So, here I am to tell you the basic, or rather, the breakdown kung ano yung mga magiging susunod na chapters/lessons. Let's say that your goal is to be the one everyone deemed to be the esteemed work of being an Airline Pilot. Yung point kung saan natatawag kang-"Captain" ng marami. Yung sa movies and stories ay the pa-cool kids. True, naabot na ang dream. But, a dream with a heavy responsibility. Okay, so below, the ladder. Saan ba talaga nag-start ang lahat-lahat bago maging Airline Pilot. Sabi sa akin ng isa kong FI, "Flying is continuous learning. A pilot never stops learning."

1. So you've finally decided to be a pilot! Of course, number one yun. Sa stage na ito, siguro, desidido ka na talaga. Nasabi mo na sa parents mo or sa sarili mo na gusto mo mag-piloto. Dito pa lang, sasabihin na mahal ang tuition. Totoo, mahal (will get deeper on the subject soon). But, sabi nga nila, kung talagang gusto, may paraan. Sinasabi ko, kung talagang desidido ka na, siguraduhin mo na you have the support of those people who loves you. Hindi magiging madali ang journey.

2. Nakapag-inquire ka na and chose a flying school. Nakapunta ka na sa mga flying school. Hinahanap ang mura at may class ang pag-aaral. In the end, the name of the school also matters. Kung madaming graduates nila ang nasa airlines, mas malaki ang chance! Kung mahal dahil mas maganda ang offer na course, then another check. Yung bilis ng studies, for some matters, but sometimes, it depends dahil may weather and aircraft on ground, etc. Anyway, so nakapili ka na. Enrolled ka na. So sure na magiging piloto ka na? Wait, di pa nasusukat doon. Di ka pa uupo kaagad sa eroplano, mayroon pang adventure na...

3. First time sa CAAP. The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, also known as CAAP, the government agency under the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for, as its name states, aviation. Airline economics is handled by Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). Pero, mas magiging close ang relationship niyo ni CAAP, dahil siya lang ang magbibigay sa iyo ng license. And yes, pupuntahan mo sila kaagad. Para makapag-register for a "Student Pilot Authorization", less likely a license to give you the privilege to learn and sabi nga, as a Student Pilot. As a Student Pilot, kailangan mo din ng Medical License. Na fit to fly ka. Class 2 Medical ang need. (I'll explain other classes soon) Dito na magkakaalaman if may illness ka na pwede kang ituring na "not fit". Yes, dito pa lang din, masakit kapag di mo nakuha yung Class 2 Medical. But, kailangan, dahil for a goal of an airline pilot, madaming buhay ang nakasalalay sa knowledge, skill and experience mo na ma-aacquire mo muna sa loob ng classroom sa flying school.

4. Classroom 1 a.k.a. PPL Ground School. Yas~ You're officially starting to learn as a pilot! May Student Pilot Authorization or SPA ka na, and a Class 2 Medical. So, onward to learning everything na kailangan to be a pilot. First is yung so-called "PPL Ground School". Basically, ground school siya for the subjects needed mo matutunan as a Private Pilot License holder (yung second license after ng SPA). Kahit walang flight hours, may ground school, yes. PPL Ground School has 10 subjects; madalas crash course. Kapag sinabing crash course, may hours lang ang subjects. If Monday to Friday ang class for the PPL Ground School, within one month tapos yung 10 subjects. Ganoon siya kabilis. The subjects are listed below:

    a. Air Law: Law. Batas. Everything. Di lang out of the blue ang flying. May law na sinusunod. Licenses, history of air travel, sanctions, operations, and etc. na related sa batas.

    b. Aircraft General Knowledge: Airplane technical terms. Mga parts to the smallest ones. Kung ano yung use ng bawat part, chain of events kung bakit lumilipad ang eroplano. Basta puro tungkol sa engine and principle kung bakit ganoon ang shape niya.

    c. Meteorology: Weather. Hindi PAG-ASA ang pinasok mo, pero, yes. Kailangan, of course. Sasagupain ang weather kapag nasa ere ka na. From how clouds are formed, what causes wind, bakit malamig kapag nasa itaas, and what types of weather is dangerous.

    d. Human Performance: Maging doktor ka naman ngayon. Health and limitations. Malamang. We know that airplanes, kahit gaano ka-advanced, is may tao pa rin na nagbabantay. Kaya may so-called human factor kapag crash di ba? So dito papasok yun.

    e. Flight Performance and Planning: Airplanes defy gravity, kaya kailangan magaang? Well, not necessarily, basta nasa limits ng weight para makapag-take off, and also, kailangan balance. Para safe.

    f. Principles of Flight: What makes an airplane fly question to be discussed in this subject. Everything from pressure, temperature, density, air. Physics na may Chemistry. Parts din ng aircraft, like Aircraft General Knowledge (AGK).

    g. Operational Procedures: Pinakamadali? Over-all ito ng lahat ng subjects.

    h. Navigation: Hindi lahat ng eroplano may GPS. At compared sa kalye na may mga signboards, wala sa ere. Kaya kailangan ang navigation. Map reading, distance calculation, types of navigating, and charts.

    i. Communications: Chill? Nah. Parang robot kung mag-salita ang mga piloto, ano? Dahil dito. May radio phraseology na kailangan alam to avoid confusion and also, every second is vital. Maiksi, mabilis, at madaling maintindihan.

    j. Equipment Qualification Course: Ito na ang pinaka-technical sa lahat. This depends sa flying school, if kung anong type yung eroplano nila. Sa amin, C172. Kaya EQC namin is C172. Memorize yung specifications niya, emergency procedures, limitations, and performance. Basically, everything na kailangan alam mo sa pagpapalipad nun. And yes, kung tamad ka magbuklat sa manual ng sasakyan mo; kailangan mo magbuklat and magmemorize ng manual sa eroplano.

So, enjoy ba ang PPL Ground School? Para sa mga walang background sa aviation, talagang mangangapa kayo sa subjects. Sa amin noon, since aviation graduate ako, di ako nahirapan to catch up. Yung 10 subjects for 1 month, pinag-aralan ko ng 4 years sa college. 2 subjects a day kami, so within a week, naka-3 to 4 subjects na kami. Also, may progress exam kami sa gitna ng discussion and final exam to ensure na if mag-CAAP exam kami (you'll see it later as well), papasa kami. And also, may natutunan kami, ganoon.

5. NTC. Radio License. Mag-apply ka muna sa NTC for a radio license. Kailangan ito. Hindi ka makakalipad ng wala ito. Yes. Kailangan talaga siya. Wala kang magagawa. Mag-eexam ka for it. Basta, part siya ng needed mo na license.

6. First lipad experience. Ito na. Yung hinihintay mo. First time sa eroplano para matuto. Kahit nasa left ka, the so-called Pilot-in-command seat, di mo ito PIC time. Dual time ito. May Flight Instructor ka pang katabi sa right oh. Tuturuan ka niya ng everything na kailangan mo malaman. May mga maneuvers kayong nakakalula na gagawin. Pero kailangan dahil in case of emergencies yun, and common errors yun. 'Wag ka muna mag-selfie or whatever hangga't di sinasabi ng FI mo. Matuto muna talaga. Hanggang sa moment na sinabihan ka na ng FI mo na you're free to go solo. Yes... a mark of your achievement is...

7. FIRST SOLO. 'Wag ka masyadong atat. Isang traffic pattern lang ito. (explain soon) To explain it short, mag-take-off ka lang, then land back sa airport forming a rectangle shape. Anong kala mo na makakapunta ka na ng ibang lugar? Di pa. Mag-solo ka muna. And of course, fulfilling. Bawal daw sumayad ang paa mo sa lupa after nun, kaya bubuhatin ka ng mga ka-batch mo or whatever, tapos ibubuhos sa iyo is... depende kung ano yung napag-tripan nilang ihalo. Madalas putik, panis na pagkain, lahat na ng kadiri. Pero wala ka ng pake, nakapag-solo ka na. Yun yung mahalaga.

8. PPL Build-time and ELP exam. Di ka pa PPL. Chill lang din muna. Build ka pa muna ng hours na kailangan bago ka maging licensed na PPL holder. May cross-country flight ka rin. Land sa ibang airport. Pero 10 hours flight lang yun. Pinag-aralan niyo na ito sa Air Law. Kaya alam mo na kulang ka pa sa oras. Kailangan mo rin kumuha ng ELP exam or English Proficiency Exam. Kailangan Level 4-Level 6 ka for the license. English interview ito sa CAAP. After mo mabuild yung hours and ma-nosebleed, pwede ka na to the next step...

9. CAAP PPL Exam and Checkride. Actually, pwede mo i-take yung CAAP PPL Exam the moment na natapos ka na sa PPL Ground School. Yung ten subjects na inaral niyo, kailangan lahat iyon mapasa mo. Timed exam, multiple choice. Yah. Kabado. Kailangan maipasa mo muna lahat ng subjects and na-reach mo yung requirements bago ka magkaroon ng endorsement for a PPL Checkride. So, ano ang checkride? Scheduled flight mo with a CAAP check pilot. Check niya if you're really skilled to be a PPL. Kung ano ang tinuro ng FI mo na maneuvers, ipapagawa niya. Of course, may question and answer din. Kaya, paghandaan! Pagkatapos mo pumasa...

10. Second bar. Congratulations, Captain! So, dalawa na bars mo sa balikat and may nakuha ka ng wings na pini-pin sa uniform. Yes, pwede ka na tawagin na "Captain", because you're a licensed Private Pilot License holder. Pero, teka, di ka pa pwede pumasok ng airlines or kumita. Di porket PPL holder ka na is Private Pilot. MALI! Wrong thinking na naman. Ibig sabihin lang is pwede ka na mag-act as Pilot-in-command. Pwede ka na mag-fly solo. Pwede ka na magsakay din ng pasahero, pero bawal ang sweldo. Bawal ka mag-earn ng salary through flying, yet. So, pagkatapos mo mapasa lahat ng necessary papers sa CAAP at nakuha mo na ang license mo, yes, lisensyado ka na. And onward to the next step...

11. Classroom 2 a.k.a. CPL Ground School. Sa flying school namin, pagkatapos ng PPL Ground School, nag-CPL Ground School na rin kami. Wala namang nagbago sa subjects, yung teaching lang is for Commercial Pilot License or CPL. So, parang elementary ka na PPL na biglang pasok sa high school na CPL. 12 subjects nga lang ito. Same subjects, pero natanggal na yung EQC, and yung navigation, nahati sa dalawa. So yung additional subjects ay:

    a. General Navigation: practically kung ano yung Navigation na subject nung PPL.

    b. Radio Navigation: The so-called airline navigation or instrument rating. Yung navigation na di mo na kailangan tumingin sa labas and depend sa instruments mo sa eroplano and sa sinasabi ng air traffic controller sa iyo or di kaya ng charts. So madugo, like flying blind.

    c. Aircraft Performance: parang Operational Procedures na focus sa limitations ng aircraft. So para siyang Operational Procedures na may AGK and PoF na may FPP. Yas, nakakalito pero yun yung point doon.

12. CPL Build Time. Gusto mo na maraming flights na mag-cross? Ito na. Mag-cross ka na ng mag-cross. Mag-land sa ibang airports. Magsasawa ka dito. Except sa mga tinuturo ng FI niyo na new maneuvers na for CPL, madalas solo flight ka na.

13. RNAV and IR. Radio Navigation and Instrument Rating. Fly ka with FI, ituturo sa iyo ang pang-airlines na gawain. Charts and all. Yes, kailangan marunong ka sumunod sa procedures sa mga manuals. Ilang libro? Isa per airport. May mga Ground School na books ka pa. Yas.

14. CAAP CPL/IR Exam and Checkride. Parang PPL Exam. Exam. Yas. Subjects based sa na-discuss sa ground school. IR Exam is iba pa from it. Mas mahaba and mas madugo. Then, checkride. Iba ang CPL Checkride sa IR Checkride. Pero same pa rin. May CAAP check pilot. IR Checkride is madalas done na sa sim.

15. Third bar and CPL. So, nadagdagan ka na naman ng bar sa balikat. And yung silver wings mo is gold wings na pin na. CPL/IR ka na. Ibig-sabihin, pwede ka na mag-apply sa airlines? Pwede, if pasok ka sa requirements nila. Madalas, masyadong mababa pa ang oras mo for them. But others do accept. Also, may type rating ka, remember? Yung aircraft na ginamit mo sa buong phase ng training mo? Pwede ka na mag-PIC doon at kumita. Kaya nga Commercial Pilot License holder ka na. Pwede ka na magkaroon ng sweldo through flying. Good luck on your career, unless part ng program ng training mo ang...

16. Flight Instructor Course or A320 Training. It's either you're to train as a FI which is may set ng requirements din and to build hours; or have the A320 Training Course na madalas offer ng flying school. A320 is another type rating, yung madalas na gamit ng mga airlines. Since di ka naman technically magpapalipad kaagad ng mga ganoon, majority is through sim. May ground school din ang A320, to learn everything about it. Makapal na manuals, since mas malaki na eroplano. And sim training is equivalent sa hours mo sa A320. Simulation training is mostly how flight goes and also emergency procedures. Madalas, may kasamang ATPL Ground School or Airline Transport Pilot License Ground School ang program na ito: 14 subjects na necessary for an ATPL.

17. CAAP Exam and Checkride: Yes, bago maging licensed FI or type-rating sa A320, may exams na naman and checkride. Of course, buhay na ang nakasalalay sa iyo. Buhay ng future student mo as an FI, and future passengers mo as an A320 pilot.

18. Apply: Yes. Ito na. The step to your airline dream. Apply according sa requirements na kailangan ng airlines. Kung kulang ang oras, lipad pa. How? As an FI or pay the hours. Follow the airlines' test. May iba na theoretical exams, panel interview, medical, sim check, etc.

Sources: My, my GIs and FIs experiences, and my former GIs and FIs now working for the airlines.