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Friday 14 January 2011

Three Weeks to Test 1s

So this time in three weeks, I will have my first exam results. Scary really seeing as it feels as though we have only been at OAA for a matter of minutes. I guess it indicates the speed at which learning is expected and I cannot tell you how much work there is after each day to go home and really gather a true understanding of everything. Whether it be how a component works, why it may be there, what if it fails, how is it powered... the syllabus volume within the timeframe we have is extremely intense. However, I am starting to fall in love with the content and being knowledgable on topics I have always wanted to be disgustingly knowledgable about.

Well last night was AP321's official welcome from OAA which coincided with the monthly happy hour (loads of free beer, wine and food) which was fantastic. Both groundschool and advanced flight training stage courses were invited and it gave us all a chance to ask questions and network with these 'further down the line' courses, seeking advice and highlights we should be aware of. Groundschool apparently isn't anyone's favourite, whereas flying for three hours a day and spending the rest round a pool in Arizona heat is up there.. I really can't see why...
Well we had our fair share of freebies and being intelligent and charming pilots that we all are becoming, we were able to re stock the fridge with beverages courtesy of OAA.

I was also able to have an informative and lengthy conversation with Anthony Petteford, who is the Managing Director of this fine establishment that I attend, about graduation and job vacancies that are forecasted for spring 2012 aswell as the updating of OAA's fleet. He is a very friendly, approachable and down to Earth guy, despite his authority and credibility, which somewhat surprised me. He assured me that if I don't get multiple job offers, he would be curious as to why, which sounds hopeful! It's a very, very promising time for aviation and a certain British Airways are on the hunt for new recruits in the years 2011 and 2012, work hard, play hard and fly hard and I could be landed with my dream airline coming out of training. But let's not run before we can walk eh? It's only little over a year before I will be training on those monsters of the sky though, so I've got to keep the lookout for trends of recruitment across all the major and notorious airlines who favour low houred pilots.

Tomorrow is OAA's first open day of the year and muggins here has been landed with a position in the presentations with the aforementioned MD and assigned to a classroom for Q&As from aspiring candidates for entry to OAA. Which, I really am looking forward to, as I was in exactly their position last year and know how jealous I was of the guys I spoke to who were in the school, so I can't wait to give advice, opinions and hopefully in some way motivate the visitors whether they be young or older people to go for it as it is certainly the best decision I have ever made. However, ask my parents that same question with regards to finance... ;)

Lots of work to do over the weekend to keep me busy and out of trouble, I will update the blog in relation to how the open day went and what's ahead next week.

I seem to be chatty, you can certainly tell it's Friday.
Sam


Books, check, Stationery, check, energy supplements, check.

Sunday 9 January 2011

Happy New Year

Well we have been back at GS for a week now and its good to get back into it! Everyone came back in good spirits and it was great to see everyone again. We had four days of lessons as Monday was obviously a bank holiday.

The week absolutely flew past and it was Friday once again, in The Black Horse with all the course having a few well deserved beverages.

A pretty unremarkable week, however, having looked at next week's timetable with triple Theory of Flight on both Thursday and Friday, I think I will need to stock up on Red Bull as there may be times during any three of the lessons my eyes will feel increasingly heavy.


Sam


Happy Birthday Jun (Mr AP321)