Recommendation

I have just been told that I will receive a recommendation from the school. By no means the guarantee of a job, but it will definitely give me more chances.
















Now I am stoked.

MCC course

Well after the CPL and IR, I thought the MCC wasn't going to be too bad. After all, the CPL and IR were pass/fail courses and we were told that for the MCC, attendance and 'being alive' were the main requisites. How wrong I was.




















We have now had 5 Sim sessions, where we are either Pilot Flying in the RHS or Pilot Non Flying in the LHS. Making the jump from props to as well as working in a multi-crew enviroment means that it has been a steep learning curve. However the last SIM today was the last one and also the best one. It went really really well. I was pretty stoked as it was all hand flown off raw data. Both Amotz and I finished in style.

Bloody magpies

Went to the beach last night for a quick session with Warren and Virginia who was brought up in Jerez. While looking for them, so magpies knicked my wetsuit and harness which was hanging up to dry. About 200 quids worth. Good to catch up with V+W though.

Big Yesterday

Andy cruising















Wow, what a few days it's been. I was joined by James, Andy, Jo, Chris, Alex and Adas. Great to see them all and nothing at all to do with the fact that I am studying near Tarifa, a lovely place and also the most famous European windsport spot. Lots of laughs, a few beers and some excellent food helped make the week. Some good sessions on the water, including 'big yesterday', for me another 'best session yet'.

Hangover Protection

The more I get to know Tarifa, the more I like it and will definitely be visiting again. Just not during the summer as I have been told it is stupidly busy, easy to believe as there was well over 100 kites on the beach, not to mention the windsurfers and other beaches around the corner. There was however enough room that we were able to either hang out the back or tack up wind to get by ourselves. Move of the week(for me) was a 'high five' between Andy and myself where the delight in making it quickly gave away to the pain of slapping hands at a combined speed of 30kts or so.

Last Monday I started the MCC(Multi Cooperation Course) which was all lectures for the first week. Amotz and I had our first sim on Sunday. Wow, what a cool experience, very busy and so much to think about going from props to jet and electronic flight systems. Lots of work to do before the next one.

NOTICE

Does anyone want to come to my graduation on Friday 28th of this month?

It would be very cool if you do. Ryanair tickets are cheap and the school is on the airfield.

I may well be staying a few extra days after before I head home to a life of uncertainty.

Please let me know as soon as possible as I need to have a finalised list by Tuesday morning.

Cheers.

ps. lots to write about when I get around to it.

Back Of The Net

I passed. What an total relief.

Conditions were blustery and far more difficult than when I initially had to do it and yet i totally nailed it. Why I couldn't do that before I don't know.

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James, Kate, Andy and Jo arrived at Jerez airport today for some kite action down in Tarifa. I am going to go and join them later as MCC course doesn't start till Monday. Chris, Alex and Adas are also out at the weekend. Should be good.

Idiot

I partial passed the test, which means that I am not finished yet. I am pretty pissed off with myself.

Due to my incomplete test yesterday, I only had one section of the test to complete today. It should have been a simple exercise yet I managed to bugger it up.

This means that I need to go and do a short flight consisting of a departure, and an ILS approach to land. It sounds simple but sadly that is all I had to to do today as well. I really didn't have a good feeling about today and so it proved to me. Probably a bit chicken and egg but it is hard to get positive vibes about something you don't feel good about.

On paper it should have been easy, I had passed 5 out of 6 required sections of the test and the 6th I hadn't been able to do for circumstances out of my control. I was overly worried about that one section, and i'm sure that didn't help.

It changes things/prospects a lot, but I think that I am just about over what I have done as it is in the past and I can't control it but I am now worrying about the bit I have to finish off. The problem being that if I don't pass this last bit, then it goes down as a fail and I have to start the test again, with the associated costs and negative impact on job prospects. I feel a bit sick just thinking about it.

I failed on the ILS section, something that I haven't really had problems with since the very start, so am dissapointed from that respect. Flustered, I also mucked up the landing by not going from Flaps25->Flaps40. Not a problem for the landing, but still a fail.

I am currently hiding away avoiding people who might ask me how I got on.

What I have to do now is go for a flight with my instructor, and iron out any (mental?) problems and then finish off with the examiner, probably in the next couple of days.

Incomplete test

Well I haven't passed yet. Neither have I failed.

During the ILS approach, I was told by ATC to go around and so wasn't able to demonstrate the approach down to minima. In other words it was 'incomplete' due to ATC interference and i have to finish it off tomorrow. It should just be a matter of a simple 15 minute flight; Radar vectors for the Straight-in ILS at Jerez to land but I will feel so much better when it is done and behind me.

Having passed the majority of the test today, I shouldn't be so concerned about tomorrow. But I am.

Positive vibes ed, positive vibes....