Do you know how and why to become a pilot at the Fundació Parc Aeronàutic de Catalunya?
Imagine being able to fly a historic aircraft at a cost far below its real value. Receiving free formation flying instruction. And, on top of that, having the opportunity to display the aircraft once a month…
This (and much more) is what it means to be a pilot at the Fundació Parc Aeronàutic de Catalunya.
“Where’s the catch?” you might ask and indeed, there is one. Unlike what you are used to in aviation, at FPAC you don’t only pay in money (although that is also part of it), but in commitment.
Commitment with your time, dedicating a minimum of two days per month to training and helping set up the flying display, the PAC Obert, which takes place every third Sunday of the month.
Commitment to your fellow pilots, as sometimes you will not get to fly. You may end up taxiing an aircraft. Or simply pushing it. In any case, you must be there, and whether or not you fly will be decided later.
But also commitment to yourself, as flying with FPAC requires prior training that goes beyond the hours flown in a Cessna 152/172. You must learn to fly more demanding aircraft, because although aircraft have not changed much in 80 years, older ones are far less forgiving of mistakes than modern ones.
You need to know how to fly tailwheel aircraft, which teach you that an aircraft has something on your feet called pedals that control a mysterious appendage called the rudder. You need basic aerobatic knowledge, because although these aircraft may have complex procedures, you must be able to fly them “by feel” in other words, to sense the aircraft and know how it will react when approaching the limits of the envelope.
You must be able to work as part of a team, as 90% of the time you will fly within a formation discipline involving other pilots. You may fly solo, but there will be pilots flying before and after you, so you must be punctual and respect the instructions given.
And above all, you must be humble, and understand that although you are privileged to fly true aviation gems in front of the public, you are not there to show off you are there so that people can witness history in flight.
Now you know what it means to be an FPAC pilot. Let me try to explain why you should become one:
Being an FPAC pilot makes you a safer pilot, one who knows how to distinguish between perceived danger (“what a strange noise this Bücker’s engine is making”) and real danger (“let’s make the pass lower so they can see us better”).
Being an FPAC pilot allows you to learn ways of flying that would not be available in most other civilian aviation activities, such as formation flying, complex operations with very agile aircraft (for example, the Zlin Akrobat or Trener Master, which feature variable pitch and retractable landing gear despite being aerobatic aircraft), or landing techniques with very demanding aircraft that can catch you out when you least expect it (such as the Bücker Jungmann).
But above all, you should become an FPAC pilot because there is nothing more authentic than flying aircraft designed barely 25 years after the first powered flight aircraft that have been flying longer than you have been alive, and which, thanks to you, continue to inspire new generations to fall in love with aviation.
If I’ve convinced you to become an FPAC pilot, you already know what to do: learn to fly tailwheel aircraft, learn aerobatics, and keep a balanced mix of enthusiasm and patience.
Trust me the wait is well, and truly, worth it
For more information: http://www.fpac.org
