Happy New Year, dear readers! Happy new challenges!

First of all I'd like to wish you all the best in the New Year! Let all your sweet dreams come true, all the challenges be achieved, and new ones (only good and interesting!) appear ahead!

As for me, I have some.

ENGLISH

I kept silence for a long time, but it was a busy period. May be you remember, that I have started this blog in attempt to train my English?

Really, it was the first reason. But why do I want to improve?


I believe, that a man should always look for a possibility to improve. Especially if you work in such an industry, as the civil aviation is.

If you're a pilot, who is flying an american aircraft in our globalized world, you have to know English. Moreover, I am sure that any pilot of any other bird, including those of the USSR, Russia or Ukraine, should know English, and the knowledge should be really good - today it becomes another safety tool in the busy sky...

...and it make you more competitive nowadays. Not a good days for the industry, here, in my country, where hundreds of recently fired pilots are looking for a job, and another hundreds, still employed, are worring about the future.

Even in airlines, that seem to be in a good shape, such as mine, or Aeroflot, more and more pilots search  for job offers in Asia and Middle East. I recently talked to my friend from AFL, who told me that he had set a firm goal to change the country of living, and I know other guys, working with me, who dream about it, too.

What about me?

Honestly, I can not say that I am not thinking about it. I do think. But... I can not say, that I think with fanatism, dreaming to leave the country, seeking for a 'nice life'.

But I have set a goal, that I should improve, in order to be competitive. And improving my English skills is just another step to achieve it. I think, that I should get prepared.

I can not say that I'm dreaming to leave. But I started to feel that I'm loosing my motivation, and it didn't happened yesterday. I fly B737 for consecutive 10.5 years. It is a very nice bird, I love it, but do I want to spent the whole life in its cockpit?..

Or.. what is much more disasterous, in a cabinet, because I am an 'office pilot'? I am only 36.5 years old, but I hold a rather high position in Flight Ops Department - what is waiting me in next 5 years? A higher chair? Do I really want this perspective?

I have an interesting job as a manager, it also helps me improve and get experience. I believe, my work contribute to overall company progress, but does it really what I want to do?

I want new challenges as a pilot. New routes, new airports. Three years ago I didn't think about wide bodies, because I felt myself young. But I think about them now. I am not very old... but I will become more old.

And it seems interesting, to be a good challenge, another motivation to continue growth as a professional pilot.

I have two ways now - to grow up as a manager, helping others... to grow up and leave (a sad joke, but true - one of my apprentices has set the firm goal to leave already, others are often talking about it), and to grow up as a pilot myself. To leave the office and become a student again.

What should I choose? Working on lots of projects I am already involved in, which can become useful for others, or working on my own skills?

I have not made a decision yet.

But I'm working on myself. Even typing this dull story, I consider it as a 'training'.

You may stop reading it anytime, remember! :)

I had very interesting 'trainings' in October.  I spent almost three weeks in Malta and, then, four days in Paris.

And got the result.

Malta experience

Though I have been visiting Malta during my vacation, I spent a lot of time preparing for the upcoming event - 6th IERST ICAO Conference in Paris.

As a member of Russian sub-group I was elected to present a draft document, "SOP advisory circullar" (AC). This AC was developed in order to provide operators with a guidance material how to develop, implement and mantain effective Standard Operation Procedures.

This is a really needed document for Russian (and not only them!) carriers, but though, while I have been working on it, I heard lots of 'encouragements' and 'advice', almost nobody provided a real help. I mean a physical help - text, good ideas, useful critics. So, I was busy with the text, and a friend of mine, who works in my airline, visited meetings of the 'working group', where he fought for the ideas! On the other hand,  I liked such approach, because I really felt free to work.

But as a result I won the 'prize' - to make a presentation of this project to the crowd of serious men, representatives from different airlines and CAAs.

Thats why, instead of sunbathing, I spent several days working hard on the document - translated it into English (again, a training!), and made the presentation.

Ah, what was I doing in Malta? I bought a two-week course in one of the schools there. Just to learn English and practice. Two weeks are not enough, of course, but if you have some 'ground' and motivation to study after the school day, it is a training tool, also.



Why Malta? Because of the sea :)

Though Malta lacks sand beaches, the sea is wonderful! The water in October is warm, and is very-very clean.

Paris experience

Paris, Paris..

I really didn't have any thought about Paris until my last working week in September, when I recieved information about the upcoming ICAO event, and the only thought appeared in my head- I must present the AC myself.



Why?

First of all, it was a challenge. I didn't have experience of speaking ahead of a crowd in English. Moreover - ahead of such a crowd! So, my decision was very quick - I must do it.

Thats why I spent a part of my vacation in working instead of sunbathing.

No tears, no sorrows! I was motivated! I enjoy feeling motivation inside me - since childhood I live from one challenge to another, and it makes my life interesting.

And then was Paris. The 'training' was great! There were guys from UK and USA, France and other countries. I felt a little bit nervous, but did it.



Seems, the presentation has found its listeners, I recieved several questions, and, moreover, after it has been finished, several men found time for a discussion about it.

So, the 'training' was great.



And I had some time to see Paris, of course.


If interested, you may see the photos here:
https://fotki.yandex.ru/next/users/denokan/album/234899/view/1332962?page=0

--==(o)==--

So, what?

After return, I passed another yearly medical, and then decided to make a try to pass an ICAO English level assesment test.

My previous Level 4 was still active for more than a year, but I wanted to be examed earlier, because my pilot license will be reissued in this case - every time a pilot wants to make a new enty in his license, it should be reissued. This is a rule for a so-called 'new plastic licenses.

At that momet I was a holder of an 'old book license'. Though officially they are not in use, but really, many pilots fly with them, because there were lots of problems of changing licenses in the beginning. Nowadays things became easier, and when a pilot needs a new entry (e.g. ICAO level, new qualification, new airplane type), he prepares a pack of documents and sends it to the CAA.

Thats what I have done. My first goal was to have a new license in case I will go to interview somewhere ('book license' looks very questionable when other Russians bring plastic ones). And my second goal was just to check - did I make an improvement, or I am still at the level 4?

It was evaluated to be 5.

I was very pleased - the validity of ICAO Level 5 is 6 years instead of 3 for the level 4. And, seems, the trainings had some positive effect.

--==(o)==--

But, again? What decision should I make?

Continue as a manager - and to have possibilites to work not only within the airline, but in CAA groups or, even, ICAO?

Or, continue as a pilot, to do my best to pass a screening in a foreing airline - and to start my life from the very beginning?

I don't have understanding, what is the best.

May be... you have?

Sorry for the long story, but it was, again, another training!

ALL THE BEST!

FLY SAFE!