Line Training
Everyone is given a choice of base for line training. I was fortunate enough to be granted Stansted as my base initially. Not only was this convenient for me (since you have to cover your own living expenses) but it also has the most amount of destination, so the exposure is invaluable.
The training is very well structured. Every cadet is provided with a training file which has a variety of sections that need to be signed off before your line check. Initially, everyone flies with a safety pilot, which is a more experienced First Officer sat in the jump seat to just be there in case you make a mess of things. The minimum required for safety pilot release is 12 sectors, along with certain items to be signed off from the training file.
There are a broad range of sign off items, such as Altimeter Setting, Approach Speed, Landing and Rollout, and also several important discussion items such as CFIT Awareness and Winter Operations. There is a long and exhaustive list, but it is quite surprising how much can get done in one day of flying. And fortunately I was able to be recommended for my line check at 70 sectors, which took me around a month and a half.
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| Credit: Artur Bado |
The crew room at Stansted can be quite frantic. The 'first wave' as they call it, is what they call the first set of departures which all leave at the same time. So as you can imagine, it's like opening a can of syrup next to an ant's nest. It's all very good learning though, and eventually it's something that everyone adjusts to.
The standard of training at Stansted is remarkable. Although it is just the beginning, I would learn so much yet notice improvements everyday. I really got a full appreciation of how important and effective the SOPs are, and the exposure to the network allowed me to gain experience very quickly. I am very excited about the opportunities and experiences to come.
