PilotEdge Forums

Hello to all,

my Name is Robert, 51 years old, i am from Germany and I would like to introduce myself as a "newbie" to PE. (signed up a couple of days ago and did 3 flights already on PE until now).

In real-life I am a (low-time) hobby-Pilot, starting in 1999 when I began to live "the dream" with a Flying Club Membership here in Germany and began my flight-training for a gliders license. Years later I additionally obtained an Ultralight License and in April 2013 made my Single Engine Piston License (PPL).

Like most of my Club buddies, the most flights I do start at uncontrolled airfields (like my homebase) to either a local flight and return to the home-airfield or to another uncontrolled airfield. (There are plenty here in Germany).

Sometimes I request flight-following but thats just all I have to deal with ATC. Although all german Airports do have a (manned) Tower, at uncontrolled airfields it serves as an Informational Station telling us the runway in use and winds and such, there isnt much to talk to them. You Report your Position and then Approach and Land at your own discretion.

The same applys for taxiing at these airfields.

The logical result is a lack in training regarding "talking to ATC AND flying the plane at the same time".

Of course, I have been trained to fly into and out of controlled airspace and to controlled Airports but mandatory are only 2 flights of that kind and thats it, you get your license.

What I experience now while flying on PE is exactly what I suspected if I would do this. BUT even worse....

Things that usually are an easy task while operating the Aircraft now obviously obtain less brain power because of the additional task "to be in contact with ATC and to stay mentally ahead of the Situation thats coming."

The outcome of this (caused by a brain which is working at 100% of it's capacity) is unbelievable....

Want some examples? (The PE Controllers already went through them... I want to tell you MY SINCERE APOLOGIES !

- Landing wrong runway direction
- not contacting Tower before entering class D
- requesting non required permissions
- NOT requesting required permissions
- not responding to ATC at all
- forgetting the least politeness on first contact (good morning..)
- saying "good evening" (when it is actually morning)
- not flying pattern altitude
- not remembering (VFR) cruise altitudes (even/odd/+500ft)
- and so on...

Theres more to come when I once start doing IFR....

All I can say is: APOLOGY for all of this to all involved!
I really take this very seriously and aim on becoming much more professional than I am at the Moment.
I really do not want to spoil others experiences on the Network.
I know I am still acting like a moron sometimes but I know: The only way to get better is to.. practice, practice practice...

Thats why I am here on PE, improve my skills. (This has also to do with safety reasons)

My experiences on the network until now exceeded my expectations on professionalism by far.

The environment and how it is operated forces (at least me) to target on a high professionalism level also. And I am sure it will help immensely for the real-world flying.

I hope Pilotedge receives the honour it deserves. I will Support it for sure. I am impressed !

Regards to ALL PE staff (especially to TIM to whom I talked in the Chat already and who helped me with my (tons of) questions)

Robert

Robert, I am also a 51-year-old newbie in PE, with a US Sport Pilot license in the real world, about 70 hours. (Maybe that's the equivalent of an ultralight license in Europe?)

Anyway, just wanted to say, I hear you, brother! PE is just like real life... My IQ drops 50 points every time I sign onto the network. I sound like an idiot, and there are more "uhhhhs" in my radio calls than actual words and numbers.

Meanwhile, other guys have their "radio voices" dialed all the way to Airline Pilot. And then there's Keith, who sounds like he's just too damn relaxed to get out of bed!

So, hang in there, and I'll hang in there, and someday we will sound like Keith at FL350. Well, minus the cool accent.

Punder,

That's funny Man! Great job. We all have been there (and keep visiting it )...we can call it "radio stuttering"!

Welcome Robert!

Thank you punder and hello Texfly,

it's good to know I am not the only one having "some Problems"..

But I am sure that the time will come when we both will be much more relaxed and sound (and act) more proficient than today.

I have the feeling that after each flight on PE I'm a bit more confident and that is what I am aiming for.

Again, apologies for the things I still do wrong. I assure you that these are not done deliberately.


It really is not so easy to comply to the aviation rules of a foreign country and simultaneously talk in an unfamiliar language.

I am still trying to become familiar with the charts and intend to take all the training-center tests.

See you online..

regards

Robert

Hey Robert, if you do your V-01 and/or V-02 at KSNA, watch out for the phantom taxiway H (if you have FSX, and if you start off on the southeast ramp like I did). While H is on the current airport diagram, it is NOT in the default FSX airport, or at least not where it's supposed to be. So I was rumbling happily along when GND said "Uh, you missed Hotel." Take G instead, it's where H ought to be. When I mentioned the discrepancy, I was told something like "just do whatever it takes to reach taxiway Charlie, and then you're good." G will take you to C.

And, maybe I shouldn't speak for everybody else, but I bet 99% of the people here assume we are all conscientious and not actually trying to mess things up. So, no need to apologize for newbie mistakes.

But I'll probably do it anyway after my next flight.

Hi punder,

thank you for the hint, but I already had an 2013 AFCAD file for KSNA installed and verified it is the same layout as on the AD Chart for KSNA.

I also passed the V-01 already and plan on flying the V-02.

Now installing bluesky california scenery first, it looks awesome.

See you in the air...

Regards
Robert

PS: My Ultralight license is officially called Sports Pilot License, so equivalent to yours perhaps (max. 2 seat planes, MTOM 472,5 Kg, Ballistic Recovery System - which is mandatory for that kind of aircraft at least here in Germany)

Robert,

I haven't flown in weeks. Have you done V-03 yet?

US sport pilot, Light Sport Aircraft = 2 seats, 120 knots @ "max continuous power", MTOW (ha, that's cool; just flip the last letter to get mass instead of weight) = 1320 lbs/600 kg. Can't fly higher than 10k ft unless in the mountains, then you get another 2k AGL. Daytime VFR only. No medical required.

EAA and AOPA convinced the FAA to consider letting "no-medical" pilots fly in larger planes, but I fear that proposal has fallen into a bureaucratic black hole somewhere.

That's interesting about the ballistic recovery; here in the USA, land of Cirrus, ballistic parachutes are still frowned upon. For example, two of the largest kit-plane makers, Van's and Sonex, urge you to NOT install a BRS when you build their kits.

I found this thread because I wondered if anyone else was having trouble finding taxiway hotel. So I'm not alone. Oh well, it was cheaper than getting lost on the ground at a real uncontrolled airport, and less embarrassing than getting lost at a real controlled airport.