The first of which is Meteorology, which includes all the sorts of weather that we as pilots can expect on a day-to-day basis, as well as severe weather such as hurricanes and monsoons that we need to be aware of! In addition to learning the ins and outs of how these sorts of weather form, we've also been learning how to interpret weather reports in the forms of METARs and TAFs, which give pilots a summary of the conditions for the area in which they are planning to fly, whether it be a calm day with few clouds and good visibility, or rain showers with potential thunderstorm activity!
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| An example of a METAR for London Heathrow (EGLL) |
Further to this, we learnt about different types of weather charts, which help give a visual representation of the weather over a certain area, which could be the wind conditions, as well as the types of cloud and conditions that these bring with them. For example, below is an image of a cumulonimbus cloud, which can extend thousands of feet through the atmosphere, and brings with it rather nasty conditions such as icing, rain, hail, thunderstorms and severe turbulence (To name a few!), so it's definitely one to be avoided if at all possible!
As enjoyable as Meteorology was, it's proven to be rather difficult at some points. There are many variables to consider regarding weather so you really have to think about the answer sometimes, meaning it doesn't jump out at you unlike some other subjects we've studied!
The second big topic of module 3 we completed before the Christmas break was Aircraft General Knowledge. This is split into 3 sub topics; Airframes and Systems, Electrics, and Engines.
Electrics mainly deals with things such as AC and DC generators and how electrical power is generated and distributed throughout the aircraft, in turn supplying power to other systems. I was never brilliant at Physics, so some parts of it I've found tricky to understand, but fortunately there isn't much to learn which makes things a bit easier!
Airframes and Systems covers the broad range of different systems onboard the aircraft, without which it wouldn't get off the ground! For example, Hydraulic systems onboard the aircraft utilise fluid under pressure which is then pumped around the system to generate large forces used to operate things such as the landing gear, flight control surfaces and wheel brakes. Fuel systems, flight controls and the construction of modern aircraft are a few more examples of areas which we've looked at in depth over the last few weeks.
The final part of the AGK syllabus was Engines, which was by far the most interesting part of the subject. Aircraft engines are essentially based on the principle of "Suck, squeeze, bang, blow". In a nutshell, this implies that air enters the engine intake, is compressed and mixed with fuel, ignited and produces a significant amount of power which is then converted to thrust, used to propel the aircraft through the air. Of course the process isn't as simple as I've made it sound, it's rather intricate and very precise to operate correctly, which makes you realise how clever the engineering is!
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| The inner workings of a gas turbine engine. |
So after a busy month of teaching, we had about a week or so off over the Christmas period before coming back to sit our mock exams. We also had what will sadly be one of our last group dinners together, as our course soon parts ways to go off to both the USA and NZ! I'm glad to say I was able to spend time with friends and family over the break, and also watch a bit of rugby whilst I was back, meaning I've come back rested and am now ready to make the final push over the last 3 weeks of ground school!
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