The right stuff?
The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) has released a report stating that while airline pilot recruitment is looking positive for 2024, it now harbours concerns that the training industry may be experiencing capacity issues and could soon be struggling to meet demand. Having previously warned new entrants to the industry that a surplus of experienced pilots laid off during the pandemic meant that new pilot graduates would...
Don’t just demonstrate…Teach!
FTN is delighted to announce that aviation luminary Alan Newton is joining FTN this month as our newest columnist, sharing experiences and wisdom gained during a career that has seen him rise to the top of the flight training industry. Alan is the Head of Training and Director of On-Track Aviation Limited. He learned to fly in the Royal Air Force in 1980 and served on a number of Squadrons. He gained an A2 Qualified Flight...
Aerobility launches fundraising campaign after turning 30!
Aerobility is celebrating its 30th anniversary this summer, and three decades of introducing 10,000 disabled people to flight. The charity began life in 1993 as the Delta Foxtrot Club (Disabled Flying Club) and later the British Disabled Flying Association. In 2008 it became Aerobility and has bases at Blackbushe and Tatenhill. With support from charitable donations and grants from businesses, trusts and individuals, Aerobility...
Time to go
When I look back now at my time flying aircraft for a living, I see a patchwork quilt of a career. No regrets though, I enjoyed every minute of it and hope that has come through in the writing of this column. It has been 17 years since the editor/publisher of FTN asked me to write regularly about what we do for a living. The title ‘From the Flightdeck’ was his idea and it is still a good one. I hope they keep it after I have gone....
Dealing with Tail Rotor Problems
When I was learning to fly helicopters, I practised all sorts of emergencies with my instructor. We performed simulated engine failures numerous times – into wind, downwind, and in the hover. We talked about what you would do if you had an engine fire, if the governor failed, or if a warning light came on. We simulated vortex ring, sometimes known as ‘the helicopter stall’. And we also discussed tail rotor problems… but...
Mermaids frying bacon
When they designed the Airbus, the head of the company was quoted as saying that they were building an aeroplane so simple “even my concierge” at his apartment building would be able to operate it. As we know, commercial aviation is not quite as simple as that, but many of us appreciated Airbus’s attempts to relieve the pilot workload. In doing so however they introduced other potential errors which need to be trapped. I am talking...
