Training at Class B Airports

[172driver]

Flyboy. Agreed in full. ORL is packed. Same with SFB, ISM, DAB, etc. The controllers are great aren't they? Nothing like pushing 10 airplanes on 3 different approaches to the same runway, all with approach speeds varying by 60 knots. Have you heard they're considering slots and no practice IFR? If not, pleeeease try to influence your school to fly more early am and night blocks for IFR. Needless to say, but that would not be good for business. I'm sure the 135 guys would be happy though.

To the other responder, forgot your name. Sure wish we could go up to the tower still. Used to be a great experience for students. 9/11 events put an end to that. However, the controllers are nice enough to come out to the local flight schools to answer questions.

BTW, why would the Miami Heat be flying into ORL? Maybe you mean the Magic?

 

[flyboy]

correct, the magic fly a 737 in but when the miami heat come in, you get to watch them land a 727 out there. Watching him land is not nearly as much fun as watching him get up. They use every bit of that 6003 ft. runway. Didn't know that they were going to start cutting down on IFR practice and creating "slots". I understand that they are really busy, but wouldn't they rather new IFR pilots have actually had experience in controlled airspace on IFR flight plans? I mean, some instructors take their guys up to OCF to shoot the arc, vor, and ils while VFR and not talking to anyone. Then when they get thier ticket and fly into MCO airspace on IFR flight plan, they can hardly handle a clearance. Cutting back would be unfortunate.

 

[172driver]

Unfortunate indeed and, yes, they are trying to work it out. But, they can only handle so much traffic. The problem is 9-12 am and 2-5 pm...obviously peak hrs for training. Get the word out that people ought to be flying IFR lessons early morning and in the evening. If we don't change it, we get screwed basically.

People are shooting approaches without talking to anybody? That is a terrible practice and will end up getting people hurt or violated. I believe Jax Center serves OCF. Flying practice approaches on a VFR flight plan with a squawk code is one thing but incommunicado is quite another, especially to an airport that, by all rights, ought to be Class D. Dangerous!! Is that the proper way to enter the pattern at a nontowered airport? What school do you go to anyway? Do your planes have red tails?

 

[RDG]

Cleveland Hopkins has a flight school called 5K on the field. I used to keep a C172 there. There are always creative ways to get the Cessnas out ahead of all the Continental traffic, such as intersection departures off 28, or 24R, 6L. Whenever we gave a student a Class B solo, we would call the tower on the phone first to let them know that the student was coming. On occassion, they would ask us to have him wait 15 minutes or so before we sent him, just so they could finish a bank of flights. They get snippy sometimes, but for the most part the controllers work with you.

 

[flyboy]

172driver,

Indeed, the tails are red and you must have had some personal experience with some of some of these guys. No, it obviously is not the traffic pattern. I'm sure that they do make traffic call outs, but more often than not, they do not talk to JAX. I think that more than the red tails, the local FBO IFR students/instructors are causing the most problems there. Also, you are correct about that airport. It should be a class D airport. There is no way that I would be shooting approaches there without talking to someone. When I'm on a VFR cross country that takes me through OCF VOR, I always choose an altitude that more than clears me of the traffic there. People tend to enter the pattern at any altitude/angle they wish. I've passed overhead at 5000+ before only to just miss a mid-air with someone spiralling down to join the flow. Fly safe and keep your eyes open! This includes every airport in central Florida.