How do you guys keep up with the new and the old?

[330airbus]

Hey all!

Personally speaking after so many years of flying, I've forgotten a lot of the basics that I've not been using for a very long time.

Friend of mine was asking me for some help with his ATPLs and I can honestly say I was pretty much useless to him.
Pretty sure I'd not be able to manually fly a DME ARC today, having not flown one even with automation in over at least 5 years.

I have to keep reading the current systems on my aircraft type to keep them in mind, let alone NDBs, ARCs, in depth metereology(types of fogs, how they form, etc etc)

How do you guys keep up with the old school stuff?

[de facto]

Pretty sure I'd not be able to manually fly a DME ARC today, having not flown one even with automation in over at least 5 years.
Honesty is first step to redemption...(sounds right?).
The fact that you are aware of your limits is very good,now next OPC ask your TRI to let you practice DME arcs,,im sure he will.
I dont know what airline you are working for,but mine allows any pilot to use the sim when available to practice hand flying or other,instructor if needed is at no cost.
I used it once for manual flying after i had one day a gut feeling my hand skills may be fading.Got in there ,and all was normal,worth it for my peace of mind.


Concerning theory knowledge,no need to know the JAAa ATPL syllabus,most of it is not used in the real world however,you need to obviously focus on your aircraft type,regulations in general and in the countries you operate in,aircraft performance ,MET such as cold weather ops,deicing,and charts...

Keep reading PPRUNE,there are many sources of docs in here and obviously always check the info you get from here with an official source unless its from guys like JT and boac,pretty sure they were and are spot on.

How do you guys keep up with the old school stuff?

I dont, the 14 manuals are in a drawer,for nostalgia moments.:sad:
Get an ipad :E

[Checkboard]

I do this job because I like piloting aeroplanes. :)

I have no problem "keeping up" with old school stuff, because I am usually mucking about with the whizz wheel on longer boring sectors, working out a PNR or two, even on shorter sectors I work out Equi-time points to company diversion airports en-route, I brief emergency descent memory items when flying over high terrain (the Alps, the Pyrenees), and get the FO to rattle off (well, usually stumble through :rolleyes:) their actions ...

As I changed my licence from the Aussie ATPL to a JAR licence I had to do all 14 JAR ATPL exams - and I quite enjoyed the challenge :) I sat all 14 exams in two consecutive, 7 exam sessions without any trouble.

[330airbus]

Cheers guys :ok: