Blogging Pilot's Pilog

I am a FAA certified Airline Transport Pilot, and also a Certified Flight Instructor. For years I have taught new Flight Instructor applicants. And to be a Flight Instructor, among all other requirements, one is that you have to pass a written and oral examination on Fundamental of Instruction, or FOI. FOI is precisely some basics of human psychology applicable to any teaching and learning event.

One of the subject areas taught and emphasized in the FOI is called the learning process. How humans learn. And one of the key factors in human learning behavior is perception. How we perceive things. For example, a child growing up would not know what “hot” is unless he in fact touches something that is hot, and we as parents tell him, “Hot!”. Now he knows what hot is. His perception of “hot” in his mind has a meaning now, which was derived from an experience, and was reinforced by the parent.

The Perception of hot in the above example has now become the Truth and Reality in the child’s brain. Probably forever. Later on he will learn the the relative terms like hotter, hottest, extremely hot, warm etc.

Here, read this story now, and then I can explain the point that I am trying to make:

The Truth, Reality and Perception of a Camel

Camels were, and still are one of the most commonly used modes of transportation in the greatest deserts of the world. Convoys of camels are used by traders in the local commerce to move goods around from place to place.

This story is about one such camel and his jockey (rider). They were a part of this convoy, travelling, when a sandstorm hit them without any warning. The convoy leader ordered everyone to stop and camp out for the night. And a part of the camping out process is that every jockey pulls out a stake, buries it in the sand, and then ties up his camel with a rope, one end to the stake and the other around the camels neck.

This jockey realized that he forgot to bring the stake and rope set for his camel. He is sitting, cursing his luck out, not knowing what to do, when the convoy leader (he is the leader for a reason) comes over and asks him what was going on. The jockey briefed him on the situation at hand; no rope, no stake, and no ideas.

The convoy leader told him not to worry and simply carry out the process with an imaginary stake, imaginary rope, and the imaginary burying, and the imaginary tying the rope around the camel’s neck. I am sure you get the point.

The jockey does exactly as was told, and moved on with the rest of the chorus of camping out and sleeping off the sandstorm. Guess what! In the morning the camel was found sitting right next to that imaginary stake, waiting for the next set of orders.

Moral of the Story

The camels learning process from his experiences in his life were as follows:

“Every time my master performs this act (staking and tying), the result is that I can’t go anywhere. I have tried otherwise while growing up, but now for years I know this. So I don’t even try. My perceptions have given me a meaning, which are my Truth.”

My Point

If you ask the camel, “Were you tied up that night?”, I am sure his answer would be, “Yes I was”. Would the camel be telling you the Truth? Ha!

We have heard that Truth is Truth. And nothing can change the Truth. The Truth is an absolute statement. I say that the Truth is again nothing but a perception, or a result of a perception. The camel’s truth is that he was tied up. I am sure he will have no problem even going under oath and solemnly declare that he was in fact tied up that night. How about the jockey’s truth? He probably would smirk, or wink, and tell you that no, the camel was not tied up that night.

Truth is perception. The way one sees things from his or her point of view. So maybe, we can all agree to this:

Truth is a meaningful insight as a result of our past experiences, and nothing but perception.

How about the Reality though?

Now, let’s ask the question, “What was the reality like that night?”

Your comments?

Tags: Flight Training, god, Religion, spirituality, Travel, truth

Author: anirban das

Being a pilot or an air hostess could be anybody’s dream career. The job involves lot of traveling, glamour and lot of money. It is a well-paying job so youngsters dream to pursue a career in aviation. In fact, all jobs related to the aviation sector are lucrative. However, it is also a rigorous job and demands a lot out of you and involves a certain amount of risk on daily basis. The work hours are generally long but the perks are high. One also gets to travel the world while on the job and meet interesting people. All these things make a career in aviation a very sought after option. Also, with the upcoming travel industry and the up gradation, liberalization and privatization of airports, there is a huge demand for the people who have done career training in aviation.

Today, there are many state-run and private training schools that provide pilot training and air hostess training. Different schools offer aviation courses of different duration.

It is always advisable to take up courses related to the aviation industry from a recognized and prestigious career institute. Aviation courses mainly include training about flying operation, aircrew, aircraft, air traffic management, technical aspects of flight, aviation safety, regulatory policies and economics of airport.

The Indian Institute of Aeronautics based in Delhi offers 3-year AME License Training Programs, as approved by the Director General of Civil Aviation. For enrolment in the course, one has to apply as per admission notice displayed in newspapers. The courses usually commence in July every year. For foreign students, admission is subject to security clearance from the Government of India.

Indian Institute of Aeronautical Science based in Jamshedpur offers a course in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. The course usually commences in January and July every year. The admissions are done on the basis of merit list prepared on an entrance examination. The duration of this course is three years and it is divided over six months, which includes six months on the job practical training on flying aircraft. The eligibility for this course is that the candidate must have passed Intermediate Science, 10+2 (or its equivalent) with 50% Marks in Physics & Mathematics or a 3-year Diploma and degree in any branch of engineering with minimum 50% marks. Foreign students shall have qualification equivalent to any prescribed above or "O" level of U.K. or equivalent.

Another good institute is Avalon Aviation Academy, which is an enterprise of Aptech Limited. It offers the following courses: Diploma in Professional Cabin Crew Services, Diploma in Professional Ground Staff services, IATA / UFTAA- Foundation Course, Certificate Course in Fares & Ticketing Virgin Atlantic/ GTMC Courses and Personality Development courses. Avalon Aviation Academy has centers in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune etc.

The state owned institutes include: Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Udan Akademi, Rae Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh Aviation Academy, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, Amritsar Aviation Club, Amritsar, Punjab, Bihar Flying Institute, Patna, Bihar, Bombay Flying Club, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Gujarat Flying Club, Vadodara, Gujarat, Government. Flying Training Institute, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, Government Flying Training Institute, Kolkata, West Bengal, Government. Flying Training School, Bangalore, Karnataka, Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation, Karnal, Haryana, Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation, Hissar, Haryana, Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation, Pinjore, Haryana, Ludhiana Aviation Club, Ludhiana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh Flying Club, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh Flying Club, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Madras Flying Club, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, Northern India Flying Club, Jallandhar, Punjab, Patiala Aviation Club, Patiala, Punjab, Rajasthan State Flying School, Jaipur, Rajasthan, UP State Flying Training Institute, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Flying Training Institute, Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Assam Flying Club, Guwahati, Assam, Banasthali Vidyapith Gliding and Flying Club, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Aviation Training Academy, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, Delhi Flying Club, New Delhi, Kerala Aviation Training Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Nagpur Flying Club, Nagpur, Maharashtra, Jamshedpur Cooperative Flying Club, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand.

There is wide ranging scope in India for those who successfully complete courses in aviation. One may find jobs in aerospace / aviation engineering, aviation maintenance, flight crew, management aviation, civil aviation department of India, avionics, cargo management, reservation sector, cabin crew, operation executive, air hostess etc. The major companies in aviation include Sahara India, Kingfisher Airlines, Indian Airlines, India International Airways Ltd., Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., Deccan Airlines, Trans Asian Aviation, Bird Group, and many others.

To be a pilot the basic prerequisites are that you must have completed your Class XII under the 10+2 system or its equivalent with a minimum of 50 per cent marks in Mathematics and Physics. Minimum 16 years of age is required to be eligible for a Private Pilot License and 17 for a Commercial Pilot License. The vision in one eye must be perfect. General physical fitness is also mandatory.

Before going for the plunge, one must remember that however glamorous and exciting it may sound, the job requires intensive training and risk. A pilot is responsible for the lives of passengers as well as the aircraft itself.

Article Source: Articlesbase

About the Author:

Geetika Jain writes on behalf of Shiksha.com. Shiksha.com is an education portal that connects education seeker with education provider. Shiksha.com has wide information over Air hostess Training and Aviation Courses, its education forums enable its users to seek opinion of students, alumni and faculty of colleges and schools through College Groups and School Groups

Tags: Airports, Aviation, Aviation Safety, career, pilot, Travel, world