Dodd's Student Journal Daytona Beach, Florida Campus Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Name: Dodd Bailey Allen Jr.

Major: Aeronautical Science (Airline Pilot)
Minor: Aviation Weather

Age: 21

Hometown: Dallas, TX

Career Goals: To become a captain for a major airline.

Activities: Part time flight instructor at Embry-Riddle
Team Safety Leader

Why I chose Embry-Riddle: I wanted to go to a school that would train me to be the best and safest pilot I could be. The discipline and professionalism Embry-Riddle provides for their students has allowed me to achieve this goal.

December

December 1, 2008

Hello again, I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I know I did. I just got back from a wonderful 6 days off! I went to my roommate’s grandparent’s house for Thanksgiving in Ocala, FL. What a wonderful trip. The food was so amazing and they are pretty much like a second family to me. It was definitely a well-needed break. The week before Thanksgiving was extremely busy for me. But, weekend before full of studying and hard work really paid off. I got A’s on all of my papers, presentations, and tests! Anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Just work hard, have fun, and anything is possible.

I now have 3 days left in the semester! Wow, all that is left between now and Christmas break is one test and one paper. Success!!! If I can recommend anything to you future college students, I would urge you to work extremely hard in the beginning of the semester. Therefore, the stress level is lower at the end. If you work hard at the beginning of the school year when you are extremely motivated, you can maintain a high grade point average before finals hit. As a result, you have a buffer for the extremely high workload at the end of the semester. This has worked extremely well for me. A lot of students get extremely stressed during finals. However, if you make a constant effort to succeed during the semester, you’ll be just fine. Don’t wait until the end to start cracking the books.

This will most likely be my last entry of the semester. After December 4th, I will be halfway through with my senior year. I’m so excited! I will then jump on a jet plane for Dallas, TX to see my family. I will be back at Embry-Riddle the 5th of January to finish up my last 4 classes. Wow, what an experience. I look forward to sharing my memories and experiences with you all next semester. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

November

November 17, 2008

Well, we officially have less than a month of school. Whew, it’s been fun. I’m going to miss my Aeronautical Science classes.

Today was awesome! Remember how I told you guys that I would be taking a final in AS 420 which consisted of a simulator session on the computer? Well today, we did a practice version of the test. It was so awesome to see a group of 5 people working together as a whole. I was the captain and my group played the role of first officer, dispatcher, air traffic control, and the flight attendant. We all walked up to the “airplane” and began our preparation. My first officer and I ran the checklists, programmed the flight management system, and received our clearances out of Daytona Beach for a routine flight to Miami. After departure, we experienced an interesting issue at 21,000 feet abeam Orlando. The flight attendant called the cockpit and said that a passenger found a note written in Arabic and the passengers were a little upset. While my first officer and I discussed our plan of action, the flight attendant called back. He said that a passenger translated the message and it said that there was a bomb on board. The message indicated that it would explode 30 min after takeoff! My first officer and I immediately decided to divert to Orlando International Airport. I then proceeded to transfer control of the aircraft to my first officer while I explained the situation to air traffic control, the flight attendants, and dispatch. Everything went extremely well. I was very impressed on how much our professor’s stories and exercises helped us succeed in the cockpit! The situation was handled, and our aircraft touched down exactly 25 min after takeoff in Orlando. What an experience! I can’t wait to do the real test. Hopefully we will do as well as we did today.

I can definitely tell the semester is coming to a close. Next week is going to be the busiest week of the semester. I have 2 tests on Monday, a presentation and group paper due Wednesday, another presentation and group paper due Thursday, and my simulator exam in AS 420 Thursday afternoon. I definitely will be in the library all weekend preparing for next week.

Finally, for the past few weeks I have been trying to decide what my plans are after graduation. Well, I made the bold move and decided to get my masters! I’m really excited about it. My plan is to upgrade as a full-time instructor, hopefully, and then take master’s classes at night. I am going to apply for the MBA (Masters of Business Administration) program. It will not only prepare me for the constantly changing airline environment, but it will also help me be successful in my own life experiences. Also, I wouldn’t mind working in upper management for an airline and flying on the side later in my career.

Well have a great week everyone. I’m going to start on the pile of work I have for next week. Wish me luck!

November 3rd, 2008

Hello again, it’s November! I can’t believe it, one more month and the fall semester is over. I’m a little sad that this is my last semester taking aviation related classes. I’m going to miss the enthusiasm from the teachers and their wonderful flying stories. This semester has truly been amazing.

Flight technique analysis has been a worthwhile class, and the best is yet to come! This week, we are starting the application part of the course. This is where crews of 5 people get together and simulate several situations using the Aerosim program. Aerosim is flight sim times a million. It is super accurate and realistic. The cockpit is an actual picture taken from a real 747-400 and every button and switch works just like the real one. The point of these sim sessions on the computer is to tie everything we have learned in my past 3 years at Riddle together. Every student has an opportunity to be in a pilot position, while the others play the role of air traffic control, dispatch, and the lead flight attendant. It should be a wonderful learning experience. The neat thing about the sim sessions is that it takes the place of a final exam. We are graded on how well we work as a crew, handle an emergency, and get 400 people on the ground safety in a timely manner. Where else can you say you played flight sim for a final? Truly awesome!

In flight management systems, we use the same Aerosim program used in flight technique, but we learn the specifics on how to use the automation. The first 3 tests were over how to properly fly the 747-400 using the autopilot. There was one written test, and two practical tests using the simulator. I love it! It is such a great learning environment to actually see how every thing works through Aerosim. Last week, we started to learn how to program the flight management system. This is the little computer that holds all of the information relating to the flight; truly the heart of any aircraft operation. I can’t wait to see just how much can be accomplished with this equipment!

Crew resource management is also way above my expectations for a college class. Last week, we had crew led discussions. This is where 3 students run the class and are in charge of starting a discussion on a specific topic. This was so much fun. Our topic was how time and task management is important in the cockpit. Because of the fact that I am a flight instructor, I talk in front of people everyday. Therefore, I love giving group presentations and leading the class. You learn so much from everyone when you lead a classroom discussion.

Last week I took my second test in flight safety. I have learned so much from this class. It is a perfect example of a class that is focused on the students learning as much as possible with out any tricks. The tests are straight forward and allow to you leave with knowledge that will stay with you forever.

Finally, I had my third test in airline dispatch last week. Whew, what an interesting one. It was over aircraft performance. I was given weather, an aircraft, weights of cargo and people, and a bunch of other information relating to the flight. From that, I had to determine how much fuel we needed on board, how much we could weigh at take-off and landing, climb data, etc. Tons of fun! It was an intense test, but I did really well. The reason I aced it was because of the performance class I took last year. This is a perfectly good example of how Riddle provides you with information that you will never forget. I didn’t do a performance problem for over a year, and I still remembered 75 percent of the information. I was truly shocked. I hardly had to study for this test because most of the knowledge was already in my head.

Finally, I just want to say just how much fun I’m having being a flight instructor. I flew every day last week at sunset! It was probably the most amazing week of flying in my life. The weather was clear skies and about 65 degrees. This proves that I truly love my life at Embry-Riddle and I would not change a thing!

Well I hope everyone has a great start to November. I am starting to get sad that my senior year is almost half way over! I still can’t believe it. Well, it’s time for me to start my day. I have two classes to go and I’m flight instructing for most of the night. Have a great day everyone!

October

October 20, 2008

coulds Hello everyone. Wow, I can't believe this semester is halfway over! Time flies when you're having fun. Wait, you can have fun going to school? Well you can if what you are studying is your passion. I enjoy attending all of my classes because it enhances my knowledge of flying and makes me a better and safer pilot. While we are on the subject of classes, I can't believe how great they have been this semester. This is definitely my favorite semester so far! Like I said earlier, I am taking my last 5 classes relating to aviation. They are tying together everything I have learned over the past 3 years, and wow, I can't believe I have learned so much! Embry-Riddle definitely prepares you for the real world. I would not change anything about my past 3 years here; it has by far exceeded my expectations of a top aviation university.

Remember my new safety job? Well I love it!!!!! It is so much fun and I have already learned so much. We had our first safety meeting last week and it was so neat to hear about all of the safety issues. After the meeting, it was my job to let all of the flight instructors on my Team know what has been going on with the safety department. Therefore, the next day I gave a 15 min presentation to my team. I gave them recommendations on what to do to ensure that they are operating in the safest way possible. Finally, I listened to their concerns and comments on how to make us even safer. I love being involved and contributing to Embry-Riddle everyday.

Flight instructing has been going fantastic as well. I have a new student and I'm ecstatic about that. I am now teaching one student in the instrument flight course and the other in the private pilot course. So much fun! For those of you that don't know, the instrument flight course consists of teaching students how to fly in the clouds. What an experience! It is so neat to be able to fly when you can't see anything. low visibility That is when you realize that you are truly a pilot. One of the best feelings in the world is taking off, going into the clouds at 400 ft, flying for 2 hrs without ever seeing the ground, and coming back to land. It is so neat breaking out of the clouds at 300 ft and seeing the airport right in front of you. Now the private flight course is a whole other ballgame. I am now teaching someone who has no aviation experience how to be a pilot! This is truly a blast. It is so satisfying watching a student go from knowing nothing about flying to flying completely by him/herself. Life couldn't be better, I'm going to school, learning about my favorite subject, and sharing my joy of flight with my students. What more could I ask for?

Well, I hope everyone enjoys what's left of October. If you're planning to attend our Open House this Saturday - look for me, I'll be around showing prospective students the College of Aviation. The weather is starting to become extremely beautiful here. Today it was sunny and 70 degrees, what a life. I am truly living in paradise. Now its time for bed, I have an extremely busy week ahead.

October 6, 2008

Dodd Hello everyone, I hope your October has been going well. This semester definitely has been an exciting one for me. Now that you have an idea of what my classes are like, I would like to introduce you to the wonderful world of flight instructing. I have been a flight instructor for Embry-Riddle for a little over a year now. All I have to say is wow, I love my job! What more can I ask for? My office is either a classroom or a cockpit. I am an instrument flight instructor during the evenings, but I also teach other flight courses when I have free time. My primary work day begins around 5, and I am typically done around 8. No matter how much stress is in my life, when I teach, everything stays behind. As soon as I step foot in the airplane, it is just me, my student, an incredible machine, and the most beautiful scenery you have ever seen. There is nothing more rewarding than teaching the student the wonderful world of flight. The best part of it all is that I learn so much from flight instructing. When I am sitting in the cockpit watching the student, I can apply everything he/she does to my future students and my personal flying techniques. I definitely would recommend this job to anyone! I don’t work a day in my life.

Cloud This semester has also provided me with wonderful opportunities. Two weeks ago I applied for the Team Safety Leader position in the flight department. The flight department is divided into 7 teams. These teams consist of a supervisor and roughly 30 flight instructors. Each team has a TSL. A TSL represents these 30 flight instructors to the director of safety. If there is a safety related issue, flight instructors and students can go to a TSL for help. The responsibility of a TSL is to demonstrate the highest quality of safety in everyday operations. Well, last week, I was appointed the TSL position for Team 7!!! I am so excited for this wonderful opportunity. I have always been interested in flight safety. My first real-world application of safety was last summer during my internship with Continental Airlines. I worked all summer in the safety department as many of you already know. Now, I can continue this work at my favorite flight department! I can’t wait to contribute to Embry-Riddle’s incredible safety culture.

I hope everyone has a great week. I’m going to get ready for class. In my next entry, I’ll give you an update on my classes. I begin my first round of tests this week. Wish me luck!

September

September 22, 2008

Dodd Hello everyone, it feels so good to be back at school and getting into the swing of things. This year is going to be filled with fun and excitement, as well as knowledge that will help me succeed in many years to come. I am finishing up my last year in college and teaching young students the wonderful world of flight, what more can I ask for? I love my life!

As a senior here at Embry-Riddle, I have already taken all of my general education classes, as well as most of my Aeronautical Science/Flight courses. Because of the fact that I received my private pilot license before I came to Embry-Riddle, I was able to obtain all of my pilot’s licenses by my junior year. This has allowed me to focus on my class work and gain an abundance of knowledge from teaching others how to fly. What an experience! This past year has been very rewarding, and I look forward to what my senior year will unfold.

Dodd This semester, I am taking my last five Aeronautical Science classes. It’s going to be a blast! These are the capstone classes of the program and they will provide me with the knowledge I will need to succeed in the professional aviation environment. These classes include Airline Dispatch, Aviation Safety, Flight Management Systems, Crew Resource Management, and Flight Technique and Analysis.

Dodd Airline Dispatch is the capstone course for a program we have at Embry-Riddle known as the dispatcher program. A dispatcher is someone that works for an airline who prepares all of the paperwork for a flight. Some of the paperwork includes the route of flight, a review of the weather along the flight, and filling out a flight plan. This is something great for a pilot to have, because if he/she is working for an airline and is suddenly unable to fly, you can turn to your dispatcher certificate. This is a great back-up plan to have in your pocket in the aviation industry. I have really enjoyed this program and it is very enlightening. Most of the required courses are already built into the Aeronautical Science program. You only have to take a few required electives to qualify to take the dispatcher exam. If any you are interested, see your academic advisor for details.

Dodd My next class is Aviation Safety. All I can say is WOW! Our professor was a Marine and Naval aviator with thousands of hours of fighter experience. He also flew F-4 phantoms in Top Gun! The stories he shares with the class are truly amazing, especially how he can relate it back to the subject matter. This is definitely one of my favorite classes here at Riddle. In Aviation Safety, we investigate previous accidents and talk about how to prevent them in the future. I look forward to what I will learn this semester from others mistakes.

Flight Management Systems is also a very interesting class. Here we learn how to operate all of the computer systems and autopilot in a Boeing 747-400. It is truly amazing how accurate the Aerosim program is to programming a real 747-400’s computers. We practice loading routes of flight into the system and flying simulated flights using the autopilot. Since most of the airline and corporate world is operated using autopilot, this is a very valuable skill to have.

Dodd Another useful skill I will learn this semester is how to fly an aircraft in a two pilot cockpit. Crew Resource Management teaches us the special skill of how to work together and provide the passengers with a safe flying environment. General aviation pilots need this training because we are used to operating an aircraft that requires one pilot. This skill works great in small aircraft, but once you begin flying large transport category aircraft, the workload in the cockpit increases tremendously. Therefore, you need to know how to divide up the duties in the cockpit in a safe, yet efficient manner. This class is going to provide me with this skill.

Finally, the last course I am taking this semester is Flight Technique and Analysis. This course is the capstone course of the entire Aeronautical Science program. It takes everything I have learned over the past 3 years and ties it together into one. We use the Aerosim program just like FMS, except we perform actual flight scenarios in a crew environment. We learn how to deal with emergencies, weather, and passenger problems. The flights that we will fly are identical to scenarios an airline would present to their new hire pilots. I am very excited to see how this course will tie everything together, and provide me with a means to succeed in the real world.

As the semester continues I will give you an update on each class and talk more about the wonderful world of flight instructing. Until then, stay motivated, work hard, and fly safe!

September 12, 2008

Hello everyone, my name is Dodd Bailey Allen Jr. and I am from Dallas, TX. Many of you may remember me from the journals I wrote this past summer about my Continental Airlines internship. My dream of flying began when I was in second grade. I knew I wanted to be a professional pilot the moment I flew on my first airliner. From then on, I built models and studied pictures of every airplane I could get my hands on. When middle school came around, I continued my journey towards the wonderful world of flight when I began my hobby of remote controlled aircraft. I began with the simple stuff, and now I own 9 r/c aircraft and I have flown anything from a small electric airplane to an r/c jet that flies at over 280 mph! My favorite personal aircraft is a 1/3 scale sukhoi. This aircraft has a 10 hp engine on it and has a wingspan of 8 ft. I perform extensive aerobatic demos for students and enthusiasts around Dallas, TX. Finally, flying r/c aircraft was one of the many things that piqued my interest in teaching. I worked at my local hobby shop for 7 years and I was the chief flight instructor all throughout high school. I was teaching people 3 times my age how to fly r/c aircraft.

Dodd The real success story began in my senior year of high school. This is where I flew a real airplane for the first time. I began my private pilot training at a local airport by my high school. I received my private pilot license the summer after my senior year and I was hooked! I then began my fall semester at one of the best aviation schools in the world, Embry-Riddle. Here I finished all of my licenses in my first two years. I am now a fully certified commercial, multi-engine, single-engine, instrument rated pilot. I am also a certified flight instructor, certified flight instructor instrument, advanced ground instructor, and instrument ground instructor. I continued my dream of teaching junior year when I became a part-time flight instructor in the flight department at Embry-Riddle. I still can’t believe I am getting paid to fly! Finally, last summer, I received the privilege to work with Continental Airlines during a summer internship. Here I learned what it was like to fly $80 million jets and how an airline truly operated. I received 30 hrs of flight training in a Level D 737-800 simulator. Wow, what an experience! Now, I sit here today beginning my senior year of college! Wow, time flies when you are having fun. I look forward to telling you about all of my classes and what a normal day at Embry-Riddle is like. I will also enlighten you about the joys of being a flight instructor at one of the top flight schools in the world. Until then, I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the fall semester. Time to start my homework for the night.