the offical exams: the official dates.

Today, we received a mail from our beloved student administrator Klaartje with the dates of the official theoretical ATPL exams (which we have to pass before we can go to the states for the practical part, of course). Since I'm in group B, I'll do them in june (group A will do them in may). So, the dates:

• 03/06: AM: Flight planning, PM: Mass & Balance and Performance


• 09/06: AM: General navigation and radio navigation, PM: Principles of flight and Human performance & limitations


• 23/06: AM: Airframes & systems, power plant, instruments and electronics, PM: air law


• 26/06: AM: Meteorology, PM: Operational procedures and communications

Quit a lot for a short period of time, there is also a strict time limitation for every test (it's computer based) and you have to pass with 75% for every test.

Today we finished the course of Piston engines (part of power plant), in a few weeks we'll have a final progress check about that one. Now there's only principles of flight and aiframes and systems 1 left to finish. Meanwhile, I also did my 2nd and 3th mission on the FNPT II and now I have again some time to study for the last theoretical courses and to prepare everything for the 4th mission. But that won't be for soon, since group A has priority and some people of prom 3 are also having some missions.

Still some months to go before the official exams, but time goes fast ...

cheers!

FNPT II - session 1

Hi fellows

As they say that everything goes fast in aviation, we spent again some time studying and preparing our first missions on the FNPT II simulator. For those of you who don't know what the FNPT II simulator is: it's a fixed simulator of the Diamond DA-42, on which we'll fly after the VFR flights with the Archer in the States. But first of all, we are finally closing the theory chapter, there are only a few courses and some progress checks left, which will be done in april and besides that we'll have a lot of FNPT II. I'll have probably the official exams for the administration in june and departure to Arizona will be somewhere in July (around the 15th). I'm afraid to say that until then, there won't be a lot of time for other things besides SFA.

So, today my first FNPT II mission. Of course there 's some homework to do (it's not only just happy sitting and flying the way you like it, like in a try and error system, so you have to study flows, checklists, speeds that are related to a combination of engine power and body attitude, ...), so I studied the whole evening the QRM (Quick Reference Manual). The mission started at 8AM, so I had to be there at 7:15h, which is early :-). Neverthless I was quit tired this morning, it was a great experience and my first session was good!

time for a nap now ...

cheers!

A pilot's life ...

En nu terug aan het ECHTE werk ... Performance ...
en hoe het er ECHT aan toe gaat: type rating Ives Belmans, toekomstig piloot bij Ryanair.

gegroet!

visit to the control tower (EBBR)

Monday (11 february), we visited the control tower in the afternoon. Very nice ...

On finals ... or not?

Hi there

Since we've got a quit tight schedule, and some big tests are planned in the near future (General navigation, Air law (2), Flight planning), there are still courses going on, soon* we'll start on the FNPTII (Diamond DA-42; most woman would prefer other diamonds, although this "diamond" might be more expensive than the one they have in their ring, which they got from their fiancé :p) and a visit to the control tower is also planned for next week, there is not much time left to update this blog on a frequent base. *(soon): Some say we might start in a few weeks, others say we'll first finish the theory, some others say we won't sleep anymore because we'll have to do the sim during the night, after the courses during the day ... planning is a matter of days :-). The same for the official exams, departure to Arizona, ... .

Last saturday, we had our last course of Meteo in the morning. Because my train arrived about 45 minutes before the courses started and the weather was really nice, I took the oportunity to take some nice pictures at RWY 25L in the morning.

And oh yeah, I had today my FAA medical (the one from the USA), again, a healthy person with a very good hearth ;-).










Thanks to Pieter (the other Pieter of Prom 6), for this one :-)

Going down ...

First of all: happy 2008! I wish everyone a year filled with save flights (although 2007 was a good year for safety in aviation), lots of fun, sun and from time to time a good drink with friends!

After a week of holidays (to study), we continued with the courses and progress checks. January and february will be very busy, since it are our last months of theory, in march/april we'll have the official examinations. So it will be kind of ... hmmm ... quiet around here :-). But I'll try to post from time to time something short :p.

This friday, the 11th, we have a big test of Instrumentation (going from the working of a gyroscope to the use of a FMS ...) sooooo ... time to continue on that one.

Cheers!

last post of the year 2007 ...

Not a lot of time, due to a busy period (xmas, xmas ...) and a heavy study schedule ("let's talk about Instruments, Meteo, principles of flight, ..."), but at least I want to wish all the people who read this blog a happy new year !

and now back to the gyroscopes ...