Aircraft I've Flown

To give you a better idea of my flying experience I've decided to write this post, including photos of all the aircraft types I've flow so far! In order to make it user friendly I've decided to keep the writing to a minimum and instead make a photo post!

1. The first type of aircraft i've flown was the Cessna 152.

I've flown this one several times.

Almost all my PPL instruction was done on the Cessna 152, in the following aircraft: CS-AYU, CS-AYX, CS-DDJ (1) and CS-ASO.

2. CS-DIH is a Cessna172R, the only one I've flown so far.

A few flights prior to my PPL exam and the exam itself were made on the Cessna 172 depicted above (2).

3. Piper Colt with more than 11.000 hours flying time and almost 50 years old.

I was able to fly this aircraft only once after finishing my PPL because a few months later the aircraft was sold to "Museu Aerofénix" a portuguese association responsible for keeping the "old gracious ladies" such as the Colt flying. Still it was the eldest aircraft and the eaiest i've flown so far.

4. Piper Cherokee 180.

I've made a few IFR flights on G-AWXR with a couple of friends after having completed my CPL licence.

5. Piper Cherokee Arrow 200, a nice machine fit wth retractable gear and constant speed propeller.

One of my last flying experiences was taking the Piper Cherokee Arrow 200 for a couple of circuits. It is a neat machine with all the things one might need for a nice IFR navigation at a cruise speed of 140ktas (Knots True Air Speed). Unfortunately I haven't been able to fly it again, YET! :)

The aircraft described above are those I've flown for pleasure and entertainment, the ones below are those flown during my ATPL integrated course.

6. Socata TB200, 200bhp and constant speed propeller.

The TB200 is the starting aircraft for the flight instruction phase. There are roughly 75 hours to be flown on this aircraft, the majority of those are VFR. Only the last 3 flights are an introduction to IFR flying.

7. Socata TB20, 250bhp with retractable gear and constant speed propeller.

This is the aircraft used for advanced IFR flights, including many IFR manouvers and navigations. The students usually fly this aircraft for around 55 hours, which include the Intrument Rating examination and the Commercial Pilot Licence examination.

8. Piper Seneca V.

The last 20 hours are completed on this twin-engined "lady" which is capable of an economic cruise speed of 160Kias (knots indicated airspeed). Those 20 hours are done in order to obtain the Multi-engine rating. This is the flagship of the school and is a really simple thing to fly, regarding the size and the fact we have two engines to manage! It flyes smoothly and it is as simple to land as an aircraft can be.

The aircraft depicted on these 8 pictures are examples of the 8 types of aircraft I've flown. Naturally I've flown these and much more of the same type differing only on the registration marks.

References: All the photos are copyrighted by www.airliners.net.

A Little Bit More About Me

Hi guys,

After the first post introducing the blog and myself I felt the need to let you know a little more about me, giving you an insider point of view on my aeronautical background and on my progress so far.

I was born in Lisbon on the 31st of August 1986. The passion for aircraft soon came as a natural result of being the son of an Airline Captain for TAP Portugal. Since the beginning I got used to fly on the cockpit of big airliners such as the B727, B737 and the Airbus A310 while accompanying my father in his different flights around Europe and The Americas.

As an obvious consequence of this premature contact with aviation I soon became passionate about flying and it was a natural decision to follow a career as a pilot.

Still, prior to starting my commercial pilot instruction I graduated in Materials Engineering in Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon in 2007. But meanwhile in 2005 I was granted the possibility of getting my Private Pilot License by my parents. And so, there it was, the long awaited moment had come to life, flying was no longer a distant hypothesis but a real thing. I rushed to the Aeroclub de Portugal and got my Private Pilot License after a 6 month theoretical ground school and another 6 month flying period in LPCS- Cascais Aerodrome ( Yes, it took that long because I was attending University at the same time). After 45 hours flying time, flying Cessna 152 and Cessna 172R I finally had my exam in October 2006 and passed! 

1. LPCS - Cascais Aerodrome as it is today.

2. Just after my PPL exam, October 2006.

I could now fly around in a wide range of Single Engine Piston aircraft and enjoy the pleasure of flying. After something like 40 hours after finishing my PPL a new opportunity came in August 2007: Integrated ATPL Course.

I did my Integrated ATPL Course in Évora, Portugal, at the Aeronautical Academy of Europe. Évora Aerodrome is much smaller and less crowded than Cascais and it was much easier to do instruction flights in here than back in Cascais. 

The course comprised 150 flying hours plus 50 simulator hours (20 of which in Multi Crew Coordination environment). The ground school was completed prior to start flying and it took me about 9 months to go over the 14 subjects that make up the ATPL Theory. After that I started flying and in only 8 months I was an endorsed Commercial Pilot with Instrument Rating in multi engined aircraft, that happened in December 2008. 

3. Flying in Évora - Aeronautical Academy of Europe - 2007.

Since then I have been trying to build flying time and have been looking for my first job in the aeronautical industry. I hope you now know a little bit more about my flying background and I will surely describe some of the flights I have made during my PPL and ATPL Courses, as well as the leisure flights I have been doing since 2006.

Hope to post again soon,

Greetings!

Pilot For Hire

Dear Readers,

I have decided to start this blog a few months ago, before I even have finished my commercial pilot course back in 2008, but only now I have felt the real need of creating a nice place on the net where I could share my ideas with other bloggers, pilots and aviation enthusiasts. After serious thinking and lots of courage (yes, courage... I must admit I am the worst writer in the whole world) I decided to create this space and call it pilotforhire.blogspot.com. Before going into details about the time of the blog I must first introduce myself to all of you who might come wandering around this way.

I am a new, low hour, low experience, recently graduated pilot who's wings have been received no more than 6 months ago. I currently live in Lisbon- Portugal and since I've finished my ATPL (Air Transport Pilot License) Integrated Course I have been struggling to get a job anywhere in the aviation business, flying anything, from a small Cessna to a big Jet. Since then I have not succeeded and have felt for more than once frustration, disappointment and have constantly had excessive free time. In order to try and reduce my free time and share all the failures, or possible future achievements, but above all share my flying "adventures" I have decided to create this blog.

Once the blog idea was on the roll, the name problem struck me,... but not for long... After a 5 second thinking marathon the simple and most obvious idea came to me! "Let me see, low hour pilot, NO JOB..., aviation related name?..." The name popped out,... "what about pilotforhire?".

And there it was, 10 seconds more had passed and the blog had come to life. As simple as this! Now, the next, much harder task: Keeping the blog alive!

For all of you who might come in contact with this blog, on purpose or accidentaly,

WELCOME!