Passed V1 and V2 and it feels good 8-)

[Flagada002]

Seriously. Took off from Hemet-Ryan KHMT in the basic 172, then just self broadcasted on 123.0, then picked up my ATIS at Riverside to land there for V1 attempt. Was surprised how busy it was. I was thrown off as well, was hearing the same controller identifying himself as socal app/ john wayne tower/ los angeles tower and so on !! Doubled check my foreflight.. double checked my garmin 430 for tower frequency and decided it was time to man up and make the call ... It was the right frequency. I don't know how you controllers do it, but respect!

Anyways. found out the V1 needed to be completed in LZA? the website description was supposed to provide a list of airport. Was unable to find it. So to be safe I just went to KSNA, the only airport mentioned in the V1 description. The FBO was good enough to hand me the keys to a brand newish PC12 to make it quick. Enroute weather reported few clouds, therefore I filed IFR. After a controller rotation, and a few poorly timed phone calls, I was able to be greeted with FRC (I had put in the RMK section, first time on pilot edge). Well... I may be a CFI... but I haven't done any IFR in a year damn near, and that controller made me feel proper silly! As she should have might I add!

But after a successful landing at John Wayne I was able to redeem my self in my area of expertise. The V1 and V2 back to back ratings Thank you PE staff for the much welcomed hard time ! Will be showing up for more! (after some offline familiarization of your airspace... I'm from New York... thought it was busy there lol).

Communication was always my greatest weakness . Was happy to feel the challenge.

PS: I just realized the server thought I was flying a C172 the whole time. It will teach me not to log off and log on again while switching plane!

[signmanbob]

Congratulations show off V1 and V2 in one swipe. Well done!
Now I have to go take my V2 or I'll be falling way behind.

Bob

[Flagada002]

Well I mean it is my job here on Long Island! Just start with a sectional (or skyvector/ EFB). Draw a line between the two airports. Look for the MELs (Maximum Elevation Figures, those blue numbers in the middle of the quadrants formed by lines of longitude and lattitudes). to determine the minimum safe altitude along your route. Then Look for the airspace's along the route. Then once you get in the cockpit. it helps if you have two radios with standby frequencies. So you can set up as many frequencies as humanly possible!

After start up, pick your weather, then replace that frequency with the next airport you plan on getting the weather from.
Before calling for taxi, study your airport diagram. The controller will likely give you the most logical taxi instruction.

And remember. if you find yourself not doing anything in the cockpit. You are very likely lagging behind your airplane ! Good luck to you and I'll be looking for you in the virtual skies!

EDIT: Forgot to mention. I did buy the PC12 from Carenado. That bird is really nice. equipped with dual garmin 530s. And the default 172 from x plane 10 has a 430 on board. That's how I made sure to dodge the airspace's/locate airports! Consider finding a dual garmin airplane it cannot be mentioned enough how it will make your life easier. Also steer CLEAR of carenado's SR22.....

[signmanbob]

Well I mean it is my job here on Long Island! Just start with a sectional (or skyvector/ EFB). Draw a line between the two airports. Look for the MELs (Maximum Elevation Figures, those blue numbers in the middle of the quadrants formed by lines of longitude and lattitudes). to determine the minimum safe altitude along your route. Then Look for the airspace's along the route. Then once you get in the cockpit. it helps if you have two radios with standby frequencies. So you can set up as many frequencies as humanly possible!

After start up, pick your weather, then replace that frequency with the next airport you plan on getting the weather from.
Before calling for taxi, study your airport diagram. The controller will likely give you the most logical taxi instruction.

And remember. if you find yourself not doing anything in the cockpit. You are very likely lagging behind your airplane ! Good luck to you and I'll be looking for you in the virtual skies!

EDIT: Forgot to mention. I did buy the PC12 from Carenado. That bird is really nice. equipped with dual garmin 530s. And the default 172 from x plane 10 has a 430 on board. That's how I made sure to dodge the airspace's/locate airports! Consider finding a dual garmin airplane it cannot be mentioned enough how it will make your life easier. Also steer CLEAR of carenado's SR22.....

Great advise Flagada! I'm going to copy/paste your pre-flight steps and save them in my file with PilotEdge stuff so I can reference them in the future.
Well, believe it or not, I just passed my V2. Again, with the "skin of my teeth". Don't know what made me go ahead and do it because I was planning on waiting a couple of weeks. I think seeing your post that you passed V1 and V2 just filled me with inspiration and a false sense of confidence and bravado.
The worse thing that I did was loose my bearings at KONT. I thought I was going into a left hand pattern for Rwy 26L, then friendly approach contacted me and told me I had passed the runway and to cross over and enter the left hand pattern....UGH! For some reason, I was thinking the runways were pointing the other way and that I was in the left pattern (yeah, I know. I should have looked at my HSI). Hey, things can only get better
Right now I have been using A2A's Skyhawk 172 with the F1 Garmin GNS 750. That GNS is really an amazing piece of equipment. It almost makes things too easy. I could have placed the approach in it and it would have kept me from getting confused.
Slow as the C172 is, I was so busy in that cockpit that I didn't think of doing that. I looked like a one-armed paper hanger trying to input all the frequencies and manage the heading and altitude, while talking to ATC.
I have Carenado's PC-12. I'll have to try it out in PilotEdge sometime. For now, it is too fast for my slow-motion brain function.
I'm just trying to fly the slowest aircraft that I have. That's the Skyhawk C172. I thought of using my A2A Piper J3 for all of the VFR tests. That way I could fly at about 60kts and have plenty of time. I'm not sure that it has any radios in it.
Flagada, are you really a professional pilot in the real world?
I'm not a stranger to Long Island. I was born in Manhattan. The world made me an Alabama redneck, but my roots are in New York City.
Again, thank you for your advise and the inspiration to go for (...and somehow pass) V2. Well, on to V3, but I am going to wait a little while before I do that. It looks pretty complicated.

Bob

[Flagada002]

Congrats buddy. But pro tip. You can always fly your C172 at the bottom of the green arc on the RPM indicator if you lag behind, or make 360 degree turns to shave some time.
Yes I am a flight instructor (not instrument instructor). Just fly 172's and 152's these days.
PS: the PC12 is also too fast for me to input frequencies and fly it within PTS. (btw ACS is now replacing PTS.) I just learned to use the aupilot!

[Keith Smith]

The V-1 can be done at any towered airport within "ZLA" (that's the Los Angeles ARTCC)

[signmanbob]

The V-1 can be done at any towered airport within "ZLA" (that's the Los Angeles ARTCC)

Yes Keith. Thank you. I had to Google "ZLA" to find out what it was. I had no idea, but that's how to learn

Congrats buddy. But pro tip. You can always fly your C172 at the bottom of the green arc on the RPM indicator if you lag behind, or make 360 degree turns to shave some time.
Yes I am a flight instructor (not instrument instructor). Just fly 172's and 152's these days.
PS: the PC12 is also too fast for me to input frequencies and fly it within PTS. (btw ACS is now replacing PTS.) I just learned to use the aupilot!

Thank you Flagada! That's good to know.
I had to do a 360 degree turn when doing my V2, before I entered KONT Charlie space. Even with the 172 I was getting close to Charlie space too fast, before I had my frequencies setup. I just made a circle, but I probably should have called ATC and told them first because they called me and wanted to verify that my destination was Ontario. I told them that I just had to circle to get my frequencies straightened out, then they gave me the frequency for Ontario approach that I needed to contact to enter Charlie.
Once I entered Ontario's Charlie and called approach, I was thinking that I would be cleared to land, but it didn't happen that way. I had to fly around in Charlie space for a while and it got me disoriented a little, so I ended up getting the airport turned around in my head and my mental plan to enter the left pattern for 26L wasn't accurate anymore. Thus I passed up the runway
I guess if I was in real life, I would have had a CFI, like yourself, correcting me before I got too far off.
I don't know all of the acronyms yet. But I really appreciate Google:
• The FAA will implement the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) for Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) and Instrument Rating Airplane (IRA) on June 15, 2016.
• The Practical Test Standards (PTS) documents for PAR and IRA will be cancelled as of this date

That's awesome that you are a CFI. If I have questions, I have another good place to ask. That airspace around New York, has to test your skills.

Thank you,
Bob

[Kyle.Sanders]

Even with the 172 I was getting close to Charlie space too fast, before I had my frequencies setup.

Great thing about getting flight following, the radar frequencies are all given to you by ATC. Get the tower and ground frequencies setup maybe (found on the airport diagram) but that's about the extent you should be preparing. Don't delay your flight if you don't have it set up, you can always ask ATC for the frequency of you find yourself in a situation where it would cause undue delay/workload to get it.

I just made a circle, but I probably should have called ATC and told them first because they called me and wanted to verify that my destination was Ontario. I told them that I just had to circle to get my frequencies straightened out

They may have verified your destination but there is no requirement for you to tell them you are doing a 360... But if the frequency isn't too busy, giving them a heads up isn't a bad idea.

Once I entered Ontario's Charlie and called approach, I was thinking that I would be cleared to land, but it didn't happen that way.

The approach controller doesn't really give clearances to "land". They are watching a radar scope and haven't a clue what the runway conditions are. That is why your landing clearance usually comes from tower that can see the airport environment.

I think reading through this thread would bring to light some aspects about who to talk to and why-
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6358

[signmanbob]

Even with the 172 I was getting close to Charlie space too fast, before I had my frequencies setup.

Great thing about getting flight following, the radar frequencies are all given to you by ATC. Get the tower and ground frequencies setup maybe (found on the airport diagram) but that's about the extent you should be preparing. Don't delay your flight if you don't have it set up, you can always ask ATC for the frequency of you find yourself in a situation where it would cause undue delay/workload to get it.

I just made a circle, but I probably should have called ATC and told them first because they called me and wanted to verify that my destination was Ontario. I told them that I just had to circle to get my frequencies straightened out

They may have verified your destination but there is no requirement for you to tell them you are doing a 360... But if the frequency isn't too busy, giving them a heads up isn't a bad idea.

Once I entered Ontario's Charlie and called approach, I was thinking that I would be cleared to land, but it didn't happen that way.

The approach controller doesn't really give clearances to "land". They are watching a radar scope and haven't a clue what the runway conditions are. That is why your landing clearance usually comes from tower that can see the airport environment.

I think reading through this thread would bring to light some aspects about who to talk to and why-
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6358

Thank you Kyle. This is all great information. Coming into these forums and "debriefing", is a powerful way to learn. I appreciate your help and willingness to share your knowledge.

Bob

[signmanbob]

And remember. if you find yourself not doing anything in the cockpit. You are very likely lagging behind your airplane !

I like this. This is good to remember.