Morning brief wasn't a pleasant one especially after MAJ Kullar talked to us about our course, about standards, comparing with the previous courses and informed us that the lack of preparations would result in the direct failure to the sortie to be flown on that day. Naturally, I wasn't pleased as it was directly caused by individual's mistakes and the whole course gets it.
I was pretty nervous before strapping in because of the last sortie screw up. However I managed to get over it, and came up with a performance I deemed good. Everything went according to plan, I wasn't penalized much, but was a little wronged at the run-up bay where I did not line up straight into the holding point after completion of the vital actions and Captain's brief.
It was smooth all the way till I started mid-level turns where it wasn't good, both times. He gave me a last chance with a tone as if I were to mess things up, we would head straight right back to base. I had to give him a one times good one, and I did, thankfully. Practiced the downwind and base turns three times, which was not very good as I wasn't well-versed in the downwind checks.
I also keep forgetting to level off in slow cruise attitude to allow the plane to accelerate to 120kts to complete a steady climb, what a let down. But other than that, I'm proud of my R/T calls and today's recovery COL Kao didn't even say anything, especially the 5NM R/T call where I had been messing up for the pass three sorties. You should have seen me smiling after the flight, I hope I can keep up this standard of the procedures and further improve if applicable.
COL Kao gave an hour long of debrief for both Garret and I, it was a very useful one, he was in a very good mood today, whistling while walking back to the Ops room. I learnt something more from the debrief and is more useful than him just asking us whether we have questions or not.
After EODD, wanted to use the computers but had a lot of people there so I was with Garret and Lien Ho at the mock up, doing the checks and procedures together. We went straight to dinner from there and dinner was nice especially the noodles and the honey baked chicken wings.
Returned to my room with a strong smell of cow dunk lingering in the surroundings, and my was it a smell to die for. Took a bathe before Jason and I had to endure a long stretch of that smell while walking to the tea room, unbearable. Been having lots of calls which was very irritating, only when I can't use my phone then it starts to ring more often, just like my analogy of the bus you want to take which never comes until after a long time.
Studied for stalling, long list to remember, seeked help from Garret, helped Leon a little bit, drank some hot tea before I turned into bed, I'm wishing for a smooth sortie tomorrow, no more screw-ups please? I just love waves one and two, but not three and definitely not four (even though I have not been allocated), sortie three happened on wave three, and I'm wave three tomorrow.. *prays/wishes/begs*
10:30 pm;