PilotEdge Forums

Welcome to the world of VFR. There is no perfect script for flying VFR and that is what the CAT ratings are all about. Just think about the name, "Communication and Airspace Training". All the program is designed to do is give you the opportunity to put yourself into a situation where you understand what is required of you as a VFR pilot. Quite honestly, you shouldn't even really need the transcript. You should be able to go to the AIM and have a good idea as to what you can or can't do. Look at Chapter 3, Section 2 and study up on the classes of airspace and the requirements to be able to operate within them. Read up on Chapter 4, Sections 1-4 for help with ATC related materials. In my opinion, that's better than any script to help you through the system.

Marcus Becker wrote:Welcome to the world of VFR. There is no perfect script for flying VFR and that is what the CAT ratings are all about. Just think about the name, "Communication and Airspace Training". All the program is designed to do is give you the opportunity to put yourself into a situation where you understand what is required of you as a VFR pilot. Quite honestly, you shouldn't even really need the transcript. You should be able to go to the AIM and have a good idea as to what you can or can't do. Look at Chapter 3, Section 2 and study up on the classes of airspace and the requirements to be able to operate within them. Read up on Chapter 4, Sections 1-4 for help with ATC related materials. In my opinion, that's better than any script to help you through the system.

Yes, I have not understood the scope or purpose of PE. Thanks for the reminder and for working with me during the flights - you are one of the most patient controllers out there and I appreciate that a LOT.

However, I would like to point out that I replied to this message to advocate against "make the ratings completely random" NOT to whine about how the ratings don't follow the script.

This is not the first time I have been completely misunderstood on this forum. I believe it will be best for me to treat posts "read only" and search for answers in the official documents such the AIM.

See you in the skies

Jiva, text is easily misinterpreted, and misunderstandings can happen at almost every step in a conversation on a forum. The forum is a better place with your questions, experiences and thoughts. Keep it coming. I don't think anyone was striking you down in the previous comments and would encourage you to keep posting.

Regarding the original post, many people who are undertaking the ratings do not have a high confidence level and are quite sensitive to changes in the plan. Yes, they absolutely need to get to the point where they can roll with the punches, but that doesn't mean that we should start punching them right out of the gate.

If anything, I'd be up for another series of ratings which are more challenging and have a randomized component to them once the user has conquered the CAT and I ratings.

Also, the intention of the ratings was that once they were completed, users would start flying on the network (using the foundation they've built from the ratings) and would exposed to all sorts of interesting situations in an organic fashion.

I'm all for exposing users to a wide range of situations, but I'm not sure that the existing ratings are the place to do it. To answer your question as to why we should even have the ratings to begin with if we're presenting them with a 'script' (it's not a script, really, it's a sample of a representative flight) and all the briefing material. The reason is because even with all of the material, people still don't know if they're executing correctly or not. Also, right or wrong, people like to have a goal and a way of measuring their progress. I believe the network offers a better service with the ratings than without them.

Again, I'm open to a series of more challenging ratings (especially now that the CATs are done). In fact, we are now working on collaborative project with another company which will offer a fresh scenario on a monthly basis as a premium offering. Aside from that, though, we may well offer another series more challenging ratings as part of the core offering as well.

Keith Smith wrote:Again, I'm open to a series of more challenging ratings (especially now that the CATs are done).

That sounds fantastic. The CAT's appear to be a big hit. I'm sure a higher level series will be also, and will add even more value to PE.

I believe my mistake was using these CAT ratings to educate myself rather than evaluate my skills. If these ratings are seen or desired to be purely evaluative than indeed they will fall far short of the mark for many seasoned pilots. Having been a educator for over 20 years, I didn't see them as such and thus let my own perspective cloud my vision and send me into, as it were, "IMC".

Thinking beyond the existing ratings, perhaps a next step could be something like a flight review (somewhat like the biannual).

Establish some criteria for an acceptable flight with consideration given to airport class, flight length, airspace, etc. Upon filing, user would request a flight review. Might even be something you would need to schedule in advance to assure appropriate staffing. Like a R/W flight review, some "randomized" events would be presented to the pilot (unanticipated holds, diversions, etc.). This would be a great opportunity to make use of PE initiated failure modes. All aspects of the flight would be monitored and detailed feedback (positive & negative) provided upon conclusion of the flight, not just a pass/fail.

And like a flight review, I'd expect to pay a premium for this. Possibly this would be an additional offering under Peter's remote coaching options.

Jiva, Your goal was fine. The CAT ratings are not just for evaluation...it is the "Communications and Airspace Training Program." By reviewing the material presented in the ratings (both the core text and the associated workshops), it should be possible to go from not knowing much at all about airspace and communications to knowing the basic requirements for identifying and operating in Class E, D, C & B airspace.

jiva602 wrote:I believe my mistake was using these CAT ratings to educate myself rather than evaluate my skills. If these ratings are seen or desired to be purely evaluative than indeed they will fall far short of the mark for many seasoned pilots. Having been a educator for over 20 years, I didn't see them as such and thus let my own perspective cloud my vision and send me into, as it were, "IMC".

I don't think anyone's saying they're meant to be purely evaluative. It's communications and airspace training after all. Each rating comes with learning objectives, background info, external materials for study, and (eventually) cockpit video. New concepts and complexities are added with each rating. What I might suggest is adding a few examples of similar flights to each rating page that a pilot could use if he or she wants to get more exposure to the concepts presented in a less "scripted" way before moving on, or to revisit later. Just the airport pair would be provided and it would be up to the pilot to plan the rest.

RyanK wrote:
I don't think anyone's saying they're meant to be purely evaluative. It's communications and airspace training after all. Each rating comes with learning objectives, background info, external materials for study, and (eventually) cockpit video. New concepts and complexities are added with each rating. What I might suggest is adding a few examples of similar flights to each rating page that a pilot could use if he or she wants to get more exposure to the concepts presented in a less "scripted" way before moving on, or to revisit later. Just the airport pair would be provided and it would be up to the pilot to plan the rest.

Yes, I have made a series of flights that correspond to the ratings so I can practice similar types of flights and procedures. I think I need to stop moving forward and review.