What I'm doing...

The story so far is I've got my PPL (private pilot’s licence) now. The next step is a set of 14 exams (ATPL) and build up 150 odd hours of flight time while I'm doing them.

The ATPL (Airline Transport Pilots Licence) exams are set out like this.


To Do


Principles of Flight

General Navigation

Flight Planning and Monitoring

Meteorology
Instrumentation
Radio Navigation

Aircraft General Knowledge
Performance


Complete


IFR Communications

VFR Communications

Human Performance & Limitations

Operational Procedures

Air Law

Mass & Balance


While I'm doing these I'm going to be building up my hours flying family and friends all around Ireland. I've also got to do ratings such as a night rating and maybe a tail wheel course! Hopefully there'll be some interesting cross water flights into the UK, Europe and myself and Pete are taking a plane from Palm Beach in Florida to San Francisco and back in January.

Then once the exams are completed and I've built up enough hours it’s on to the CPL course, the multi engine and instrument ratings. These are the last steps but unfortunately the most expensive and difficult.

I'll post regularly below on the progress and I'll also add the pictures of everyone that’s come with me so far!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Maeve's First Flight!

The time finally came for Maeve to regret saying all those times that she was dying to come fly with me!



I'd got the licence after a much longer and drawn out process than I had imagined and it was finally time for her to be brave and come fly with me!

The weather was perfect in the end although there were a few nasty clouds lurking around to the North. We had planned to go over to her brothers house in Drogehda and take some nice pictures on the way so they wouldn't effect us at all!

I think she was very nervous sitting in the airport waiting for the plane to come back and went fairly quiet as we walked out. But after years of listening to me talking about it I think she realised fairly quickly into it that she knew what was going on and why I was doing the things I was.

We took off anyway and I think she was nicely surprised at how much she could see. The fact that she was able to pick out the route as we were going along and it was a relatively bump free day made life a little easier! Anyway, all in all it wasn't scary as she had imagined and is dying to go again! I'll stick up some of the pictures she took and the video she took of the landing too!


Cloud over Navan reservoir



Slane Castle



Hot Air Balloons near Navan



The Boyne bridge on the M1

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The Band of the Famous door In New Orleans Playing our song for Maeve!!

Maeve recording my landing in Weston! Her shakey hands suggest she might have been a bit nervous!!

Cliffs of Moher

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