Passed My V-03 And Some Advice For Those About To Try

[Keith Smith]

The network isn't actually geared to take someone who knows nothing about ATC and provide a self-service mechanism to get them all the way through the process. There is an assumed level of knowledge, or in lieu of that, a great deal of self-motivation, self-study and resourcefulness is going to be required on the part of the individual to make it work. This wasn't clearly worded in the positioning material that was written, we might have to revisit it at some point.

The goal isn't to attract every single simmer on the planet who is interested in giving ATC a try.The resulting experience would be considerably less than realistic and would make it difficult to conduct any sort of commercial operations here, short of structuring the training in a very specific way, using specific airports with dedicated staffing for the training areas, at which point the operating costs go up considerably. That's a different business model than what we're aiming for, hence, you don't see us structuring things in the way you described.

[BFG]

From the Simulation Enthusiasts page, "If you’re up for the challenge of flying in a multiplayer simulation environment designed to support real-world pilot training and proficiency, this is the right place for you. If not, then other networks would likely be a better fit. The best way to find out is to join PilotEdge and see what you think."

I've been thinking about this a lot since the thread started, including during my PPL lesson today. The sentiment above is spot on to the reality. Keith, I see the intention of the service and recognize that the average simmer is not the heart of the market. And in that respect I think you guys have it dialed in as well as you probably can given the nature of the network and your business model. I hope you haven't heard any of this as critique, and the intention of my original post wasn't to provide any (and I don't believe it does). All I was trying to do in the original post was suggest something that had worked for me, and that in my mind (1) was exactly the type of self-motivation, self-study and resourcefulness you describe above, and (2) made it easier for the controllers by not having me stumble through the test the first time. I probably should have titled that post, "If you are really new at this, and barely know what the hell you are doing, and want to learn all you can for the V-03 to be ready for it quickly, here's some advice. But it's really pretty easy, and nothing to be afraid of."

BTW, Kyle, suggesting the return from San Luis to Oceana as "Your Second Flight" is a great idea, and would be a good bridge to pattern work at KSNA, IMO.

[Keith Smith]

We're behind schedule due to other projects, but it's finally coming together now that I have a rig for recording flights again, but the CAT ratings will replace the V-x ratings and provide a much more gradual progression. You can get a hint of what's to come with those on the remote coaching course list.

Gotta dash, will go through your comment in full after dinner.

[jiva602]

Hope you don't mind me jumping in and adding my two cents...

It would be impossible to make an all inclusive beginners guide. There is just too much information... It would scare one away. Rather, I think it's better to read the transcript and any other study materials you come across and just go for it.

I did this with my CAT 5 "dry run" after simply reading the PE guide once through. The reason I didn't just do the actual test straight away is because I am not in a hurry and honestly feel that once I pass it (maybe by the seat of my pants), I will probably move right on to the next level, perhaps without a super solid grasp of the skill set.

That being said, the next time I do fly this route it will be for the test but I will also fly other similar routes with the same com requirements so that I learn the concepts and NOT the exact route.

Even though KSMX - KBFL is straight forward in terms of planning, I forced myself to forget gps and use the VOR's and practice juggling the nav's while trying to keep up with the com's.

THIS is what is building my confidence and inspiring me to move forward.

Thanks,

Jiva