The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn’t it be? —it is the same the angels breathe — Mark Twain, ‘Roughing It,’ Chapter XXII, 1886

You haven’t seen a tree until you’ve seen its shadow from the sky — Amelia Earhart

More than anything else the sensation is one of perfect peace mingled with an excitement that strains every nerve to the utmost, if you can conceive of such a combination — Wilbur Wright

The exhilaration of flying is too keen, the pleasure too great, for it to be neglected as a sport — Orville Wright

No one can realize how substantial the air is, until he feels its supporting power beneath him. It inspires confidence at once — Otto Lilienthal

Unlike the boundaries of the sea by the shorelines, the “ocean of air” laps at the border of every state, city, town and home throughout the world — Welch Pogue

I’ve never known an industry that can get into people’s blood the way aviation does — Robert Six, founder of Continental Airlines.

Maybe it’s sex appeal, but there’s something about an airplane that drives investors crazy — Alfred Kahn, the ‘father of airline deregulation.

Dad, I left my heart up there — Francis Gary Powers, CIA U-2 pilot shot down over the Soviet Union, describing his first flight at age 14.

As soon as we left the ground I knew I myself had to fly! — Amelia Earhart, after her first flight in an airplane, a ten minute sight-seeing trip over Los Angeles, 1920.

Even before [we] . . . had reached 300 feet, I recognized that the sky would be my home. I tumbled out of the airplane with stars in my eyes — Geraldyn Cobb, regards her first flight, piloted by her father when she was 12 years old.

To invent an airplane is nothing. To build one is something. To fly is everything — Otto Lilienthal

Aeronautics was neither an industry nor a science. It was a miracle — Igor Sikorsky

POF, AGK, MET, GNAV, RNAV, COMM, OPS, FPP, HPL and ALA.

Each of these an abbreviation (only 9 from the hundreds we need to learn) for the different course we’re going to get.

If that doesn’t get you going, the these titles might:
- Priciples of Flight
- Aircraft General Knowledge (Airframe, Systems and Instrumets)
- Meteorology (Meteo briefings, Metar, analyzing and
- General Navigation (Chart navigation, Situational awarness)
- Radio Navigation (Radio navigation equipment)
- Communications (VFR & IFR)
- Operational Procedures (All possible and authorized procedures)
- Flight Planning and Performance (Planning and performance related material for single and multi-engine)
- Human Performance and Limitations (Psychology and Physiology related to pilots, and situation in higher air operations)
- Airlaw (all Legal Matter, Allowances, Restrictions, Minima)

So this was our first introduction to piloting business. And a serious business it is.

Looking forward to learn, I’m eager for this new material.

If you want more info on the theoretical part of this course, contact the school at www.aviationacademics.com
And for the practical courses: http://www.o-a-c.be

Well to be complete from the first time I saw a plane I have had dreams about aviation. I wanted to find out what that was, how it worked and I was astonished by the possibility that we could actually fly. When I was 12 years old I got this offer through mail to gather the collection called ‘Airplanes of the world (a dutch series)’. Of course that was the start of an everlasting journey. Years had past in discovery of all my predecessors in aviation and all this info was overwhelming to begin with. At the age of 18 I completed progress-tests with Sabena Flight Academy in Brussels and I was allowed to start the courses but there was a little remarks saying that I had to be more stress-resistant. That altered my decision on that moment so I tried to study for a few years more and I would consider this a choice for later. I never finish the studies in a higher degree but after that I got a job right away in IT-business. I sold PC’s, repaired them and got them installed in homes of all sorts of customers. Of course the thought of flying kept me busy during the work. Practicing on Microsoft’s Flight Simulator I Used the whole collection from version 95, 98, 2000, 2004 and now FSX. I got a good insight of the possibilities of these aircraft when each version of software gave a more natural and correct simulation. The question remained on my mind; Can I do this in real life too? So In September 2006 I started the full ATPL course, meaning Airline Transport Pilot License to end up on any jet-powered aircraft with a multi-crew cockpit. Let’s see where this is going to get me in life…