Thursday 20th July 2023. Do you ever get it in your life when you suddenly stop and question if what’s going on is real and you’re not in a dream? That’s the only way I can describe today! I truly cannot believe my life is real, after today as I really am living my dream, I was flying a Boeing 737-800 in the circuit at Prestwick airport in Glasgow before flying the aircraft back to East Midlands which was also the highest altitude I’ve flown an aircraft at to date and making 7 take-offs and landings and 1 go-around (this was for training, I didn’t mess up my approach!) As we took off from East Midlands airport, I turned to the other cadet next to me and be both said this is incredible, bonkers and we love our lives!
I arrived at Ryanair East Midlands training facility where my type rating journey began only a few of months ago and picked up my ID to allow me to get airside before heading round to the briefing rooms. While I was waiting, I was joined by the other 2 cadets I’d be completing my base training with, one of whom I was in the simulator with for my preliminary simulator circuits training and it was his sim partner, so immediately I knew it was going to be a good day given the other cadets I was with. We went into the briefing room where we discussed how the day would work. We would be departing from East Midlands airport with Cadet 1 flying us there, and we’d be going straight into the circuit for their circuits. Once they were complete, we’d be completing a full stop and swapping crew for Cadet number 2 to take to the controls and fly their circuits until they were complete then I’d be taking the controls. I would be doing my base training circuits, then after my last touch and go, I’d be flying the aircraft back to East Midlands for a full stop landing to finish.
We then went over the circuit in Preswick, what to look out for when flying the circuit as well as when we’d be configuring for the approach – this was the same as we had practiced in the simulator despite flying the simulator circuits at East Midlands airport. We then briefed how the ideal running order of the circuits would be, we’d be doing 4 touch-and-go’s then a go-around, followed by another 2 touch-and-go’s then a full stop landing, in my case, this would be done at East Midlands airport after flying back. This was subject to change based on other aircraft in the circuit, if the Captain wanted to get more or less touch-and-go’s in before or after our go-around, whether we needed to repeat anything. We can plan all we want in aviation, but at the end of the day, we just have to be adaptable to what’s going on around us.
We then went airside for the first time as a Ryanair pilot which included going through security – this is why I needed my ID I mentioned earlier – and walked out to the aircraft. I’ve walked out to the aircraft probably over a hundred times but this one was special. When I’ve previously seen 737’s on the ground I’ve always thought they looked quite small, especially considering the fuselage of the 737 can fit in the engine of a 777! However, walking up to the aircraft, it looked rather huge, and considering I’d be flying this was going to be massive, and that’s when my grin grew another few centimetres.
In the lead up to completing my base training, I was asked repeatedly how I felt about taking the aircraft up for the first time, which to be honest surprised me. When I’d gone over to Ireland the first time, people didn’t ask this question, nor when I moved onto the Diamond. When I completed my APS MCC I wasn’t asked this question, and again when I started my type rating in the simulators at Stansted, again, I wasn’t asked this question. But my best guess is because this is bigger, a jet aircraft and a lot bigger than I’d flown before people were more interested in how I was feeling. The way I saw it in my eyes is this is what all my hard work and determination to get me to this stage has led to. I’ve worked my socks off for the last 3 years and now I’m beginning to reap the rewards for it. I’ve completed all my simulators to at least a good level, if not very good and if I carry on doing what I had previously been doing to get me to this stage, then I’d have nothing to worry about.
We took off from East Midlands with Cadet 1 at the controls and flying us up there, and arguable the most surprising thing was being sat in seat 1A without having to pay £20.00 for the privilege of being sat there! With that being said, I could sit in any one of the 189 passenger seats I wanted to as they were all available to us. Maybe if there were passengers myself and the other cadet would be unbearable as we were making all the calls to each other at the appropriate time and trying to work out where we were and what the next course of action would be!
We then completed the first touch-and-go in Preswick and the views out of the window were stunning, the backdrop for our circuits were truly stunning and going round the circuit, it was hard to not look out of the window and admire what was going on. Cadet 1 completed their circuits very well and brought the aircraft to a full stop and we taxied to the runway holding point where they jumped out with what only can be described as a man on the top of the world with a grin the size of a valley! Next it was Cadet 2 to take their turn in the cockpit, and this time I got to experience a few more seats across the aircraft, the worst was 11A because it didn’t have a window! Again, as before, the scenery was amazing looking out of the window and his circuits went well as before, and again when they left the flight deck had a huge smile on their face. I really cannot begin to describe the euphoric feeling of coming out of the flight deck after flying the aircraft for the first time, but we definitely all experienced that today.
Now, my turn. I said down in there right hand seat of EI-EBL, the view that would be my office and my place of work and again, my grin grew another few centimetres. While the Captain and safety pilot were setting up, I familiarised myself in my head of what I was going to do and when. When done the Captain asked me how I was feeling, I said; “a mixture of excitement and nerves, but nerves are good.” He responded; “I’d be more worried if you weren’t a bit nervous! But make sure you enjoy it as that’s what it’s all about!” And that’s exactly what I made sure I would be doing. The setup took a little longer as they were also preparing our flight back to East Midlands airport that I would be flying, then we got the go-ahead from ATC for Ryanair297 to taxi onto the runway to line up and wait on the 2987m long, Runway 03.
We taxied onto the runway, completing the final checks, then lined up and I had control of the Boeing 737 aircraft for the very first time… this beast was mine! We got our take-off clearance and we were off! I advanced the thrust levers to 40% N1, the Captain called them stabilised and I pressed the TO/GA switch and the thrust advanced to the take-off thrust. The next calls followed exactly the same as we’ve always done in the simulator and at V1 then rotate, I pitched the nose of the aircraft up at 2º per second to 15º nose up attitude and took off. Oh… my… God… I have just taken off from the right hand seat in a Boeing 737 and now climbing away from the ground! THIS IS… AMAZING! I then levelled off at the circuit altitude of 1,600ft and began retracting the flaps from 5 to UP then reconfiguring to Flap 5 again. We made our turn from the upwind leg to the downwind leg and called for the Captain to complete the after take-off checklist, we then briefed what we’d be doing next – a touch-and-go with flaps 30 – and completed the descent and approach checklist. Abeam the end of runway 30, we put the landing gear down and flap 15 then called for the landing checklist to flaps, we then took flap 25 as we began turning onto a base leg and pitching the nose down at 500 ft/min. I established on the glide path with 2 whites and 2 reds on the PAPI’s and continued to fly down the 3.5º glideslope at approximately 750ft/min rate of descent. We then completed the landing checklist, past 500ft and continued to the touch and go. The radio altimeter started calling; “100 above”, “minimums”, “50” “40” “30” “20” as per the brief at this point I pitch the nose up from 1º to approximately 3-4º nose up and simultaneously close the trust levers “10” then touchdown. It was firm, quite firm. The Captain took control while I maintained the centreline with the rudder and reset the trim, set take-off thrust and moved the flaps from 30 up to 15. They then called “Take-off thrust set, rotate” and I was back into the circuit again.
We had a bit of a debrief on the downwind leg and the Captain suggested that although I did everything right as per briefed, because I’m new and still green, try pitching up, closing the thrust and holding the attitude at the 30ft call not the 20ft call. This process is known as the check-close-hold, and is the flare of the aircraft, where we arrest the rate of descent and touch the main wheels of the aircraft on the ground first then the nose wheel afterwards. We did it exactly the same as before but on the rollout I had 3 reds and 1 white meaning I was low, I pitched the nose up from approximately 500ft/min rate of descent to 350ft/min and re-captured the glideslope then pitched down to maintain 750ft/min and stayed on the glideslope all the way down. The radio altitude started shouting at me again; “100 above”, “minimums”, “50”, “40” “30” and as per the new debriefed point, I pitched the nose up, closed the thrust “20”, “10” and settled on to the runway… butter! So much better than before, and again my smile grew that little bit wider!
We then repeated this for circuits 3 and 4 and these were good too. A little bit of confusion on my end where I have a tendency to want to close, check and hold as opposed to how I stated above. The next one was briefed as a ‘freebie’ where we’d be going around at 500ft, although this meant my approach could be unstable and it wouldn’t matter, to me, it still had to be perfect an the call to go-around would come as a ‘surprise’ and then respond accordingly. At 500ft the Captain called “go-around” (my approach was dead stable to this point) and I executed the go-around before rejoining the circuit. I then performed another 2 touch-and-go’s and again these went well. After my final touch-and-go we left the circuit and began heading back to East Midlands airport with myself flying the aircraft, and we climbed up to FL230 – the highest altitude I’ve flown at to date.
We then began our descent towards East Midlands airport and I flew the approach in. I disconnected the automatics earlier than normal at about 2,000ft and flew the approach with the flight directors, then at minimums, the Captain removed them and I flew the remainder as I had been flying in Prestwick. 2 of my good friends were in East Midlands after competing their base training in the morning and the day before, knowing I’d be flying back they stood outside the aircraft and filmed my approach to which was a surprise when I got on the ground and the video below had been sent to me!
It was also when I got back on the ground that I realised quite how many people were following me on FlightRadar24! I had my whole family watching on, my girlfriend and her whole family watching on, and then everyone they’d then contacted about me being up in the air, as well as some of my close friends from home, and flight school friends watching too! As a walked out of the flight deck once we’d parked up, the grin on my face was huge and my face began to ache I was smiling that much as was so happy!
The three of us cadets then were shown how to open and close the flight deck windows and then we were shown the walk around that we’ll be needing to do when we’re pilot monitoring. This included getting up close and personal to the aircraft and it’s CFM56-7 engines that power us through the air and these are so efficient that the fam blades are able to be pushed round with a single finger – to me that’s really quite impressive! We looked at what to look for and what to hopefully not see as well as what to see. It’s not too dissimilar to a walk around on a Cessna 172 or a Diamond DA-42, just a whole lot bigger!
We debriefed in the crew room once we were all complete, as I previously mentioned, the main point of topic for me was my flare and remembering to check-close-hold. They said that this will be sorted in Line Training to follow and more continuity will sort it out. They did say it wasn’t not a concern but it wasn’t a concern at the same time as they know it’ll be a quick and easy fix on the line, as if I do it the wrong way round with passengers and cargo onboard, you’ll definitely feel it in the landing and won’t want to repeat that again!
The next stage for me is to return to East Midlands training centre for my line operations training day and then followed by my wings ceremony in Dublin! After that, I’ll find out my line training base and then begin my line training, which means flying passengers for Ryanair across Europe! I’m truly excited for the next stage and cannot wait to get going. But until next time where I’ll bring you another update following my line operations training day and wings ceremony, take care and I’ll catch you all real soon!
