HI!!!! To all those that still read my blog - I am totally sorry for the complete lack of posts in the past year. I get a bit paranoid about posting things these days. As some of you would be aware i have been very into my videos and GoPro youtube channel - which replaced my blogging. I absolutely love filming and the editing, but alas i have also taken these down for a period of time due to people posting them to Facebook.
I'm writing this post to just express some thoughts. I am still an FO on the Q400. Had i stayed on the classic 200/300 i would have been a captain 6 months ago. Now i am stuck in the right seat for probably at least the next year. That was a big decision i knew i was making, and i guess the reality didn't really hit home until now. But i do love the Q400 and i guess overall i am happier flying a big turboprop - which literally does haul ass.
I am also writing because i have friend who have recently started their first airline job and are telling me what they are going through with learning the drills, the recalls, the procedures - all while being trashed in the sim at back of the clock sessions which take a toll on any person. It is not an easy process to learn multi-crew flying, and it's probably the hardest thing i have learnt in flying to date.
But i write this in hindsight - right now my job is easy, even complacent at times. I fly from the right seat confidently in knowing what my job is, knowing what it involves and knowing that i am in fact good at it. I know what my responsibilities are, i know what i can and cannot do, and i know that on a given day i will learn something, make a mistake or even teach someone something. I know i will push the boundaries at times - flying fast to an approach and learning how to rectify it, or rather, i KNOW i can rectify it and make it still work to company SOP's. I know i can adhere to SOP's without thinking about the SOP's, i know i can grease a landing on the tarmac without particular care anymore. I know i can do a simulator session and be told that i know what i'm doing and that as a support pilot or pilot flying that i'm doing my job correctly.
All these things are fantastic and i am satisfied i have learned my role. There is still more to learn no doubt, and there is a never ending facet of knowledge i can put myself through. The job is dynamic no matter what repetition the job actually is. Weather changes, the airport runways changes, the registration of the plane changes, the crew changes, the controllers change... It is a never ending endeavour to learn. I love this aspect and i cherish it.
I recently turned down an actual start date on a 737 jet. It makes me wonder on why i did this? I don't even have a correct answer to a lot of people, but for some reason i know it was the correct one. Potentially this command will come and that experience will be worth its weight in gold. I will learn even more, i will experience even more, and the glass ceiling will be lifted once again.
I write this in hindsight, some thoughts which have been going through my head of recent times. I love flying, and its the only thing i have ever wanted to do. I write this post as something of a retrospect that i'm still doing what i love. I'm still chasing the bigger dreams of a jet job, and i'm still chasing the dreams of sitting in the left seat. But to be good at any other role, you need to learn your role first - and that quest of knowledge really is never ending. I guess talking to my friend and his first airline role - being scared of his first flight.. not being confident of knowing his procedures... of lacking the skills and the captain might think ill of him... the knowledge to KNOW, that you are the one for the job and that no matter how hard you find it - you will always learn and you will always progress.
Was not my intention to have a big motivational speech.. Anyway, i will try blog some more and regularly in the future.
Cheers, Mike
I'm writing this post to just express some thoughts. I am still an FO on the Q400. Had i stayed on the classic 200/300 i would have been a captain 6 months ago. Now i am stuck in the right seat for probably at least the next year. That was a big decision i knew i was making, and i guess the reality didn't really hit home until now. But i do love the Q400 and i guess overall i am happier flying a big turboprop - which literally does haul ass.
I am also writing because i have friend who have recently started their first airline job and are telling me what they are going through with learning the drills, the recalls, the procedures - all while being trashed in the sim at back of the clock sessions which take a toll on any person. It is not an easy process to learn multi-crew flying, and it's probably the hardest thing i have learnt in flying to date.
But i write this in hindsight - right now my job is easy, even complacent at times. I fly from the right seat confidently in knowing what my job is, knowing what it involves and knowing that i am in fact good at it. I know what my responsibilities are, i know what i can and cannot do, and i know that on a given day i will learn something, make a mistake or even teach someone something. I know i will push the boundaries at times - flying fast to an approach and learning how to rectify it, or rather, i KNOW i can rectify it and make it still work to company SOP's. I know i can adhere to SOP's without thinking about the SOP's, i know i can grease a landing on the tarmac without particular care anymore. I know i can do a simulator session and be told that i know what i'm doing and that as a support pilot or pilot flying that i'm doing my job correctly.
All these things are fantastic and i am satisfied i have learned my role. There is still more to learn no doubt, and there is a never ending facet of knowledge i can put myself through. The job is dynamic no matter what repetition the job actually is. Weather changes, the airport runways changes, the registration of the plane changes, the crew changes, the controllers change... It is a never ending endeavour to learn. I love this aspect and i cherish it.
I recently turned down an actual start date on a 737 jet. It makes me wonder on why i did this? I don't even have a correct answer to a lot of people, but for some reason i know it was the correct one. Potentially this command will come and that experience will be worth its weight in gold. I will learn even more, i will experience even more, and the glass ceiling will be lifted once again.
I write this in hindsight, some thoughts which have been going through my head of recent times. I love flying, and its the only thing i have ever wanted to do. I write this post as something of a retrospect that i'm still doing what i love. I'm still chasing the bigger dreams of a jet job, and i'm still chasing the dreams of sitting in the left seat. But to be good at any other role, you need to learn your role first - and that quest of knowledge really is never ending. I guess talking to my friend and his first airline role - being scared of his first flight.. not being confident of knowing his procedures... of lacking the skills and the captain might think ill of him... the knowledge to KNOW, that you are the one for the job and that no matter how hard you find it - you will always learn and you will always progress.
Was not my intention to have a big motivational speech.. Anyway, i will try blog some more and regularly in the future.
Cheers, Mike
