AFTA Pilot Training September Blog – Marc O’Gorman
I would like to introduce you to Marc O’Gorman who started his fully integrated pilot training programme with AFTA this July 2015.
Each month he will be writing a blog from the cadet’s viewpoint. We hope you enjoy his monthly accounts of life at Atlantic Flight Training Academy as a cadet training pilot.
All the best!
Cathy Mullan, Sales & Marketing Executive – [email protected] / +353 (0) 21 4888 737
Bookings for Assessments and programme places now being taken for our November 2015 Fully Integrated Pilot Training Programme.
September Blog – Marc O’Gorman
27th July 2015 and the day has finally come to begin the next and most highly anticipated chapter in my life. The location, Cork, Ireland. The venue, Atlantic Flight Training Academy. The goal, achieve my ambition of becoming a pilot.
After making the definite decision to persue this career a few years ago, it has all been leading to that first day. Many preceeding months have been spent planning the background details of medicals, assessments, leaving employment, as well as relocating to Cork and of course some minor financial considerations. To walk in the door of the Academy, meet my fellow integrated classmates and be instantly impressed with the level of professionalism and enthusiasm presented by the school is fantastic, lets get started!
Being an integrated course, as expected the pace is set to be fast. Day one of introductions, information and planning is immediately followed by the beginning of ground school. Now to test the brain cells, give them a bit of a kick-start to see if they can still fire and absorb information, having done nothing in the way of “study” since finishing university 4 years ago. In line with my expectations, the information is presented in a concise, professional and high standard thanks to our vastly experienced and enthusiastic instructors. Even just a few weeks in you can tell these guys (and girls) know what they’re talking about, a text book is ok for the finer details but the real learning comes from hearing personal knowledge and past experiences of these pilots. What has also been a real bonus is the general atmosphere I have already witnesses in the academy. Everyone is here to help, from fellow students to instructors right the way up to heads of training. It is a genuine open door policy with a closely knit team of people with the same interests, goals and in some cases, the same problems!
Having such in interest in aviation and anything plane related, in some ways the first few weeks of ground school haven’t felt like study in the traditional sense. We all feel like this is the beginning of our new careers, not simply completing another stage of education for the sake of it. We’re all here because of our passion for flying. All my life I have been fascinated anything that has mechanical parts, anything fast, anything that requires skill to control from racing cars to rockets but in particular, the beauty and grace of aircraft.
It is early days yet but I am confident of my decision to chase the dream. It is a risk, I’ve left a good job to follow this path, it is a high pressure environment in the sense of the amount of information and learning to be taken on in the next 16 months and of course I am conscious of the considerable financial investment I have undertaken. All of that is insignificant though, the end game is what matters. First hurdle will be in a few weeks, PPL ground school. So far I have the confidence to say, ‘Bring it on’.