You're supposed to suck at first, right?

[bike21]

Thanks guys, just frustrating is all.

Yep, you'll be fine. For my first week of 121 sim we were a hilariously inept pair. It was my first turbine aircraft ever and my sim partner had been flying light twins in the Middle East (no recent real IFR experience or glass experience whatsoever). So I was flying 300 knots like everywhere and he had no idea what a speed tape was or how to fly an ILS. Good times had by all.

 

[ozziecat35]

Do they have a paper tiger or a bullpoop sim you can drill on?

Just the tigers. Flows are ok, my issue is a negative transfer from CPT and pressing a piece of cardboard from a verbal queue versus moving actual switches / etc in the sim after the visual queue (altitude / speed / etc)

 

[jynxyjoe]

Just the tigers. Flows are ok, my issue is a negative transfer from CPT and pressing a piece of cardboard from a verbal queue versus moving actual switches / etc in the sim after the visual queue (altitude / speed / etc)

Ah, alright bud just survive adapt and overcome. Drill all the time. Memorization works best in the morning after waking up and right before bed.

 

[jynxyjoe]

Just the tigers. Flows are ok, my issue is a negative transfer from CPT and pressing a piece of cardboard from a verbal queue versus moving actual switches / etc in the sim after the visual queue (altitude / speed / etc)

Gonna send @MikeFavinger after you if you dont study. He aint one of those pretty boy services, hes army and he travels for free.

 

[ASpilot2be]

I get it. I just had a horrible round of recurrent. It happens to everybody.

 

[Mike Wise]

Sim day 2, so I think I'm just being a bit harsh on myself, but you're supposed to suck at this point in the box in new hire training right? Behind the airplane, lost SA on an approach (called a go around so no red screens...which is good I guess), essentially just some boneheaded items that I thought I was ok with. Steep turns were on point though, so I'll call that a win.

/end vent.

Just finished SIM 3 today and I'm on the same exact paragraph as you. We'll nail it.

 

[BigZ]

I'm gonna give you a different perspective
Aced the sims, even with new instructors each day for the first half
Nail every damn thing then eff up single engine go around - either I didn't say "gear up" loud enough or not at all, but either way the seat support didn't hear it. While I was trying to figure out wtf that noise was, I accelerated to 200 kts (as normal) instead of Vt of 180-whatever it was.
So, can redo two maneuvers - but at that point in time the realization sets in that I gotta take a leak so bad, that if I don't, there's no way I'm passing this.
Made a deal with the examiner - trade the second maneuver retake for a piss.
Considerable improvement in QoL and extra motivation from knowing that I can't goof anything up at all made for an easy pass.

Recurrent is coming up, lets see how that plays out.

 

[JustinS]

Hang in there. Get your flows down COLD. Chair fly with a poster. Chair fly procedures until you have them down cold. Then when you get into the sim, you can start focusing on just flying the airplane, and the mistakes you make will be focused on more in depth things than the fundamentals. Nobody is perfect, but give it your all. It'll make training better, and it's totally worth it. Whatever you do. Don't give up.

 

[JDean3204]

making a good decision to go around when things weren’t stable showed you have great judgement. Instructors can’t teach that, but they will teach you to fly the maneuvers to standard very quickly if you pay attention. More importantly keep a good attitude even if you botch a maneuver up. You seem a lot like I am though, that whole “I’m my worst critic” can make you feel like you’re doing worse than you actually are. When I asked my instructor if I was doing bad, he chuckled and said I wouldn’t believe the things he has seen during new hire training... I took that as shut up, you’re doing just fine lol

 

[ozziecat35]

Had a much better day today. Spent a solid 2 hours just doing V1 cut calls last night and it helped. Single engine balked landing was solid too. Still working on landing on the damn centerline...

 

[alaskadrifter]

Stop being so supportive it sickens me.

@ozziecat35 you probably havent had enough steak or whiskey, its a common problem. Make sure you take enough time for yourself too, woodworking and love making.

My first type rating I felt like bung holes and elbows the whole time, right up until the day before the checkride. Practice, Practice, Practice, and get good sleep.

 

[Jordan93]

Had a much better day today. Spent a solid 2 hours just doing V1 cut calls last night and it helped. Single engine balked landing was solid too. Still working on landing on the damn centerline...

Not to make excuses but I can’t hit the centerline on the sim to save my life. I’m sure once you get on the line you’ll have no issues. Another thing that helped me with V1 cut callouts was to get together with my sim partner and we’d just throw a paper ball back and forth while reciting the call outs. If you can multi task while doing the call outs (similar to what you’re doing on a V1 cut) then you should be ok.

 

[Beefy McGee]

Not to make excuses but I can’t hit the centerline on the sim to save my life. I’m sure once you get on the line you’ll have no issues. Another thing that helped me with V1 cut callouts was to get together with my sim partner and we’d just throw a paper ball back and forth while reciting the call outs. If you can multi task while doing the call outs (similar to what you’re doing on a V1 cut) then you should be ok.

I did similar, though I one hand juggled a rolled up sock while reciting callouts.

 

[Maurus]

Simulators are sadly not exact copies of the airplane. IMO everything is easier in the actual airplane. Except if you crash. That is a bit harder on you...

I suck when flying sims. Every checkride I take each year feels like crap. Controls are touchy as hell which causes me to constantly over-control. Luckily most sim guys know this and know when it is a "sim-ism" or just a failing pilot.

 

[Nark]

The sim, and bigger airplanes (because that’s why you’re in a sim right....?) Will land on centerline if you use the fundamentals.

I’m not poop-hot but for upgrade for funsies we cranked up the crosswinds to max (38) and I was able to get the centerline every time.
Fundamentals in a 172 transfer up to the jet, relatively the same.

If your doing 4-5-6 days in a row, take a free day and go tour the area. Put down the books and enjoy yourself. Come back and hit the books hard after that.

 

[Screaming_Emu]

Simulators are sadly not exact copies of the airplane. IMO everything is easier in the actual airplane. Except if you crash. That is a bit harder on you...

I suck when flying sims. Every checkride I take each year feels like crap. Controls are touchy as hell which causes me to constantly over-control. Luckily most sim guys know this and know when it is a "sim-ism" or just a failing pilot.

I think sims are designed with the philosophy of "if you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball."

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

You seem a lot like I am though, that whole “I’m my worst critic” can make you feel like you’re doing worse than you actually are.

Quick, hold my beer!

 

[Stone Cold]

Nah, I've been good all my career. Suck it up, buttercup, and do better.

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

I'm not saying this career is like a video game, but in newhire training for sims for both the CRJ and A320 I thought of it like a video game. Every approach is like scoring a goal and here's what I have to do with my players to get everything in order (prepare the approach), and then here's how I will execute the play (to score the goal). For me it was a mental thing and it translated really well. In the hotel, I'd sit on the bed corner and then chair fly, literally pretending I'm holding a yoke/sidestick and making all the hand movements to simulate pushing AP on, heading, altitude, and even using a foot to slowly pushing the rudder for V1, etc. etc.

Another advice for the sim would be nice, gentle inputs. Both my jet sims so far have been much more sensitive than the real plane. In the sim, there's no rush. V1 cut, slowly start getting that rudder in there. Don't smash it in. Pitch for that target (~10 degrees depending on plane). Smooth rotation to it, take your time. Once the AP is on, I go into video game mode of pushing which buttons. To reiterate, I'm not saying I view the job like a video game or that it's not serious, I just mean in terms of sim world and how to tackle it mentally.

And as others have said, make sure you get the flows and callouts down cold.

 

[ozziecat35]

:Status Update:

Doing better. A new sim instructor for the current 3 day segment, some different perspectives on things seems to have helped. I went from nary able to find the centerline with 0 wind and 2 engines to a single engine with a 20 knot crosswind onto a fairly respectable point on or near the centerline and in the touchdown zone. Just a few procedural items that keep creeping up such as automation calls when it's all buttholes and elbows on go arounds or missed approaches. Getting there though. Thanks for all the feedback.