Skill test and landing circuits - now it's for real!

When I wrote the last post, we were almost finished with the simulator training. So after completing the final simulator sessions, it was time for the skill test. While all simulator training had been done with the same teams of two students, taking turns doing the roles as pilot flying and pilot monitoring, on the skill test we were supplied with a real captain instead.

The skill test was 2.5 hours long for each of us, and began with preparations for a normal flight. Then we took off and climbed for a short while as part of test for the normal procedures. Then, as always in the simulator, we were presented with some failures we had to resolve, which as usual demanded us to return to the departure airport (nearest airport). There the weather was bad so we had to abort the first landing attempt, and then we could just make contact with the runway and land at the second attempt.

Drawing a line there for the first part, we then repeated and took off again a few times, each time facing a new failure. Mainly engine problems forcing us to fly with one engine only (which is more difficult). We also practiced encountering windshear (rapidly changing wind) and various levels of automation failure, so that we had to fly manually to a higher extent than usual. Finally, we were presented with an evacuation situation and we performed the evacuation procedures.

Except for the simulator test, we were also orally interrogated on theory and procedure knowledge. In the end, everything went well and me and my training partner could return home as happy certified Boeing 737 pilots.

However, we were still not completely ready to begin working. A week later we had a meeting with one at the planning office, and then me and two friends were given the opportunity to switch base during the training period (until October), so that I could have Stockholm instead of Copenhagen, which I'm very grateful for. The schedule for July was however already decided, so I will begin my career in Copenhagen on July 18th (tomorrow when this is written) flying passengers to Barcelona and then other passengers back.

During the fairly long gap between the skill test and first flight I've mostly been at home enjoying the summer and studying procedures to stay recurrent. However for the whole of June we were on standby to perform the mandatory landing circuits without passengers. Finally we could get planes not used for scheduled flights and complete them on July 2 and 3. I and three friends together with an instructor flew in the morning on July 2 from Arlanda to Västerås and then did 42 continuous landing circuits with touch and go landings (taking off again directly after touching the ground). Each student did 12 landings, however one of us had already done half of his landings earlier (why total 42).

I got the honor to fly the first part starting at Arlanda, and the whole session was a great experience. Mostly similar to the simulator, but yet a slightly different feeling, in a good way. The rapidly increasing amount of splatter bugs on the windshield reminded us that we were actually flying a real airliner.

The last thing to be done before we could fly ourselves was to sit as an observer in cockpit during two days of normal operation. This is done shortly before one's first own flight and usually includes return flights to 3-4 different destinations. As I had been an observer several times before during the simulator training period, I was not unfamiliar to it, but being able to take part already from the briefing in the terminal and during turn-arounds, it felt quite important and worthwhile. My first such flight was to Malaga and back, and the scenery around Malaga was quite amazing. I really look forward to flying there myself.

Photos:

There are a few 737-300 Classic s as well at Norwegian. It was quite interesting to see the differences for myself during a flight from Oslo to Stockholm but we don't do training on this 737 version since there's no need for more pilots who can fly them.

After the successful skill test at CAE simulator centre at Arlanda.

The plane that soon will suffer from hot wheels and brakes, coming in to pick us up. Actually I never flew on this flight because the time was too short, so I had to wait another week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally in the first officer seat myself!

The mandatory selfies! 

A touch and go landing by a friend who then switches seat with another friend while the captain continues with the circuit in preparation for another landing. With a fuel consumption of 40 kg/minute there's no time to lose!