I'm Hyperventilating

[Kyle.Sanders]

Thank you Kyle. I will certainly be studying the material available here on PilotEdge and on the "Real World VFR" program that I purchased. I will try to do shorter simple flights that are not in too complicated areas until I have a better idea of what I'm suppose to do.
Other than the "First Flight", which I will do several times, is there any more good suggestions anywhere, for beginner flights on PilotEdge?

Bob

My advice for getting started

Watch:
The first four (starting from bottom and working upwards)
http://www.pilotedge.net/workshops

In between watching those videos, go online and practice something(s) that you learned in each video.

Meanwhile, download and install the PilotEdge receiver to listen to ATC live or listen via the archives (I no longer listen to music on the way to work. Haha!) Go back and listen to each of your interactions later to self- criticize.
http://www.pilotedge.net/pages/pilotedge-receiver
Or
http://www.pilotedge.net/audio/today

Prepare for the rating tests:
Overview
http://training.pilotedge.net/page/overview

Test standards
http://training.pilotedge.net/page/takingTests

Do the v1 and v2 tests
http://training.pilotedge.net/page/ratings

Now fly around a bit to get more comfortable...
Maybe look at some twitch streamers doing the tests like AutomicFrog or Froogle.
http://youtu.be/Q8WaXst9AzY

Now do the v3 test.

Now that VFR is done, start on IFR:

Watch the rest of the workshop videos starting from the 5th from the bottom and work your way up:
http://www.pilotedge.net/workshops

Same as with VFR, maybe practice as you go along in these workshops.

Now do the I-1 through the I-11 tests.
http://training.pilotedge.net/page/ratings

Now go watch the "Real World IFR" videos. They are not meant to be watched as a beginner but rather polish your understanding of IFR procedures.

Fly the alphabet challenge http://myflightroute.com/atoz.php?

Participate in the forums. There is a wealth of knowledge in here.
It is a very friendly network and everybody is there to help each other. I check the "unread posts" there more than my Facebook haha! I have it as a bookmark on my phone web browser.

[signmanbob]

Wow!! Thank you Kyle! This is great information. I really appreciate it.

Bob

[yajna]

I have something like 40 hours on the network, half of it (badly) flying the IXEG 737, and I still get butterflies and forget everything I know before calling clearance delivery. Flying without autopilot and remembering frequency changes at the same time is the biggest challenge. Nothing quite like it out there!

-Chris (SWA 484)

[signmanbob]

I have something like 40 hours on the network, half of it (badly) flying the IXEG 737, and I still get butterflies and forget everything I know before calling clearance delivery. Flying without autopilot and remembering frequency changes at the same time is the biggest challenge. Nothing quite like it out there!

-Chris (SWA 484)

Hello yajna,
Why would you not use the autopilot? IXEG 737 has a great autopilot and since the aircraft is really designed to have a first officer helping you, I would definitely be using the auto pilot to make the workload easier, at least until I'm on final. Having to think about tuning frequencies, what I'm saying to ATC, while being conscious of my location and altitude....that autopilot would be a big help.
Of course, right now I'm just going to be flying VFR with small single engine GA aircraft for a while, so I probably won't use the autopilot unless I'm going a long way.

My advice for getting started

Watch:
The first four (starting from bottom and working upwards)
http://www.pilotedge.net/workshops

In between watching those videos, go online and practice something(s) that you learned in each video.

Meanwhile, download and install the PilotEdge receiver to listen to ATC live or listen via the archives (I no longer listen to music on the way to work. Haha!) Go back and listen to each of your interactions later to self- criticize.
http://www.pilotedge.net/pages/pilotedge-receiver
Or
http://www.pilotedge.net/audio/today

Prepare for the rating tests:
Overview
http://training.pilotedge.net/page/overview

Test standards
http://training.pilotedge.net/page/takingTests

Do the v1 and v2 tests
http://training.pilotedge.net/page/ratings

Now fly around a bit to get more comfortable...
Maybe look at some twitch streamers doing the tests like AutomicFrog or Froogle.
http://youtu.be/Q8WaXst9AzY

Now do the v3 test.

Now that VFR is done, start on IFR:

Watch the rest of the workshop videos starting from the 5th from the bottom and work your way up:
http://www.pilotedge.net/workshops

Same as with VFR, maybe practice as you go along in these workshops.

Now do the I-1 through the I-11 tests.
http://training.pilotedge.net/page/ratings

Now go watch the "Real World IFR" videos. They are not meant to be watched as a beginner but rather polish your understanding of IFR procedures.

Fly the alphabet challenge http://myflightroute.com/atoz.php?

Participate in the forums. There is a wealth of knowledge in here.
It is a very friendly network and everybody is there to help each other. I check the "unread posts" there more than my Facebook haha! I have it as a bookmark on my phone web browser.

This is all such great advice. I will be doing all of it.
I intend on doing all of the testing and I will test for VFR and fly all VFR for a few months getting flight following to interact with ATC as much as I can.
Today I practiced patterns offline for quite a while in P3D with the A2A Piper Comanche, but also actually talking out loud, what I would be saying to the tower. I've never practiced that way before.
I also am watching the last video workshop on airspace that Keith gave last weekend. It is super good.
I'm looking forward to getting confident and comfortable with the whole PilotEdge program. That would be so much fun.

Bob

[Keith Smith]

Bob, if you want to practice stick and rudder skills offline, that might make sense (or you can operate from a non towered airport online), but I would be surprised if offline practice at a towered airport will be very helpful. About all you will be saying is, "midfield" and "cleared for the option." Real atc has dynamic elements as a result of traffic and controller style which are hard to capture with offline practice.

You will improve as you practice talking on the radio.

[yajna]

> Why would you not use the autopilot? IXEG 737 has a great autopilot ...

In my early days on PE (in small GA aircraft) I used the autopilot almost 100%. As my ATC interaction skills improved, I started flying manually some of the time. The 737 handles so easy and isn't really that much more complex, stick-n-rudder wise, than a 172. I still use autopilot when I get too busy, or on an unfamiliar approach, or just feel like relaxing a little.

[signmanbob]

Bob, if you want to practice stick and rudder skills offline, that might make sense (or you can operate from a non towered airport online), but I would be surprised if offline practice at a towered airport will be very helpful. About all you will be saying is, "midfield" and "cleared for the option." Real atc has dynamic elements as a result of traffic and controller style which are hard to capture with offline practice.

You will improve as you practice talking on the radio.

That's mainly what I was practicing, was stick and rudder skill. I have always leaned more to flying the airliners, like the NGX or IXEG 737s. in the offline flight simulators (doing make believe IFR, sometimes using ATC software programs), so flying GA aircraft is also kind of new, but I'm getting pretty comfortable with it quickly.
I want to perfect my pattern work while doing touch and goes, and last night I think I made a lot of progress.
It's a double edge sword because if you don't have enough knowledge about radio communications, airspace rules and stick and rudder skills, you are going to waste everyone's time online, but if you don't start spending enough time with online flying, you will not gain the confidence that you need to fly with skill online, and you'll still end up wasting everyone's time.
Right now I'm reading a lot about airspace and radio communication (I have Rod Machado's video course and his book along with Pilot Workshop's Real VFR course), while getting a little used to flying the A2A Piper Comanche that I'm going to be using a lot in P3D online.
I'm also going through the PilotEdge workshops on YouTube. I'm trying to get a decent basic foundation of airman's knowledge, hoping that will give me a little edge when online.
I've never really had to fly patterns offline, so I am going to get so good with them that they will be second nature.
Then, I'm going to head for an airport that PilotEdge covers and just do pattern work with touch and goes while communicating with tower, after which I plan on taking the VFR test.
That's what I'm cramming for.
The way that I figure is that if I was learning to fly a real airplane, they wouldn't just stick me in the pilot's seat without giving me some basic information. Since I will not have a CFI sitting next to me on PilotEdge, I need to have some good basic foundational knowledge and skills to give me an edge when I log on, and hopefully don't make a complete fool out of myself, since I don't have a CFI to blame.

Bob

[signmanbob]

> Why would you not use the autopilot? IXEG 737 has a great autopilot ...

In my early days on PE (in small GA aircraft) I used the autopilot almost 100%. As my ATC interaction skills improved, I started flying manually some of the time. The 737 handles so easy and isn't really that much more complex, stick-n-rudder wise, than a 172. I still use autopilot when I get too busy, or on an unfamiliar approach, or just feel like relaxing a little.

I can understand what you are saying. I love the IXEG 737 (and NGX too) and the large airliners react so slowly to pilot input, that it does make them nice to fly. It's like the difference between pulling a large trailer behind your pickup or a short little U-Haul. The large trailer is actually easier to manage because it reacts slower.
Since the 737 is made for longer hauls, it would be difficult for me to just hold it in one position following some jetway, but I do love to shut off the autopilot and land it manually.

[Keith Smith]

Bob, gotcha. If you would like to have a CFI sitting next to you, there is this: http://pilotedge.net/pages/remote-coaching.

[signmanbob]

Bob, gotcha. If you would like to have a CFI sitting next to you, there is this: http://pilotedge.net/pages/remote-coaching.

Keith, yes I'm going to do this. It sounds like it is just exactly what I need. I'll do this before I take the VFR test. It will work in perfectly.
Let me do my touch and goes with pattern work online, then I'll sign up for this.

Thank you,
Bob