Commercial pilot's licence

[csearle]

My eldest is taking off in about 25 minutes to do his commercial pilot's licence, CPL, examination flight. He will be taking off from Stapleford then flying basically up the A12 via Chelmsford and Felixstowe to some point between there and Norwich. His "diversion" will probably be to Southend, where he'll probably do some holds and shoot some approaches. On the way some radio navigation, visual navigation, and the "airwork" will be done, which involves stalls in various configurations, fire and fuel emergencies, and steep turns. He has been training for this for a while now so I hope he'll pass. He should know today one way or another. If he gets it the licence simply supersedes his PPL. The CPL basically means you can profit from your flying. Our PPLs only allow cost sharing.

Interestingly a new first officer on an airline often flies on this CPL for the first five years or so. Only when certain temporal conditions have been met does the candidate get a full airline transport pilot's licence, ATPL, which then supersedes the CPL. My boy has done all the theory for the ATPL and has passed the examinations but it is "frozen" until those conditions have been met.

I'll update on his progress later.

Chris
#prouddad
PS I think he is doing the exam in a Piper Arrow.

[tjh290633]

Good luck to him, Chris. Looking at the weather he has picked a decent day.

TJH

[Dod101]

Presumably that is with intention of joining a commercial airline? Good for him.

Best of luck to him.

Dod

[Gerry557]

Congrats

Follow him on flight radar

[Mike4]

A good friend did his CPL many years ago with a view to a career as a commercial pilot. He did it on the day those planes flew into the twin towers.

His wife couldn't cope with the idea of him flying for a living after that so the career plan was abandoned.

[csearle]

So all I know is that he passed. Yes the weather was also good enough for me to do an instrument rating lesson, in fact I was flying around Kent as he was flying around Essex and Suffolk (so unfortunately I was unable to follow his progress on FR24).

Yes he plans to make a career shift into aviation as an airline pilot. He hasn't any particular airline in mind. Hopefully there will be some jobs around spring/summer 24, when he should be looking.

A friend of mine also quit after the WTC crashes. He said it was because of a lack of career chances after that. Not sure I really followed his argument.

Anyway, I'll be chatting with Chester later on when he has an opportunity for his old man.

Chris

[bungeejumper]

Fan bloody tastic. Well done to your son, and to you for putting the whole idea in his head in the first place.

So now he'll be rich enough to see you right in your dotage?

BJ

[Mike4]

Seconded. Congratulations to Chris's son from me too!!!

Chester, is that his name?

[csearle]

Chester, is that his name?

It is indeed. C.

[csearle]

Congrats

Follow him on flight radar

Thanks, apparently some higher-up CAA examiners and some flight training organisations are allowed to use their own special callsigns rather than the aircraft callsign (much like British Airways use Speedbird on the radio). So today he used Exam followed by a number whilst interacting with ATC. This appears to be filtered out by FR24. I understand that owners can have their aircraft excluded (for security reasons) from having their transponder transmissions publicised. The CAA probably do the same. C.

[Lootman]

apparently some higher-up CAA examiners and some flight training organisations are allowed to use their own special callsigns rather than the aircraft callsign (much like British Airways use Speedbird on the radio). So today he used Exam followed by a number whilst interacting with ATC. This appears to be filtered out by FR24. I understand that owners can have their aircraft excluded (for security reasons) from having their transponder transmissions publicised. The CAA probably do the same.

I recall that Musk tried to suppress the publication of the movements of his private jet, which were being tweeted to the world by someone. He failed but perhaps US rules are different.

Anyway, congratulations all round.

[tjh290633]

Congratulations to Chester. May he have many happy landings.

TJH

[csearle]

Congratulations to Chester. May he have many happy landings.

Thanks Terry, I'm sure he will. By the way I think it is high time I ventured down your way for a Hophead! C.

[tjh290633]

Congratulations to Chester. May he have many happy landings.

Thanks Terry, I'm sure he will. By the way I think it is high time I ventured down your way for a Hophead! C.

I'm not sure which pub has it on at the moment. Could be the Poacher in Hurst High St. I will have a reconnaissance.

TJH