If you haven't read Part 1, you either should (and risk dying of boredom) or you should skip it and move right on to Part 2.
After uniform fitting, which was at 1300, and took over 1h30, we piled back into the car and drove to the airport, where C and I went inside to have a little fight with Skywest over books and paperwork and exams and unrealistic expectations. This took quite a while, but was fairly successful as we exited laden down with all that was required. Unfortunately we learnt that the June sim planner does not include our names... and neither does it include the names of several who joined ahead of us, so there could be a couple of months of twiddling thumbs! I remarked: "what's the rush then? Can we just take a couple of extra weeks to study for the exams?" The vehement response was: "no! you have to get them all done now!" Not quite sure why all the rush.
Got home, realised my stomach was digesting itself by this point, rushed into town, got food, rushed back, started sorting out paperwork, met up with L and D and S who came to pick up their paperwork, finished the ATPL exam feedback, emailed it to everyone, met up with one of the G's who came for their paperwork, and sat down to blog. So much for doing nothing today!!!
Did I forget to mention? I found a better textbook for the next exam so made a wise investment and dumped the Rob Avery issue textbook into the trash. Rubbish Chutes FTW!!!
Tonight we're meeting together for Tapas if I can drag myself off the couch where my eyelids are droopig and I am struggling to stay awake... next post is coming right up... with lots of photos!
Friday, May 11, 2012
Today Part 1
Where does one start to describe a day that is so full that this is the first opportunity to sit down and blog... yet I still haven't done anything particularly productive towards my exams?
Right, here goes - I've got my first Skywest Roster! WOOHOO!
It's not particularly interesting, though. In fact, the most interesting part of it is that I can't really understand what it's going on about. Office Admin. G/S. Right. Uh, what is this? Given that the G/S days are after our exams are over - can it really be ground school? I don't know! Lots of emergency procedures, WETS, CRM, and several "J/S" days which I presume mean Jump-seats, as we were told we had to do that. We were also told that we couldn't do that until we got our uniforms... and I was told today that this would take 4 weeks... so we'll see! They haven't even started our ID clearance applications yet...
This morning started fairly early. 0600 to be precise, if anyone's counting. I will miss out the extremely boring details (like brushing my teeth), also miss out the really boring details (like what I had for breakfast) and skip on to the fairly boring ones. I arranged to meet up with G and the other G, separately, and then A rang me, and asked to come over for a chat, and then D rang and said could he come and pick up his paperwork, shortly after which L called for the same reason... so I looked at the chaos and confusion in the living room, which looks more like a messy office littered with large quantities of paperwork, shrugged my shoulders, and let it go. Have another refrigerated Tim Tam, I told myself. So I did. They're not bad really, once they're not warmish and meltyish in the wrapper.
*pause from blogging as I remember that I still haven't put my milk in the fridge and it is probably warm and meltyish by now*
Where was I?
Had a long discussion about paperwork... and feedback... and paperwork, and yet more paperwork to come. Finally managed to rid my apartment of various D's and L's and A's (no sign of the 2 G's) and sat down to write out my ATPL feedback. Realised that it was 1205 and we were supposed to go to the Uniform Fitting at 1200. Panicked.
On the way to the Uniform Fitting we figured we should probably work out where it was held, so I rang G to find out where it was. He said "ok, I'll pop down to your apartment to show you, and get the paperwork off you at the same time." I said "well you could... but I'm in the car on the way to the fitting so... it could be a lonely stroll..." Managed to get some vague directions and found the Hangar without much of a fuss. Did I mention I love my iphone? And it's GPSnessnessness?
SQUIRREL!!!
Yeah, I know, you're bored of this blog already. Bit long isn't it? And I haven't even started.
Skipping on a bit... Uniform Fitting took 1h30 for the 4 of us to try on pretty much every item of uniform in the hangar, including on my part 6 pairs of shoes as the attendant refused to believe that my feet were the size that I said they were... and kept bringing me smaller sizes. Finally finished up with the size that I had said in the beginning...
Horrible hat. I look like a right idiot. Oh well, so does everyone else!!! J and I had to try on cabin crew jackets and trousers as they don't keep female flight crew uniforms in stock - they have to be ordered individually. 'Cos we're SPESHWL.
Right, here goes - I've got my first Skywest Roster! WOOHOO!
It's not particularly interesting, though. In fact, the most interesting part of it is that I can't really understand what it's going on about. Office Admin. G/S. Right. Uh, what is this? Given that the G/S days are after our exams are over - can it really be ground school? I don't know! Lots of emergency procedures, WETS, CRM, and several "J/S" days which I presume mean Jump-seats, as we were told we had to do that. We were also told that we couldn't do that until we got our uniforms... and I was told today that this would take 4 weeks... so we'll see! They haven't even started our ID clearance applications yet...
This morning started fairly early. 0600 to be precise, if anyone's counting. I will miss out the extremely boring details (like brushing my teeth), also miss out the really boring details (like what I had for breakfast) and skip on to the fairly boring ones. I arranged to meet up with G and the other G, separately, and then A rang me, and asked to come over for a chat, and then D rang and said could he come and pick up his paperwork, shortly after which L called for the same reason... so I looked at the chaos and confusion in the living room, which looks more like a messy office littered with large quantities of paperwork, shrugged my shoulders, and let it go. Have another refrigerated Tim Tam, I told myself. So I did. They're not bad really, once they're not warmish and meltyish in the wrapper.
*pause from blogging as I remember that I still haven't put my milk in the fridge and it is probably warm and meltyish by now*
Where was I?
Had a long discussion about paperwork... and feedback... and paperwork, and yet more paperwork to come. Finally managed to rid my apartment of various D's and L's and A's (no sign of the 2 G's) and sat down to write out my ATPL feedback. Realised that it was 1205 and we were supposed to go to the Uniform Fitting at 1200. Panicked.
On the way to the Uniform Fitting we figured we should probably work out where it was held, so I rang G to find out where it was. He said "ok, I'll pop down to your apartment to show you, and get the paperwork off you at the same time." I said "well you could... but I'm in the car on the way to the fitting so... it could be a lonely stroll..." Managed to get some vague directions and found the Hangar without much of a fuss. Did I mention I love my iphone? And it's GPSnessnessness?
SQUIRREL!!!
Yeah, I know, you're bored of this blog already. Bit long isn't it? And I haven't even started.
Skipping on a bit... Uniform Fitting took 1h30 for the 4 of us to try on pretty much every item of uniform in the hangar, including on my part 6 pairs of shoes as the attendant refused to believe that my feet were the size that I said they were... and kept bringing me smaller sizes. Finally finished up with the size that I had said in the beginning...
Horrible hat. I look like a right idiot. Oh well, so does everyone else!!! J and I had to try on cabin crew jackets and trousers as they don't keep female flight crew uniforms in stock - they have to be ordered individually. 'Cos we're SPESHWL.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
A Pass and yet...
The 2nd of my exams, ATPL Law, was this morning. 90 minutes given, 30 questions, pass rate 80%. It wasn't easy, but two of us passed, and one did not. I was sure that he would pass, but it just didn't work out that way. I feel very bad for him, because he put in a lot of effort, and it just didn't happen on the day.
The thing is, it's incredibly hard to be excited about passing an exam, and to feel good, and to think "Halfway there!" - when somebody failed. You feel guilty about your exhilaration, you feel like you should feel sad too - and you do feel sad, to a certain extent, because you feel for them, and you are glad that it wasn't you - but then you imagine that it was you - and it is a bit depressing. Then you remember that you passed the exam and you want to go EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE... but you can't, because it would be hurtful.
Anyway, suffice it to say, I passed, and I'm happy, and I'm also very very sorry for the guy who didn't pass - and if you're reading this - really, I am.
Enough of that "feelings" trollop! Back to the normal blogging.
Archerfield Airport is where ASL hold the exams. This is towards the south of Brisbane, and relatively easy to get to, assuming that you have an iphone or something similar which will tell you what road to travel on. It takes about 20 minutes from the hotel, although we usually allow an hour Just In Case.
There is obviously a lot of GA (General Aviation for those who are not Aviation savvy) going on at Archerfield.
The interesting thing is that if you turn around to face the opposite direction, this is what you see. In the far centre of the photo is a green sign that reads "Archerfield Airport", and in the foreground... well, it's fairly self explanatory, isn't it?
A cemetery.
Just the sort of thing you really want to see when you drive into an airport. Whether it is to go flying, or to sit an exam - not exactly confidence building. Maybe this is an Australian thing? Who knows...
At 1330 we have what is known as a "DAMP Test" In other words, a pre-employment drug and alcohol test. Today is also one of the guys' birthday, so we are going to combine our celebrations, commiserations and birthday wishes in one big Thing (couldn't think of a word that encompassed celebrations, commiserations and birthday wishes) in the Belgian Beer House which is below the hotel. (Well... below most of it.) After the DAMP Test.
Tomorrow is uniform fitting day, so we'll traipse off to the airport and get measured etc. to get a uniform that actually fits. 4 years... never had a uniform that fitted!
Then it's back to business, studying for the Human Factors exam which is on Tuesday 15th. It never stops :(
.
.
.
TTFN !!!
The thing is, it's incredibly hard to be excited about passing an exam, and to feel good, and to think "Halfway there!" - when somebody failed. You feel guilty about your exhilaration, you feel like you should feel sad too - and you do feel sad, to a certain extent, because you feel for them, and you are glad that it wasn't you - but then you imagine that it was you - and it is a bit depressing. Then you remember that you passed the exam and you want to go EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE... but you can't, because it would be hurtful.
Anyway, suffice it to say, I passed, and I'm happy, and I'm also very very sorry for the guy who didn't pass - and if you're reading this - really, I am.
Enough of that "feelings" trollop! Back to the normal blogging.
Archerfield Airport is where ASL hold the exams. This is towards the south of Brisbane, and relatively easy to get to, assuming that you have an iphone or something similar which will tell you what road to travel on. It takes about 20 minutes from the hotel, although we usually allow an hour Just In Case.
There is obviously a lot of GA (General Aviation for those who are not Aviation savvy) going on at Archerfield.
I took this picture on the day of the CPL exam. Given that it was much better weather today, and the sun was in a different part of the sky (different time of day), I could have taken a better one today - however I knew I had taken a picture previously and didn't realise that it was this bad. ANYWAY, you can see some of the light aircraft parked on the airport.
Here is the same picture, but I have lightened it considerably... sky doesn't look quite as interesting but at least you can see what is going on in the foreground!
The interesting thing is that if you turn around to face the opposite direction, this is what you see. In the far centre of the photo is a green sign that reads "Archerfield Airport", and in the foreground... well, it's fairly self explanatory, isn't it?
A cemetery.
Just the sort of thing you really want to see when you drive into an airport. Whether it is to go flying, or to sit an exam - not exactly confidence building. Maybe this is an Australian thing? Who knows...
At 1330 we have what is known as a "DAMP Test" In other words, a pre-employment drug and alcohol test. Today is also one of the guys' birthday, so we are going to combine our celebrations, commiserations and birthday wishes in one big Thing (couldn't think of a word that encompassed celebrations, commiserations and birthday wishes) in the Belgian Beer House which is below the hotel. (Well... below most of it.) After the DAMP Test.
Tomorrow is uniform fitting day, so we'll traipse off to the airport and get measured etc. to get a uniform that actually fits. 4 years... never had a uniform that fitted!
Then it's back to business, studying for the Human Factors exam which is on Tuesday 15th. It never stops :(
.
.
.
TTFN !!!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
For Dad
For Dad, who wants to see what it looks like before and after the cleaner comes to the room.
Gotta say - I'm in love with this cleaner, wish he came every day!!!
Another Day
Another sunny day in Brisbane, high of about 25 degrees Celsius. It's nice, and I even got half an hour's sunbathing out of it. I went to the bank and managed to sort out my Ozzie bank account, and remarked about how nice and warm it was, and the guy, Tim, looked shocked. "Hot??" he gasped, "it's freezing!!!" Obviously the Australians have different thermostats. I guess after an Australian summer I might think that 25C is cold!
Another day, another bout of ATPL Law study, we have one more day (tomorrow) before our exam (Thursday morning the 10th at 0830EST) I've done the bulk of the work with a few more - 4, I think - practise exams to go. Hopefully the exam is similar... as I feel sort of disorganised in my head and still in CPL Law mode.
Not anything else to report, I wasn't actually going to blog at all today as it seemed rather boring, a sort of 0830 got up, 0900 started studying, 1130 went to the bank, 1430 sunbathed, etc. sort of day, but on remarks such as "you haven't posted" I thought I'd just write a quick update sort of as a bulk email rather than anything else. Boring, generic, but slightly update-ish.
The good news is that the apartment gets cleaned tomorrow (a weekly occurrence). I am unable to clean it myself, as it doesn't seem right for me to exert myself when there is a Cleaner who is paid to do so. I can't even do the dishes! Shock horror !!! As Microlite would say "It's a bit like living without Ali!" Besides - why make the bed here when I don't make it at home? HAHAHA
TTFN!
Love you all (well, most of you)
Miss you all (again, most of you)
Wish you were here (some of you)
Hate to discriminate, but really, who's reading this anyway???
...I dreamt I travelled to Dublin as a surprise visit for the parents. Never actually made it to HH but it was a homesick type of dream, which is weird as I genuinely haven't had time to be homesick yet... that will probably come after the exams :-/
Another day, another bout of ATPL Law study, we have one more day (tomorrow) before our exam (Thursday morning the 10th at 0830EST) I've done the bulk of the work with a few more - 4, I think - practise exams to go. Hopefully the exam is similar... as I feel sort of disorganised in my head and still in CPL Law mode.
Not anything else to report, I wasn't actually going to blog at all today as it seemed rather boring, a sort of 0830 got up, 0900 started studying, 1130 went to the bank, 1430 sunbathed, etc. sort of day, but on remarks such as "you haven't posted" I thought I'd just write a quick update sort of as a bulk email rather than anything else. Boring, generic, but slightly update-ish.
The good news is that the apartment gets cleaned tomorrow (a weekly occurrence). I am unable to clean it myself, as it doesn't seem right for me to exert myself when there is a Cleaner who is paid to do so. I can't even do the dishes! Shock horror !!! As Microlite would say "It's a bit like living without Ali!" Besides - why make the bed here when I don't make it at home? HAHAHA
TTFN!
Love you all (well, most of you)
Miss you all (again, most of you)
Wish you were here (some of you)
Hate to discriminate, but really, who's reading this anyway???
...I dreamt I travelled to Dublin as a surprise visit for the parents. Never actually made it to HH but it was a homesick type of dream, which is weird as I genuinely haven't had time to be homesick yet... that will probably come after the exams :-/
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Of Mice and Men
This is not a mouse
This is the First Australian Spider. (technically the second, but I didn't get a photo of that one). It is a lot larger in this photo than it was in real life - about thumbnail size. I have no idea what type of spider it was, but it was a Spider. And seeing it was an Australian Spider, and Some Australian Spiders Bite, and are Poisonous, I did not attempt to make its acquaintance. I simply took a picture, and left. Surprisingly, the Spider was still alive after this date. I figured killing one would not particularly affect the population, so I didn't see the Point.
This is an Australian Idea of Edible Fungus. I disagree with the previous statement, not so much about the Australian part, nor the Fungus part, but more about the adjective "Edible".
On a more edible topic, this is the Australian Idea of a Caramel Magnum Ego. Yes, it was italicised on the package.
It had a surprisingly small amount of icecream in it, but an enormous amount of caramel, and a considerable amount of chocolate, which tasted an awful lot better than the Australian Cadbury's I encountered the other day.
It didn't quite look like a real Magnum from the outside either:
Instead it was rather smaller - considerably smaller - and a little misshaped. However, what it lacked in appearance and size, it made up for in taste and caramelisation.
I have come to the conclusion that although I could happily live without Australian Spiders, and will never never come in contact with an Australian Idea of Edible Fungus, the Australian Magnum is definitely something I will meet again. Probably in the very near future.
TTFN!!!
This is the First Australian Spider. (technically the second, but I didn't get a photo of that one). It is a lot larger in this photo than it was in real life - about thumbnail size. I have no idea what type of spider it was, but it was a Spider. And seeing it was an Australian Spider, and Some Australian Spiders Bite, and are Poisonous, I did not attempt to make its acquaintance. I simply took a picture, and left. Surprisingly, the Spider was still alive after this date. I figured killing one would not particularly affect the population, so I didn't see the Point.
This is an Australian Idea of Edible Fungus. I disagree with the previous statement, not so much about the Australian part, nor the Fungus part, but more about the adjective "Edible".
On a more edible topic, this is the Australian Idea of a Caramel Magnum Ego. Yes, it was italicised on the package.
It had a surprisingly small amount of icecream in it, but an enormous amount of caramel, and a considerable amount of chocolate, which tasted an awful lot better than the Australian Cadbury's I encountered the other day.
It didn't quite look like a real Magnum from the outside either:
Instead it was rather smaller - considerably smaller - and a little misshaped. However, what it lacked in appearance and size, it made up for in taste and caramelisation.
I have come to the conclusion that although I could happily live without Australian Spiders, and will never never come in contact with an Australian Idea of Edible Fungus, the Australian Magnum is definitely something I will meet again. Probably in the very near future.
TTFN!!!
Friday, May 4, 2012
A Little More Larry
We're often asked - sometimes asked - well, somebody asked me once, why don't you write a blog about flying.
This is one of the foolish cartoons that sticks with me from my childhood. It seems to get more and more funny the older I get... Not Veggie Tales in its entirety, but more the intermissions of Larry's Silly Songs. From 3:00 onwards is probably my favourite part. Usually incredibly well parodied.
Sort of gentle Weird Al Yankovic ish.
Another favourite:
This post had absolutely nothing to do with Australia. And in making this statement, I have now said something about Australia, so the Oz Report is satisfied and I can go back to bed and sleep the last 2 hours before I have to get up for ATPL Law ...
TTFN !!!
EDITED: PS who knows where the initial quote comes from?
PPS who spent the last 6 minutes or so watching these?
PPPS if my lips said adios, I don't like you - I think you're gross, that'd be too bad, I'd be so sad. HA!
Not quite.
More to the point, somebody asked me once, who's Larry, anyway? Ahah! A very valid question!
This is one of the foolish cartoons that sticks with me from my childhood. It seems to get more and more funny the older I get... Not Veggie Tales in its entirety, but more the intermissions of Larry's Silly Songs. From 3:00 onwards is probably my favourite part. Usually incredibly well parodied.
Sort of gentle Weird Al Yankovic ish.
Another favourite:
This post had absolutely nothing to do with Australia. And in making this statement, I have now said something about Australia, so the Oz Report is satisfied and I can go back to bed and sleep the last 2 hours before I have to get up for ATPL Law ...
TTFN !!!
EDITED: PS who knows where the initial quote comes from?
PPS who spent the last 6 minutes or so watching these?
PPPS if my lips said adios, I don't like you - I think you're gross, that'd be too bad, I'd be so sad. HA!
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