YEG IFR course

[mountainman]

Is there anyone on here that will be attending the YEG Oct 25 IFR Course?

Additionally, from people who have completed the course, could you give some light as to how it all goes down?

I know that there is 'basic training', essentially ground school working through 'From the Ground Up', simulator work, and floor training.

I also know that the training time can range (unpaid time can range 100-300 days according to the acceptance form).

How did the training process go for you?

Thanks a bunch.

[green_between]

Here are some basic tips, no matter where you are training:

Study your ass off. Even if you don't need to know half the stuff you're tested on, the training staff will remember who cared enough to put in the time. Do not talk back, or question your trainer's motives. They have no time for those who think themselves automatic shoe-ins.

When you are training in the various simulators and on the floor:

1. Keep your head straight ahead and focused on the display. DO NOT joke around with the controllers around you. You will be respected much more if you focus on the aircraft (no matter how few there are) as someone who is focused on the job rather than the conversation around you. When you get your license you can joke around with your co-workers. Not before.

2. Show respect to everyone around you and DO NOT talk back to anyone no matter how disrespected you feel. This process is about your personality as much as your skill on the job. Remember that everyone around you has gone through the same training as you and often under much more difficult circumstances. As my training instructor told me: keep a list of names and if you feel it necessary, get them back when you have a license.

3. Visualize every possible scenario in your head. When you are driving home, when it's dead and you're trying to ignore the banter around you, when your wife is talking nonsense at the dinner table. If you can visualize scenarios when you are not actually working, it tricks your brain into actually thinking it's seen these scenarios before. This can help your reaction time when a situation arises quickly.

4. When your OJI (or someone else) suggests you practice something, you practice something. Draw diagrams, practice phraseology, imagine an emergency situation and what you would do, read your training book and redo the scenarios in your head. When you pretend to do these things in your head, your brain actually perceives them as real situation and you can react quicker and more safely when required.

5. To repeat the most important points: Focus on the monitor and scan, scan, scan. Be nice to everyone and DO NOT give anyone attitude. As long as you come across as a good person and can handle a reasonable level of traffic and diverse set of situations, you will get your license.

Good luck!

[hydro]

+1 to green_between's advice.

Another benefit to running scenarios in your head when its slow is sometimes a pilot will request something that makes the scenario actually happen right away. I don't necessarily recommend visualizing scenarios at bed at night though. I used to be the type that could fall asleep within 5 minutes. Then I discovered that was the perfect time for me to replay scenarios without any distractions. Unfortunately now it takes me an hour or more to fall asleep no matter what. I also had OJI's that generally preffered day shifts. Whoops.

[Braun]

All good advice, although not to sure about taking names down and getting revenge but hey to each his own!

That being said I have two tips.

#1 Do not give up it will be easier at times and very hard at others but just keep your head high and do your best!

#2 Get your phraseology down pat. This is one of the biggest things because it allows you to say what you want to say and not have to think about how to say it which in turns allows you to be more efficient and have more time to concentrate on your actual control decisions!

Good luck!

[mountainman]

Thank you very much for all of the tips - i appreciate them all!

I certainly do not expect that i will be a shoe-in and know that there is a long road of hard work and study ahead of me. I have gone through the material that was sent to me (FTGU and the CD) and feel comfortable with the material thus far. I suppose it helps as i have instructed out of the FTGU for the last 8 years!

I am still a little curious about the training schedule itself... how many months is the in class segment, sim segment, and then on the floor segment? Or at least how long was it for those of you who have already gone through?

Thanks again and keep the tips coming!!

PS - nobody on here is starting Oct 25th in YEG?

[HeadingAltitudeSpeed]

I am still a little curious about the training schedule itself... how many months is the in class segment, sim segment, and then on the floor segment? Or at least how long was it for those of you who have already gone through?

I could be a roll of the dice for the length. It should be about 3 months for the basic portion then maybe another 3 for the specialty specific in classroom. Then simulation will depend on where you go. Problem is right now there are new systems being implemented and it has resulted in disruptions of the training schedule. One course was sent away for 2 or 3 months while other issues got worked out.

October may not be a very happy place in the center. Don't let it get you down. The negativity you may feel has nothing to do with you but is a product of a very complex environment.

[kevenv]

This process is a year long (+) job interview. You are being watched constantly, by both your OJI and everyone around you. Don't ever forget it. Green_between has some great tips on how to behave. DO NOT I SAY AGAIN DO NOT get sucked into conversations going on around you! Controllers will do it, but they are on their own license and bear the consequences if anything goes wrong while they are distracted. As well, Braun has a great piece of advice. Know your phraseology by heart. Practice it over and over and over again when you are driving or otherwise alone. If you don't have to focus on basic issues like phraseology (holding clx, initial contact, departure instructions, issuing restrictions etc), you are freeing up time to focus on more important things.

Good luck!

[FaStAeRo]

Thanks very much for these tips guys... its great stuff..
I'll bookmark this page so that I can return to it during training

[koberinski]

What do you mean by phraseology?

[YYZJuice]

What do you mean by phraseology?

"Traffic 12 O'clock 1 mile, opposite direction, same altitude"

[husky]

What do you mean by phraseology?

"Traffic 12 O'clock 1 mile, opposite direction, same altitude"

You forgot the aircraft type....

[Braun]

Hopefully they are VFR...if not you also forgot to call the shift manager lol!

[YYZJuice]

You forgot the aircraft type....

Unrecognizable.

Seriously though, this was overheard by a student in our generic course. We had a custom of writing all of the stupid/interesting "phraseology" over the course of the program on the whiteboard for all to see.

[cyeg66]

You forgot the aircraft type....

They'll be able to tell from the debris field.
And yes, in the YEG sim, they've got a grease board full of goodies that trainees have inadvertently said during some of their runs. Things like : "ABC, speed restriction cancelled, now reduce speed to 180 kts...." and "Traffic 2 o'clock, 10 miles, a flock of B-52's...." Many classics on the wall of shame.