Flight Plan (FLIGHT series #01)

Flight 55 - Clearance

Clearance

Clearance is an official permission. It may vary, from a detailed description of a route and levels to be flown, to the name of a standard route, such as Standard Instrument Departure (SID) and Standard Terminal Arrival (STAR). Clearances should be passed slowly to enable pilots to write down the information. If possible, a clearance is passed before start up and before descent, and certainly not when a pilot is engaged in maneuvering the aircraft; of course, multi-crew aircraft do not have a problem here.
ATC has its separate frequency service or aeronautical station unit, especially for big and busy airports, to handle "Clearance Delivery" generally called as "DELIVERY", which involves information that airlines used in takeoff and landing. The following information is given that must be read back in full by the pilot: (1) level instructions, (2) heading instructions, (3) speed instructions, (4) ATC route clearances, (5) runway in use, (6) clearance to enter, land on, takeoff, back-track, cross, or hold short of active runway, (7) SSR operating instructions, (8) VDF information, (9) frequency changes, (10) type of radar service, and (11) altimeter settings.

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Since allowed ang nine guests per cadet this time, given that this is much more like a celebration to mark the end of our flight training—graduation, kung tawagin namin—kumpleto naman na um-attend ang family ko. Pwera lamang kay Kuya Migs, naging guests ko rin ang mga lolo at lola ko from both sides, and si Ate Ella na sinabihan ni Kuya na maging representative niya. Due to that, mas lalong dumami ang dumalo sa event.

Hindi lang dahil sa dami ng guests namin, but also maging sa buong staff ng WAA, mga ground instructors, mga flight instructors na nasa Clark or possible maka-attend, and mga instructors namin sa Airbus itself. Even 'yong mga ka-batch namin na 'di nagtuloy ng Airbus ay dumalo rin, though hindi as part of the graduates, and had taken one or two pass mula sa iba naming ka-batch na hindi mapupuno 'yong nine guests na allocated. In short, sa dami namin ay halos mapuno ang gymnasium.

Also, compared sa mga previous ceremonies ng WAA, this graduation rites para sa completion ng flight training namin had been held in the evening. Though not as late na matatapos ng eight in the evening, but be over with the program at six and the dinner that followed. May order, kung baga: morning for the welcoming ceremony, afternoon for the pinning ceremony, and then evening for the graduation ceremony. Not to mention as well that it had been a semi-formal event; compared to the past events na smart casual attire. But nothing to worry para sa amin na graduates, since a pilot's unifom is actually a formal one and that's a requirement for us.

It almost resembles 'yong pinning ceremony namin. However, we have a guest speaker na captain ng Philippine Airlines. To be honest, kakilala ko siya, since papa siya ng elementary classmate ni Moi (small world, to be honest). Then, since ang batch president namin is 'di naman nag-A320 training and si Kael lang 'yong sub, we've agreed na ang Best in Flying na lamang namin ang magsalita. Of course, the award had been given to our first soloist, kaya si Spencer ang nag-deliver ng speech din na puro naman bulgaran ng mga totoong pinaggagawa namin. Parang valedictory speech, gano'n. And there's also the changing of epaulettes from two bars to three bars, and the silver wings to gold wings by our parents.

Medyo nakaka-overwhelm, and masasabi ko na ang bilis ng panahon. It is almost two years since we've started sa flight training and nakilala ko ang mga ka-batch ko. It hadn't been an easy journey, but one that I am proud of. It actually feels like some sort of fate na sila ang naging ka-batch ko and I found a family in them. And also found a man I've been and will always be willing to take the leap of faith.

Xav, smiling, leans closer to my ear after namin makausap ang iba naming ka-batch in regards sa plano naming graduation celebration. He whispers, "So, I'll be seeing you the day after tomorrow. Eleven o'clock ang flight natin, so I'll be picking you at about eight sa inyo. No problem naman in regards sa check-in or what, pinagamit naman ni Papa 'yong 5000."