I finally got to grade 4 after around 6 months of joining this awesome community. Started as a noob, then started learning more about ATC communication and procedures using the user guide. Once I felt more confident, I started flying on Training, then Expert. I then decided to join a VA (which was a really good decision) and just about a week ago hit Grade 4. I really like being part of this community and I frequently find myself just reading the IFC endlessly till late at night.
Next goal is at the million xp
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That’s fantastic! Congratulations!
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Great achievement. No you can fly nonstop to grade 5 ;)
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Great Achievement!!
Welcome to Grade 4 Club 🙂
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Congratulations!
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Great job! 👍🏼🤙🏼
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Congrats man 😎
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Congrats on this achievement! Only 400 landings to go ‘till your next one! ;)
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Congrats on the accomplishment! Now the task is getting to grade 5 and keeping grade 5!
I remember getting my grade 4! It was a huge achievement for me!
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Many thanks everyone! I’m gonna fly a crazy amount in 2022 to get grade 5.
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Congratulations that’s quite a accomplishment but I’d like you to know that I am a beginner and at level one and my goal is to reach level two by flight hours, landings, replying to posts. What would your advice be to me?
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Congrats mate!! I’ve recently gotten into the idea of joining a VA, can you share more on how it helped and on how to actually join
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Congratulations! Welcome to the Grade 4 gang :D.
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First of all, welcome to the IFC. So, joining a VA was always a goal of mine since I had heard of them via Instagram. I wanted to eventually try to join AFKLM. To join most VA’s, you have to complete an entry exam where they evaluate your knowledge on aviation and procedures used within the sim. If you for example get 80% of the questions right, you’ll pass (this percentage might vary between VA’s). So I started studying for this exam. Learning the legs in traffic patterns or flying at realistic speeds etc. I then tried the exam and I passed it with 88% I think. If you fail, most VA’s will allow you to give the exam another attempt after a certain amount of time.
After passing the exam I was contacted by AFKLM’s account here on the IFC and invited to the discord server with all the pilots. I was given a callsign and assigned a flight instructor. Many VA’s will have something called ‘‘certification flights’’. This is where you set on to do a couple flights with your flight instructor (a more experienced pilot in the VA) to show them your flying skills (most of the time, you can only start flying for the VA after you’ve done your certification flights).
So, a couple days later, my flight instructor contacted me and we agreed on a date for the first certification flight. In AFKLM’s case this consists of a basic flying test: you do a short flight with your flight instructor without ATC.
We agreed on doing EHRD-LFMT on a Transavia B738. However, I got really nervous and I choked at the end so I did not pass the first certification flight. That was not a problem though. I studied more and found that I hadn’t learned some crucial information. So we tried the certification flight again and this time, I passed. I then did the second certification flight (which is based all around ATC communication) and passed that one too.
After that I could start flying for the VA as a Cadet. Doing regional flights only till I got to 15 flight hours. Once you move up the ranks you can start doing longer flights. I am now on the highest rank possible in classic mode and I can fly the longest routes the VA has to offer. (Most VA’s use real world routes in their database).
Why it helped to join a VA? I just find it very fun being part of a community that frequently interacts with each other. I often see members of my VA flying around and we greet eachother. The ranking systems are also very good motivation to do flights since I felt like I had an actual incentive to do so. My VA also organises many events, (once a week at least) where a bunch of pilots from the VA do a group flight together, which is always really fun.
I might have gotten a bit carried away with the length of this reply, but I wish you the best of luck in your future infinite flight career.
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Thank you so much, this info is a great insight. I just joined ACVA and can’t wait to go through the process and get my wings with them xD
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Congrats!!
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Fantastic achievement! Congrats!
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Good job!! Congrats!!👏
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