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CAT Training Breaks the Ice!!!

Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 10:48 pm
by KIMCHI
I just wanted to post my glowing experience with CAT thus far. I was petrified of PE at first and all of those nerves meant lots of mistakes. I decided to jump into CAT and by the second CAT test I was already comfortable with flying into towered aiports like nothing! Great program I hope there is more training to come!

Re: CAT Training Breaks the Ice!!!

Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 6:08 am
by Keith Smith
I'm so glad it helped you so quickly!
KIMCHI wrote:I just wanted to post my glowing experience with CAT thus far. I was petrified of PE at first and all of those nerves meant lots of mistakes.
This is good evidence that a big part of learning comms is having some guidance to get started.
Great program I hope there is more training to come!
Well, there's the CAT-3....CAT-4....CAT-5. When you're done with that, there's the I-Ratings, then Sky High Charters series.

A quick word of advice, if you'd really like to see you're achieving mastery of the material, try planning a similar version of each CAT rating as you complete it. See if you can conduct the flight, end to end, between two new airports, without the transcript. This repetition without a safety net provides a strong gauge as to how much of the material you have absorbed versus simply executing what's in the transcript.

The CAT Ratings are an imperfect system. It's possible to pass them all and learn almost nothing from the process if you're not careful. The extra flights are a very strong litmus test.

Re: CAT Training Breaks the Ice!!!

Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 8:50 am
by KIMCHI
Excellent advice! I've been practicing up to about CAT 6 where I feel comfortable. Going to do a few today actually. I think the biggest issue with PE is people come in knowing its awesome but also hearing about the potential ego kicks. Nobody likes being corrected and people get defensive, especially with ATC (I've noticed this even in real life.) I think the important thing about the CAT training is you go in with ATC knowing you are a student, it takes a lot of the pressure to be Cpt. Sulley on the mic off you, allowing you to follow the material and thus remember it.