A few months ago now I began my Challenger 605/650 annual recurrent ground school at home for the first time. The online course covered topics such as Ice and Rain System, Pneumatics System, Electrical Systems, Fire Detection and Extinguishing, Fuel Systems, Hydraulic Systems, Flight Controls, CF34 Powerplant, APU, Landing Gear and Brakes, Aircraft Performance, Cold Weather Operations, etc. all reviewed in great detail using a slide deck system with questions required to be answered throughout. Being crazy about taking notes, I ended up typing out 81 pages in a document I called CL6550 Review 2020 (manifesto lol) which was likely not necessary, but made me feel more prepared somehow. After lots of further review of these notes, SOPs, and my notes I made during last year's initial course in Montreal, I was nearing mental preparedness for my journey to school once again.
A few months ago, while sitting in the FBO waiting for a crew bus to the terminal I was embarking on a familiar, yet radically changed journey to Montreal to complete my Challenger 605/650 recurrent training at CAE. Why so changed, oh you know, COVID-19 and it's incredibly devastating affects on people and our Canadian economy. From my perspective alone, aviation has changed once again, after 9-11 and the parking of aircraft worldwide, the disappearance of entire companies and so many people's jobs; it is hard to see it all happening again. The most disgusting word this year is "redundant", what a horrible statement about someone's livelihood and dreams, made redundant! NOPE!
After going through security and heading to our gate, the terminal was very empty, shops closed, masks being worn and the smell of hand sanitizer in the air, our new normal. If you haven't flown on the airlines in awhile, things have changed; the boarding process has changed, questions about COVID-19 symptoms are asked of each passenger and a temperature check is conducted, ID is checked with your mask off temporarily. Time for me to switch to an N95 mask as per my company's travel protocol. Once onboard the Boeing 737-800 it soon became painfully obvious that this flight was going to be flown with very few fellow passengers onboard, peaceful for sure, but a huge reminder of times we live in now. Time to relax a bit and get prepared mentally for the week of training I was heading to Montreal to complete.
Things have change so much in aviation in the last 5 years, for me I no longer carry the physical weight of manuals, most documents including our company SOPs, company COM manual, flight planning software, etc. are all accessed through my iPad. Even the in-flight emergency procedures, once a large flip style coil book, have been replaced by the iPad. Our company requires memorization of all of the emergency action items on the QRC, and then followed up using a QRC card as shown in the photo above. For example, if an APU fire occurs on the ground, the immediate action item is to press the APU FIRE PUSH button, and then wait 5 seconds, if APU FIRE still exists (fire persists), press the APU BOTTLE ARMED, firing off a squib on a fire extinguisher bottle into the APU enclosure, hopefully putting out the fire. Once the memory item is completed, we ask for the emergency checklist to be completed and these gets us into further procedures such as emergency evacuation, etc.
After landing in Toronto, we deplaned into the terminal building. Walking down the near empty terminal walk ways we were confronted by a shop owner desperately looking for business. Sad 😞
We prepared for a quick Q400 flight to Montreal, after takeoff we were in the clouds and didn’t get to see much until on final approach into Montreal. Things started to seem familiar and as we touch down in Montreal, I was getting excited to get this training underway. Definitely curious to see how the training will have changed in these COVID times.
Arrival in at the Montreal airport was uneasy, knowing very well that my sim partner and I were going into one the hottest zones in Canada for COVID-19. Everyone was masked up, many areas in the terminal were closed off, shops closed and few passengers were in the terminal compared to the many times I have been in Montreal.
Our familar Dorval airport hotel, with very few people staying here this time around. Time to unpack, and get prepared for the next day. But maybe an adult pop before bed...relax
Cheers for now, next time around I will talk about the Challenger 650 recurrent training program in Montreal. 😃
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