Day 13
Not much difference from Day 12 except that the lecture covered the APU, Hydraulics & the Fuel System. We had spent the night before reading the chapters in Operating Manual Vol. 2, so it was more of a review/saturation of information.
Completed two more CBT's and another round of Cockpit Systems Integration (CSI). REALLY like the guy that is teaching CSI this week. Very enthusiastic and REALLY knows this aircraft. Keeps the session moving and intersting.
Ironically, he is also the individual that will be doing my oral exam. He'll be very thourough, yet also encouraging. I'm actually looking forward to taking the exam.....but, I'm sure that'll change next week as it gets closer.
Day 14
Flight Controls & Landing Gear were todays topics. Our instructor spent a goodly amount of time on the gear before we covered flight controls. Validated a little information and answered a few biting questions. Very intersting!!
Completed CBTs on Pneumatics, Ice Protection & started another on Flight Instruments. I'll finish that up tomorrow and that'll leave me with about 3 to do.
The day finished with more FMS training wherein our instructor stepped up the pace with flight plans from JFK to ORD with various departure/climb procedures, transitions and arrival procedures.
No sooner did we have that down, he instructed us to clear it out, and load a Flight Plan from TUL to DFW. He made it as realistic as possible by throwing in an anundry of course changes, and eventually a course reversal back to TUL where we programmed in and "flew" the ILS approach into 18 (???...can't remember).
After class, four of us stayed and covered systems, systems, systems asking "what does this do when (such and such) happens?" "What must happen before you select this switch?"... and so on. Very informative!
I'll go ahead and tell you what we're doing tomorrow too:
Day 15
Emergency procedures. Tomorrow is going to be FUN! We get to put out a fire, put on the PBE (Personal Breathing Equipment), open doors, open an escape hatch (mock up)...that kind of thing.
We'll finish the day with a lecture on the Electrical system.
THEN.....it's back to the hotel for a nap, shower and to the airport to
pick up my wife and son!!!
If anything, the past three weeks has been VERY tough being away from them. I missed my wife's birthday and my son went from walking to running. He was 14 months when I left and he's now 15 months and starting to say words.
Welcome to the airlines.
Tomorrow will be the best day of this adventure so far!!
More next week!
R2F