Musings from the Flight Deck Old Timer.

 
 
BRACE, BRACE, BRACE!
Melissa Heath Melissa Heath

BRACE, BRACE, BRACE!

Very occasionally, something can go quite wrong with the aircraft you are on. This article tells of such an event and what took place onboard.

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The Duty Straight from the Bowels of Hell
Melissa Heath Melissa Heath

The Duty Straight from the Bowels of Hell

We all have our good days and our bad days. But then… sometimes some days are just so bad that you just have to believe that some greater being is deliberately making your day the worst it can possibly be.

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Apparently, Not All Medical Emergencies are Medical Emergencies
Melissa Heath Melissa Heath

Apparently, Not All Medical Emergencies are Medical Emergencies

Humans are fickle things. Especially on planes. Seated shoulder to shoulder for never ending hours, who knows what can happen? Too often to count these stresses can cause people to get REALLY sick. In a tin can at 36,000 feet above the Pacific, there are limited options.

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From Birthday Treat Flight to a Lifetime in Aviation
Melissa Heath Melissa Heath

From Birthday Treat Flight to a Lifetime in Aviation

It is amazing where a chance gift of a trial flight can take you. From being given a flight for his birthday when he was a little ‘un, Bob has travelled the world, fought in a war and been a Captain for Air New Zealand. A very satisfying career!

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Life After Achieving Your PPL       
Melissa Heath Melissa Heath

Life After Achieving Your PPL       

Is there life after PPL? One of those existential questions. Patently, there is but are you using your licence to it’s fullest? Are you still having fun? CFI for Auckland Aero Club, Gavin Weir, opens your mind to all the possibilities out there to keep it fresh.

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Unions – Protecting Workers Interests
Melissa Heath Melissa Heath

Unions – Protecting Workers Interests

For brand new airline pilots, it’s important to decide whether to join a union, or not, to protect their working interests.

In this article, Neil McGarvey gives us a brief overview of what a union is all about.

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A Tower Controller’s Perspective.
Melissa Heath Melissa Heath

A Tower Controller’s Perspective.

What a splendid place to work and what views! Especially of aircraft landing. Do you ever eye up the Tower and wonder who is working in there? Are they judging your landings? The bounces, the smoking wheels, the wandering around the runway? In this blog, we meet a Tower controller and hear about her career.

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GLIDING and LIGHT AIRCRAFT FLYING BLOG by Arthur Gatland
Melissa Heath Melissa Heath

GLIDING and LIGHT AIRCRAFT FLYING BLOG by Arthur Gatland

Just you, soaring on silent wings - with nothing between you and the clouds except for the whisper of wind over your wings. Many of us have dreamed of flight since we were very young.

In this blog, Arthur tells of his life long passion for the art of gliding - keeping aloft without engines.

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The Pilots Hero
Melissa Heath Melissa Heath

The Pilots Hero

Aircraft Engineering! Seemingly touching a little on witchcraft and voodoo, these amazing and under-credited people are responsible for getting those behemoths we love in the sky safely for every single flight. Join Ron Koppen, Licensed Aircraft Engineer for Air New Zealand, as he talks us through this mysterious world behind the hanger doors.

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