1. Antoine, European A320 Pilot and Aviation Podcast Host

06/11/18 • 43 min

In our first episiode, we speak to Antoine, an A320 pilot, a French-language aviation podcast host and previously an air traffic controller in Switzerland. We talk about:

How his parents were glider pilots and how he started flying very young
How he set his parents' field on fire by playing with rockets
What it was like to be an air traffic controller
What the pilot training process is like in Europe
How flying a modern jet aircraft compares with small general aviation ones
The importance of communication in the cockpit
The notion of personal minimums
The differences of private flying in the US vs. Europe

Some technical terms we use in the podcast (I'll be careful to explain these more in-podcast in upcoming episodes):

ATPL - Airline Transport Pilot License (European equivalent of ATP)
CPL - Commercial Pilot License
VFR - Visual Flight Rules (or visual flying, by looking out the window)
IFR - Instrument Flight Rules (or instrument flying, regardless of visibility)
IR - Instrument Rating (rating that allows you to fly IFR)
ME - Multi-Engine (rating that allows you to fly multi-engine planes)
MCCJOC - Multi-crew Cooperation & Jet Orientation Course
Class Alfa - Class A (as oposed to B, C, D, E, F or G) airspace, usually reserved for commercial aircraft, mostly jets.

If you speak French (or if you're just curious), check out Antoine's French-language aviation podcast: Parlons Aviation

We love hearing from you, so send us your thoughts, comments and suggestions either by email (ground.effect[@]neustadt[.]fr) or via Twitter (@thegroundeffect).

Host: Parimal Satyal
Support and Original Episode Artwork: Maggie Oran
Podcast Music: Getting It All Together by RockitMaxx

In our first episiode, we speak to Antoine, an A320 pilot, a French-language aviation podcast host and previously an air traffic controller in Switzerland. We talk about:

How his parents were glider pilots and how he started flying very young
How he set his parents' field on fire by playing with rockets
What it was like to be an air traffic controller
What the pilot training process is like in Europe
How flying a modern jet aircraft compares with small general aviation ones
The importance of communication in the cockpit
The notion of personal minimums
The differences of private flying in the US vs. Europe

Some technical terms we use in the podcast (I'll be careful to explain these more in-podcast in upcoming episodes):

ATPL - Airline Transport Pilot License (European equivalent of ATP)
CPL - Commercial Pilot License
VFR - Visual Flight Rules (or visual flying, by looking out the window)
IFR - Instrument Flight Rules (or instrument flying, regardless of visibility)
IR - Instrument Rating (rating that allows you to fly IFR)
ME - Multi-Engine (rating that allows you to fly multi-engine planes)
MCCJOC - Multi-crew Cooperation & Jet Orientation Course
Class Alfa - Class A (as oposed to B, C, D, E, F or G) airspace, usually reserved for commercial aircraft, mostly jets.

If you speak French (or if you're just curious), check out Antoine's French-language aviation podcast: Parlons Aviation

We love hearing from you, so send us your thoughts, comments and suggestions either by email (ground.effect[@]neustadt[.]fr) or via Twitter (@thegroundeffect).

Host: Parimal Satyal
Support and Original Episode Artwork: Maggie Oran
Podcast Music: Getting It All Together by RockitMaxx

Next Episode

2. Frédéric, Flight Instructor and Physiotherapist

In our second episode, we speak to my flight instructor Frédéric. I've been flying with Frédéric at my aéroclub for a couple of months now and this episode was chance to get to know what made him want to change careers and become a pilot relatively late in life, what it's like to teach someone else how to fly and what his own goals are as a pilot.

We also talk about:

Why he feels like he has aviation in his genes
What made him want to pursue his hobby and get his license
What drew him to acrobatic flying
How bad landings are a simply a necessary part of flight training
What it's like to teach someone how to fly and learn to trust them
Tips for the beginning student pilot
How, regardless of experience, a pilot has to always be learning

Frédéric mention these things in the podcast:

The Right Stuff, a historical drama about the early test pilots involved in cutting-edge research at Edwards Air Force Base in the 60s, including the legendary Chuck Yeager.
L'avionnaire, a very thorough online encyclopaedia on aviation, with articles on everything from history, aerodynamics and instrument flying to weather, engines and de-icing (in French).

A huge thanks to Frédéric for taking the time to chat. We hope you enjoy this episode.

This is a fairly new podcast and we've still got a lot to learn, so we've love to hear from you! Send us your thoughts, comments and suggestions either by email (ground.effect[@]neustadt[.]fr) or via Twitter (@thegroundeffect).

Host: Parimal Satyal
Support and Original Artwork: Maggie Oran
Podcast Music: Getting It All Together by RockitMaxx