3lke Blogt: Sabena Flight Academy (SFA)

new blog: http://3lke.blogspot.com/

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:27:33 +0100

oki, guys, u all noticed that my blog is acting strange...some people can't read the stuff i wrote, others have the colors blue and white mixted up etc etc...so i decided to make another blog. I copied and pasted some articels to the new one, but I didn't took the time to upload all the pictures again, i'm sorry for that...

This is my new link: http://3lke.blogspot.com/

hug

3lke

departue + first week in AZ

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:46:02 +0100

Klik hier

Monday is D-day!

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:58:23 +0200

The examinations are finished!!! I already started packing and the paperwork is almost done. (tip for the following proms: from the moment u recieve ur I-20 form, start doing the paperwork! Don't wait till the last 2 weeks, because u will be in trouble!)

Monday we - Laurent, Stephen, Tom and me - have to be under the SV4 in the departure hall in Bxl-airport at 0930. Apparently the A/C isn't there anymore but I'm sure we'll find eachother ;-)

What's the program in the states?

1. Piper Archer: PA-28
phase I: exercises up to first solo + solo check = 15 hrs
phase II: exercises up to first solo cross-country + x-country check = 20.5 hrs
phase III: exercises up to VFR navigation + VFR nav. check = 45.5 hrs

2. Diamond Star DA-40
phase IVa: night flight, basic & advanced instrument flying + BIF check + IR (NDB & VOR) check + final DA-40 IR check = 58hrs

3. Diamond Twinstar DA-42
phase IVb: multi-engine flying (VFR & IFR) + ME CPL (A) skill test = 25.5 hrs
phase IVc: ME IR acclimatization training JAA + ME IR (A) skill test = 5.5 hrs

I'll try to take some pictures of our departure and I'll write again when I'm on the otherside of the world.

Cya all!

3lke

btw: nope, I'm sorry I do not know what is happening with my blog, with the white vs blue background...if anybody knows what's going on, pls contact me :-)

departure date

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:13:18 +0200

Little note in between...

Finally!!!!!!!! I got a departure date! The half of the half of my class that are not in te states (including me) will leave this little country the 27th of October :-) The other 4 will come the 3th of Nov.

I'm glad that I can skip this winter...I'll be back when the sun (normally) starts shining again.

grtz

3lke

Week 40

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:01:01 +0200

Hi folks,

pfiew, damn, it's almost 3 weeks that I didn't write on my blog, that's a record, no? I'm sure, ya all mist me very much *angle face*.
Good, what's up in SFA-PROM-7-Land? Prom 7A are enjoying theirselves in the big sand box of Arizona and Prom 7B, including me, had their first exams.

Principles of flight: Why a piece of metal can fly and mostly doesn't fall out of the sky.

Flight planning: How not to get lost in the big blue sky.

Performance: How to calculate the performance data and why a computer is 100 times better in it.

General Navigation: How to use a pooley, and the 101 reasons why they don't use it anymore.

Radio Nav.: On which frequencies my navigation instruments work, and why I don't give a sh*t about it as long as they work.

Human Performance: Why you better don't smoke, scuba-dive, and drink to much coffee as a pilot.

Powerplant: Why turbines kick propellers ass.

Psycho: Why antisocials are not the most enjoyable people to fly with and why sleep is very ver very very very important for a pilot.

Electrics: How many electric wire is going in a ship? (inside sfa joke)

Airlaw: Why a Medium aircraft has to wait 2 minutes before it can take off after a heavy one, and how come some ATC'ers doesn't know that rule.

Meteo: 1000 reasons why u better avoid flying in a CB.

Communications: Where you learn that 'wiskey' isn't a drink and 'tree' doesn't have anything to do with the green stuff in ur garden.

Instrumentation: Gimbal lock isn't a special kind of dance style

Mass and balance: To avoid to look stupid like these guys...

grtz

3lke

Some more YKYAAPW's

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:27:54 +0200

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Week 37 FNPT II

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:17:23 +0200

Howtideloe everybody!

Today I had the FNPT II simulator check. Yes, yes I passed. Not that everything went perfect though...Normally I would have started the check at 1300, but I got a mail the day before that it was scheduled too 1500. Good for me, more time to prepare and reread the appraoches. At 1530 I'm still waiting in the briefingroom and nobody's there. The checks where again a bit delayed and eventually I started at 1700. With also a bit more stress because of the waiting. The first hour it went great, and I told myself that everything was good and I started to relax a bit. I better hadn't done that, because 2 second after I thought it, I made my first mistake. But eventually everything was oké in the end and I'm happy that I can go to the next fase...well, after I pass my ATPL exams...

Hugs,

3lke

Week 35

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:53:30 +0200

Y'all,

The 29th of September my theoritical exams will start. So, I suppose you all can understand that it's pretty buzzy overhere. My room is literally a rubbish dump, with ATPL books, files, papers, empty bottles and clothes everywhere. I never clean while I'm studying for my exams, so I think I'll have to live like this a little longer.

If you are curious how the ATPL exams work:
SFA will give you 3 papers.

Paper 1: The groups and dates. A prom is mostly split in two because otherwise there'll be to many people going too the States in one time. The groups are divided based on the marks/points of the progress checks. On the paper you find also the dates you will make your exams. Those dates will change at least 2 times, before you have your 4 real dates! And, you only got 4 days to make 15 exams. (Nobody said becoming a pilot is easy)

paper 2: The paper with the subjects that you will have to know for the 4 days, and how many time you will get.

paper3: A paper with the Do's and Don't's for the exams.

How the rest works at the examinitiondays, you will hear in a couple of weeks.

For the rest, Prom 7A will leave too The States Tuesday, the 16th of September. Enjoy guys!

Hug,

3lke

planespotting

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:18:48 +0200

Hi guys/girls,

What do you do when the runway lies in your backyard and you don't know what to do in the evening? Simple, you cook - read: warm up some leftovers - and go and sit in front of the runway to see all the beautiful birds come closer and closer too you and eventualy land gracefully on the threshold. And off course I made some pictures between two bites of 'what-ever-I-ate-that-evening'.

3lke

Koksijde air day 2008

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:06:12 +0200

G'eve/day,

I was luckey that I wasn't scheduled for a simulator session, because today I had some other plans. KOKSIJDE AIR DAY. Weaponed with my little camera - yes, the one with the bad attitude that only wants to work if it feels like working and if there isn't to much x-wind - I walked from A/C too A/C with my 3th eye - the one at the back of my head that never blinks - always looking up to the sky for just incase the pilot of the seaking, mirage or falcon would do a special trick to show off his skills. The pilots, risking their lives, for our amusement.

3lke

Quotes and jokes

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:23:29 +0200

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week 33

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 15:29:06 +0200

Hi all,

Yesterday I was struggling with a full headwind and by occasion x-wind when I was riding my bike towards my next 2 simulator sessions, mission 13 and 14. Before I arrived at the parking lot I heard already a heavy noise blowing my way. Listening to the sound of it, it couldn't be a little avro or a bigger 737,... No, it was a fully grown 747 who was testing his engines. I wasn't that surprised to see a 747 next to the parking lot, because there are often planes testing their engines, but moreover because it was one of the slinking fleet of Kalitta's 747's. The last time I saw such a large Kalitta bird was on May 26, one day after the crash on rwy 20. Quick I putted my bycicle inside and shot a couple of pic's of the enormouse beast that was already taxiïng back to the ramp. While putting my camera back in my flightcase, I wished the big boy a save flight and went inside with a big smile, hoping that one day I also will be able to control one of the most beautiful inventions in human history, an aircarft.

Save landings boys and girls,

3lke

Btw, JDC would say: "A pilot's life is one big struggle against the wind!"

Damn right, he is.

Week 32 Mission 11

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:30:32 +0200

G'day my dear blogreaders,

I guess u're all anxious to know what I have been doing up to now.
My days consits out of the simulator DA42 and to prepare for those sessions. Tomorrow I have mission 11.

Below this paragraph u will see the "what-do-I-have-to-know-and what-will I-have-to-do-for-mission-11"-sheet.
At the top of the paper, you have the "nice-to-know-stuff" and the lesson objective. At the leftside you have the list with the topics u have to review, prepare and know. U can see that the things I have to know for this next session are to be found in the IFR manual of Sabena. Mostly I like the Sabena manuals, because they are clear, well illustrated and good explained, however, I don't have so much good to tell about the IFR manual. It's a chaotic thing, with not enough examples and badly explained. I don't know what my fellow collegues think about that manual, but that's my opinion anyway.
Good, to go further. Under the 'Homework' box, you have the 'completion standards'-box. For example in the beginning of the sessions u are allowed to fly 200 feet below or above your altitude, but now we are only allowed 100 feet difference anymore.
At the righthand side you have the exercises u have to do in the air, the ATC clearance and the Wx information.

As you can see, I have to perform a ILS approach in Gateway. I did it before, but together with the instructor who gave me vectors to fly, what is much easier off course. But i'm pretty sure I'll be tomorrow on my own.

Save landings,

3lke

Prom6A

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:36:02 +0200

Hi Guys,

Normally I don't say a thing when I add a link on my blog, but this time I will.

Prom 6A left to The States the 7th of July and they have a foto gallery with already 3 albums with pic's.

http://picasaweb.google.com/PROM6A

Enjoy,

3lke

2nd observation flight

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:59:40 +0200

Y'all

JAF 3897/8 EBBR-LICJ LICJ-EBBR OO-JAN

Brussels - Palermo / Palermo - Brussels

Today I had my second observation flight, and just like my first flight it was with Jetair. This time I had the privilege to join the crew of the 737-700, OO-JAN, to Palermo, Sicily.

I arrived before the crew and asked for a copy of the flight plan. This time I was glad that I understood what was written on those papers. When the capt. arrived we checked the flight plan, weather and notams and he took the time to explain something when I had a question.

When we arrived at the plane, the capt. started the walk around, the FO did the cockpit setup and preparation and I was glad to hear the sentence 'Do u know how the FMS works?' After giving the FO a postive answer I climbed on the left hand seat and started to fill out everything on the FMS ,which the FO checked afterwards off course.

When the Capt. entred the cockpit, I was banished back to the jumpseat, we asked push back and taxi clearance and a couple minutes later we where airborn.

The flight was peacefull, the crew pleasant to talk with, and the food good. I could not have wished for more.

And Palermo is Beautiful with a capital letter! I'm sorry I don't have so much pictures to show you guys but believe me if I say it. The weather overthere was also nice, so it was a bit of a disappointment when we where back in Brussels. Clouds, clouds, and some more clouds, wind, and a way to low temperature for this time of the year.

Like on my first observation flight I had a great time and I really can't wait to take place behind the yoke myself.

Happy and save landings everyone...

3lke