Flight Training - May 2012 - (Page 17)

BY ROD MACHADO PLUS Take the poll. Dear Rod: Here’s my confession. I’m absolutely scared to death of talking on the radio. All of my private pilot flight training to date (30.4 hours) has been done at a nontowered airport. My instructor insists that I obtain training at an airport with a control tower. Any suggestions would be welcome. Ms. B. Greetings Ms. B: Many new pilots share your concern (and pulse rate). There are three immediate things you can do for yourself. You can purchase Bob Gardner’s excellent book Say Again, Please and/or purchase his communications training software with the same name from ASA. You can also purchase the Comm1 VFR Radio Simulator. You can also take the Air Safety Institute’s Say It Right: Mastering Radio Communication online course. Any or all of these will help you with your radio anxiety. The next thing you can do is to practice listening to ATC. We can actually learn to listen 10 times faster than the average person speaks with a 40-percent distortion of the transmission (that’s probably what ATC sounds like to you). There are many Internet sites that offer live ATC communications and there’s even an iPhone app called LiveATC Air Radio that allows you to listen to live ATC communications. It usually takes about three to four hours of listening practice before you begin to feel more comfortable with radio communications. In regard to what you should say to ATC, the best way to learn this is to have your instructor write the correct verbiage for the most common communication situations on note cards. When you need to communicate, pull out the appropriate card and read what it says. It should only take a few hours of actual in-airplane practice to eliminate your need for cards. But please don’t read your instructor’s personal notes on the card, either. The last thing ATC wants to hear you say is, “Say this when you want to taxi for takeoff,” or “Use this phrase when you are holding for departure.” Rod Machado is a flight instructor, author, educator, and speaker. He has been a pilot since 1970 and a CFI since 1973. rodmachado.com). Visit his blog (www. Pass Your FAA Knowledge & Practical Tests—Guaranteed! From Sport Pilot, Private Pilot & Instrument all the way through ATP! Knowledge Test Courses $279 Because your KING Knowledge Test Course harnesses the power of your computer, you’ll be fully engaged—you’ll learn faster and remember better. And when you’re ready, you’ll get your FAA written test sign-off (endorsement) and graduation certiﬁcate instantly online. • Learn by watching full-screen, bite-sized video segments • Receive instant feedback on your answers • Retake missed questions on the spot • Review FAA questions by subject area, FAA Learning Statement Codes, questions missed, questions not yet answered, or in any combination • Take unlimited random interactive practice exams • Online or On Disc course options Practical Test (Oral Exam & Flight Test) Courses $119 Relax! Pass your oral exam & ﬂight test the ﬁrst time with one of the unparalleled KING Practical Test Courses. No other course does for you what our practical test courses do. We take you along on a simulated test with a real FAA examiner for both the oral exam and the ﬂight test. • You’ll see a model performance with loads of in-ﬂight footage that puts you in the cockpit • See stunning in-ﬂight footage and cockpit demonstrations shot from three different camera angles for complete understanding • When you go in for your own practical test, you’ll be conﬁdent because you will have been there before • Online or On Disc course options Over 90 Courses—For Beginner To Pro! For a course demo go to www.kingschools.com/coursedemo KING_FT.indd 1 800-854-1001 www.kingschools.com/kcs 1/31/2012 9:58:07 AM http://www.rodmachado.com http://www.rodmachado.com http://www.kingschools.com/kcs http://www.kingschools.com/coursedemo

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - May 2012

Flight Training - May 2012
Weather
President’s Perspective
Right Seat
Letters
Working Class
How It Works
News Training Products
After the Checkride
News
Since You Asked
ASI News
News
News AOPA Action
Final Exam Member Products
Flying Carpet
You Were Ready for This
The Right Stuff
Jesse and David's Excellent Adventure
Technique
Checkride
Flight Lesson
Game Changer
Career Advisor
Tech Talk
Atta Boy!
What Is Stick-And-Rudder Flying?
Where Was I?
Advertiser Index
Debrief

Flight Training - May 2012