea of what my classes are like, I would like to introduce you to the wonderful world of flight instructing. I have been a flight instructor for Embry-Riddle for a little over a year now. All I have to say is wow, I love my job! What more can I ask for? My office is either a classroom or a cockpit. I am an instrument flight instructor during the evenings, but I also teach other flight courses when I have free time. My primary work day begins around 5, and I am typically done around 8. No matter how much stress is in my life, when I teach, everything stays behind. As soon as I step foot in the airplane, it is just me, my student, an incredible machine, and the most beautiful scenery you have ever seen. There is nothing more rewarding than teaching the student the wonderful world of flight. The best part of it all is that I learn so much from flight instructing. When I am sitting in the cockpit watching the student, I can apply everything he/she does to my future students and my personal flying techniques. I definitely would recommend this job to anyone! I don’t work a day in my life.
This semester has also provided me with wonderful opportunities. Two weeks ago I applied for the Team Safety Leader position in the flight department. The flight department is divided into 7 teams. These teams consist of a supervisor and roughly 30 flight instructors. Each team has a TSL. A TSL represents these 30 flight instructors to the director of safety. If there is a safety related issue, flight instructors and students can go to a TSL for help. The responsibility of a TSL is to demonstrate the highest quality of safety in everyday operations. Well, last week, I was appointed the TSL position for Team 7!!! I am so excited for this wonderful opportunity. I have always been interested in flight safety. My first real-world application of safety was last summer during my internship with Continental Airlines. I worked all summer in the safety department as many of you already know. Now, I can continue this work at my favorite flight department! I can’t wait to contribute to Embry-Riddle’s incredible safety culture.
Hello everyone, it feels so good to be back at school and getting into the swing of things. This year is going to be filled with fun and excitement, as well as knowledge that will help me succeed in many years to come. I am finishing up my last year in college and teaching young students the wonderful world of flight, what more can I ask for? I love my life!
This semester, I am taking my last five Aeronautical Science classes. It’s going to be a blast! These are the capstone classes of the program and they will provide me with the knowledge I will need to succeed in the professional aviation environment. These classes include Airline Dispatch, Aviation Safety, Flight Management Systems, Crew Resource Management, and Flight Technique and Analysis.
Airline Dispatch is the capstone course for a program we have at Embry-Riddle known as the dispatcher program. A dispatcher is someone that works for an airline who prepares all of the paperwork for a flight. Some of the paperwork includes the route of flight, a review of the weather along the flight, and filling out a flight plan. This is something great for a pilot to have, because if he/she is working for an airline and is suddenly unable to fly, you can turn to your dispatcher certificate. This is a great back-up plan to have in your pocket in the aviation industry. I have really enjoyed this program and it is very enlightening. Most of the required courses are already built into the Aeronautical Science program. You only have to take a few required electives to qualify to take the dispatcher exam. If any you are interested, see your academic advisor for details.
My next class is Aviation Safety. All I can say is WOW! Our professor was a Marine and Naval aviator with thousands of hours of fighter experience. He also flew F-4 phantoms in Top Gun! The stories he shares with the class are truly amazing, especially how he can relate it back to the subject matter. This is definitely one of my favorite classes here at Riddle. In Aviation Safety, we investigate previous accidents and talk about how to prevent them in the future. I look forward to what I will learn this semester from others mistakes.
Another useful skill I will learn this semester is how to fly an aircraft in a two pilot cockpit. Crew Resource Management teaches us the special skill of how to work together and provide the passengers with a safe flying environment. General aviation pilots need this training because we are used to operating an aircraft that requires one pilot. This skill works great in small aircraft, but once you begin flying large transport category aircraft, the workload in the cockpit increases tremendously. Therefore, you need to know how to divide up the duties in the cockpit in a safe, yet efficient manner. This class is going to provide me with this skill.
The real success story began in my senior year of high school. This is where I flew a real airplane for the first time. I began my private pilot training at a local airport by my high school. I received my private pilot license the summer after my senior year and I was hooked! I then began my fall semester at one of the best aviation schools in the world, Embry-Riddle. Here I finished all of my licenses in my first two years. I am now a fully certified commercial, multi-engine, single-engine, instrument rated pilot. I am also a certified flight instructor, certified flight instructor instrument, advanced ground instructor, and instrument ground instructor. I continued my dream of teaching junior year when I became a part-time flight instructor in the flight department at Embry-Riddle. I still can’t believe I am getting paid to fly! Finally, last summer, I received the privilege to work with Continental Airlines during a summer internship. Here I learned what it was like to fly $80 million jets and how an airline truly operated. I received 30 hrs of flight training in a Level D 737-800 simulator. Wow, what an experience! Now, I sit here today beginning my senior year of college! Wow, time flies when you are having fun. I look forward to telling you about all of my classes and what a normal day at Embry-Riddle is like. I will also enlighten you about the joys of being a flight instructor at one of the top flight schools in the world. Until then, I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the fall semester. Time to start my homework for the night.