December 31, 2007 by T Love.

As many of you know, Marty in a box was this years xmas theme. I surprised many of the family by coming home for xmas by jumping out of a box. It was classic. I have video of the event and I’ll see about uploading it before I head back to Florida. New Years eve, I work from 330-12a. That blows man. I think many in our class will hit up the local bar or somewhere to down a few beers and celebrate.

Last Thursday, Dec 27th, our class took the CTO (Control Tower Operator) Exam. Our study guide consisted of about 500 questions, however, the actual exam consisted of only 75 question. To pass, a score of 70 or above was needed which comes out to about 22 question wrong. Everyone passed with the worse scorer having only missed 6 questions. I had 4 wrong for those curious minds.

Last Friday, we had our first and last IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) lab on the simulator. Viewed from the control tower, this consisted of about 1/4 mile visibility. So only pilots who filed an IFR flight plan were taking off or landing. Your commercial airlines almost always file IFR flight plans. What this means to controllers is that we have a flight progress strip on that airplane and we control movement on the ground and in the air by using those strips and radar. Remember, we can’t see anything because of the simulated fog. I enjoyed that lab and actually did better in the IFR lab than the ‘VFR/IFR’ combo lab. In the VFR lab, you have to write down the call sign, type of aircraft, and thier intentions when the pilot calls on initial contact.

Monday, we start TSS and EDS simulator labs. The TSS lab is very similar to what I trained on at ERAU. I’m looking forward to it.  Thursday, Jan 17th we PV (Performance Verification). You have 2 chances to pass otherwise you are fired and you do not go to your facility. I am planning on flying back to Tamp Friday, 18th, and move into my West palm apartment on Sat, 19th.

Time to eat again.

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December 18, 2007 by T Love.

Man, Table tops and 3D kicked my mo fo ass Monday and Tuesday. We run 7 - 40 minute senarios each day split up between Table Tops and 3D. 3D is the computer simulator. On Monday, Ground Control in 3D kicked my ass man. Holy moly. Local control in Table tops was just as bad. However, my 2nd time around at GC in 3D was a little better. Tuesday, Local in 3D was rougher than ground. Holy moly. My 2nd run at Local was a little better. Flight Data (FD) in both labs, I do pretty good in. Thats my confidence booster.

There are a few basics that I need to work on such as pad management, getting the correct call signs on the first call up, and being comfortable with phraseology. These problems that we run increase in dificulty each day. Each day, we are pluged in with instructors listening and critiquing and offering their “technique”. Its frustrating as hell and overwhelming at times. However, we take the many critiques we come across not personally, but with an open mind and figure out what works well for the individual. Being only Day 2 it seems like a lot and the end of the world, but in 4 weeks when we PV (Performance Verification), we’ll be running senarios and moving airplanes like it was 2nd nature - hopefully. In 4 weeks, we’ll look back on these first few senarios and say how easy or simple they were. For now, we have a lot of information to process and get comfortable with. Phraseology, call signs, and pad management are the basic keys.

BTW, I recieved my first paycheck! yay. Not very much based on an $18K salary but its something. Did I mention I also get $79/day per deim? Well, its 930p, time for bed.

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December 15, 2007 by T Love.

Friday concluded our 3rd week of acedemics. Monday we start Table Top labs. Table Top labs are a mock up of a controll tower overlooking a scaled down version of Academy Airport. The airport is about the height of a table but measures the size of about 10′ x 15′. The airport include runways, taxiways, heliports, buildings, lighting and scaled down airplanes that we physically hold, move, and slide not only on the airport but also the airspace surrounding the airport. The control tower consists of Local, Ground, and Flight Data stations along with integrated asos, Low level wind shear alert system (llwas), plug-ins for our headsets, and is mostly enclosed in plexiglass serving as windows in the control tower. The tower sits about 2 feet higher than the airport to simulate the tower guys looking down at the airport and airspace.

Did I lose you yet? Our objective is to simulate an airport environement inside a classroom. We have a tower that overlooks a scaled down version of the airport. We use people to move airplanes around.  We have headsets that are on the appropriate ground and local frequencies in which we talk to pilots and tell them what to do.

What else is going on? Well, not a whole lot. This past week we were on days. I tell ya, it was a little rough getting up at 515a and going to bed by 10p. Even coffee wasn’t helping during class. My head was bobbin and legs twitching. It was funny. Next week and the day after christmas we will be on Days. After xmas, we will begin TDS and EDS labs. These are computer simulators using only 3 people on the Ground, Local, and Flight Data positions. The 3 positions pretend they are in the tower overlooking the aiport on the screens 160 degree screens in front of you. We had similar training at ERAU also.

Well Kathy made pancakes this morning that I should be eating now. We will be reviewing alot of phraseology in prepartion for Moday’s lab today and Sunday. A little dusting of snow on the ground today and the weather is cold.

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December 15, 2007 by T Love.

We played poker for about 6 hours starting just after 8p. About 5 of us guys from class met over at Joe’s for poker. We played a variety of games. I tell ya, I haven’t enjoyed playing poker that much since way back when I moved to Daytona Beach and played with Don and a few others. This was so much better than anything at my old place at the Barrington Apartments and for a few good darn reasons. 1) We all gathered to play poker. Well, thats what we did. That was our primary objective. Anything else was secondary such as socializing. 2) I was able to get in on table conversation. 3) number 2 happened b/c the guys paid attention to the hands and bets therefore relieving me of the duty of constantly reminding people it their turn and what to bet. This duty that I mentioned is what I did alot at the Barrington apts when we played poker. It sucked man, it really did.

So yeah, great time last night.

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December 10, 2007 by T Love.

http://www.tlove.wxobs.info/Weather%20Phenomena/OKC%20Ice%20storm%20121007/Frames/index3.html

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December 10, 2007 by T Love.

Freezing (FZ) rain (RA) began Saturday night. As of Sunday, 1030p, there is about 1/4-3/16 of an inch on the cars and tree branches. I can see many blue flashes lighting up the sky as transformers are blowing. NWS OKC is forecasting about 0.3-0.8 of an inch of ice thru Tuesday. I’m glad I brought my carhart jacket, gloves, and long underwear to OKC. Ahh, freezing precip….I have mixed emotions about it.

842 PM CST SUN DEC 9 2007

…ICE STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM CST TUESDAY…

PERIODS OF FREEZING DRIZZLE AND FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. TOTAL ICE ACCUMULATION FROM THREE-QUARTERS INCH
TO MORE THAN ONE INCH IS LIKELY. TONIGHT THE HEAVIER FREEZING RAIN
IS EXPECTED THROUGH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA WHEREAS NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA
WILL EXPERIENCE MORE FREEZING RAIN MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT. 

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December 8, 2007 by T Love.

2 weeks down, 6 to go. This past week consisted of all evening shifts. Do I prefer Day or Night shifts? Well, I can justify either one. This week Days are Mon-Tues and nights are Wed-Fri. Evenings are a little rough during acedemics. Its really death by powerpoint. However, our solution was to bring a coffee pot. The purchase of food on site after 2p is pretty much non-existent.

We are still doing academics and will be till Thursday. Block IV test is Monday morning. Thursday we have Block V test and Comprehensive exam. Friday starts Table tops. By Friday, it is highly advisable that we know like the back of our hands our aircraft types, categories, & weight class, along with our phraseology, OKC airport layout (aka Academy Airport), and wake turbulance separation criteria.

A freezing rain event appears to begin Sunday and last through Wednesday. We are on alert as to whether class is held on Mon, Tues, or Wed. A bunch of us classmates gathered next door for a gathering after getting out of class at midnight. Tonight, Kathy and I are meeting up Joe and his wife in Bricktown at the Spaghetti Warehouse. Other than some studying, paperwork, and taking it easy, not much will go on for me this weekend.

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