Interview before Hours have been met?

giladal

Well-Known Member
I was wondering If I can do the interview with ATP before my 25 hours of x/c have been met?
 
Yep, you can do the interview before your requirements are met.
However, you have to meet them before you start the program. Don't be overly hasty though, get those hours, and even a few more then the bare minimum. If you come in and feel comfortable as a private pilot you'll find the program a lot 'easier' than if you just come in with the bare minimums and still don't feel at home in the cockpit, by yourself.

Cheers,
Helge
 
In what way do you mean feel at home in the cockpit?
I mean I feel at home already. Absolutely I will feel great when I have had 25 X/C PIC Hours no?
Should I go VFR to class B airports ?
Fly to airports with lots of winds to do X/wind landings?

Thanks
Gil
 
Gil,

Feel at home just means you don't get surprised if something goes wrong. Not to say emergency...but feel comfortable going to airports which are not in your usual comfort zone. Plus, XC hours build more experience than just going out to a practice field or doing touch and goes. It's just building your navigation experience where you don't get lost or you know how to reorient yourself if you do get lost. Class Bravo experience will help because it gets you used to being in constant communication and following ATC orders. You don't necessarily have to fly to airports with a lot of cross winds. You can do that at your home airport. It's more learing to navigate and set up for approaching an airport which you're not familiar with.

Steve
 
Oh Ok, thanks guys,
1 last thing, should I do a few instrument lessons with my instructor before starting ATP so I will get an understanding?
Or should i just fly all arround by myself?
 
FYI: I'm starting ATP in October and I have all my requirements met to take the Instrument Checkride...but that's my personal preference. I wanted to go in a little ahead of the game. You don't need to b/c the first thing you're taught (after how to fly a multi of course) is flying by the instruments. Besides, a lot of your XC is under the hood too from what I'm told.

Steve
 
If you can afford a few lessons in instrument flying before you come to ATP, by all means, get them.
Basically, /any/ edge you can give yourself is good.

Like Sig, I was also almost done with my instrument training when I started in ATP, and it certainly made my life a little easier and allowed me to relax a little more while doing the training.

Is it required? Not at all. But if you can afford it.. Why not?

Cheers,
Helge
 
Well, I mean do like 1 hour every week or every 2 weeks, and in the fly alot by my self to get me to feel at home in the cockpit. Is that a good idea, or just do instrument training, and earn my 25 x/c like that, without spending time in VFA alone?
 
Ahh so you mean do one or the other, not both..

Hmmm, good question.. A guess a little of both. (Not a very definitive answer, but there you have it.)

Solo time is very valuable, as you learn to deal with ATC by yourself (Always get flight following when you go on X-Cs! Not only because of the increased safety, but because it gets you used to working with ATC) and you will have a greater understanding for why you have to try to be the best pilot you can; If something goes wrong up there you only have one person to trust; Yourself.

But some basic instrument skills also helps a little. If it's something as simple as tracking and navigating by the use of VORs.
A PC based flight sim isn't much good when it comes to learning how to fly an airplane, but it can teach you quite a bit about navigation and VORs and so on, so if you have a PC and can get hold of X-Plane (Or MS FlightSim, if you feel the need to follow the rest of the sheep..;)) play around with that. There's several 'do it yourself' VOR/Nav training web-pages on the net, and although none of this will make you a instrument expert it certainly helps to have some understanding about all of this when you start the program.

Cheers,
Helge
 
Thanks,
I actually do have MFS2002 and X-plane.
I also baught a yoke and pedals.
I know they are good for vors and navigation, but how about SID's and STARS?
 
Uh, you're not really limited in terms of what IFR procedures you can do in either program you mention; you have all the comm gear and radio nav aids you need to perform any DP or STAR or any other instrument procedure you like. I've "flown" several trips in both FS2002 and X-Plane using actual airline routes with complete IFR procedures from DP to enroute to STAR to approach. You can get all the approach plates you need off Echoplate, and a ton of routes off www.clearanceunlimited.com.

While a non-PCATD-certified PC sim is certainly no substitute for actual instrument training, it's a pretty good way to stick a toe in the water to get a feel for how the IFR system fits together, and it can be pretty fun!
 
I plan on going to ATP in Summer 2003. In the mean time I'll keep flying my FS2002 Laptop here in BOSNIA till I get home to Pittsburgh PA. BTW, I fell asleep one night with the auto pilot on and ended up somewhere in China.
Peace,out!!!!!!!!!!!
 
CMARTIN:
Well, go buy the CHPRODUCT Yoke, and rudder peddals.
I abught them at Fryes (Electrical appliance shop)
In california.
I dont know about other parts of the country.

GYRONUT:
You know what, I had the same thing while trying to fly from Israel to Johannesburg, ended up in the south pole
wink.gif

I also did a flight in which I went to sleep for 3 hours of it. Just like in the airlines.
The alarm didnt wake me up. and when i woke up, due to some system i put on, the a/c was circling at FL35 arround the airport
smile.gif

Well, i guess in an airline it wont happen because the other pilot will make sure I woke up.
 
Are you joking?
While working as a flight attendant, I took some of my breaks in the cockpit, just sitting and (bothering) asking questions.
One time., the f/o went on his break, and i stayed with the capt who was reading a newspaper. It was a night flight and we were over the atlantic ocean on the way to NY.
Anyways he put the newspaper aside and told me, the flight attendant. If you hear any beeps or feel unusual changes in flight wake me up.
I said ok, and he went to sleep.
All the time I was thinking, what if i would have had a video camera and then put it on the main monitors in the plane to the passengers to see
wink.gif
 
I remember flying across the Indian Ocean headed for Diego Garcia about 3 am. I watched the Aircraft Commander nod off and about 10 minutes later the co-pilot nodded off. I thought "no sweat", the plane is on autopilot, I know how to keep the plane on course, this is no problem...a few minutes later I nodded off. I don't know how long we were all asleep, but one of the backenders came up to see if how it was going upfront. When he saw us all asleep he let out a little "Yelp" and ran out! The three of us woke up, had that "holy S$#@" look on our faces. The rest of the flight we would ask each other every five minutes if we were still awake.
shocked.gif


P.S. The backend crew never let us forget what we did. We bought mucho beer!
 
Hey I made it too the big leagues. I'm a "regular user"!!!

I would like to thank my family, my friends.....
wink.gif
 
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