Tag: Student Pilot

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My Journey

A Chat With A Boeing 777 Captain (Part 1 of 2)

This is the first of a series of 2 blogs in which I share my recent conversation with a Boeing 777 Captain of a major airline in the USA. Annoyingly, I didn’t get a chance to record the conversation since it happened on a noisy, London Underground train.

Here’s what I’ve done instead. I’ve poured all the fragments of the conversation into a pile of words, on the screen, from memory, and have pieced them back together as accurately and as concisely as I could manage it. I hope you will find it interesting and insightful. I know I did!

The Conversation Starter

One of the big reasons why I advise people to share their goals is that, in doing so, you draw people who identify with you and people who will support you.

In my case, I was literally wearing my dream-goal as I sat on the train, reviewing the theoretical side of my next lesson. I had a T-shirt on that read ‘Born To Fly’. Chip, who sat across from me, asked if I fly. That was the beginning of our conversation.

My mentor always said, when you are in the presence of people who are more successful than you, don’t say much, just ask questions. So, I fired as many questions as I could come up with on the fly.

Chip The Captain

Chip, a middle-aged, Boeing triple-7 captain at a major airline in the USA, started off like many of us, with a dream. His dream was to become a pilot. With no funding available from his parents, he took a job as a waiter, to start making his dream a reality.

His first solo flight came when he was aged 16. I’m often told that pilots never forget their first solos. I could tell from the way Chip’s face lit up, that it his first solo was still vivid in his mind.

Chip later joined the military where he advanced his flight training. One thing led to another and eventually, he became an airline pilot.

Here are some of questions I asked, and what he said in response.

My Chat With Chip

  1. Which airliners have you flown? I flew as second and first officer on a 727, first officer on 757, 767, and first officer and then captain on 777.

2. Which one was your favourite? 757. It’s brilliant! The performance is great. Losing an engine is a non-issue, easily corrected rudders. The power ratio from one engine makes the flight relatively smooth.

3. What is the trickiest destination you fly? London. You can really be behind the curve if you don’t know all the rules. There are a lot of rules in UK airspace, compared to other countries. It’s one of the destinations we train for specifically, to make sure we don’t mess it up.

4. Do you end up on this side of the Atlantic very often? No, not as often as I would like.

5. What is the coolest approach you fly? Tegucigalpa, Honduras. It’s really cool. Look up airplanes landing at TGU on Youtube. (You don’t have to look it up, here is a link I found. click here)

6. What is it like for pilots right now, in the airlines? I don’t know what it’s like over here (in the UK), but in America, there are many pilots retiring. We can already feel the shortage. The pilot shortage will only get worse in years to come, so it’s a good time to be in training.

7. What’s the most eventful flight you’ve had so far? It’s not so much eventful, as it is memorable. In the military, I was deployed in operation dessert storm in 1991, the year that you were born. There were these scud missiles used, terribly in accurate but deadly. The smoke from them would rise up to 10,000 feet and just level-off. I remember flying at around 10,000 ft. The view was incredible.

In the airlines, I haven’t really had many eventful flights. I lost my hydraulics once but with 2 back up systems, it’s virtually a non-issue. So, most of my memorable flights are from my time in the military.

Next Time

I don’t want to make these posts too long so this is probably a good place to stop. I have been releasing a blog post every Friday, over the last few weeks, and will continue to do so, as long as I can manage it.

In the next part of my conversation with the triple 7 captain, he gives me just the advice I needed to hear (you might need to hear it too). He then turned the tables on me and started asking me some questions. For all that and more, see you back here, next week.

Until next time, stay safe and live your dreams.✌🏾

For more on how I’m getting on with learning to fly, check me out on the YouTube.👊🏾

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Courage: How Fear Keeps Me Going

We admire people who are courageous. Better yet, we are inspired by them. They are giants in our eyes, whatever their physical stature. Even the smallest person can be a giant, a ‘force of nature’, if they are courageous.

What could you become, if you had a little more courage?

We could all do with a bit more courage. At least, I know I could. Anyone know any one selling courage in a bottle? I wish!…I don’t mean drugs. Although drugs can disinhibit us and give us a temporary ‘courage’ (if we can even call it that), it’s not always appropriate to be ‘under the influence’ and it certainly isn’t always healthy. I don’t think that the benefit of drug-induced ‘courage’ outweighs the costs.

Holding Back From Your Dream?

One of the biggest things that kept me from starting off on my dream of become a pilot was fear. How paradoxical then that one of the biggest things that made me finally pursue my dream of becoming a pilot was fear.

Fear can keep you from trying new things, from expressing yourself fully and from making yourself vulnerable. However, fear isn’t only an inhibiting force. It can enable you to run faster than you ever have, jump higher than you ever thought you could and endure far more than you ever have.

I’ve had the dream and hope of becoming a pilot, for as long as I can remember. That was the carrot. It was calling me forth, to an adventure unlike any I had ever embarked on. Interestingly, I didn’t do much about it. I stayed in my comfort zone, waiting to pursue my dream at a more convenient time.

What Will Happen If You Don’t Try?

What sprung me into action was the development of a new, more powerful fear than that which held me back. Instead of being shackled by the fear of what would happen if I went for my dream, I was pushed by the fear of what would happen if I didn’t.

I realised that life could actually pass me by, that I could spend another another 6 years, and then another, and another, and never get any closer to my dream.

I became afraid of being an old man and having my dream turn into nothing more than a bitter regrets. I became afraid of living a life of insignificance, doing everything other than the very thing I’m most passionate about.

I am afraid of becoming the kind of person I would become, if I were to allow fear to shackle and keep me from the righteous pursuit of living my dream. That person is neither the kind of person I would admire, nor the kind of person I would be inspired by.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that fear is the best fuel or motivator to get anyone to their goal. Hope is a powerful, sustainable and enduring force.

I’m just saying, if you must fear, fear what would happen if you didn’t pursue that which you know to be the most valuable pursuit, even in your own estimation.

Live your dreams. After all, is there anything better to do?

For more on how I’m getting on with learning to fly, check me out on the YouTube.👊🏾

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Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing

Don’t spend major time on minor things.

Jim rohn

One of the mantras that has kept me focused this week is, “keep the main thing, the main thing”. When I shared it with colleagues in the staffroom, during our lunch break, my mantra was met with a, ‘huh?’, along with an expression like that of a cow staring at a new gate. Hopefully I can do better this time around.

Aviate. Navigate. Communicate.

As a student pilot, there is so much for me to learn and it is easy to become task saturated in the cockpit – having much to do and not much time to do it in. Of course, I have my flight instructor with me, but only for now. At some point, it will be all down to me. As such, it is important for me to be able to separate what needs to be done immediately from what can wait – I must prioritise. If I don’t, I could easily end up a statistic. 

Everyday, we are thrown into numerous situations requiring us to navigate an insane amount of choices and arbitrate between competing priorities. We encounter people who have their own agendas and if we are not careful, their agenda inadvertently becomes our agenda, and before we know it, we are further away from our goals and desires.

As a student pilot I have to learn to fly the aeroplane, to navigate and to communicate with the appropriate Air Traffic Service Unit. Inevitably, there are times when these 3 priorities clash. I might find myself in a position where I am lost, not in complete control of the aircraft whilst also being required to respond to a call.

There are 3 really important things to do in this situation: fly the plane, fly the plane and fly the plane! It cannot be overstated. If I lose control of the plane and find myself plummeting to the ground, navigating and communicating become somewhat irrelevant to my outcome.

Identify Your Goal In Any Given Situation

“If you aim at nothing, you will hit every time.” 

Zig Ziglar

One of the great things about the mantra I have been using is that it prompts me to identify what my true priority is in that moment. This was particularly useful when I was frustrated due to feeling like things were not going the way I wanted them to go. As such, I realised I didn’t have to win every single battle and have everything go my way. I only needed one specific thing out of my day, out of my interaction or whatever situation I was in. 

Consider what you are doing now. What is your goal? What is the main thing? You may have to wrestle with your goals and desires a while before the true priority reveals itself. Your priority, your main thing, will differ with each situation. It might be to listen, to think, to plan, to simply get started, to create a terrible first draft, to be playful, to be yourself, to save money, to collect data, to support, to rest, to learn something new or to progress, and so on.

Distractions are everywhere, available free of charge. Some distractions are clear, while others come in a disguise. Like cunning thieves, distractions can steal your resources – time, money, energy – and leave you further from your goal. To give yourself the best chance of reaching your goal and living your dream, make sure you keep the main thing, the main thing. 

The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

Stephen Covey

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Go Fund Me: Future Pilot #SoloBy30

I can’t believe I’ll be turning 30 soon! I’m nearly a dinosaur, but I feel young (when I’m not tearing my quads from playing football without warming up). As they say, “you are as old as you feel”… Am I being a bit over-dramatic? Likely!

After debating it for sometime, I have decided to launch a ‘Go Fund Me’ campaign, in celebration of my 3 decades on the planet. I look forward to sharing more updates with you over the coming weeks.

IN BRIEF

Last year, I made the bold and probably crazy idea to start living in my car to put the extra cash towards achieving my childhood dream of becoming a pilot. Despite all the concerns, I knew this was the only way to truly kickstart my journey towards my dream.

The commitment and sacrifice I have made since last year has allowed me to make amazing progress towards my dream.  However, with only a teaching assistant’s salary and an hourly training cost of £180 (travel and equipment not included), progress has been slower than ideal.

This year, it is my goal to have my first solo flight by my 30th birthday, on 8th June 2021. This means, my instructor will allow me to fly the airplane alone, while he supervises from the ground. It’s one the most exciting phases of training – like a child taking its first steps!

I am only 10 Flying hours away from my first solo. Your financial gift will help make my dream come true, on one of the most significant years of my life.

THE BREAKDOWN
10 Flying Hours : £1,800
Class 2 Medical :  £200
Total                            £2,000

DEADLINE: 1st June 2021

I’ve been sharing my journey on YouTube, so you will be able to share in this exciting experience with me, seeing first-hand the life-changing impact of your financial gift of any amount.

Seriously, every little helps. If you can’t give, please do share my campaign with someone who might. Thank you in advance!

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MY PROGRESS SO FAR

The last year brought many milestones. I had my first official flying lesson, I performed my first take off and landing as well as achieving a first time pass in 3 exams. I have 6 left to complete, before qualifying for a Private Pilot’s License. This, in itself, is waaay more progress than all the previous years put together!

In addition to that, I got myself a new laptop and basic flight simulator equipment. This would allow me to practice and maintain my skill in between lessons (useful during lockdowns!). Using the flight sim also means that I spend less time being bamboozled in the cockpit and more time refining what I already practised.

My GoPro and action cameras, bought over the last year, have allowed me to review and milk each flying lesson. In turn, this allows to make the most amount of progress possible. It also means that I can post on instagram and YouTube, where you can follow my adventure. 

What’s Next?

After my first solo flight, I will have around 30 more hours to complete before becoming eligible for a Private Pilot’s License.

Eventually, I hope to become a commercial pilot and work as a flying instructor, combining my passion for aviation wit my passion for teaching. For now that’s a long ways off. I would settle for a solo flight by the 8th of June. That’s what I will be preparing for.

In the distant (but not too distant) future, once I have my licenses, I hope to do outreach work to young people who may find themselves in disadvantaged positions. I hope that my story will encourage and inspire them to go after their dreams, early on, despite how impossible it might seem.

A statement in the book, ‘Key Person of Influence’, has stuck with me since the day I read. The author said, “Choose a game you are willing to play, win or lose”. Flying training, this is the game I have decided to play, win or lose. I hope that you will help me win. 

Your financial gift, of any amount, will go a long way in helping me realise my dream. I hope that you will support me on my journey. I look forward to giving you updates each step of the journey. 

Seriously, every little helps. If you can’t give, please do share my campaign with someone who might. Thank you in advance!

DEADLINE: 1st June 2021

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How To Waste Your Time More Effectively

Time is one of the most valuable resources you have. When you waste or lose it, you can never get it back. You’ve probably been wasting a respectable chunk of time anyways so why not still do that, but more effectively?

I’ve taken the liberty of putting together a list of how you might waste time more effectively. Trust me. I should know, I was king among time-wasters.

My Time-Wasting Credentials

I’ve wanted to become a pilot for as long as I can remember. There’s nothing like the feeling that comes when the airplane lines up on the runway and the pilot applies full power. The roar of the engines, the vibration of the seats and weightlessness once the airplane rotates and takes off, there’s no feeling like it. So, from a young age of about 6, I promised myself that I would become a pilot.

Fast-forward, the day before my 24th birthday, my girlfriend at the time bought me a flight experience in a Cessna 172. I got a taste of what it’s like to fly an airplane. It was awesome! My dream was reawakened! And then it went right back to sleep in the back of my head. I would not do any more flying until March of 2020. My time wasting credits are top-notch.

With that said, here are are some top tips to waste time more effectively.

6 Ways To Waste Time More Effectively

1. Focus On What You Don’t Have

The financial cost of becoming a pilot held me back for a long time. I just didn’t have £65-£100k to spare. Last year, when I decided to focus on what I DID have, and what I COULD do, it led me to start living in my car. Long story short, I tripled my hours flown, studied 6 out of 9 of the topics required for a Private Pilot’s License and passed 2/2 exams taken.

Beware: Focusing on doing what you can with what you have is dangerous for time-wasting.

2. Keep Your Dream in the Back of Your Mind

The back of your mind is where your dream belongs. That way, when opportunities to progress show up, you won’t even recognise them, let alone take advantage of them.

3. Avoid Environments of Like-Minded People

One of the first things I did after deciding to live in my car was to open an instagram account. I started using hashtags like #aviation. Before I knew it, I had made new friends, one of whom has become something like a training partner who I have flight simulator sessions with. This has allowed me to make the kind of progress I would never have been able to make on my own.

To waste time more effectively, avoid real-life and virtual environments where you might find like-minded people who inspire you and hold you accountable.

4. Make Things More Complicated Than They Are

‘Do at least one thing everyday that moves you closer towards your dream.’ That idea is just way too simple and way too clear. To waste time more effectively, adopt the mindset that, “it’s more complicated than that” and then feel accomplished even if you haven’t done anything to move towards your dream in days, weeks, months and ultimately years. Bonus points if you can mange it for decades!

5. Fill Your Time With ‘Important’ Things That Do Nothing For Your Dream

Oh this is a good one! Doing a lot covers up the fact that you are going nowhere fast. It makes you feel important in the world without actually activating the deepest part of you, which is only activated when you move towards your dream. That way, you’ll probably wake up old one day, filled with regrets upon realising that you had so much potential but chose not to realise it.

6. Don’t Review Your Plan and Just Don’t Plan At All

The most successful people in the world seem to plan and then review their plans often – figuring out what worked, what didn’t and what can be improved. They just haven’t discovered the great advantage of not planning, and the beauty of never reviewing a plan that exists only in one’s head. That’s why they are rubbish at wasting time. Those silly billies!

Can you think of any other effective ways of wasting time? Drop a comment below!

Time is precious and valuable. Don’t waste time. If you do, you’ll never get it back.