smoked by BIs?

[squeeze]

One thing a buddy of mine used to do was sit at Bldg 89 starting an hour before the schedule was about to come out and then immediately sign himself up in any open slots. Kind of obsessive, but if it keeps you flying...

did this buddy used to wear blue oakleys everywhere?


also... i definitely recommend the toe wiggling.... it helped me fix my early form in Advanced when I was squeezing the black out of the stick. consciously wiggle your toes and you will relax on the controls, and your flying will smooth out. if it's just procedures, practice sims are going to be your best moneymaker, so do whatever it takes to try and snag one. if you can't, you can always try to beg skeds for a scheduled one if you really need help. just talk to your onwing/class advisor and he should be able to help you out. there's plenty of help available, just ask for it.

 

[A4sForever]

........So what I'm wondering is, how many of the really good pilots on this board struggled with BI work? Any good tips on how to improve, things to focus on, etc?

I am only a "very good' pilot, not a "really good" pilot, so I do not know if I qualify to comment .... BUT I do have thousands of hours in simulators; military and civilian, as STUDent, Aviator, and Instructor and have trained hundreds of students, even Chileans and Iranians.

The bottom line is scan, scan, and scan faster and better ..... assuming, as you said, you comfort level was "up" --- procedure-wise. A good, solid, fast scan is the name of the game in the simulator. Procedure-wise, believe it or not, if you can stay "ahead" of the sim/approach/procedure --- just like you do in the A/C --- it will improve your "simulator pucker-factor" and allow more "mental" time for scan --- 'cause your're not worrying about what's coming next.

Also --- EVERY simulator flies a little differently than the one next to it. You guys should build a "gouge" on how different sim's fly and go from there. Jump in and fly them on off times, if it is available. Suck up to some of your instructors, if you have to and get "extra" time, if that is acceptable. We do it in the "Big Iron" and it helps (some) guys relax, when they know this simulator "is right on" .... this one lags .... etc,etc....

 

[Pags]

Yeah, if you want to excel in instruments, you need to practice. I thought I practiced a lot, but I could have always used more practice. And for when you get to RI sims, like Mefesto said, use the script that they provide. If the sim is full, chair fly it some at home. Whatever helps you get your A-game on for the event.

 

[bch]

for RI's make sure you are using the RIOT trainer. It may not be the stick and rudder aspect of it, but it will ensure that you got your procedures down cold. Some people will swear by the microsim for RI's, personally, I hated it and thought it was a wasted of time... but if it works for you... USE IT. Bottom line make sure that you are practiced up b4 getting into the sim for a graded event. Those old bastards are too big of pricks to ty to wing it.

 

[The Gooch]

Did you ever think that perhaps you are the worst thing to ever happen to Naval Aviation??? :icon_rage

Now, without starting a sarcastic flaming war, understand that the purpose of the yelling isn't because they are pissed off at the world...it's because when you are coming back after a 10-flight 3 day combined low level/airnav cross country, tired as a dog, feeling that you are hungover, into weather that actually IS 500 and 1/2, and you actually DO need to nail that ILS/PAR/name your approach, that having these guys get under your collar and interrupt your 12 hour long coffee-break of a day for an hour does wonders...

Oh, and being good at instruments directly translates into being a better overall pilot...you scan quicker, you make better reactions, and you don't get yelled at. Now, go practice.

 

[A4sForever]

As a user and abuser of many, many, many sims: the bottom line is ---

scan, scan, and scan faster and better ..... it never changes.

AW smiley face .... :censored_

 

[Fly Navy]

I hate being yelled at. I mean, who actually likes it? That being said, if you can't take some screaming for 1 hour in the sim... what right do you have being in the cockpit? This obviously isn't a nice fluffy business. Guys that DOR because the sim instructors are too harsh... well I'm glad they DOR'd.

 

[A4sForever]

......Guys that DOR because the sim instructors are too harsh... well I'm glad they DOR'd.

Very good, Fly ... it's not "fluffy". It is about killing people. Or being killed by them if you're not quick enough .....

We would not want the Germans, Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Russians, East Bloc, North Vietnamese, Sandanistas, Shining Path, Syrians, Iraqis, Iranians, Taliban, Al Queda, ..... ** I'm exhausted ** .... take a number ..... to be "too harsh" .... would we???

Thank God for "hard" sim instructors .....

(new AW smiley ... :censored_ )

 

[VarmintShooter]

Always rather hear the yelling (don't like it, but can handle it) than the dreaded ... "I have the sim."

That always sucked.

Concur with the last few guys though, you don't have to like the yelling, but if you can't handle it then you don't need to be here.

Hmmm, rather hear a sim instructor yelling than bullets whizing past the cockpit, but I guess I'd just have to handle that too.


The new A4s/AW smiley ... :censored_

 

[squeeze]

when they start yelling, i just tune them out... of course that leads to more yelling b/c i dont consciously hear what they are saying... even when they stop yelling and start being a controller or a teacher again

of course some of them you had to listen to their yelling b/c if you just followed their stupid script you could get 2 aboves easily... regardless of how retarded the comms sounded.

 

[skidkid]

Ahhh simulators, where mistakes are forgiven and missiles are free. Seriously though Im going to repost a thought I have expressed here a few times. If I ever find myself int the skies fo Corpus with Ordnance on board I might find myself "ORM"ing an attack on the Corpus sim building what's the worst they could do to me (IM kidding NCIS, NSA, Home Land Security and all the other agencies I odnt even know about)

I will however reiterate that anyone who cant fly while being berated by an old as dirt lots of experience but no personality curmogen then they are a pussy (that word slips through) and have no business in military aircraft.

The Cobra sim guys arent bad. They are very hard on RAG students but the biggest threat to us "salty" types is that they will talk your ear off and use up your sim slot.

Still hate smiles even censored ones!

 

[nittany03]

In advance, I didn't have much trouble with BI sims, but to share some advice (and recombobulate the thread) . . . It's been said before, but just to emphasize . . .
TRIM! TRIM! TRIM!
You should have ZERO stick feel. This will pay HUGE dividends in RIs when you have to take your hand off the stick to fumble with approach plates, change VORs or TACANs, change altimeter settings, write down ATIS, etc.

Looking into the near future/RIs, a well-trimmed plane will behave itself when ATC craps on you and clears you at the last minute for two completely different approaches than you planned to shoot, at a completely different airport with a completely different Initial Approach Fix and then changes its mind right after you finish switching plates (*cough*Montgomery Approach*cough*).

Also, if you are having trouble with your altitude in turns and such, pay special attention to the nose attitude on your attitude gyro. The gouge numbers are a good starting point which you can fine-tune for the individual sim. I also suspect you're fixating. Granted, the scan patterns in the Instrument FTI are pure BS. But if you aren't focusing primarily on the attitude gyro, the sim and plane can and will do funny things. In particular, watch you don't let the VSI drop out of your scan. Usually when I was having altitude control issues, it seemed that was the reason. Hope that helps.

 

[D_mac05]

If you don't like the yelling from the instructors, just turn the ICS down to where it sounds like they're talking normally. That usually works well. Then, you can reply in a calm manner and focus more on your flying.

 

[The Gooch]

Yes you can...its right behind the arm that's supposed to be controlling your glideslope. Little knob that says "Volume".

And if you fly to his level of expectiation, he's actually a pretty nice guy.

As for technique, Nittany is right on...mastering trim will make you a better and less tired pilot. Doesn't matter if its BI's, RI's, Fams, Forms, Weps, Onavs, or even behind the boat. If you think you are trimmed, click nose down (or spin if if you are in primary), and see what happens. If it starts to drift down, click it back and you are set. Same for aileron trim. The lightbulb WILL come on, just keep at it.

 

[TurnandBurn55]

I'm interested in knowing who doesn't think they're good. :icon_smil

I'll take one for the team here, folks.

I am not a good pilot.

And I sucked at BIs