Circuit/ base training, is it a big deal?
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Circuit/ base training, is it a big deal?
Hi there, I've basically got my 6 take offs and landings for my type rating in a couple of days. Will be the first time Ive flown a big plane and Im actually a bit nervous about it.
Ive got a vision in my head of a 20 million pound aircraft, tail/ wing scraping down the runway, with me saying "oh ****"!
How did other people find their first base check? Are these things really any harder to land than a warrior, or am I winding myself up?
Cheers.
Treeshaver.
Ive got a vision in my head of a 20 million pound aircraft, tail/ wing scraping down the runway, with me saying "oh ****"!
How did other people find their first base check? Are these things really any harder to land than a warrior, or am I winding myself up?
Cheers.
Treeshaver.
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Are these things really any harder to land than a warrior, or am I winding myself up?
Any decent training captain will know that you will be totally hit with the "wow!" factor and will compensate a little for that. Just relax, enjoy it and do exactly what you were/are told and you will be just fine.
I can pretty much guarantee it will be over far to quickly and you will be sat with a grin to rival the Cheshire cat's.
Best of luck
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i can second that. The base training was very challenging. however it is the most fun i'd ever had up to that point in my flying career. The 6 circuits are a minimum. you have to show 6 decent landings not just landings. my sim partner and i did it in six other people take a couple more. The record i heard was 24.
What really made a big difference for me is that i got to do the first take off and transition flight to the airport we were doing it at. I got to relax and the initial landing was off an ILS so much nearer to the stuff i'd been doing in the sim. If you get the option, i'd take it.
Just remember to enjoy it, you will have the biggest smile on your face when you're done. Also bring your camera and some food. It is a very long day for everyone.
What really made a big difference for me is that i got to do the first take off and transition flight to the airport we were doing it at. I got to relax and the initial landing was off an ILS so much nearer to the stuff i'd been doing in the sim. If you get the option, i'd take it.
Just remember to enjoy it, you will have the biggest smile on your face when you're done. Also bring your camera and some food. It is a very long day for everyone.
Base training was awesome. Had all sorts of thoughts going through my head the night before about what might catch me out, but on the day it was just like getting back into the sim - and of course the trainer will take good care of you. Enjoy the day and make damn sure you take a camera - preferably with a video function!
PPRuNe Secret Agent!
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Remember it's just a flight deck! Just like any other...
Relax...relax...relax...ditto on the food, it's a long day, but one you'll remember...then search the internet for a photo of the actual aircraft, buy and frame it...
Relax...relax...relax...ditto on the food, it's a long day, but one you'll remember...then search the internet for a photo of the actual aircraft, buy and frame it...
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TreeShaver
Base Training is the most fun you can have with your clothes on, it is absolutely great. As has already been mentioned your trainer will look after you, he is there to ensure you get the 6 landings in, not to be watching your every move in a bid to fail you. You'll love it
Good luck
Base Training is the most fun you can have with your clothes on, it is absolutely great. As has already been mentioned your trainer will look after you, he is there to ensure you get the 6 landings in, not to be watching your every move in a bid to fail you. You'll love it
Good luck
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OK just a short story from me, I enjoyed it from the moment I sat there in that left seat flying a heavy jet with 5 other students and 2 captains.
Offcourse you need to give a performance that you are capable, but if you did a good job in the sim then it's no big deal. Don't worry too much, a little should be enough to get your performance up there where you need it to be
Again like said, big boss will watch you when you handle your jet.
Beeing nervous and beeing aprehensive is natural.
I had a great day for base training with great guys and we all took pics and footage from the training.
Just relax, get some good sleep and enjoy the session.
Offcourse you need to give a performance that you are capable, but if you did a good job in the sim then it's no big deal. Don't worry too much, a little should be enough to get your performance up there where you need it to be
Again like said, big boss will watch you when you handle your jet.
Beeing nervous and beeing aprehensive is natural.
I had a great day for base training with great guys and we all took pics and footage from the training.
Just relax, get some good sleep and enjoy the session.
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There's not much point in telling you to get a good night's sleep the night before, because you won't. I managed about 4 hours, and when I did finally drop off I dreamed about flying. 
Fear not though, base training is great fun. It's not often you'll get a chance to fly an empty airliner, and I'll bet that by the end of the session you'll be sorry it's over.
Fear not though, base training is great fun. It's not often you'll get a chance to fly an empty airliner, and I'll bet that by the end of the session you'll be sorry it's over.
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So, about 4 hours is at least something! 
And true, when it's over, then it's over indeed.
I had the luck to go again the next day
Not to do extra, but just to finished what i started. We were out of time for the day and the plane had to fly.
I recall one student told me he pulled his pants while the plane was in a touch and go. (in the back).
He said, when can you do this again? Never
I had a great laugh.
Anyway, I guess he's doing his base training now somewhere?
And true, when it's over, then it's over indeed.
I had the luck to go again the next day
Not to do extra, but just to finished what i started. We were out of time for the day and the plane had to fly.
I recall one student told me he pulled his pants while the plane was in a touch and go. (in the back).
He said, when can you do this again? Never
I had a great laugh.
Anyway, I guess he's doing his base training now somewhere?
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The yanks don't seem to place much value on it, no need for base training with an FAA type raitng, hence why its $12,000 opposed to $40,000 in Europe.
I had doing mine though, lost 25 pounds in sweat however
I had doing mine though, lost 25 pounds in sweat however
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Great Day Out Enjoy
Very funny day out 2 out of 6 failed and had to repeat on my base check but they were noticeably struggling in the sim from early in the course.
Both of them went back into the sim for a refresher and then passed the next time round.
Noticeably those with the lowest experience on average found it harder the one exception was a girl, amongst the youngest on our course at all of 21 with 250hrs TT who did the minimum 6 landings which were pretty much perfect and made us all look rubbish.
Take your camera and practice on Flight Sim before you go.
Enjoy.
Both of them went back into the sim for a refresher and then passed the next time round.
Noticeably those with the lowest experience on average found it harder the one exception was a girl, amongst the youngest on our course at all of 21 with 250hrs TT who did the minimum 6 landings which were pretty much perfect and made us all look rubbish.
Take your camera and practice on Flight Sim before you go.
Enjoy.
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my company took the luxury to provide one aircraft per crew (we were 5 crews / 10 new copilots during T/R) for base training... So one would get the first leg and the first 6 patterns (or as much as needed), than a full stop landing with seat swaping, than the other one would fly his patterns and the return leg back to home base. I was number two, my crewpartner did quite well during his patterns and i was almost wetting my pants in anticipation of me flying the real thing... Finally it was my turn, we swapped seats and i made my very first take off with sweating and trembling hands ... somehow the first pattern worked out pretty good with a nice landing, my confidence grew immensely and my trainer smiled and said: nice one, now lets go having some fun! And yeah man, we did early steepturns after takeoff, tight visual patterns and landings in different configurations. Finally we landed, did the nav setup for the return leg and had a smooth flight back home... 40minutes flight time which seemed more like 5 minutes... Went home with a big smile. Now, half a year later the smile is still there
Oh, and 10 out 10 passed first time!
... somehow the first pattern worked out pretty good with a nice landing, my confidence grew immensely and my trainer smiled and said: nice one, now lets go having some fun! And yeah man, we did early steepturns after takeoff, tight visual patterns and landings in different configurations. Finally we landed, did the nav setup for the return leg and had a smooth flight back home... 40minutes flight time which seemed more like 5 minutes... Went home with a big smile. Now, half a year later the smile is still there Oh, and 10 out 10 passed first time!
