Engine Failure

Whether you’re a novice or an experienced pilot, an engine failure in-flight is a pilot’s worst nightmare. If it occurs in a single-engine piston aircraft or a single-engine jet plane, there are only two ways out: trying to restart the engine, or making a forced landing. The other option of ejection is available to military pilots only.  An engine failure in flight requires a swift reaction by the pilot in command to maximize the flight of an airplane after the event has occurred. Pilots do this by acquiring a glide…

Critical Thinking for Pilots: Self debrief and Learning from our own mistakes…

What’s the point in thinking about what could have been  or what might have happened?   What’s done is done.   We’ve heard this.  We’ve probably thought this.  But don’t drown your sorrows or celebrate too soon,  because this self debrief is how important insights are revealed that will improve your decision quality in the air as well as on the ground. But before we start let me say that it is best to learn from others’ mistakes then make your own. However, as pilots we undertake multiple flights every day and not one flight is…

What is your Digital Quotient?

Digital transformation is sweeping through our planet which has only seen unprecedented growth amidst lockdown. As a consequence, it’s unsurprising that digital leaders massively outperform their digital followers and digital laggards in success and achievements. And, in fact, there are a few things that digital leaders seem to do right that digital followers and digital laggards struggle with significantly. The first is the alignment of their aim with their digital initiative for faster learning and growth in their career.  The second thing is they are agile and learn fast. And…

What is a blindfold check for military pilot and why is it important?

Before a military pilot goes solo, he/she has to successfully demonstrate the ability to locate switches blindfolded. It is not without reason. And this is checked periodically, generally every fortnight along with critical emergency actions. The pilot is made to sit in the cockpit as if during flight with eyes shut and instructor checks out pilots’ ability to locate and activate cockpit switches, to make sure they could find them in a nerve blinding situation (bird strike, smoke in the cockpit, electrical failure by night, etc.).  This practice remains with…

8 THINGS TO DO JUST BEFORE YOUR VIVA

That crucial 15 minutes before a VIVA can become the longest 15 minutes in an aspiring ATPL seeker’s life. What are you doing in those last few moments before you go into high stake Viva? Most people are getting just nervous or more nervous. They are thinking about all the things that can go wrong and all the ways in which they might screw up. They are worried about being judged by others and found lacking. In other words they are sabotaging themselves. Not many professionals are able to collect…

PILOT LICENCE (ATPL. CPL) EXAMINATION: TOP 3 TIPS FOR VIVA

Reading time: 5 min Once you have passed the written examination, life can seem a little flat for a while. Congratulate yourself, take a breath – but try not to lose your momentum. Remember that this is not an interview but is an oral examination and, like any other examination; you need to revise and prepare for it thoroughly. And, as with other exams, there are strategies that you can adopt that may help you with this. Purpose of the Viva Voce Examination. Literally, “viva voce” means by or with…

PILOT LICENCE (ATPL, CPL) EXAMINATION: TIP # 7: EXAM DAY PREPARATIONS

Reading time < 2 min Get plenty of rest the night before. Sleep, learning, and memory are complex phenomena that are not entirely understood. However, animal and human studies suggest that the quantity and quality of sleep have a profound impact on learning and memory. Research suggests that sleep helps learning and memory in two distinct ways. First, a sleep-deprived person cannot focus attention optimally and therefore cannot learn efficiently. Second, sleep itself has a role in the consolidation of memory, which is essential for learning new information. We suggest to sleep…