Flying, Flying, Flying.

And so it begins...This week has been pretty good, well so far at least. Thursday morning I boarded a plane bound for Houston and an interview for the Continental Flight Operations Internship. After we (I say we cause on of my friends from school was also interviewing) landed in Houston we met up with the intern coordinator and then walked down to the crew lounge. It was the first time I had been in a crew lounge and it would have made the trip, there were pilots all around resting and hanging out waiting for there next flight. The interview was with the chief pilot and went pretty quick though it had only lasted 20 minutes. After the interview it was straight to the gate and on the plane back to Los Angeles. I will find out sometime next week whether or not I get the internship, so I guess we wait and see.

Stayed in Los Angeles and really just rested until I had to make the long journey back to Prescott. Also I am reviewing for the multi upgrade currently and I flew earlier today. The flight went well though I was a little rusty because it had been a month or so since I had done some of the maneuvers we were practicing. I think I am pretty much ready for the check ride but still have about a couple weeks before my instructor will put me up. Flights have been pretty fun lately especially since I am feeling more and more comfortable in the aircraft. But...with every check-ride there is oral and that is a lot of random information that is really dry and just a whole lot of information that I am suppose to know in a moments notice. All in all it sssuuucccckkkksss. Life goes on though and I will learn everything sooner or later. I will write next week or maybe sooner if i get bored...so I guess you will have to wait and see.

Safe Flight

Cleared to Land 16R

Another week another post. I am in the middle of spring break for school and I have been using the time wisely. I flew Monday for the first time in two weeks and it was great to be back in the airplane. It was a long cross-country and by then end of the day I had flown 6.9 hours, having touched down at Santa Barbara (KSBA) and Van Nuys (KVNY).

The trip was pretty straight forward as I followed the same victor airway for the entire trip and only had to make on ten degree turn during cruise, on the way to Santa Barbara. Flying can become pretty boring and there was nothing really going on between Prescott and Palmldale. It was fun flying in the Socal area, its not everyday flying in Prescott that you get told of 737 and Md-80 traffic. It was also the first time I have flown over the ocean as I made a left base for runway 25 into KSBA as well as the lowest I have ever been in an aircraft (13' field elevation). From Santa Barbara to Van Nuys just flew one of the departure procedures and got vectored onto the ILS for 16R; it was also fun seeing jets being vectored above and around me as they proceeded me onto the ILS. Went under the hood for the steep ILS approach into Van Nuys, and made a soft but pretty long landing. My family came and we had a late lunch and stayed in Van Nuys for about two hours before we made are way back to the aircraft and make the trip back to Prescott. The entire trip back I was put under the hood for the 2.9 flight back during the night hours, and again that was a pretty boring flight and I could tell the controller in Los Angeles center were as bored as I was.

So now just reviewing for the check-ride, but traveling back home again first. Also interview for the Continental internship is coming up and I have been getting ready for that. Well that is all for this week, I will keep this posted.

Safe Flight

The Story

I have always wanted to start a Blog…well not really cause it took me like 2 years to finally start one. But I do not know how long I will keep posting but we will take it one post at a time. So here is a little about myself, and what I want from this blog.

My name is Sean Collins and I am from Los Angeles, CA, I am currently attending Embry Riddle Aeronautical University where I am studying Aeronautical Science which is just a fancy way of saying that I am training to be a pilot. This Blog is gonna be the story of how I get a job and start a career as a professional pilot. Personal stuff will probably come out during the duration of the Blog…

Well let the Blogging and Flying begin.

Right now I am currently working on the Muti-Commercial/Instrument upgrade. I am almost done and I should be doing my check-ride in about a month or so. Currently I am flying the Piper Seminole, and my last flight was on Tuesday March 2, 2010. It was my first flight over the Grand Canyon and as expected the canyon was BIG, it was cool and something you should do if you fly but….eh. I appreciate the beauty but I am not the type of person that gets very excited about such things. My next flight I will be to Van Nuys and Santa Barbara from Prescott. I was going to do this flight on the 5th, but it didnt happen due to icing conditions. So i will keep you posted I guess.

Safe Flight,

Sean Collins

What's all that White stuff Falling on the Ground

Position: Prescott, AZ

Altitude: Ground

Well...still no flying this week my instructor is busy with cross-countries with his other students so currently he has no time for me. But, I am not complaining cause a week off from flying is a welcome experience. Its not that I do not want to go flying...and I am not saying that my love of flying has gona the way of the dotto bird its just flying is not what I think it should be. Since I go to ERAU flying is school all my flying is for training purposes which make flying not fun.

Don't get me wrong flying is still fun its just everytime I get in an airplane its for a grade after the end of every flight my instructor grades my from start-up to shut-down and securing the aircraft. All this grading add a lot of pressure to flying. Before every flight I am worried about knowing everything I need to know and whether or not I am going to have a good flight. If i do really bad on a flight I have to do the entire flight over again which means paying for an extra flight that was unneeded, and when you are paying for you flight training that get extremely expensive.

But good news occuring this week is that I have been applying for internships with Clay Lacy in Van Nuys, Amerifight in Burbank, and Continental in Houston. I have an interview with Clay Lacy later this week, and next week I have an interview with conntinental. The Continental interview is in Houston and they are flying me out to Houston for the interview, so excited for those and perparing good answers so I can land one of these internships.

Another reason that I am not flying is the weather has been pretty bad all week with it peaking yesterday. So even if I was being scheduled this week I would not have flown regardless.

I will keep you guys posted!

Safe Flight.