I guess this question is primarily for Lt JG Wickham, Lt JG Steve Wilkins, and the rest of the experts, but everyone will probably get a chuckle. I have no experience at all flying a plane. In primary while learning procedures for emergencies you rehearse in the simulators, correct? Do you also get to practice the "monkey skills" while in the simulators? I have no idea how to do a coordinated turn (when do you need to use the rudder, add power, trim etc.?) much less a landing pattern. They let my ACEs group play around in the sims and they were tough! The T-34 was much easier to fly using the horizon instead of instruments like the sims. I know I'm a worrier, but I've always wondered if you actually practice flying in the sims before jumping in the plane doing it for real. Seems it would make things easier. Thanks guys.
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practice time in primary?
- Thread starter bpikula
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Thank you Matt, you pretty much answered everything for me. I had always heard/read John talking about how they "back you through things" in the plane. That statement makes more sense now. I'm relieved to know that you get to introduce/ demo/ practice/ perform. I was always under the impression that you get in the plane see it done and then it's up to you to execute. One other question if you have time (I swear it's the last one!), when you say "know your procedures" are you refering to just EP's and course rules or do you study the proper way to execute manuevers in advance as well (ie: when to add power, bank, to trim, etc.)?
Awesome! Thanks a lot. I had a feeling that you had some type of manuals/study material to prep you for each syllabus event in FAMS. I found it hard to believe they would just toss you in a plane and say, okay, take off and take me to area 2. LOL! God this stuff sounds like child's play after reading about your adventures with VFA-106. Anyways, thanks again for taking the time to respond.
Brad,
In addition to what Matt mentioned.... You CAN sign up for additional practice time while in Primary. Usually the skeds department will have a sign up sheet for SIM time, and you can get that put on the skedule. BUT, they SIM instructors (civilians) won't help you with anything ahead of your training, only anything that you have already done and need help on. As you saw in the SIM, it is without visuals for the T34, and it is there for your instrument work.
Also, when just practicing for the cockpit procedure trainers, my friend and I snuck in and spend time with the CPT mock ups, and quizzed each other, and practiced start up malfunctions. So, take advantage of that also.
During your flights at Primary, never hesitate to ask to see something again, or ask questions. If there is time, the IP will go through it again, or give you a shot at trying your hand at it once more. That has even progressed through the rest of my training, where IPs have asked if there was anything I wanted to do or work on when time in the syllabus has come up. It even sometimes gets to the point on brief items, when the IP will ask you point blank if you have any weak areas, and would like to work on that. Go ahead and tell them! They are giving you carte blanche to talk about and work on something. Better then getting held up short on a check ride not knowing something, or performing something poorly. Also, got to remember that IPs all talk to each other, look at your earlier gradesheets, so they already have a good idea what your weak area is.
Oh well, just some thoughts on the subject!
In addition to what Matt mentioned.... You CAN sign up for additional practice time while in Primary. Usually the skeds department will have a sign up sheet for SIM time, and you can get that put on the skedule. BUT, they SIM instructors (civilians) won't help you with anything ahead of your training, only anything that you have already done and need help on. As you saw in the SIM, it is without visuals for the T34, and it is there for your instrument work.
Also, when just practicing for the cockpit procedure trainers, my friend and I snuck in and spend time with the CPT mock ups, and quizzed each other, and practiced start up malfunctions. So, take advantage of that also.
During your flights at Primary, never hesitate to ask to see something again, or ask questions. If there is time, the IP will go through it again, or give you a shot at trying your hand at it once more. That has even progressed through the rest of my training, where IPs have asked if there was anything I wanted to do or work on when time in the syllabus has come up. It even sometimes gets to the point on brief items, when the IP will ask you point blank if you have any weak areas, and would like to work on that. Go ahead and tell them! They are giving you carte blanche to talk about and work on something. Better then getting held up short on a check ride not knowing something, or performing something poorly. Also, got to remember that IPs all talk to each other, look at your earlier gradesheets, so they already have a good idea what your weak area is.
Oh well, just some thoughts on the subject!
Wow, its been a while since I've been on the sight. I just finished with API Academics and I am getting ready to head out to Corpus next week. While in API you will get a simulator brief and an upgrade to Microsoft Flight Sim 98/00. All the squadrons have visual sims running off of MSFS 00. You get a stick, throttle, rudders and a chunck of the control switches you'll find in the T-34. These are not actually in your syllabus but you are encouraged to use them. The disk you get updates MSFS to add the t-34 cockpit and allows you to fly out of Corpus, Whiting and Sherman Field, with pretty accurate landscaping, all the key refrence points in your flight are on there. For all the basics, like coordinated turns and the landing pattern, the computer will acctualey demonstrate for you, then let you try it, giving you correction on your way through the flight. Then it will grade you on how you did.
Doing well on the sim really doesn't mean you'll do it perfect in the aircraft, but it seems to give guys more confidence and they perform much better. They have monitered groups using and not using the sim for the past year and found that those practicing their flights on the computer before they did them in the plane averaged 17% more aboves and 5% less downs through Primary. I've messed around with it a little and some of my friends at Whiting use it and feel it helps.
I've been to buisy with all the WONDERFUL courses in API to get to into it, but its a cool thing to have. While you are waiting to class up for API, you can go over the sims at Sherman Field and use them whenever you want.
Hope that Relieves some of your stress.
Doing well on the sim really doesn't mean you'll do it perfect in the aircraft, but it seems to give guys more confidence and they perform much better. They have monitered groups using and not using the sim for the past year and found that those practicing their flights on the computer before they did them in the plane averaged 17% more aboves and 5% less downs through Primary. I've messed around with it a little and some of my friends at Whiting use it and feel it helps.
I've been to buisy with all the WONDERFUL courses in API to get to into it, but its a cool thing to have. While you are waiting to class up for API, you can go over the sims at Sherman Field and use them whenever you want.
Hope that Relieves some of your stress.
Geez Matt, I don't think I could get that detailled and I have 1,000 hours of instructor time and over 500 as a geriatric Sim instructor. Nice job. Everybody does know that in Primary, sims do not count as a graded event any more only pass/Fail. You can still Down a Sim though. Semper Fi! Frumby
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