teetee
New Member
Grilled my husband for a bit to get information on what to pass down. This is what I got.
For those that don't have any experience in flight, if you are worried or just want some "light" reading before coming to OKC, you can pick up an AIM or private pilot book. Study and focus on VFR, IFR, weather conditions, charts and maps, and basic aerodynamics.
The basic course is just that. It has a lot of basic, basic information about aeronautical information, but you do still learn. It is not ATC based, it is more an overview of the aviation industry as a whole. You will learn basic rules of flight. Often my husband would refer to the basics course as being like ground school for his ppl.
If you don't have any experience in aviation, it will all seem really new and disjointed at first. When you get to the end, it will all start fitting together. If you do have aviation backgroud (especially being a pilot) there will be things taught that will make you laugh a little - such "pilots use the rudder to turn the plane". There will be some days that no matter if you do or don't have aviation background, you will be bored.:crazy:
The class really is geared towards having you pass. As long as you pay attention and try, you should pass. Don't let others higher scores on tests get you down or psych you out. It is possible to fail, but you have to work at it
Studying (while it may NOT need to be an hour a day while in basic) will help. My husband had a guy in his class that took AMAZING notes during class then would go home and type up those notes for review/study time. When the final came along, he had great notes for reviewing. He had no previous aviation knowledge and he got a 96 on the final.
The more you know the information, the quicker you take the tests and that means longer breaks after the tests to do what you would like to. Most would go up to the computers and surf the web and such. When per diem time comes along, you can use that time to go and get per diem turned in rather than doing it after work.
In regards to how per diem works, dress code, rules and regulations - don't worry. They will go over all that information the first day. As for dress code first day...if you are worried about it (which I know many are cause I have received probably 15 pm's asking what to wear the first day) I would suggest wearing some nice slacks or khakis and a button up, collared shirt. Also, the information on per diem DOES say it can be turned in after 15 days upon arriving and then every 30 days following. I was wrong on that earlier. My husband hadn't paid much attention and thought it was every 15. He has heard you can turn it in before the 30 days but he has never dared try...afterall, paying attention to even the simplest instructions is important.
The basic class will be around 30-34 people, the enroute classes are about 18, so your basics class will be divided in half. I think that Tracon/Tower will be similar but I don't know. I do know that if you want to know who will be in the following class together, have everyone check their final offer letter. The letters have class #'s assigned to everyone, one for basic one for enroute or tower training. The groups are based on the class number assigned in the FOL not by the facility assigned. They do try to keep the group together from what was heard; overall, 6 of the 7 that are going to my husband's center are in the same enroute class; 4 of the 5 going to Denver are in the same enroute class. Kinda sucks for the 1 guy left out in each group but...:crazy:
I know that Nathanw has also listed in another thread all the information covered in the basic class. My husband was lucky and got days for all but one day of basic. Once another class started using their room at night, each person had to take the huge binder of the week home with them each night. Not all classes operated that way, but my husband's class did work that way. You might want to take a backpack or messenger bag in case you have to do the same thing, of for the nights you do take the binder home to study for the up-coming test.
Hope this info is helpful for those out there wondering.
For those that don't have any experience in flight, if you are worried or just want some "light" reading before coming to OKC, you can pick up an AIM or private pilot book. Study and focus on VFR, IFR, weather conditions, charts and maps, and basic aerodynamics.
The basic course is just that. It has a lot of basic, basic information about aeronautical information, but you do still learn. It is not ATC based, it is more an overview of the aviation industry as a whole. You will learn basic rules of flight. Often my husband would refer to the basics course as being like ground school for his ppl.
If you don't have any experience in aviation, it will all seem really new and disjointed at first. When you get to the end, it will all start fitting together. If you do have aviation backgroud (especially being a pilot) there will be things taught that will make you laugh a little - such "pilots use the rudder to turn the plane". There will be some days that no matter if you do or don't have aviation background, you will be bored.:crazy:
The class really is geared towards having you pass. As long as you pay attention and try, you should pass. Don't let others higher scores on tests get you down or psych you out. It is possible to fail, but you have to work at it
Studying (while it may NOT need to be an hour a day while in basic) will help. My husband had a guy in his class that took AMAZING notes during class then would go home and type up those notes for review/study time. When the final came along, he had great notes for reviewing. He had no previous aviation knowledge and he got a 96 on the final.
The more you know the information, the quicker you take the tests and that means longer breaks after the tests to do what you would like to. Most would go up to the computers and surf the web and such. When per diem time comes along, you can use that time to go and get per diem turned in rather than doing it after work.
In regards to how per diem works, dress code, rules and regulations - don't worry. They will go over all that information the first day. As for dress code first day...if you are worried about it (which I know many are cause I have received probably 15 pm's asking what to wear the first day) I would suggest wearing some nice slacks or khakis and a button up, collared shirt. Also, the information on per diem DOES say it can be turned in after 15 days upon arriving and then every 30 days following. I was wrong on that earlier. My husband hadn't paid much attention and thought it was every 15. He has heard you can turn it in before the 30 days but he has never dared try...afterall, paying attention to even the simplest instructions is important.
The basic class will be around 30-34 people, the enroute classes are about 18, so your basics class will be divided in half. I think that Tracon/Tower will be similar but I don't know. I do know that if you want to know who will be in the following class together, have everyone check their final offer letter. The letters have class #'s assigned to everyone, one for basic one for enroute or tower training. The groups are based on the class number assigned in the FOL not by the facility assigned. They do try to keep the group together from what was heard; overall, 6 of the 7 that are going to my husband's center are in the same enroute class; 4 of the 5 going to Denver are in the same enroute class. Kinda sucks for the 1 guy left out in each group but...:crazy:
I know that Nathanw has also listed in another thread all the information covered in the basic class. My husband was lucky and got days for all but one day of basic. Once another class started using their room at night, each person had to take the huge binder of the week home with them each night. Not all classes operated that way, but my husband's class did work that way. You might want to take a backpack or messenger bag in case you have to do the same thing, of for the nights you do take the binder home to study for the up-coming test.
Hope this info is helpful for those out there wondering.
