Just made landing #25 this morning. Looking forward to getting on track with real procedures, I know i have more studying and practice to come.
I’m generally going to start unicomming at some mid range airports to get a feel for how other pilots operate, then consider adding operations at the most lightly manned active ATC sites before thinking about trying to do any sort of crowded areas.
After years of Commodore Flight Simulator, MFS, MS FSX, then X-Plane, then IF solo and casual, I’ve gotten closer and closer to operating realistically, but i know i need a better level of knowledge before i dive deeper.
Hiya @zentiggr!! Congrats on your new grade! Definitely start slow;get a feel for how everything works,start slow,make your way up.Most importantly,don’t hesitate to ask questions!There are many amazing,outstanding,and really nice pilots,ATC members,and supervisors who give it there all day-in and day-out and would love to answer any questions you may have!Additionally,remember that everyone makes mistakes!It is a natural thing,don’t let that bring you down!If mistakes are made,be open to any advice you may receive,dust yourself off,and you will be better than ever for the next time!There is a quote that I love to say:“it’s not about falling down,but rather about how you get up”.Remember that we are here to help,and you should never feel like you are any less of an amazing pilot because of a few small mistakes.Never give up! Remember these things,and you will become the best possible pilot that you can be!:)
I would get accustomed to the Unicom commands and learn to fly GPS and ILS approaches. This way you’ll most likely be set up for Expert Server once you reach Grade 3
A big one to me is joining a VA community (find one maybe of your favorite airline. They can be found at www.ifvarb.com)
VA’s will provide a great resource for people looking to learn. I’ve definitely grown 1000000x by being a part of a VA and it’s really helped me improve how i fly as well.