Podcasts about hawk t2

In this episode, we dig into the life of a fast jet pilot with Paul Heasman. Paul speaks candidly about Crew Resource Management (CRM), the line between training and instinct, OODA loops, decision making, and much more. Paul joined the Air Force in 1999 and went through training through various aircraft types. Paul then flew the Tornado F3 from RAF Leeming for three years before being selected for instructional duties. He progressed to RAF Valley on Anglesey, spending eleven years flying the Hawk Trainer, initially the Hawk T1 before being selected to bring the Hawk T2 into service. It was at this time Paul became interested in human performance and became an RAF aircrew performance coach. Recently, with Draken, Paul became a CAA CRM instructor for the business and facilitated CRM discussions as part of aircrew routine training. To follow Paul, please see his Instagram here: www.instagram.com/this_is_air2air

We learn best when we experience things firsthand. So, for today's episode, we will harness lessons from Spitfire client Derek Mills as he prepares his application for UPS with a mock interview. Tap in and enjoy some effective advice on how to stay composed and collected even when asked tough questions!   WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE    Useful tips to keep your introduction firm and within 5 mins  An example of the power of knowing your WHY in an interview The value of being well-informed on standard operating procedures  Some questions to expect in a UPS interview for pilots  The point of “conflicts with a co-worker” questions   RESOURCES/LINKS MENTIONED   UPS US Marine Corps Delta Airlines American Airlines   ABOUT DEREK MILLS   Derek Mills graduated and was commissioned in May 2006 from the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He completed basic school in December 2006 and reported to NAS Pensacola, FL, for flight training. He was designated a Naval Aviator after completion of advanced training at NAS Kingsville, TX. Derek's decorations include the Air Medal (3rd strike flight award), Navy Commendation Medal (2), and various campaign and service awards. He has flown the T-34C Turbo Mentor, T-45C Goshawk, AV-8B Harrier, and Hawk T2.   CONNECT WITH US    Are you ready to take your relationship to the next level? Don't wait until it's too late. Use the promo code “PODCAST” and save 10% on all our services. Check us out at www.spitfireelite.com!   If you want to recommend someone to guest on the show, email Nik at podcast@spitfireelite.com.   FREE professional pilot resume templates available at www.spitfireelite.com/podcast/.    SPONSOR   If you're a professional pilot looking for a great financial planning partner for your retirement, tax, and investment, go to www.tpope.ceterainvestors.com/contact or call 704-717-8900 ext 120 to schedule a consultation appointment with Timothy P. Pope, CFP®   

We rejoin for Part 2 with Maj. Parker, the Boss or Snowbird 1, of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Snowbirds of 431 Air Demonstration Squadron.In this episode we learn how Maj. Parker has been a lifelong fan of the Snowbirds, and how he's flown various positions on the team.Maj. Parker's first tour with the Snowbirds was from 2010-2015 where he completed 4 show seasons as Snowbird 5, 3 and 2. He was subsequently posted to RAF Valley in the United Kingdom as an exchange pilot with the Royal Air Force on the Hawk T2 (you can hear about that in Part 1 of our chat).In 2018, Maj Parker was posted to 419 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron in 4 Wing, Cold Lake on the CT-155 Hawk. Maj. Parker joined the Snowbirds again in 2021 as Snowbird 7 (outer left wing), and then transitioned into the Team Lead position (the Boss) for the 2022 air show season. He brings 5,000 hours of military jet flying experience to the team.Maj. Parker shares his perspective on what it's like to fly the CT-114 Tutor with the Snowbirds, his approach to developing the routine for the 2022 air show season, and how they train and deploy on performances. The Major also speaks about the future of the Tutor jet trainer.We hope all who listen have an opportunity to see the Snowbirds perform -- they put on a magnificent display.Thanks to Maj. Parker for spending some time with us.Go Bold!

It's Air Show season! In episode 13 we spoke with the demo pilot for the 2022 CF-18 demonstration team, and in this episode we speak with the Boss, or Snowbird 1, of the world famous Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Snowbirds! We learn about Maj. Parker's career as he pursued his dream of being a fighter pilot. You'll hear about his early days in training, becoming a pipeline Hawk instructor pilot, and his experiences of operationally flying the front line CF-18 Hornet fighter jet.Maj. Parker also did an exchange tour with the Royal Air Force (RAF), where he flew the Hawk T.Mk 2 (Hawk T2) in the flying training role which prepares RAF pilots to fly the Eurofighter Typhoon or the F-35 Lightning II. Maj. Parker speaks to the differences between the Hawk T2, and the Hawk that he few in Canada.Stay tuned for Part 2 of this conversation where we speak about the Snowbirds, and what Maj. Parker has planned for the 2022 air show season.Go Bold!

Adam trained with Darren and was one of the original members. Adam joined the RAF after University in 2006, after Officer training at RAF Cranwell started flying training on the Grob Tutor (First solo in an aircraft) at RAF Church Fenton in Yorkshire. Selected for Fast Jet training and moved onto the Tucano at RAF Linton on Ouse, then the Hawk T1 (first flight on in a Fast Jet) at RAF Valley in 2008 for tactical weapons training, (learning air combat, air to ground weapons delivery and low level tactical flying). Selected to fly Typhoon in 2010, completed Operational Conversion at RAF Coningsby. (First student to be trained solely in the simulator before first flight which was effectively solo). Then posted to 11 Squadron at Coningsby in 2011. During my time on the Typhoon I manned Quick Reaction Alert (Intercepted a helicopter over Bristol after travelling supersonic over the UK in 2012.) Manned QRA in London during the Olympics (first time the RAF had deployed aircraft in London since WWII also met David Cameron and launched at night over london) Lots of QRA in the Falkland islands. Participated in Exercise Red Flag in 2014 (based in America, largest air force exercise in the world), flew in the F-16, air combat against an F-22 and led a fly past of aircraft from different countries, over Celtic Manor for the Nato summit in 2014. 2015 moved to RAF Valley to instruct student on the Hawk T2 and took part in the RAF 100 flypast over London in 2018. Left the RAF at the end in 2019 after 14 years and now teaching students to fly out in Italy on the M-346. (first Brit to qualify on the M-346).

This can only be described as an appalling situation in the UK Military Flying Training System (UKMFTS) and very much in the public's interest.72 Sqn flies the Texan T1 at RAF Valley, the same base that is home to 25 and IV Sqn (formerly IV Sqn) flying the Hawk T2.In 2012, I was a Flight Commander on IV Sqn which was going through an almost identical situation to that which is highlighted in this Defence Air Safety Occurrence Report (DASOR). I eventually managed to convince the boss to get an external Human Factors assessment done by the RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine (RAF CAM) who came and conducted an Operational Event Analysis (a close look at flight safety). This led to the cessation of all student flying until I could train up my instructors who, as in this report, were not getting the flying currency and qualifications they required and were suffering from significant stress in the workplace.So, when the RAF tells me that they have learnt the lessons of UKMFTS during this time, this DASOR suggests otherwise.Personally, I don't believe the RAF and nor do a high number of service personnel pan-defence who sent me the same report. It doesn't seem like 'people are your greatest asset', here but it does help to clarify the RAF's retention issues.Lastly, for the author of this DASOR (who I do not know and did not send this to me), from an old grey bomber pilot - if you are taking flak, it usually means you are bang on target.(I informed the RAF that I was publishing this DASOR. This report is a Defence Air Safety Occurrence Report (DASOR) delivered through the Aviation Safety Information Management System (ASIMS) which states that 'The proactive reporting of air safety concerns by personnel from across the defence air environment (DAE) is fundamental in maintaining continual awareness of the risks facing our people.' - www.gov.uk)Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/fast-jet-performance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Happy Christmas! And we're ending 2020 and Series 2 with a real highlight. A Full Flaps interview with the brand new Red 1 - Team leader for the mighty Red Arrows -  Squadron Leader Tom Bould. As Team Leader, Tom is primarily responsible for all aspects of the display, from running the training programme to choreographing the show. He leads the nine-aircraft aerobatic display.After being streamed to fly fast-jets in the Royal Air Force, Tom was selected to be a ‘Creamie' qualified flying instructor’ - a term given to pilots who are traditionally selected to become flying instructors due to being above average through their advanced flying training. He was subsequently chosen to be the Tucano display pilot in 2010.Tom completed tactical weapons training and was chosen to fly the Typhoon. During his frontline tour, Tom had several deployments to the Falkland Islands as well as flying in exercises in Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.Tom was selected for the Red Arrows for the 2015-2017 seasons and became a member of the Synchro Pair for 2016-17. Highlights include a tour to China and Pacific region in 2016 and a Middle East visit in 2017.Promoted to Squadron Leader, Tom became a Flight Commander on IV(AC) Squadron at RAF Valley teaching the next generation of fast-jet pilots in the Hawk T2.Re-joining the Red Arrows, the 2021 season will be his first year as Red 1 and Team Leader.Huge thanks to Tom and mighty Red Arrows for this interview. We can't wait to see them in 2021 when things get back to normal. Thanks for listening. we'll be back with a brand new series in the spring.    

A recent interview for a business owner and vet who has a Podcast called Blunt Dissection'. ---- Dr Dave Nichol http://www.drdavenicol.com On today’s show, I am delighted to be joined by Squadron Leader Tim Davies, a qualified fast jet instructor for the Royal Air Force. Over his 20 year career, Tim has been a frontline Tornado GR4 low-level strike attack pilot, before becoming a fast jet flying instructor. He served all over the world and clocked up over 2,500 flight hours. As an instructor he flew the Hawk T2 in an advanced flying training role teaching students and instructors how to use the aircraft as a weapons system. If that doesn't mean a lot then think Jester or Viper in the film Top Gun. Tim has been responsible for training every frontline pilot in the RAF since 2007. At the last count that’s over 350 highly skilled operators. So, I hope you’re starting to get a sense of why I am so thrilled to have him on the podcast. Anyone who has successfully flown military aircraft for 20 years and says "I'm just into studying failure, that's kinda my thing” certainly gets my attention. Though at first glance war and healthcare seem unlikely bed friends, there are, on closer inspection, many parallels between our industries in the shape of operational risk management, safety, recruitment and training/development. This episode is very granular, there are so many learnings woven throughout that I ended up listening to it no fewer than three times and found myself picking up some new insight each time around. So, I strongly encourage you to do the same. Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is my very own VetX Graduate Mentoring community. If you are a practice owner and want to offer your new vets a greater level of support so they grow faster and stay longer with your practice, then jump onto my website drdavenicol.com/vetx and learn how we are helping graduates across the world thrive in practices just like yours. And with that said and done let’s get into the show. Tim was a fantastic guest so it gives me great pleasure to bring you my conversation with one of the most experienced fighter pilots and fast jet instructors on the face of the planet. Squadron Leader Tim Davies. Topics covered in this episode include: 1. How the RAF deals with training in high-risk environments 2. Why all successful pilots are made to fail and the earlier the better so they can learn to build resilience. 3. How he deals with mental health, growth and development in high-pressure roles. 4. Deviant practice and how it can destroy lives and businesses. 5. What qualities he looks for in pilots (hint - they would be good to select for in veterinarians too). 6. An acronym that turns failure as an experience on its head. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On today’s show, I am delighted to be joined by Squadron Leader Tim Davies, a qualified fast jet instructor for the Royal Air Force. Over his 20 year career, Tim has been a frontline Tornado GR4 low-level strike attack pilot, before becoming a fast jet flying instructor. He served all over the world and clocked up over 2,500 flight hours. As an instructor he flew the Hawk T2 in an advanced flying training role teaching students and instructors how to use the aircraft as a weapons system. If that doesn't mean a lot then think Jester or Viper in the film Top Gun. Tim has been responsible for training every frontline pilot in the RAF since 2007. At the last count that’s over 350 highly skilled operators. So, I hope you’re starting to get a sense of why I am so thrilled to have him on the podcast. Anyone who has successfully flown military aircraft for 20 years and says "I'm just into studying failure, that's kinda my thing” certainly gets my attention. Though at first glance war and healthcare seem unlikely bed friends, there are, on closer inspection, many parallels between our industries in the shape of operational risk management, safety, recruitment and training/development. This episode is very granular, there are so many learnings woven throughout that I ended up listening to it no fewer than three times and found myself picking up some new insight each time around. So, I strongly encourage you to do the same. Now, just before we jump into the episode, I just wanted to drop a quick word from today’s show sponsor which today is my very own VetX Graduate Mentoring community. If you are a practice owner and want to offer your new vets a greater level of support so they grow faster and stay longer with your practice, then jump onto my website drdavenicol.com/vetx and learn how we are helping graduates across the world thrive in practices just like yours. And with that said and done let’s get into the show. Tim was a fantastic guest so it gives me great pleasure to bring you my conversation with one of the most experienced fighter pilots and fast jet instructors on the face of the planet. Squadron Leader Tim Davies. Topics covered in this episode include: 1. How the RAF deals with training in high-risk environments 2. Why all successful pilots are made to fail and the earlier the better so they can learn to build resilience. 3. How he deals with mental health, growth and development in high-pressure roles. 4. Deviant practice and how it can destroy lives and businesses. 5. What qualities he looks for in pilots (hint - they would be good to select for in veterinarians too). 6. An acronym that turns failure as an experience on its head.

So, it's fair to say that the majority of the population would probably view fast jet pilots as an arrogant bunch of people who display significant narcissistic attributes. Any high-achiever whether a race car driver, wealthy stockbroker or famous musician/actor would also most probably be thought of as cocky and arrogant but this is often not the case. It has been said that the Millennials, or Generation Y (those born in the 1990s), are the most 'self-satisfied' and entitled generation yet and they are frequently dismissed as lazy by the baby-boomer generation (those born between 1946-1964). In the UK we are currently seeing a shift from hereditary wealth to a meritocracy where hard work and ideas are the order of the day - Generation Y are at the forefront of this change.Generation Y are confident, connected and open to changeGeneration Y are confident, connected and open to change and this can be threatening to other generations who might feel a bit redundant or can't work 'them interwebs'. The baby-boomer's place as the wealthiest generation is caused by 3 things - size, social change (women in the workplace) and education. The current class system in British politics is slowly being replaced by a meritocracy. Yes, the new generations are slowly getting wealthier but arguably only because of inherited wealth and a public school education. Michael Young, later Lord Young of Dartington wrote, at the age of 85, of his worries. Young observed in his 2001 article, “if meritocrats believe . . . that their advancement comes from their own merits, they feel they deserve whatever they can get. They can be insufferably smug, much more than people who knew they had achieved advancement not on their own merit but because they were, as somebody’s son or daughter, the beneficiaries of nepotism. The newcomers actually believe they have morality on their side.”  A confusing picture indeed for generations split apart by many years.  Right now, though, the current generation of movers and shakers are this 'smug' Generation Y as Lord Young so eloquently states - they are also the new pilots and high achievers to be found in emerging enterprises such as tech start-ups. So, what does this have to do with Impostor Syndrome or confidence and arrogance?Impostor Syndrome can affect up to 70% of people in the workplace today'It is a psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments. Despite external evidence of their competence, those with the syndrome remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve the success they have achieved. Proof of success is dismissed as luck, timing, or as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent and competent than they believe themselves to be. Notably, impostor syndrome is particularly common among high-achieving women.' - Wiki.  Impostor Syndrome affects more women than men and, as a demographic, more African Americans who are thought to suffer from it as a result of positive discrimination policies. Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg, suffers from it and the condition was the basis for her book 'Lean In' which promotes the role of women in the workplace. It is taught, by performance coaches, that three-quarters of those sat at a business meeting are worried that they don't know what they are doing, that they are a fraud and that they are going to get found out. Although the example above concerns a business meeting, it is equally true of a cockpit, especially if occupied by a student or underconfident pilot who is low on flying hours. Military aviation is an unforgiving business and in my career I have lost more than 30 of my friends - I stopped counting at 30. These are not all from fast jet incidents; I have lost many from helicopter and multi-engine incidents too. I call them incidents because I believe none were accidents; there is always responsibility somewhere whether from pilot or maintenance error all the way up to Governmental neglect and under funding - the subject of another post, I'm sure.   So, if 70% of the population suffers from Imposter Syndrome then does this 70% include pilots?  I can assure you it doesWhen I was in training I was fully engaged in my mission of getting to the front line - it was all I could think about. Your whole life seems to revolve around it - our initial training at BRNC Dartmouth or RAFC Cranwell is immersive - it has to be in order to turn you from a civilian into a military Officer. Then you move onto flying training which becomes arduous and totally unforgiving, placing you firmly in your stretch zone for months at a time. You see your course mates struggle and fail trips and you might fail the odd trip yourself. The guy or girl you thought was a 'sure thing' for a Harrier or Typhoon cockpit stumbles on a check ride and you start to have massive self-doubt - 'If they can't pass it how will I ever be able to?' Friends are 'chopped' around you (removed from training) and, if they are lucky, they might get a chance to be re-streamed onto rotary or multi-engine but, if not, then their military flying career ends. You've invested so much of your life pursuing this goal that you start to wonder if it's worth it. The stress can be life changing - relationships end and girlfriends/boyfriends leave. I was once asked by a student who was struggling towards the end of Advanced Flying Training on the Hawk T1 'Is it all worth it?' - he never found out, he was chopped 2 trips later.If a student is doubting their ability when flying with an instructor in the aircraft then you can be doubly sure that they are doubting themselves when they have to fly solo. At our flying school we have a dedicated 'Student Solo Outbrief'; this is there to make sure that the authorising officer of the solo student has covered everything necessary to confirm that they are in date for the multitude of currencies and qualifications that they need to fly solo. This is because the authorising officer has to be sure that the student is going to bring themselves, and the £20 million Hawk T2, back home. The list is extensive - have they flown dual in the last 7 days, did they pass the preceding sortie to a satisfactory level, is their instrument rating fit for the actual and forecast weather conditions, do they have any outstanding currencies and are they in date for the many drills and evolution's that they need in order to fly as Captain of the aircraft? It is extensive and appropriately so but it can also be incredibly daunting for the student as the magnitude of the responsibility they are about to be given starts to dawn on them. As pilots their character does not allow them to appear weak in  front of their peersAs pilots their character does not allow them to appear weak in front of their peers so when you ask them 'Are you happy to take this aircraft by yourself?' they will always reply with the affirmative. But, away from the squadron, when they are back in their comfort zone with family, friends and maybe even some of their closer course mates, they will reveal the truth - they are scared as hell and, as instructors, we know this. When we were students we were scared as hell too, not only of doing something wrong and throwing a jet away, but also of failure. The same goes for an instructor who is required to teach a student a discipline that he hasn't practised in a while. The more dynamic the nature of the flight plus the more aircraft and people involved plus the recency and flying currency of the instructor involved all add up to the level of apprehension felt by the instructor. This can be huge, the responsibility immense and, in my time as a Flight Commander on the squadron, I have had many instructors approach me with their fears. This is a good thing as it at least means that the communication channels to higher authority are working but the need to manage the variables that are causing the apprehension is very necessary. Sometimes I'd remove the instructor from the sortie for further dedicated training with an experienced and appreciative instructor or I might just fly with the instructor myself (if capacity for this existed in the sortie profile).So, when we think of a fast jet pilot as arrogant, or even a commercial pilot, who carries huge responsibilities, maybe what you are observing is a coping mechanism which is helping the individual remain confident enough to get into the aeroplane and do the job. After Andreas Lubitz supposedly flew his airliner into the French Alps, many Germanwings pilots refused to fly the next day - was this truly due to concern over the Airbus design as was cited in the news or was it a display of severe and sudden apprehension? I recently saw an airline flight roster for a new First Officer who had just joined the company (albeit after a 16 year long career flying military aircraft). Over the year the First Officer's roster would give him one weekend at home per month. Now, if he had a small family or his wife was working, how much is he going to be at home to support them? Not much, I'd guess, as on his mid-week days off his partner is quite possibly at work and cracks in their relationship will, no doubt, soon appear. Now transpose that roster onto a young First Officer straight out of flight school with maybe some financial debt from his flying training and earning not a great initial wage - you now have problems both at work and at home. A pilot's arrogance is just an attempt to portray confidenceIt is nothing more than thinly veiled Impostor Syndrome that is common throughout society - those that fly aircraft are no different, they are just trying not to get found out either. As your experience grows and you become more confident you start to care less about the opinion of others and you become more content. But until then, pilots are just not too keen on letting people know that they are all too aware of there own mortality and limited ability. So, the next time you think of a high-achieving pilot as arrogant, they are probably just feeling like an impostor which makes them more similar to you than you think. Until we slip the surly bonds of Early again - fly safe!   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I've recently been away from work for a couple of weeks having to take some remaining leave before the deadline of 31 March when all leave resets. I've done a few things; I went on a long hike with the wife, went to see some family - that sort of thing. But when you are away from the cockpit for any period of time you have to 'come down' from the level that you have been operating at. Conversely, before you go back to work you need to re-energise yourself to get back up to speed. This is the same with any job; the more complicated the profession the harder it is to 'switch off' when on holiday. Some people take a few days to fully relax and some need longer. One of my pilots will only take his holidays over two weeks as he says that he can't fully 'switch off' from work with only one. When I was a student pilot I would sometimes not be able to 'switch off' at all or would find that I could be quite relaxed by the Tuesday of my holiday but by the Thursday I was starting to think about the cockpit again and would get worked up about it.  Training as a fast jet pilot has to be one of the most uncomfortable and stressful things that you can doIt only takes one failed trip for the instructors' eyes to start looking in your direction and if you don't pass the next trip then you are definitely in trouble. So how do I get myself back into the groove after a lay-off. As it stands, tomorrow I have an 'Emergency Sim' which is a 60 day currency that tests me on my emergency handling. Fast jets can be complicated little things and the Hawk T2 is no exception. Although the aircraft has two cockpits in tandem, the simulator has only the front cockpit represented. We have two simulators on the squadron - they are called Full Mission Simulators (FMS) and you have to wear your full Aircraft Equipment Assembly (AEA)  when in them. This means that you dress as if you were going to fly the actual aircraft wearing your flying helmet, mask, Life Jacket and g-pants. The FMS isn't a motion simulator as these tend to be used for multi-engine aircraft to simulator asymmetric thrust which, as long as you're not flying a Canberra, SR-71 or Maverick's F-14 in 'Top Gun', should not present too many issues in modern fast jet aviation. The FMS has 360 degree visuals and we use it to not only prepare students for an airborne sortie but also to consolidate the students learning at the end of a flying phase - the FMS can be the last event on the Air Combat Manoeuvring (ACM) phase for example. But, unlike the Hawk T1 on our sister squadron, we also have 6 Flying Training Devices (FTDs) which are very similar to the FMS but are an extension of something that we used to use in the old days which was the 'Cardboard Cockpit'. The 'Cardboard Cockpit' is just that - it is a cardboard representation of the aircraft's cockpit and in the good ol' days you were issued one to learn your checks on when you were in ground school and before you started flying. On the Hawk T2 we don't have these anymore and we use the FTDs instead. The FTD is something that you can sit in without all your flight gear on and practise your checks but it also flies like the FMS! It isn't a truly representative flight model, for example it will climb faster than the actual aircraft but it has 90% of the switches you'd find in the actual aeroplane. It has 3 touch-screen monitors that you can setup the Multi-Function Displays (MFDs) with - these are like very small monitors that show things such as your weapons stores page, moving map, synthetic radar display and even your hydraulics status page as there is no analogue display for this anymore. The great thing is that you can pretty much use the FTDs at anytime to practise any of your checks.  In the FTDs you can even get airborne and practise your circuits or link them up and just chase your course mates around the sky hoping that an instructor doesn't walk in and tell you all to stop acting like childrenSo the FTD, and before that, the 'Cardboard Cockpit' are two great ways to practise getting back up to speed with the complicated task of flying the Hawk T2. But, at home I don't have a 'Cardboard Cockpit' as none were made for the Hawk T2 and the FTDs are, well, at the squadron. So how else might I work myself back up for the simulator tomorrow? When you are learning to fly for the first time, this might be on gliders at 16 or on a light aircraft in the military/civilian flight school later on, your instructor will introduce the notion of 'chair flying' to you.  Chair flying is a very powerful tool which allows you to imagine yourself actually in the aircraft practising whatever it is you are needing to do on your next assessed sortieThe 'Cardboard Cockpit' was actually very good in this respect as you could touch the printed dials and switches and instil some aspect of muscle memory into your checks sequence. Chair flying is a visualisation technique that pilots, racing drivers, public speakers and sport persons have all used to enhance their performances.   When I prepare for a complicated sortie or have been out of the cockpit for longer than a week I will invest time in visualising that return to the cockpit - this is also essential if your flying rate (the number of hours you fly per month) is low. It is critical that a pilot keeps themselves up to speed and each person will have subtly different ways of doing it. I prefer to give myself a hour alone with my Flight Reference Cards (FRCs) - these are the checklists for the handling and emergencies that can affect the aircraft.  I then use the Overview - Preview - Inview - Review processOverview. I normally go through each card first, skim reading them really - this I call an overview. Unlike in other aircraft, the checks that are done in fast jets are not routinely done from the cards. This is not true on the Tornado GR4 as the Weapon System Officer (WSO) will initiate a challenge and response from the FRCs but on single-seat aircraft and fast jet training aircraft such as the Hawk T2 your FRCs are unlikely to be used in flight at all. All of your drills are memorised as there is rarely enough time (or space in the cockpit) to be dragging your check cards out the whole time! It is important then that you are familiar with the cards in case you need to use them. This overview is a process of just looking at the layout of the normal drill cards and looking through the boldface emergencies. The boldface emergencies are the drills that a pilot or WSO must know verbatim; students are routinely challenged on their boldface drills at the morning meteorological brief, on airborne sorties and in an emergency simulator - just like mine tomorrow.  As part of my overview I will imagine me getting into my flight gear, going to the Operations Room and signing the jet out and then walking out to the aircraft I might even look at tomorrow's weather so I can forecast what runway we might be on and can plan which way I will taxy out of the line. I will imagine doing my initial checks, the aircraft walk around and strapping into the ejection seat. I will visualise the dials and displays in front of me - I'll think about what radio calls I need to make before engine start and I might even look at the flying programme (if it's been emailed out the night before) to see what callsign I'll be using so I can practise using it - it all helps to build a mental picture. If I had a cardboard cockpit I'd use that - some people close their eyes but you need to make the environment as similar to the one you'll be in when you are actually doing the event - this is why using a simulator to practise or the FTDs on the squadron is so good. When chair flying there is little point in having music playing in the background if there isn't going to be music in your aircraft - we're not on an EasyJet flight here, well - not just yet anyway! I might practise my start-up and pre-take-off checks here too but I don't go any further than visualising lining up on the runway. I then visualise that I'd just landed and I was taxiing back in - I'd go through those checks too right up to and including vacating the aircraft and walking back in. I separate the actual airborne content and save that for the preview - it just works better for me that way, you might like to do it differently. Preview. If you were looking at a textbook the overview would've been to look at the front and back covers and maybe the index. The preview extends on this - you'd now read the first and last paragraph of each chapter. In the world of aviation this is the bit where I'd look at the sortie content - I'd write this down on an A4 piece of paper as a list something like this (the italics are for your understanding):  SUTTO (start-up, taxi, take-off) SID 31R  (Standard Instrument Departure - runway 31 Righthand) HASLLT Cx (Checks we perform for every sortie to make sure we are tolerant to the effects of 'g' and that we are operating in a safe area) Stall Max Performance Manoeuvres Spin LL (Low level) Instrument Recovery - TAC/PAR Circuits (Norm, LL) - Flapless straight-in approach  Inview. So, the preview part gave me some more information and I can now visualise the sortie in more detail. The inview part is when I fill in the blank spaces. I'd get my charts out and read up on the SID (departure) that I might be flying anticipating level-off heights, radio calls and power settings required. I would go and make sure I know my HASLLT cxs and practise them so they are fluent - Height, Airframe, Security (for an inverted check), Location, Lookout and TCAS. I would read up on what the Stall entails, what is the fight profile? I would draw it out and then run it through moving my hands to where the gear and flap levers are.I even go so far as to anticipate the trim changes required Are they pitch up or pitch down? I would read up on the max performance manoeuvres and then think about the area I need to fly to in order to get my spin done - I need to be above 25,000 ft to enter my spin so I'll need a handover to a different Air Traffic agency for that and I can practise that radio call now so I don't stumble over it tomorrow. I'd read and write about all of the sortie content and put it on an A4 piece of paper - it will become a crib sheet that I can look at before the sortie briefing tomorrow. Some people use a mind map but I prefer a list of how the sortie will flow. It is also critical to think of your 'link' flying here - how are you going to transition from one event to the next? Will you speed up or slow down, change height or transit to a different piece of airspace? Review. This step is the most critical one and I normally do this twice, once after the inview and then I repeat it prior to the sortie briefing the next day to refresh my knowledge. The review is looking at that A4 piece of paper on which you have written a crib sheet that will help to jog your memory the next day. Take this opportunity to add any more information that you feel might be pertinent to the sortie you are about to fly. And that's it - put the crib sheet somewhere safe, take a break and don't spend longer than an hour on this; the mind gets tired after 30 mins so maybe do the Overview/Preview - tea break - Inview/Review and only then can you go back and watch cats falling off chairs on YouTube. Visualisation is a powerful tool that, used correctly, can really improve your chances of success in the cockpit and in businessRemember, you lose half of your capacity when you put on your flight helmet and strap a jet plane to your back. It's the same in business, don't wait until you're making that sale or giving the presentation, it'll be too late and you'll look like an idiot - practise IS your friend.  Until we slip the surly bonds of Earth again - fly safe!   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.