Trip to Bournemouth

G-CTCF - 'my ride'

Today I went to the CTC Training Centre at Bournemouth Airport to have a look around and see where exactly I should hopefully be in around a year's time.

We arrived very early (with a 5.45am start!) after being told that by getting there at that time we were more likely to be able to backseat a flight. After having a quick look around the building, which is made up mainly of briefing rooms and a couple of DA42 simulators and gawping and some of CTC's private jets, I was told that there was a seat up for grabs on a flight leaving in ten minutes - so of course I said yes!

After strolling across the tarmac sporting my sexy yellow jacket, I clambered into the back of the Twinstar, where the engines were soon fired up and the pilot began the endless checks. The cockpits of CTC's DA42 fleet in both the UK and New Zealand are the Garmin 1000, which looks absolutely amazing (just like being in an Airbus!). This high tech, 2 LCD screen flight deck is used mainly due to its similarity to the pointy ends of the airliners we will soon be flying.

The G1000 in a DA42

Not too long (considering the 80 odd checks to do before take off) later, we began out taxi to RWY26. On our way there we taxied past plenty of private jets, including a Boeing 747SP! BOH is full of these snazzy toys, as well as a fair few airliners such as B737s.

We were soon lined up on the runway, gained clearance for take off and the massive engines threw us forward until we reached Vr and shot into the sky. The cloud base was about 2000ft and we weren't clear of them until about 4000ft. After climbing just above the clouds, the aircraft was made to do some steep 360 degree turns to both the left and right, before climbing to 5500ft, where the pilot did some clean configuration stalls. Just after this were some landing configuration stalls, turning stalls, spiral dives and then stimulated engine fires, which consisted of plenty of checks as well as diving through the sky.

M-CHEM (a CTC Dassault Falcon 2000)

After the instructor was satisfied that these manoeuvres were done to the right standards, he asked the pilot to descend to 3000ft whilst being guided back to the runway for a go around. Due to the heavy cloud I couldn't see anything until we were very close to the airport and it became quite bumpy (which is always fun!). After going around, we did circuits, some of which were flaps up, meaning we came in very fast. The wind was pretty strong, so the Diamond had to fight some crosswinds which meant I was looking at a sharp angle out of the window to look down the runway!

After these, we landed and taxied back to the CTC ramp, where there was a crew change, as another pilot needed to do a single circuit to build up his hours by four minutes! So after taxiing back to the runway we leapt up from the runway to circle the airport, by which time luckily visibility had improved meaning there were some great views from up above.

All in all it was a fantastic day and am very grateful that I was able to do it. This has been a massive boost for me and I simply cannot wait to get out to New Zealand and start flying myself!

M-INOR, another CTC jet (a Hawker 900) which followed us in on approach to the apron

Module 1: Mission Complete (hopefully!)

Feeling very guilty this weekend for not question banking!

Well, this has been one massively long week - EXAM WEEK! The Module 1 exams started on Tuesday, where I did Principles of Flight and Aircraft General Knowledge; Wednesday was Instrumentation, Thursday Meteorology, then yesterday was Air Law and then VFR and IFR Communications. I should hopefully find out my results in a few week's time, although by then I will be snugly into Module 2 (I begin General Navigation on Tuesday). Instead of going to Gatwick to take the exams we do them at the CTC Nursling Training Centre, where a CAA invigilator runs the exams for both Mod 1 and 2 in the same week. As expected the exams were, you guessed it, in exam conditions, meaning lots of single well spaced out desks, see-through pencil cases and water bottles and a big ticking clock at the front of the room. They are all multiple choice (A, B, C or D), so thankfully no monster essays to write! Each exam is different in its number of questions and how much time you have to complete it:







Principles of Flight; 44 questions; 60 mins
Aircraft General Knowledge; 80 questions; 120 mins
Instrumentation; 60 questions; 90 mins
Meteorology; 84 questions; 120 mins
Air Law; 44 questions; 60 mins
VFR Comms; 24 questions; 30 mins
IFR Comms; 24 questions; 30 mins

Knowing that I am halfway there already has made me realise just how little time it will be until I'm out in New Zealand, as it feels like only a few weeks ago I was on my APD!