PART 1 - AVIATION TOPICS Flashcards
Why did you decide to become a pilot?
First of all, I decided to become a pilot when I turned 13. I was really young, however I already knew that working in a regular job just to pay the bills wasn’t really living. So I decided to ask God which way I should follow to have fun. Then, I got my answer and here I am.
What influenced you to become a pilot?
Nothing influenced me to become a pilot, actually, as I always say, this ideia came out of the blue. I don’t have any relatives working in aviation.
Why did you choose to work in aviation?
Beyond the fact that I love airplanes, I chose to work in aviation to have fun while working. We see people all around the world who wanna live a different life, but they don’t do anything about it. Well, not me. I don’t wanna work because I have a ton of bills to pay off. I wanna work, because being a pilot is an amazing adventure.
If you weren’t a pilot, what would you be?
If I wasn’t a pilot, I would be an engineer or a teacher. I would be an engineer by the reason of my graduation in aeronautical engineering in 2018. And a teacher, well, long story short, because I like teaching.
What difficulties did you have while you were training to be a pilot?
I think the biggest difficulty I faced during my training was learning how to land a trycicle airplane. In general, I used to perform good land in tail wheel airplanes, but trycicle airplanes were my Achilles heel.
Tell me about your pilot’s training for emergency situation.
Well, I have never had a training specific for emergency situations, besides the training I had to deal with engine failure, but it was a really simple situation.
What did you like most during your training to become a pilot?
The best part of my training was learning how to fly under instrument flight rules. I really enjoied being in the simulator looking at all those instruments and learning how to read all of them.
Tell me about the good aspects of your training to become a pilot.
There were many good aspects of my training, such as training in a controlled area, in a big airport and with a lot of alternatives aerodrome near us. And besides that I had one great flight instructor who is working in a big airline company nowadays. He really taught me a lot of technical subjects. I’m greatful for him.
How was your first flight?
My first flight was pretty normal. I was flying under visual flight rules, of course, the weather was good, no clouds, no wind and good visibility. My instructor, however, wasn’t prepared to teach, I mean, he didn’t know how to deal with a first flight student.
How was your experience of flying solo for the first time?
My experience of flying solo for the first time was pretty normal. The weather was good, it wasn’t cloudy or windy. And even though I had make some mistakes during takeoff like forgetting to extend flaps, I was able to perform a perfect landing.
Where was your first flight? How was it?
My first flight happened in Uberlândia, I was flying from Uberlândia to Tupaciguara. Tupaciguara has a dirt visual runway while Uberlândia has big airport. In general, it was a nice experience, although my instructor wasn’t so prepared for the flight.
How did you prepare yourself for your first solo flight?
Well, I didn’t. I didn’t know I was going to fly solo that day. Actually, it was a surprise. When the instructor asked me if I was able to perform a solo landing, I got a little nervous and I couldn’t just say no. But the truth is I wasn’t prepared for it at all.
Are you working as a pilot at the moment? Tell me about your job.
Kind of. I mean… I’m not making money working as a pilot yet, but I work as a flight instructor to get experience. As a matter of fact, I have been working with digital marketing for 3 years, even though I had studied aeronautical engineering.
Tell me about you experience in aviation.
I started in aviation 3 years ago, even though I had studied aviation for 5 years during college. I have never worked as a pilot, however I got some experience teaching people how to fly.
Describe your present activities as a pilot.
My activities as pilot include planning the flight, checking the weather, checking the aircraft in addition to that I have to prepare the class and read about the other flights of the student, since I’m not just flying, I am also teaching during the flight.
What are your tasks and responsabilities as a pilot?
My tasks and responsabilities as a pilot are check the weather, plan the flight, route, alternatives, fuel the aircraft, check the documents on board and also study the emergency procedures of the aircraft. Long story short, I don’t just fly the aircraft.
Tell me about your flying experience.
I started flying 3 years ago in the private pilot course. I have never flew professionally in a company, however I have worked as a flight instructor since march 2022. And I also have almost 200 hours of flight.
In your opinion, what is the most difficult part of a pilot’s career?
Since my parents are not rich, and I had to work to pay for my course, I would say that the hardest part of a pilot’s career is getting the money to pay off all hours of flight. Even so, I am under the impression that, getting a job might be quit difficult.
What do you enjoy most about your profession?
Needless to say that the best part of being a pilot is studing in the simulator. I mean… Which kid don’t dream about learning while playing videogames?
When was your last flight? When did you last fly? How did it go?
My last flight was on saturday. On one hand, the flight was good since the weather was great. It was sunny, no clouds, great visibility. On the other hand, I didn’t perform good landings, so because of that I think it wasn’t a good flight.
When will your next flight occur/ happen/ take place?
I really don’t know when my next flight will take place. Hopefully, I’ll be on the ground for the next 3 weeks since I have to prepare myself to a selection process.
What do you do in your aircraft before a flight?
First of all, the main thing to do in the aircraft before a flight is the basic aircraft preflight inspection, like checking the endurance and watch out for any damage in the fuselage, wings, landing gear and engines.
What is your major concern when you are planning your flight?
My major concern when I’m planning a flight is the weather. I always check the wind more than once and I read all the weather information for the route. In addition to that, I like to mark in the chart all the alternatives aerodromes available.
Before a flight, what are the most important thing to check in an aircraft?
Before a flight, the most important thing to check in an aircraft is endurance. Even a person who is not a pilot, would check the fuel to see if the aircraft is able to perform a flight.
What are your main responsability in the cockpit before take off?
My main responsability in the cockpit before takeoff is to call ATC to request flight clearance, start-up engines and weather conditions. In addition to that, I also read the charts and the checklist with the captain.
What is the importance of checking weather before a flight?
Checking the weather before a flight is importante because it helps you to plann your route and avoid bad situations. Some aircrafts have cross wind limitations due to its rudder size, therefore checking the wind can avoid issues during the landing.
Tell me about the aircraft you fly.
I fly a tail wheel airplane from Argentina, it’s an instruction airplane, however it’s not very safe. Most of pilots don’t like to fly this airplane, but, in my mind, this plane has made good pilots in its history.
