The awesome thing about this is there are lurkers that may never post, also people that will read this for years to come that will find your posts helpful. I'd say continue, although sometimes it may feel like you're talking to yourself or that no one cares. We do.
New ATP Student KRIC/Running Experience...
- Thread starter Future Cpt Kirk
- Start date
JetDoc
Pit Bull Wrangler
Hope your training is going well. Considered the ATP thing for a bit but decided the pay as you go method was a better way for me to go. Do yourself a favor and fly as much cross country as you can. I was a bit naive about the "1500 hour" rule as I was over 1000 when it looked like it was going to become law. What I didn't do is research it enough and find out that it was going to be the 500 hrs of cross country that was going to jam me up. It's hard to build it as a CFI....
LucasM
Well-Known Member
By far the best checkride(s) I've ever had were at ATP for my Comm S.E. and CFI S.E. in Jasper, AL. I had my Private AND Instrument when I started ATP BWG in '07. All I had to do was a S.E. ILS during my checkride for the addon. Otherwise I spent most of my "instrument" training time in the sim just screwing around and seeing what the sim could do. Yes, I know for a fact that you CAN fly an ILS INVERTED in the sim, haha!
Not sure of how the program is structured now but the XC portion was a lot of fun. CFI school was tough as hell for me (JAX), but that was a mix of personal/family issues and not having studied ahead of time. Do your daily exams and get your writtens done ASAP and then study your ace off for CFI!
I opted not to instruct with ATP and went to an FBO in D.C. It worked out OK and I got a lot of time instructing. Hopefully I'll be with Ameriflight within the next few months. So don't get discouraged on your bad days and keep your chin up! You'll be "there" before you even know it!
Not sure of how the program is structured now but the XC portion was a lot of fun. CFI school was tough as hell for me (JAX), but that was a mix of personal/family issues and not having studied ahead of time. Do your daily exams and get your writtens done ASAP and then study your ace off for CFI!
I opted not to instruct with ATP and went to an FBO in D.C. It worked out OK and I got a lot of time instructing. Hopefully I'll be with Ameriflight within the next few months. So don't get discouraged on your bad days and keep your chin up! You'll be "there" before you even know it!
Ruben Garay
Well-Known Member
Hey Mike, thanks for your sharing your experiences. That Seminole looks quite awesome compared to some of the beat up ATP seminoles I've seen here and there. Good luck with your IFR training. It's only challenging if you don't study study study, otherwise, it's pretty straight forward!
Future Cpt Kirk
Well-Known Member
Hey guys. Surprised and glad to see people are still taking a look at this thread... I'll definitely continue the updates... not every day like I originally planned though, just no time for it (anyone who is in the program knows why)! So instead of a day-to-day synopsis, this will be more of a general picture of each portion of the program kind of thread. Again, if anyone has any questions, don't hesitate to ask! So heres an update:
I have finished instrument traning and passed my Instrument Checkride (first time) on 6/14/2013 (see picture below). The examiner I was assigned gave a good checkride... About a 2.5 hour oral and a 2 hour flight. For those of you in the program or thinking about the program, here's my advice for the instrument portion:
1. Complete the Instrument App on thr iPad ASAP. Some of it is decent information, but there is much more studying to be done and you don't want admin emailing you about your progress with the app constantly.... get it out of the way and take notes.
2. Don't bother with the ASA instrument oral prep book. Waste of time in my opinion. You get most of that information through other studying. If you have extra time (which you won't), then maybe take a look...but really not necessary.
3. There's a packet floating around the schools and internet called "The All You Need To Know Instrrument Handout." Get it. Memorize it...All of it. It is a very good summary of most of the basics for the oral/knowledge requirements. Again, there is a lot more you have to know which you will pull out of the FAA Instrument Flying Handbook and through ground school (if you're lucky enough to have a good instructor that is willing to give ground school [I am lucky enough to have a very good instructor who goes well beyond what he is paid to do to make sure his students are well prepared]).
4. I recommend grouping up with other students and teaching different subjects to each other (for any portion of the program). The best way to learn is to teach. If you can successfully and concisely teach something, then you understand it.
5. Lastly, the simulator is your best friend. Pair up with other students, get your instructor to teach you how to work the sim and "play ATC," and shoot as many unfamiliar approcahes with as many engine and system failures as you can. It only makes you better. I was in the sim constantly and it was a direct factor in helping me be as well prepared as I was for the checkride.
After my Instrument Checkride, I completed the short crew cross-country training sims and flight and then headed out on my x/c's with a fellow student at the RIC location on 6/20/2013. I took off of work the following Mon-Wed so I could throw 10 straight days at the x/c's in an attempt to get them without taking a month (remember I'm self-paced). My partner and I flew all over the place... TX, LA, MS, GA, NC, SC, FL, NJ, NY etc... A lot of fun but also completely exhausting. You fly from 8am-8pm most days with short breaks for refueling/lunch here and there. We were lucky enough to get grounded for weather one afternoon/night in Jacksonville, FL and were able to hit the beach. Two more x/c flights (I will probablty fly down to LZU and then back to RIC) and I will be finished....a month ahead of schedule! On to Commercial Training next week....wish me luck. We have a new examiner in the RIC location and he does not have a good reputation.... Should be interesting.
So heres some advice for your x/c's:
1. Pack for a week trip, but as light as you can. Its a pain lugging around a lot of baggage.
2. Get on Flight Ops good side early and they will be more willing to send you to far off locations (i.e. westward if you are based on the east coast and eastward if you're on the west coast).
3. Don't be afraid to tell Flight Ops you aren't flying through that... There are three dispatchers and I will let you have your own opinions about each of them. My opinion is that two of them were great/understanding and one was very much the opposite. We were pushed to fly through thunderstorms on several ocasions and had to simply say "I'm PIC and I'm not flying through that weather." Its your call... not theirs. Obviously if the weather is good you need to fly... but if there is solid justification as to why you should not fly, then don't fly. Seminoles and thunderstorms won't get along. I found it annoying when I would be asked repeatedly "hey...don't you want to get done sooner.... can't you just find a hole and punch through it?" Be safe...bottom line.
Overall though, the x/c's were a lot of fun. Best part of the program in my opinion. Take the oportunity to meet as many other pilots/students as you can...networking can never hurt.
Lastly... If you're taking the time to read all of this and are thinking of this program (or something similar at another school)...please make sure you are preapred for whats ahead. This is not for the faint of heart... It is A LOT of work and you must take it very seriously. Its frustrating to see zero experience students come in with the "flying airplanes will be cool...I think I'll do that" mentality and then wash out of the program becasue they had no idea what they were getting into and didn't take it seriously. I've seen it happen to several people so far....don't be one of them. If you're gonna do this, put your big boy (or girl) pants on. You can't screw around and succeed. Thats my two cents...
Let me know if you guys have any questions about anything.... Take it easy!
Mike
I have finished instrument traning and passed my Instrument Checkride (first time) on 6/14/2013 (see picture below). The examiner I was assigned gave a good checkride... About a 2.5 hour oral and a 2 hour flight. For those of you in the program or thinking about the program, here's my advice for the instrument portion:
1. Complete the Instrument App on thr iPad ASAP. Some of it is decent information, but there is much more studying to be done and you don't want admin emailing you about your progress with the app constantly.... get it out of the way and take notes.
2. Don't bother with the ASA instrument oral prep book. Waste of time in my opinion. You get most of that information through other studying. If you have extra time (which you won't), then maybe take a look...but really not necessary.
3. There's a packet floating around the schools and internet called "The All You Need To Know Instrrument Handout." Get it. Memorize it...All of it. It is a very good summary of most of the basics for the oral/knowledge requirements. Again, there is a lot more you have to know which you will pull out of the FAA Instrument Flying Handbook and through ground school (if you're lucky enough to have a good instructor that is willing to give ground school [I am lucky enough to have a very good instructor who goes well beyond what he is paid to do to make sure his students are well prepared]).
4. I recommend grouping up with other students and teaching different subjects to each other (for any portion of the program). The best way to learn is to teach. If you can successfully and concisely teach something, then you understand it.
5. Lastly, the simulator is your best friend. Pair up with other students, get your instructor to teach you how to work the sim and "play ATC," and shoot as many unfamiliar approcahes with as many engine and system failures as you can. It only makes you better. I was in the sim constantly and it was a direct factor in helping me be as well prepared as I was for the checkride.
After my Instrument Checkride, I completed the short crew cross-country training sims and flight and then headed out on my x/c's with a fellow student at the RIC location on 6/20/2013. I took off of work the following Mon-Wed so I could throw 10 straight days at the x/c's in an attempt to get them without taking a month (remember I'm self-paced). My partner and I flew all over the place... TX, LA, MS, GA, NC, SC, FL, NJ, NY etc... A lot of fun but also completely exhausting. You fly from 8am-8pm most days with short breaks for refueling/lunch here and there. We were lucky enough to get grounded for weather one afternoon/night in Jacksonville, FL and were able to hit the beach. Two more x/c flights (I will probablty fly down to LZU and then back to RIC) and I will be finished....a month ahead of schedule! On to Commercial Training next week....wish me luck. We have a new examiner in the RIC location and he does not have a good reputation.... Should be interesting.
So heres some advice for your x/c's:
1. Pack for a week trip, but as light as you can. Its a pain lugging around a lot of baggage.
2. Get on Flight Ops good side early and they will be more willing to send you to far off locations (i.e. westward if you are based on the east coast and eastward if you're on the west coast).
3. Don't be afraid to tell Flight Ops you aren't flying through that... There are three dispatchers and I will let you have your own opinions about each of them. My opinion is that two of them were great/understanding and one was very much the opposite. We were pushed to fly through thunderstorms on several ocasions and had to simply say "I'm PIC and I'm not flying through that weather." Its your call... not theirs. Obviously if the weather is good you need to fly... but if there is solid justification as to why you should not fly, then don't fly. Seminoles and thunderstorms won't get along. I found it annoying when I would be asked repeatedly "hey...don't you want to get done sooner.... can't you just find a hole and punch through it?" Be safe...bottom line.
Overall though, the x/c's were a lot of fun. Best part of the program in my opinion. Take the oportunity to meet as many other pilots/students as you can...networking can never hurt.
Lastly... If you're taking the time to read all of this and are thinking of this program (or something similar at another school)...please make sure you are preapred for whats ahead. This is not for the faint of heart... It is A LOT of work and you must take it very seriously. Its frustrating to see zero experience students come in with the "flying airplanes will be cool...I think I'll do that" mentality and then wash out of the program becasue they had no idea what they were getting into and didn't take it seriously. I've seen it happen to several people so far....don't be one of them. If you're gonna do this, put your big boy (or girl) pants on. You can't screw around and succeed. Thats my two cents...
Let me know if you guys have any questions about anything.... Take it easy!
Mike
Ruben Garay
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the detailed follow up. ATP sounds like a great place if you're in the sub 100 hour range and are willing to spend the time and the money. When I first started considering them with a pilot friend of mine, we both had a little over 200 hours (with just the private) and we realized that most of the money you spend at ATP is to get you to the 250 hours for your commercial rating, so we figured since we wer almost there, it wasn't worth spending all that money, but, you're getting solid ME time and you seem to be having a good time! Do you mind me asking what you do for work on the side? and is your plan to take the interview with Republic they offer?
SpiraMirabilis
Possible Subversive
The apartment they had us in in 2006-2007 was pretty nice.
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Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
Future Cpt Kirk
Well-Known Member
Hey guys. Looks like CFI school is going to start on 8/19/2013, in Ft. Lauderdale. Theres a delay in the timing because my boss won't give me the two-three weeks off for school until the end of August due to mandatory recurrent training I have to complete before I go...I have my ME Commercial checkride next week with a new examiner who has a poor reputation. Any advice?
Anyone on here been down to Lauderdale (FXE I think) for CFI school? Whats the area like? Any advice for prepping for CFI school... I know its going to be very hard. Any advice would be appreciated.
Take it easy,
Mike
Anyone on here been down to Lauderdale (FXE I think) for CFI school? Whats the area like? Any advice for prepping for CFI school... I know its going to be very hard. Any advice would be appreciated.
Take it easy,
Mike
SpiraMirabilis
Possible Subversive
ME commercial is a pretty easy checkride. Just try to relax.
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Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
SpiraMirabilis
Possible Subversive
I did my initial CFI checkride in FLL at ATP with Mr. Black as an examiner, I'd be interested to know if he is still doing checkrides.
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Trr56
Well-Known Member
I had Mr. Black for my PPL checkride back in 2012
Future Cpt Kirk
Well-Known Member
Whats up guys.... hope all is well. Here's the latest update:
Passed my Multi-Commercial Checkride on 7/21/2013! (Picture below)
I was really nervous for the oral as this new examiner has a hard reputation for asking crazy questions.... After going through it, I figure that reputation was a lot of hype from underprepared students. I nailed it... Got some great complements from the examiner! Currently I'm completing the flights for the Single-Commercial add on before I head to CFI school in Lauderdale' on 8/19. Took the FOI written two days ago and scored a 92.... Only one more written left. Heres a brief synopsis of how to prepare for the Commercial-Multi ride:
1. Get the Commercial Written out of the way ASAP. Those writtens eat up more study time then you would think. Get then knocked out as early as possible.
2. Study the PTS. My oral exam went straight down the PTS. No surprises at all. Over the course of this program I have left behind studying gouges and am now reliant more on studying the PTS. Its nice to look over a recent examiner gouge the day before a checkride... but don't rely on them. Examiners can change up their exams at any time and your gouge may end up being worthless. If you study the PTS, you won't miss anything.
3. Prepare a thorough VFR flight plan (mine was RIC to LUK) and be able to explain EVERYTHING about it....i.e. why you chose each leg, where you got the weather information, how you used the wiz wheel (E-6B) to calculate wind correction angle and groundspeed, power charts and how you calculated GPH, top of climb, top of descent and finally fuel burn for each leg. My examiner was BIG on fuel burn. He wanted to know exactly how I calculated each leg's fuel burn and why I chose to have a fuel stopover even though the flight could have been made non-stop (would have barely made it with VFR day min reserve non-stop). Examiner was big on weather too.... Known all your prog charts, sig wx outlook charts, winds loft, etc... If you give an in depth explanation of your flight plan, it will actually cover the following PTS sections: Flight planning, W&B, weather, airspace, VFR cloud clearances, performance and VFR sectional charts.
The rest of the oral came straight out of the PTS....mostly private pilot stuff with the exception of Commercial regs (91.133 and 119.1). Know those like the back of your hand.
The flight was straightforward and again, right out of the PTS. My examiner asked me to recite the procedure for the emergency descent and then stated we would not do one in the airplane as it is "very bad for the engines." Other than than... It is all private multi-maneuvers with tighter tolerances, with the exception of the accelerated stall. Not hard stuff.
Overall, I enjoyed this checkride more than most.... Probably because I was so over prepared and found it to be much easier than I expected. Now to get the FIA written out of the way and then begin studying for CFI school early.... Any advice there? What would be the most beneficial for me to look at before I actually go down to CFI school?
Have a good one guys.... Till' next time.
Mike
Passed my Multi-Commercial Checkride on 7/21/2013! (Picture below)
I was really nervous for the oral as this new examiner has a hard reputation for asking crazy questions.... After going through it, I figure that reputation was a lot of hype from underprepared students. I nailed it... Got some great complements from the examiner! Currently I'm completing the flights for the Single-Commercial add on before I head to CFI school in Lauderdale' on 8/19. Took the FOI written two days ago and scored a 92.... Only one more written left. Heres a brief synopsis of how to prepare for the Commercial-Multi ride:
1. Get the Commercial Written out of the way ASAP. Those writtens eat up more study time then you would think. Get then knocked out as early as possible.
2. Study the PTS. My oral exam went straight down the PTS. No surprises at all. Over the course of this program I have left behind studying gouges and am now reliant more on studying the PTS. Its nice to look over a recent examiner gouge the day before a checkride... but don't rely on them. Examiners can change up their exams at any time and your gouge may end up being worthless. If you study the PTS, you won't miss anything.
3. Prepare a thorough VFR flight plan (mine was RIC to LUK) and be able to explain EVERYTHING about it....i.e. why you chose each leg, where you got the weather information, how you used the wiz wheel (E-6B) to calculate wind correction angle and groundspeed, power charts and how you calculated GPH, top of climb, top of descent and finally fuel burn for each leg. My examiner was BIG on fuel burn. He wanted to know exactly how I calculated each leg's fuel burn and why I chose to have a fuel stopover even though the flight could have been made non-stop (would have barely made it with VFR day min reserve non-stop). Examiner was big on weather too.... Known all your prog charts, sig wx outlook charts, winds loft, etc... If you give an in depth explanation of your flight plan, it will actually cover the following PTS sections: Flight planning, W&B, weather, airspace, VFR cloud clearances, performance and VFR sectional charts.
The rest of the oral came straight out of the PTS....mostly private pilot stuff with the exception of Commercial regs (91.133 and 119.1). Know those like the back of your hand.
The flight was straightforward and again, right out of the PTS. My examiner asked me to recite the procedure for the emergency descent and then stated we would not do one in the airplane as it is "very bad for the engines." Other than than... It is all private multi-maneuvers with tighter tolerances, with the exception of the accelerated stall. Not hard stuff.
Overall, I enjoyed this checkride more than most.... Probably because I was so over prepared and found it to be much easier than I expected. Now to get the FIA written out of the way and then begin studying for CFI school early.... Any advice there? What would be the most beneficial for me to look at before I actually go down to CFI school?
Have a good one guys.... Till' next time.
Mike
Future Cpt Kirk
Well-Known Member
Forgot to mention the cross country portion prior to Commercial training.... It was awesome! Spent 11 days flying all over the country. We were lucky enough to make it out to Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina... Got to see a lot. Definitely the most fun portion of this program. Dispatchers (one in particular) were very pushy at times to have us fly through bad weather... But as PIC we simply said "nope...not flying through those storms," and it was ok. Didn't have to stay at ATP housing very much at all... Hotels almost every night which was nice. It was great to get in, have a beer and relax in the pool after a long day of flying. I would post some pictures, but we've all seen what clouds and storms look like from the air.... Take it easy guys.
Mike
Mike
TFaudree_ERAU
Mashin' dem buttons
If you make it down to ORF, I'll cover the landing fee, show you the 601 and turbine Duke, and pick up the lunch tab.
The mustache too?
TFaudree_ERAU
Mashin' dem buttons
And my Chef Boyardee can collection.
Future Cpt Kirk
Well-Known Member
Ok guys.... One more time... Any advice for CFI School? I leave for FXE in about a week and a half as I am starting on 8/19. I will a few days prior to get "ahead" and study... What should I look at before I head down there? Would really appreciate any advice!
Will be getting my Comm SEL out of the way this week as well as the last written (FIA). Getting down to the wire... Will keep you guys posted.
Mike
Will be getting my Comm SEL out of the way this week as well as the last written (FIA). Getting down to the wire... Will keep you guys posted.
Mike
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