What to Bring to Training?

[Stephen]

Other than the obvious stuff (clean clothes, a few pens and pencils), what should I bring with me to class for my first regional airline job?

 

[WhiteCloud]

Other than the obvious stuff (clean clothes, a few pens and pencils), what should I bring with me to class for my first regional airline job?

How about a small looseleaf notecard (3x5) book for your notes. Some highlighters too. Try not to get overwhelmed and get the info into your longterm memory that is pertinent. If there are some pilots that have recently gone thorough training find out from them how deep you have to get into systems and the ops manual. You can drive yourself crazy if you try going too deep into the info and miss the big picture. Go there to learn. Good luck.

 

[generaltso]

If it's a regional, a good amount of KY jelly.

 

[Cardinal]

All of your paperwork, certificates, etc.
A voided check.
Airplane stuff, headset, flashlight, etc.
You'll be handed a thick FOM, a thick FSM, and a thick systems manual if not more on the first day, and you'll get to carry it back and forth everyday for the next month. May as well get a decent chart case now. There's a few good threads:
http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16463
http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=6174
http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17416
http://forums.flightinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17462
A 500-pack of index cards.
A fork.
A spoon.
A camera.
A car if at all possible.
A fresh, undamaged liver.
And a generous supply of KY certainly makes it easier.
And do your roomate a favor, run the fan 24/7 and get some fresh air in there. Between microwave food, beer, farts, and general male slovenliness some of the rooms were not fit for human occupancy after a week. And don't be a dick when it comes to temperature selection. Meet halfway, at least. My pet peeves are showing, I know. I have atmosphere issues.

 

[Russ]

For me it was pillows, the hotel's ones just don't cut it.
Bring blank VHS tapes. I asked the instructors to copy a few of the good tapes we saw in class(not many tho) and also the sim is kinda cool to tape. Wife and family thought it was neat to see what I had been up to over the past months.
Lots of tylenol or equivant, you will be getting headaches from all the reading and odd hours. No doze helped me out on cram sessions.
Day one, start scoping out study and sim partners. This will be one of the most important decisions you make. Don't try to go it alone and not do a study group. They really help.
Beer, don't forget the beer.

 

[PilotRon]

I just completed my training. Here is my advise

Bring 3 x 5 note cards
Highlighters
Pencils
Pens
As little in baggage as you can. (when you go home you will understand)
I packed light and still sent a box weighing 43 lbs. home via UPS full of books.

Also bring:

Patience
Good Attitude for learning.

 

[embdrvr]

Most important thing to bring to training is a good attitude. Please don't bring a sense of entitlement.
Do bring a strong sense of committment. Don't bring the assumption that you will be going home every weekend to visit your honey while your sim partner is studying by himself.
If you are not familiar with turbine aircraft do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of "Turbine Pilot's Flight Manual"(Brown and Holt) so you don't waste time in class struggling with principles like suck squeeze bang blow and what bleed air and packs are.
If you haven't flown much lately get a little sim time to sharpen up your scan.
If the airline has sent you a list of memory items, emergency procedures, limitations, etc., then you need to know that stuff cold. Have your spouse or a buddy periodically quiz you just out of the blue. Another words you're having dinner and your wife suddenly says "fire warning, left engine, whaddya do?" you should be able to spout the procedure. Make up some index cards that your buddy/spouse/parent can pick at random so you're not learning things in any set sequence. You're sitting in the theatre waiting for the movie to start and she leans over and whispers in your ear......."what's the hydroplaning speed for the mains?" and you know it!
Best of luck to ya. I'm sure you'll do just fine. Do you mind telling us which airline?

 

[wil]

Go to GNC and buy "Enada". It is super-concentrated vitamin E that will keep you awake, alert and clear headed with out the caffene buzz or shakes! An AF pilot who flew missions in Afghanestan told me about it and that they were issued it. It's a little pricey but works great! Made my 12am-4am sim sessions go a little easier!!

 

[Mayday911]

Don't forget the profalactics....we all just do it for the chicks!!!

Mayday.

 

[Stephen]

Thanks for all the ideas. Much appreciated.

Do you mind telling us which airline? [/B]

CommutAir. Class starts Monday, 12 May. Can't wait.

 

[Cardinal]

Well shoot, wish I could join you. Guess I missed the boat this time around. Another thing to add: Study your tail off, but GO TO SLEEP! Get back to your room, take a few deep breaths, get dinner, and then get your head in the books. But once it's "bedtime" just go to sleep, even if you haven't covered everything you wanted to. The extra few hours of study that could be gained by sacrificing sleep are not worth it. They won't be very productive after a long day, and when you're zonking out in class the next day you're really screwed. I saw one guy up til 2 or 3 every morning, working really hard. Trouble is he wasn't even coherent in the morning. He was so tired he had trouble carrying on a basic conversation. He struggled through academically, but the huge sleep deficit he had accrued caught up to him while trying to sleep during the day for his 4am simulator sessions. That's when it really went bad.

 

[WhiteCloud]

Well shoot, wish I could join you. Guess I missed the boat this time around. Another thing to add: Study your tail off, but GO TO SLEEP! Get back to your room, take a few deep breaths, get dinner, and then get your head in the books. But once it's "bedtime" just go to sleep, even if you haven't covered everything you wanted to. The extra few hours of study that could be gained by sacrificing sleep are not worth it. They won't be very productive after a long day, and when you're zonking out in class the next day you're really screwed. I saw one guy up til 2 or 3 every morning, working really hard. Trouble is he wasn't even coherent in the morning. He was so tired he had trouble carrying on a basic conversation. He struggled through academically, but the huge sleep deficit he had accrued caught up to him while trying to sleep during the day for his 4am simulator sessions. That's when it really went bad.

Very good observations. I had something similar happen to me. Got though it but it wasn't pretty. My solution....Make some time of excercise and sleep and some social activity. You get more done during study sessions that way. Try to keep your normal sleep/wake cycle.

 

[Diesel]

when it's test time the only thing you need is...

cooperate graduate.

take a breath, enjoy the fun. Make sure you make time to go out and have beers with your friends. It's not all about studying. Enjoy it.

 

[B190Captain]

Pencils, pens, cards are all good suggestions. I believe the best one is yourself. Bring yourself or all other things are useless. Oh and BTW, DON'T BE LATE!! You will love the 1900. It's a fine animal to fly. Probably the last airplane that you will fly hands-on all the time.

Good luck!!

 

[AFELLOWAVIATOR]

Bring plenty of money for your sim instructor.!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Simon Says]

A baseball hat to make it easier for your eyes to wonder during your systems tests.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

I ditto what Diesel says...

Pay attention in classes, concentrate on the important stuff (its not ALL important).

Do not hibernate after classses and study. Dont forget to work out at a lcoal gym (not the hotel) and get out for a few beers....it does wonders...

Have fun, its not as hard as people make it out to be......

 

[Cardinal]

Have fun, its not as hard as people make it out to be......

I dunno, all the 121 and Flight Ops Manual stuff covered in Indoc was a pain in my rear. Much of it had only tenuous relevance and little with which to associate it. Systems for the airplane wasn't too bad, despite the quantity of information. Stephen, what will amaze you is how many really freakin smart people they manage to gather together in one room. I was continually impressed with my classmates.

 

[El Bucho]

Dude, one thing you should absolutely not forget.....BEER MONEY!
It's amazing how easy it is to learn systems playing "Stump the Chump" with your buddies over frothy pitchers of God's nectar...

 

[WhiteCloud]

I dunno, all the 121 and Flight Ops Manual stuff covered in Indoc was a pain in my rear. Much of it had only tenuous relevance and little with which to associate it. Systems for the airplane wasn't too bad, despite the quantity of information. Stephen, what will amaze you is how many really freakin smart people they manage to gather together in one room. I was continually impressed with my classmates.

What's hard initially is determining what is important and what is the "gee-whiz" stuff you can de-emphasize. The hard part for me was not knowing and getting lost in a bunch af factoids. The oral and flight test weren't so bad but figuring out how to prepare and the uncertainty was stressful. Talk to someone that just went through training before you to get a sense of how deep you need to go so you can prioritize properly.