#4- 2 Articles & End Product

I am keen to be an airline pilot, how can I apply?
Application details and requirements are sometimes available on the website of the various airlines in Singapore. Check them out! Do note that entry requirements vary with the different airline employers. 

Reuirements for the issue of a CAAS Professional Pilots Licence can be found in SASP2 (singapore Air Safety Publication 2) located under the regulations section in Civil Aviation Authority Singapore website. 

Singapore Airlines Ltd http://www.singaporeair.com
SIA Cargo Pte Ltd http://www.siacargo.com/career.asp
Singapore Flying College http://www.sfcpl.com
Silk Air http://www.silkair.com

Is there a minimum age to be a pilot?
The minimum age is laid down in the requirements for the issue of a professional pilots licence found in SASP2. However Singaporeans who wish to enter the profession as an Airline Pilot will have to be at least 26 years of age at the point of application. This is a restriction imposed on Singaporeans by the Government to ensure the Air Force has its ready pool of applicants amongst our limited talent pool. This does not apply if you are not a Singaporean.

How long does it take for a pilot to be trained?

A cadet pilot undergoes three phases of training over a period of 26 months with a starting pay of S$750.00 which increases commensurate with the phase of training he undergoes. During this time, he trains in Singapore and Western Australia as well as in the state of Queensland, Australia. 


However, throughout his career, a pilot continues to undergo a rigorous six-monthly recurrent training session, a six-monthly flight test in a simulator and an annual fight check en route in order to maintain a valid licence to fly. The licence is also based on his passing a six-monthly or an annual thorough medical check-up, depending on age or type of flying licence held. 


What sort of flying licence does an SIA pilot need to have?

The basic licence required for an SIA pilot is the Commercial Pilot’s Licence. In addition to the ongoing training mentioned above, a pilot holding this licence has to pass an annual medical examination if he is below 40 years of age, and every six months if he is above 40 years old. To be a Captain, a pilot needs to possess an Air Transport Pilot’s Licence (ATPL) which is obtained by passing a written examination set by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. He also has to acquire the necessary flying hours. An ATPL holder has to undergo a medical examination once every six months.


Is there a minimum age before you can be a pilot with the national carrier SIA?

Singaporeans have to be at least 26 years old before they can start a career with the national carrier. (This policy applies only to Singaporean staff.) As such, many ALPA-S members are mid-career pilots who are often trained in other professions and may even have been practicing in those industries for several years before making the switch. 

Among ALPA-S members are former bankers, doctors, lawyers, IT professionals, engineers, administrators, economists, marketing executives, etc who have made the career change for the love of the flying. While they come from all walks of life, it is their overriding passion and love for their job that keeps them flying the national carrier. Most of them remain career pilots. 

How long does it take to become a Captain?

To reach the rank of Captain takes on average 10 years, clocking over 4,700 hours of flying through a minimum of 1,000 flying sectors as a First Officer. The basic salary range for Captains vary depending on the aircraft type or fleet he belongs to.


What is a pilot’s pay like?

Salaries vary depending on the type of aircraft a pilot is assigned to fly and the number of hours flown. Advancement of a pilot’s salary also depends on his length of service with the company and the fleet he belongs to. A First Officer’s basic salary starts from S$4,475 while a Captain’s starts from S$8,550. 


How is a pilot’s pay structured?

An ALPA-S pilot’s pay, terms and conditions of employment are governed by Collective Agreements (CA) made between the pilots and their employers. That is, SIA pilots will have a CA with SIA, while SilkAir pilots sign a separate CA with SilkAir. 


Generally, a pilot’s total pay comprises his basic salary and an hourly rated Pilots’ Productivity Allowance (PPA). These two components form the bulk of a pilot’s total income, one of which – the PPA – is relatively flexible. There are also some miscellaneous travel allowances provided for by the Company.


What is the CA?

The Collective Agreement (CA) is a comprehensive contract agreed upon by the airline and ALPA-S which dictates the employment terms and conditions of the pilots. It is made pursuant to the provisions of the Industrial Relations Act. The CA is renegotiated every two to three years as a matter of course. The CA applies to all 1,600 ALPA-S members which include Singapore citizens, expatriates and permanent residents from over 40 nationalities. The CA, however, does not cover the employment terms of ‘seconded’ pilots from SIA Mauritius, otherwise known as Overseas Based Pilots. 


Note: SilkAir pilots negotiate a separate CA with SilkAir Management through the SilkAir Branch within ALPA-S. The Executive Council comprising SIA Branch and SilkAir Branch representatives, acts on behalf of SilkAir pilots. 


What are Seconded Pilots?

Seconded pilots are not directly employed by the Airlines but operate services for the airlines using SIA-owned aircraft. Such pilots are based outside Singapore. 


What is Pilots’ Productivity Allowance?

The Pilots’ Productivity Allowance (PPA) is an hourly rate paid for every hour flown. Under the prevailing CA, the PPA comprises up to 30% of a pilot’s total income. As this part of the pilot’s salary is based on productivity, it is variable – the more a pilot flies, the more he earns. As such, in cases when flights are cancelled, if he is sent on course, or if he is on medical or annual leave, his salary will be correspondingly affected. Thus, a pilot’s salary can fluctuate – the less he flies, the lower his income. 



How much leave do pilots have?

Currently, national pilots with SIA have 28 days annual leave, while expatriates enjoy 42 days annual leave. SilkAir national pilots enjoy between 30-36 days leave each year. The industry standard is on average 42 days per year. Pilots do not enjoy any off days on any of the statutory holidays.


END PRODUCT-
I am going to do a Video Interview about a person's journey of being a Pilot [I am going to interview my Pilot cousin] in the Video Interview my cousin is going to explain to you his journey of his Flying Career. He will also tell you what a successful Pilot need to have as well as the precious and memorable experiences you will gain. 
HOW AM I GOING TO KNOW THAT MY END PRODUCT WILL BE A GOOD PRODUCT? 
My product is considered as a successful product if the people I present to understands my product and is able to understand the journey of a Pilot, from the colorful video and pictures.


GOALS!:
3 Months: I am going to try to do a Video Interview of my Pilot Cousin. He's gonna tell you about his flying career.
6 Months: I am going to do a Poster of some pictures with words that will help me to explain what does a Pilot do when he has to travel around the world. 
10 Months: If I have the time, I will sign up for the Private Pilot License @ the Singapore Youth Flying CLub. If I don't have the time, I will write a e-mail to the person in-charge of the Singapore Youth Flying Club and ask him some questions regarding the Pilot Industry.

#3 continued

My AOI:
Justify one area of interaction you will use for your Personal Project. Explain why, and your process of choosing it. Write at least 250 words.
My dad was once a Cabin Supervisor at Singapore Airlines. Therefore I get to travel around a lot every year, since then I feel in love with traveling and looking at the different sceneries of the different countries. Not only being inspired by my dad but also my cousins. Most of my cousins worked in Singapore Airlines and they are either Pilots or Cabin Crews. I remembered when I was younger, my mum showed me a Hong Kong Drama; TRIUMPH IN THE SKIES;衝上雲霄 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_in_the_Skies] its about the journey of being a Pilot. Since then I decided that I really want to be a Pilot when I grow up and I will try to work towards this goal that I have.
AOI: Approches to learning


Reflections:

My timetable is based on the things that I have to or should be doing daily. Though it seems like there's quite a lot of things that I have to complete or go through daily, however I find that these are the things that really made my life a much more fulfilling one. By doing this timetable for myself, it also made me think of what are my priorities, it also allows me to know the amount of time that I spend for the things that I have to do daily, setting a timetable for myself also help me to manage my time and my priorities well. I might to be able to follow whatever I stated on my timetable but I will try my best to follow it.

My Priorities:

#1: Myself

#2:Family,Friends

#3: My School! :D

#3 [Timetable]

Charlotte's Timetable

#2

Right now, you are to look at your topic of interest and write down how EACH SUBJECT teaches you to learn how to learn about your TOPIC OF INTEREST.


English- I will learn how to communicate with the trainers that teaches me how to be a pilot, like the steps that I have to take in-order to be a successful pilot.

Maths- Maths will help me calculate Eg; the temperature,the distance needed to be taken like from Singapore to Japan, the weight of the plane and the weights in the plane.

Chemistry- Chemistry allow me to know/understand what chemicals are needed in-order for the plane to fly better.

Biology- *can't really think of any*  


Chinese- *can't really think of any*

Business Studies- Allows me to use the business terms to write reports.

Physical Education- Allows me to know some basic exercises to exercise.

Technology- Allows me to use technology to solve problems I encounter.


Art- *can't really think of any*

Topic Of Interest-Process Journal #1

TOPIC OF INTEREST:
How does people working in the Airlines worked?
AOI #1: Approaches Of Learning

Why would you be interested in this topic? What inspired or motivate you?
My dream is to work as a Pilot, because I was very inspired and motivated by my cousins and dad. My dad was once a Cabin Supervisor and 2 of my cousins is a Pilot. Thus, since young I have been very expose to the Airline Industries and traveling. Since then, I found out that I really love to travel around , I love to explore the different sceneries of different countries and especially the shoppings!

What do you think is the difference of learning and doing? How do you know?
Learning is learning how to do a type of thing while doing is doing something you might not have learn before but you are doing and learning how to do it at the same time. It would be better if you learn how to do it first before doing it, this will allow you to make lesser mistakes or even no mistakes at all while doing it first will allow you to make more mistakes because you have not learn the basics first before doing it. For example; you would like to know how to operate an plane as in the future you would like to be a Pilot, the first thing many people would do is learn the basics of how to operate a plane as well as to have a trainer. You should be very familiarize with how how fly a plane before flying it. If you never go through the learning process, you will surely make mistakes. It is not worth it to take the risks. 


Which AOI are you interested in and why? 
AOI #1-APPROCHES TO LEARNING, I choose AOI #1because I would like to understand and know better on how to be a Pilot and the learning process of the journey of being a Pilot. And being a Pilot is also something that I am very interested in so I decided to choose AOI #1-Approches to learning. This will allow me to have a better understanding on what are a things a Pilot must know...etc.