Induction & Base Training 🛫
- Connor Raven
- Feb 15, 2019
- 5 min read
Welcome back to what will most likely be one of my last blog posts.
After completing my LST in early January I had a few weeks off relaxing at home, seeing friends and family before I started with easyJet. It was great to be back home for a bit, but understandably I was itching to get started!
However, before I knew it, it was time to head down to Gatwick and start my new career.
The first day at easyJet involved a few introductions and formalities, which gave us a chance to get to know everyone. On my induction there were 20 people in total, 10 of which I'd completed my training with and 10 who were direct entry Captains from the UK, France, Switzerland, Italy and Germany. There was quite a mixture of backgrounds and experience in the room, with us newbies having just over a hundred hours flying time to those who were ex RAF and joining from another airline with thousands of hours experience. However, despite the clear divide in experience, everyone was very welcoming and friendly.
We then had our paperwork checked, completed a few forms so we could obtain our airside passes and then... after nearly 2 years of training we received our easyJet ID passes and more excitingly, our wings. It was a great feeling to finally get my wings and definitely made the hard work over the last few years worth while!
Over the next few days we completed a number of workshops such as first aid, fire training, aviation security and CRM. All of which were great fun and very interesting. During the first week, we also headed to the local swimming pool to not only show we could swim but to practice swimming with life jackets on, while we also practised how to open & close the aircraft doors and how to arm & disarm the slides.
The following week was spent down at CAE in Burgess Hill. The first 2 days of line training groundschool were spent going over more line specific things such as a revision of SOPs and memory items. It was good to go back over the nitty gritty bits that we'll do day in day out as it had been a month or so since I'd been in the sim so it provided a good refresher before we headed into the sim the following day.
Day 3 of line training groundschool was my LOE intial. We completed a number of different approaches in the sim as well as revising a few non normal scenarios such as the emergency descent. It was good to get back in the sim and although I was a tad rusty, everything went well and only a couple of minor points were noted that I can try and improve on during line training. Day 4, was our pre-base sim where we practised flying the plane round the visual circuit as we would do for real the following week during our base training.
Base training is the final check before we're released for line training and our first opportunity to fly the aircraft for real. We had to complete a mandatory 6 take off and landings which were tied together in a manoeuvre called a touch and go; as soon as you land you immediately takeoff again. The pre base sim allows us to practice this detail and allows the instructor to fine tune any takeoff or landing techniques. The sim went well and with a bit of spare time left over we were able to complete a number of landings at other airports on the network such as Milan Malpensa which has a wider runway than normal and Manchester which has a hill right in the centre of one of theirs.
The following Monday was the day we'd all been looking forward to for a long time, as it was the day we headed up to Liverpool in preparation for our base training. After a 6 hour drive up from Gatwick we arrived at the hotel, we all had an early dinner in the hotel bar and then tried to get some sleep ready for the big day!
On the morning of the 11th February, myself and the other 9 of the my course mates headed to the easyJet crew room at Liverpool airport. We checked in, met our instructors, passed security and caught the staff bus to the aircraft. Only then did it start to dawn on us all that we would actually be flying this aircraft for real! It felt huge in person!
We dropped off our flight bags in the cabin and while the aircraft was refuelling and 2 of our trainers were setting up we headed outside to have a guided tour of the walk around. It was freezing cold and very windy but even so it was such a good experience!
Once complete, we took our seats and shortly departed to Newquay ready to begin our base training. I was 7th on the list to fly, so I was unsure whether or not I'd get to fly on the first day but after buzzing around for about 5 hours we stopped briefly for some fuel and a few photos and then it was my turn. That's when the nerves started to kick in a little!
Having refuelled, we pushed back, started engines and then it was up to me. I taxied us down to the end of the runway, and having completed all the appropriate checks, lined us up on the centreline... and then we were off! It was amazing hearing the engines spool up behind me and then the feeling of being pushed back in my seat as we rolled down the runway. The aircraft was lovely to fly, very similar to the sim but with more 'feel' to it. You could feel the size the aircraft and the changes in the wind especially when coming into land. The aircraft, being an A319, the smaller of the 2 that I'll be able to fly to start with, did flare a little differently in that I found flaring and cutting off the power at 30 ft was too high and led to a float. My course mates said the same thing but it'll be interesting to see what it's like when it's full of passengers as we only had 13 of us on board so we were obviously a fair bit lighter than we would be on a normal line flight.
After completing my 6 circuits I was given the opportunity to stay in the right hand seat all the way back to Liverpool. It was amazing as I flew us up to 32,000 ft to cruise and then performed PM duties while the Captain landed. As PM (pilot monitoring) I was in charge of talking to ATC, operating the flaps/gear and completing checklists. It was such a great day and an experience I'll never forget... and being able to stay seated all the way back to Liverpool just topped it off!
After a long day of flying we landed back in Liverpool, headed back to the hotel, had some dinner and went to bed in preparation for the next day.
For day 2 of base training we headed down to Châteauroux in France. As I'd already flown the previous day I was on photo and video duty for my course mates who were flying. Again it was a great day out and an experience I'll never forget! We even got to see an A380 land in front of us. As you can imagine, I've got too many photos to share but throughout I've attached some of my favourites.
So that's it, I've officially flown a jet and I can't wait for my first flight at the controls with passengers in just under 2 weeks! Before that, however, I've got an appointment with the CAA to collect my license, an introductory day at Luton on Tuesday and 6 sectors of supernumeraries to Barcelona, Dortmund and Milan to look forward to next week.
Until next time 🛫
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