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In this case, four eager students had successfully completed an extensive two-month course on the Airbus A320 and were ready to complete their base training—a critical milestone requiring at least six takeoffs and landings in a real aircraft under scrutiny from an examiner.
The Base Training Challenge
On the pivotal day, the group met at Talin Airport, where they were briefed by an experienced instructor, aged 63, and a safety pilot, aged 34. The anticipation was palpable as they planned for what was to be an important day in their flying careers. However, the students were relatively inexperienced just shy of 220 hours of total flying time—much lower than what many American pilots possess.