The PV

[mattrix2428]

I took the pv on Friday and succeeded. The problem wasn’t all that busy, I have seen much busier in the problems before hand. Only through the power of the Lord and prayer did I even get through all of this down here. If anyone has any questions about anything let me know, Im here to help. J

Hints: Anything going to GPT will usually be a pointout to 65 and anything going Hater to SQS will be a pointout to 67 and anything SQS..SWB will be a pointout to 67. Any guy flying from MEI to SQS watch out cause someone from the northeast flying to SQS will sometimes be at that same altitude. almost all guys departing Jan will need either an APREQ or pointout to hammond low and usually guys departing northwest toward 67 will sometimes need a pointout climbing high

 

[ABP52380]

Man, I'd forgot about most of those fixes and sectors until this post! haha, takes me back. Yup, by the time you do the last 6 problems, the PV is a good 3 steps back. Nerves is the hardest part.

Now comes the fun part - just wait till you see the maps at your new facility. HOT DAMN, that'll keep ya busy for a bit.

 

[Raydon]

congrats!

 

[MrFent]

I PV in 6 days. Makes me feel a little better that I already knew all of those hints you gave. Congrats on passing your PV.

 

[oreo 10]

An aircraft that has ELD on their route whether it be ELD or an FRD off of ELD will go into the Columbus 3 MOA. This aircraft will be coming in from the southwest from sector 67 and traveling up over SQS.

I reviewed ALL of my strips from every single problem and the ELD was a very common reoccurence.

Also any departures coming off of JAN going to DYS is usually a C5 or a very heavy airplane. They will climb very slow and will need a point-out to MLU approach and APREQ w/ ZFW. If you see this, it is a guaruntee you will need to do the above steps.

Also be careful because I remember one instance where this same aircraft came off of JAN and went JAN..HATER..MLU. The aircraft called to change destination when it was just east of HATER. When the 6 7 10 is put in check your route line (as you are tought to do everytime). This route line clips that very small corner that sits between 66,67, and ZFW. I think that J-way was J4-20 if I remember correctly. This reroute does not put the airplane on the J-way but it flies pretty much the same line depending on when you get the 6 7 10 in.

 

[K-Dog]

Do enrouters do the same PV at some point?

 

[oreo 10]

I believe they said there are 15-20 different PV's. Nobody does the same one but they are all similar and test everybody equally. After talking w/ my classmates after the PV, this seemed to be the case.

 

[ABP52380]

Yeah, some girl in my class busted because of that a/c going NE toward the MOA that turned hot a mintue or two into the problem. I had the same thing on my PV - caught it though.

The thing to be aware of is that you'll walk in and probably see more strips in your bay than with any other problem you've run. That's all part of it. Intimidation. At least a quarter of those planes never even made it on the scope (let alone my sector) by the time I was giving my debrief. Two outta 18 failed. One failed the retake. 17 out of 18 passed. Pretty damn good odds. That said, 2 have since resigned, 3 have washed. Numerous others are in various states of training.

 

[cozmo2312]

good info guys.. keep it coming.. i'm about to start radar here next week, just finishing up radar academics now.

 

[MrFent]

Woot woot passed the PV. It wasn't all that bad, no where near as fast-paced at the later problems. Had to be prompted on 2 point outs, & forgot to tell my sup about a change of destination. Other than that they said I did a great job. I will sleep much better tonight than last night.

 

[Cheezypoof]

Woot woot passed the PV. It wasn't all that bad, no where near as fast-paced at the later problems. Had to be prompted on 2 point outs, & forgot to tell my sup about a change of destination. Other than that they said I did a great job. I will sleep much better tonight than last night.

Congrats... do you remember your conflicts at all? Guys going into the MOA or R areas? Emergency? Flight Plan to enter?

 

[MrFent]

Congrats... do you remember your conflicts at all? Guys going into the MOA or R areas? Emergency? Flight Plan to enter?

Problem started out with MOA cold, then about 45 seconds into it it went hot, right about the time you are finished looking at a guy at 170, which you just imediately go back to him & request him at FL190. Didn't have to enter a flight plan. Did have to give & receive a couple manual handoffs. Did a 6-7-10, military change of destination, civillian change of destination because of an engine warning light, not an emergence though... (still need to tell your sup about, even though not emergency... I forgot to) Lots of point outs, especially to 67 for planes out of JAN NW bound climbing to high. Received an APREQ for decent from Hammond Low for a plane descending into VKS from HSB, I approved the APREQ, requested control for descent, pointed out to 65, pointed out to JAN APPCH. & called the inbound. I had to be prompted on a pointout to 67 that had SQS..AEX in there, even though I know that one by heart, I seemed to miss it cause it was surrounded by a bunch of other fixes on the strip. I had a 0M8 departure, 67 approved the block, & I rerouted him to HLI via V535. Didnt have any GWO arrivals, had 1 VKS arrival. Couple departures from VKS & GWO. All in all, not too bad. I had pleanty of time to get pretty good into my traffic search before things really started happening. That's about all I can think of for now. Remember that there are many versions of the PV, so you will more than likely not have the same one I had.

 

[ABP52380]

Wow, I did mine over a year ago and that sounds identicle. Forgot all the scenarios then as I read your gouge I was like "yup, that happened, that too, also that" etc.

 

[moulds80]

How hard is the Enroute PV really? I have heard some people say it’s the hardest thing they have ever done, others said it was relatively easy compared to other parts of the training. Also how did you prepare, was there lots of studying the days leading up to it or is it really just applying the cumulative knowledge of what you learned in OKC?

 

[MrFent]

How hard is the Enroute PV really? I have heard some people say it’s the hardest thing they have ever done, others said it was relatively easy compared to other parts of the training. Also how did you prepare, was there lots of studying the days leading up to it or is it really just applying the cumulative knowledge of what you learned in OKC?

Leading up to the PV, you will run 36 problems over the course of 2-3 weeks. The problems 30-36 are pretty difficult, but managable if you continue to progress. The PV is a step back, not as fast paced. It's the equivilant of about problems 22-25. Most people who fail it are ones who just let their nerves get to them. If you do fail, they will let you run 3 more problems, focusing on the areas that caused you to fail the first time. Then you retake it, usually passing the 2nd time. It's a different problem that the first one, but the same dificulty level. I found it hard to study toward the end, because you don't have the ability to take the radar equipment home with you, as well as the 3 other people needed to run the problem with you. The best thing you can probably do is learn the map really well, but especially where all the fixes outside your map are as well. Never stop learning the outside fixes & their 3 letter identifier. Save all the strips from your problems every day & use them as flash cards. Get to the point where you can look at any strip & instantly know exactly where he's going, where he's coming from, & what needs to be done about him. (ie. point out, apreq, etc...)

 

[ABP52380]

Leading up to the PV, you will run 36 problems over the course of 2-3 weeks. The problems 30-36 are pretty difficult, but managable if you continue to progress. The PV is a step back, not as fast paced. It's the equivilant of about problems 22-25. Most people who fail it are ones who just let their nerves get to them. If you do fail, they will let you run 3 more problems, focusing on the areas that caused you to fail the first time. Then you retake it, usually passing the 2nd time. It's a different problem that the first one, but the same dificulty level. I found it hard to study toward the end, because you don't have the ability to take the radar equipment home with you, as well as the 3 other people needed to run the problem with you. The best thing you can probably do is learn the map really well, but especially where all the fixes outside your map are as well. Never stop learning the outside fixes & their 3 letter identifier. Save all the strips from your problems every day & use them as flash cards. Get to the point where you can look at any strip & instantly know exactly where he's going, where he's coming from, & what needs to be done about him. (ie. point out, apreq, etc...)

Yup, you get to the point with radar that you can't really study too much. What you CAN DO is take the strips home with you, have a huge pile and randomly grab a strip and as quickley as possible identfiy where he's going and what he 'might' need.

Flash cards with every fix and just knowing instantly that his course is going "NE, or SW". NE = MOA cetra etc. You'll have seen every trick by pv time. Including stealth who's a pain in the ass zigzagging all around.