Snow
'Not a new member'
Well hi there folks, I said I'd post a 'Flying Turkey like' diary of my experences here at the Academy, and so here it is!
DAY 1 - Wednesday 3rd October
I arrive in Melboune at 15:00 and 'Pavelump' was kind enough to give me a lift to the Academy. I picked up an visitor pass at the front desk and got my key for my room in the dorms. Took my stuff upto my room, had a quick bite out with Dave and then returned to hear a guest speaker, a pilot from NetJets talk at 17:30 for an hour or so. Afterwards I went back to my dorm room which is kinda a 3 bedroom apartment with shared kitchen, living room and bathroom. I unpacked and put all my posters up so I didn't feel like I was in a hotel.
Day 2 - Thursday 4th October
Today I get up and eat breakfast down at the cafe because I have absolutely nothing in the kitchen, a pretty good breakfast too for $3 I say! I then go down to admin and pick up my first key loan check for $20,000. I met a fellow student who was going to be in my class as well. He and his mother had just flown in from Guana that morning. We shared a 'shuttle' which for $6 and $2 per additional person you can be taken anywhere in town from door to door. I first went and setup a new account at Wachova (same bank as FSI uses, so no wait on transfers) then headed over to the local supermarket where I proceeded to buy everything, since only cookware and some plates and eating utinels are provided. Also checked out some local mobile phone companies but yet to find one my phone will work with.
That evening got to meet my first flatmate, I thought i had brought a lot of stuff until he shows up with a minivan full of stuff. We bought some more necesities and each bought a bookshelf for $20 from WalMart to store all the books we would be needing over the duration of the course. Had dinner out with my flatmate at the 'Atlantic Grill' which was good food and reasonably priced. Later retired to bed early in preperation for the 8am start tommarow.
Day 3 Friday 3rd October - Orentation Day
Today I woke up about 5am just due to the excitement, I had been waiting close to a year for this day. After shower and breakfast I headed down for the orentation proceedings. We were greeted by all the big wigs and got a little background info on the Academy and of FSI. We filled out paperwork, got measured for uniforms, had a rundown of our course givn to us, photo ID taken and took a drug test, which proved to be the most comical part of the day so far as everyone drank vast quanties of water and waited in line to 'pee on demand' which as we all know goes against natures ways lol
We also picked up all our books, maps, manuals, rulers, computers etc we would need which came to about $450.
We were treated to a free lunch and then proceeded onto the afternoon's activites which consited of getting a run down of basic regulations, an offer to sign up for a mentor program, found out who our personal flight instructor was and lastly getting to talk to one of the more advanced students for a student's prespective of the academy and also to find out where the good 'watering holes' are!
The whole orentaion took from 8am till about 3:30pm. Oh and we got some homework already, 3 chapters to read on areodynamics.
That afternoon I bought some folders from the pilot shop and also tried on some headsets, the ladies there are super nice and know me by name already. The bookshelf I had bought came in handy for storing the 15odd books I had recived.
Feeling a little bored I heading down to the flight line to check out the aircraft, an instructor who had just gotten back from a flight agreed to take me out and show me the planes, I got to sit in both a Cherokee Cadet and one of the new Seminole. Later I found out this instructor was actually an old buddy of Doug's from Embry Ridle! He told me they were farternity brothers, so that was pretty cool! Afterwards I went back to my room to read over some the Academy's regulations which after an very early start, had me falling asleep after a couple of pages.
To be continued...
DAY 1 - Wednesday 3rd October
I arrive in Melboune at 15:00 and 'Pavelump' was kind enough to give me a lift to the Academy. I picked up an visitor pass at the front desk and got my key for my room in the dorms. Took my stuff upto my room, had a quick bite out with Dave and then returned to hear a guest speaker, a pilot from NetJets talk at 17:30 for an hour or so. Afterwards I went back to my dorm room which is kinda a 3 bedroom apartment with shared kitchen, living room and bathroom. I unpacked and put all my posters up so I didn't feel like I was in a hotel.
Day 2 - Thursday 4th October
Today I get up and eat breakfast down at the cafe because I have absolutely nothing in the kitchen, a pretty good breakfast too for $3 I say! I then go down to admin and pick up my first key loan check for $20,000. I met a fellow student who was going to be in my class as well. He and his mother had just flown in from Guana that morning. We shared a 'shuttle' which for $6 and $2 per additional person you can be taken anywhere in town from door to door. I first went and setup a new account at Wachova (same bank as FSI uses, so no wait on transfers) then headed over to the local supermarket where I proceeded to buy everything, since only cookware and some plates and eating utinels are provided. Also checked out some local mobile phone companies but yet to find one my phone will work with.
That evening got to meet my first flatmate, I thought i had brought a lot of stuff until he shows up with a minivan full of stuff. We bought some more necesities and each bought a bookshelf for $20 from WalMart to store all the books we would be needing over the duration of the course. Had dinner out with my flatmate at the 'Atlantic Grill' which was good food and reasonably priced. Later retired to bed early in preperation for the 8am start tommarow.
Day 3 Friday 3rd October - Orentation Day
Today I woke up about 5am just due to the excitement, I had been waiting close to a year for this day. After shower and breakfast I headed down for the orentation proceedings. We were greeted by all the big wigs and got a little background info on the Academy and of FSI. We filled out paperwork, got measured for uniforms, had a rundown of our course givn to us, photo ID taken and took a drug test, which proved to be the most comical part of the day so far as everyone drank vast quanties of water and waited in line to 'pee on demand' which as we all know goes against natures ways lol

We were treated to a free lunch and then proceeded onto the afternoon's activites which consited of getting a run down of basic regulations, an offer to sign up for a mentor program, found out who our personal flight instructor was and lastly getting to talk to one of the more advanced students for a student's prespective of the academy and also to find out where the good 'watering holes' are!

That afternoon I bought some folders from the pilot shop and also tried on some headsets, the ladies there are super nice and know me by name already. The bookshelf I had bought came in handy for storing the 15odd books I had recived.
Feeling a little bored I heading down to the flight line to check out the aircraft, an instructor who had just gotten back from a flight agreed to take me out and show me the planes, I got to sit in both a Cherokee Cadet and one of the new Seminole. Later I found out this instructor was actually an old buddy of Doug's from Embry Ridle! He told me they were farternity brothers, so that was pretty cool! Afterwards I went back to my room to read over some the Academy's regulations which after an very early start, had me falling asleep after a couple of pages.
To be continued...