Yesterday evening after class, one of the instructor of the Flight Operations brought us to the hangar to show us the aircrafts that we gonna fly. We were told that we will be flying DA-40 TDI instead of TB-10. Well well, the instructor also let us sit in the aircraft, let us have a feel on the joystick, moving the ailerons, rudders and elevators.

For your information, ailerons are used for lateral stability (rolling left or right), rudders are for directional stability (yawing left or right) and elevators are for longitudinal stability (pitching up or down.)


This aircraft is a Single Engine propeller aircraft with the engine and propeller's manufacturers are Thielert and MT-3 respectively. The instrument panel is pretty much modern and more powerful than TB-10. It has GPS too! So we still can find our way back if we are lost in the air! =D

Fuel Capacity (Long Range): 41 US Gallons (7hours)
Max Cruising Speed: 133kts
Wing span: 39ft 2in
Length: 26ft 5in
Height: 6ft 6in
Seats: 4
Max Take-off Weight: 1150kg
Fuel Grade: Jet A1/Diesel

The fuel capacity is damn cun. 7Hours! Which means the aircraft can fly straight from lgk to Senai airport without refueling for 5 hours and still have 2 hours of extra fuel! It's very fuel efficient and since the fuel grade being used is diesel, so it's cheaper too! Plus, let say is the the engine fails, the aircraft still can glide with the rate of descent of 600ft/minute compared to TB-10 which has rate of descent of 1300ft/min. The battery capacity can last for 30mins as back-up in case of total generator failure.

The instructor also showed us how to recognize the warning & caution lights and acknowledge them. Then he turned on the receiver radio for us to listen to the radio telephony communication between the control tower and the aircrafts in the vicinity such as request to take-off, landing, taxy, etc. We all took pictures of ourselves in the cockpit of course. Hehehe. It was the first time we enter a cockpit, so it's a MUST to take picture, isn't it?! Hahaha. But then again, no chance to post the picture here online. You know why.


Anyway, I have included a link below about DA-40 TDI for those who wanna know more.

http://www.diamondair.co.uk/pdf/factsheets/DA40TDIfactsheet.pdf


Alternatively, you can surf the Diamond Aircraft official website too at:

http://www.diamondair.com/mainpage.php


Hmmm, we still have not received our airport pass. Without it, we can't start flying. That's the rule. It's not just we have the license, then we can fly. So hopefully before our DCAT exam starts, we will be issued with the pass! Just had my Engines Final Test yesterday and I managed to score 96%. This morning just finished the Theory Of Flight Final Test and then tomorrow will have Electricity Final Test!! With DCAT just around the corner, I am getting more and more excited! I can't wait to finish the test and go flying soon!!!!

Countdown to DCAT: 7 days


Gotta go for lunch now!

Just finished Jet Engine and Electricity progress tests today and next week still got 6 more tests to go, mainly some progress tests and the final tests for Aircraft Systems, Electricity, Theory Of Flight and Jet Engine. Finished Piston Engine test few weeks ago and scored 99%. The other 1% wasn't because careless this time. It was because I didn't know how to do that particular question and "tembak" the wrong answer. Well, that's too bad, isn't it? Looks like I still got to work much harder!!

Many would think that the students gonna go bonkers if the school keeps giving us tests everyday and expect us to score above 75%. The instructors also expect us to score 100% for all the subjects too. Reason? Pilots must know everything about the aircraft and they carry the responsibility to make sure 200-300 passengers arrive safely at their destination. Of course, one may argue that to err is human. But obviously the slightest mistake due to human error in flight (during take-off and even landing) may invite terrible disaster. I suppose none of you want a "not-so-knowledgeable" pilot to fly the plane that you are taking.

Air disasters are not solely due to human errors though. Other factors are bad weather, aircraft mechanical failure, and so on. Below are some statistics about air crash from planecrashinfo.com.

"Pilot error (weather related)" represents accidents in which pilot error was involved but brought about by weather related phenomena. "Pilot error (mechanical related)" represents accidents in which pilot error was involved but brought about by mechanical failure. "Other human error" includes air traffic controller error, improper loading of aircraft, fuel contamination, improper maintenance etc. Sabotage includes explosive devices, shoot downs and hijackings. "Total pilot error" is the total for all types of pilot error (on the fourth line in yellow). Where there were multiple causes, the most prominent cause was used.

Accidents and Fatalities by Phase of Flight

Source: Statistical Summary of Commercial Jet Airplane Accidents, Boeing

Source: PlaneCrashInfo.com accident database

I went back to jb last Friday for a 4-days holiday. Right after school at 4pm, me and my friends quickly packed our stuffs and rushed to the jetty to catch the 6pm ferry to mainland. The ferry trip took us approx an hour to reach mainland, cost 23 bucks. We took a cab to the bes terminal, 5 bucks per person. Upon reaching the terminal, I thought I could get the bus straight to jb but all the counters finished selling the tickets and I had to settle with the ticket to kl at 10.30pm, cost 30 bucks. Still got 2 hours to go before the bus departs, so me and two other friends went for karaoke first. U know, those kind that you pay 1 buck per song, sing in the small booth.

I reached kl pudu station around 5.30pm. No counters were open at that time, I tried to find a place to sit but there were so many people sleeping on the bench while waiting for their bus. At 6pm, one of the bus counters had opened and luckily I managed to buy the earliest bus to jb which was at 6.30pm, cost 30bucks.

Slept all the way in the bus back to jb and reached Larkin terminal at 12pm. Total hours of bus trip: 12hours 30mins.

Anyway, after resting and had lunch, I went to play basketball with a bunch of friends at larkin indoor stadium from 2pm to 5pm. Well, I finally got to enjoyed the feeling of being able to play basketball "properly" after nearly 6 months of recuperating from previous operation.

After the match, some of my friends came to my house to bath and later we all went to bg's new house. His house is still under renovation though. I sempat met up with sk too. She had her hair cut short!! OMG!!

Later we all went for steamboat for dinner at sf steamboat. And that was all for Saturday.

The next day, I thought of meeting my wife, but car battery got problem. Luckily she got car and came to fetch me. We went for a "date" and brought along hong eng. Went to some kind of shop called Ice Cream House (if I'm not wrong). The place was very beautifully decorated and very romantic. Many kinds of ice creams which looked delicious and we chose the one called Earth Jade (7 scoops). 8 flavors available such as yam, chocolate, vanilla, mint, green tea, blueberry, strawberry and corn.

Monday morning YW brought me to eat dim sum nearby our house. And then Tuesday morning before I left for lgk, YW's parents treated me a plate of Dry Meepok with Laksa soup. Dei alvin, if you are reading this, your mouth must be "flooded" with saliva seh. It was so delicious! Ahh..Heaven on Earth.

How I wished I could eat Laksa on that day. Probably have to wait another 6 months then only I can taste it again. Yupp. 6 months. Main reason I went back for these four days is because I won't be having holidays again for probably 6 months. This news is quite a bad news, isn't it? I don't think I have the chance to celebrate CNY this year too with my family and relatives and can't get to taste the various delicacies cooked by my grandma. Well, this is part and parcel of the life as a pilot. Just have to get used to it. No other way round.

But there is a good news too.

I will be flying soon!! Muahhahahhah!!!!!!! Yes, I will be flying after I finish (and pass) my DCAT exam on this 24 Jan 2008. Gonna be flying for 10 weeks and then continue study for my CA6 (third stage of ground school). The principal also has arranged for our batch to fly and study alternately when we enter CA2 (which is the fourth and the final stage of my ground school). =D So life isn't that bad after all. I am looking forward to TOUCH THE SKY SOON!

I have decided to count my blessings, not my troubles. How about you?