The One Where SHIFT Day Three Starts to Click

Today built upon everything we have covered so far in SHIFT, particularly the programming of our Flight Management System (FMS) through the MCDU. It is becoming clear how the course is structured. The instructors introduced core concepts in the first couple of days, and now they have us practice the same flows repeatedly while layering on additional details. I am relieved that I invested extra time after class to review each day’s lessons because it is making it much easier to absorb new information without feeling overwhelmed. I can see how anyone who did not reinforce the fundamentals would struggle to keep up, as our instructors are incredibly knowledgeable but move quickly—sometimes very quickly. Falling behind would probably feel like trying to read a book in a foreign language without a dictionary.

It also helps that most of my classmates seem to be in the same boat. We are all moving forward at a similar pace, and when we chat during breaks, we occasionally discover gaps in our understanding. Correcting those minor misunderstandings in a supportive environment is far easier than trying to catch up alone. For me, the key has been to break flows, callouts, and MCDU programming into logical chunks, rather than viewing them as one giant, complicated process. Identifying what triggers the next step has made it much simpler to put everything in order. Repetition, of course, is still king: running through each flow over and over again has helped commit the steps to memory.

We wrapped up the day with a knowledge validation review, during which our instructor walked us through a few FOM and systems questions. While procedure validations do not worry me too much, the knowledge validations can be slightly nerve-wracking, so I appreciate any chance to shore up any weak spots. Going back over systems is never wasted time. There always seems to be something I realize I have not fully mastered, which I would prefer to catch now instead of during a higher-stakes evaluation.

Tomorrow should be similar to today’s session. We will likely revisit and refine what we already know, then weave in a few more elements to round out our operational picture. I feel increasingly comfortable with each passing day, and I look forward to seeing how it all comes together as we continue layering on the details.