some nice feedback...

[Keith Smith]

Hi Bob, welcome to the network! That is quite a background! Regarding your feedback, we have repeaters on the clnc/ground/tower freqs for ZLA (and Western US). If you're on a tower frequency, then you should hear the all the clearance/ground/tower interactions, including the pilots. If you're hearing approach/center level instructions as well, that means one controller is working everything and you won't hear those pilots as we don't have repeaters on the center freqs. Pilot readbacks on approach freqs are pretty short, that's why we don't have repeaters there. Otherwise, it starts to feel like a party line where you hear everything, all the time. The radio system configuration is a series of compromises for sure. The good news is we're working on improving our staffing configuration for weekends where we'll have a dedicated tower controller online (separate to the radar controller) as much of the time as possible.

In the mean time, just know that weekends are very busy in Socal. If you'd like something a little less chaotic, give the Western US area a try, or give Socal a try during the week. Sat/Sun in Socal is a very busy time for sure. And again, welcome!

[nandrews0424]

I've had multiple occasions where I've made mistakes on PE, mostly minor but at least one that would've involved a phone number, and in every case the controller nailed the tone appropriate for the situation based on what I've heard with live ATC. I'd say in general pilotedge was the most powerful tool in my PPL training outside of actual flight time and I plan on completing the I-ratings as a primer before starting actual IFR training. Saving one hour of actual training is much more than a year subscription to PE so I can't say enough about the value.

The one challenge I do consistently have during really busy times is I end up on top of an airport before getting the handoff from approach to tower (not something I've run into outside but understandable given the coverage). I've found a few mentions on the forum that making a quick "SoCal Approach, Skyhawk x1234 is 5 miles south of El Monte" call is a good heads up, is that the proper/polite way to resolve?

[Anthony Santanastaso]

I've found a few mentions on the forum that making a quick "SoCal Approach, Skyhawk x1234 is 5 miles south of El Monte" call is a good heads up, is that the proper/polite way to resolve?

Absolutely. I’ve had this happen to me IRL and resolved it exactly as you mention. Part of my PIC responsibilities is situational awareness and knowing what I need to do and when it needs to be done. As an ATC, I don’t view that as polite or impolite, just simply getting the job done.

[jalbino59]

Just completed my first IFR x-country (KSBA-KMRY), after a few sessions flying circuits around the pattern . I'm an Private Pilot ASEL with an IFR rating who hasn't flown in decades. This was my first flight using pilot edge with P3D, and oh how the memories returned. Insane fun, I'm so glad I joined. Just one question, I was picking up the default sim ATC sometimes, didn't really bother me much but I was wondering if there's any way to disable it? Again, great experience, great fun, great application.

[Keith Smith]

Jalbino, you should be able to turn the in-game ATC volume down to zero, if I had to guess.

[Keith Smith]

Got this message from Twitch user JFalcon (https://www.twitch.tv/jfalcon):

When meeting with my PPL CFI for the first time I bragged that I could run the radio stack on our first flight lesson with no issues. The airport is a towered Class-D. He, of course, quizzed me on the spot which I passed with flying colors! My CFI was stunned and very curious how about how I had learned... He will now be recommending PilotEdge to his other students who have "Mic Fright" and other communication issues! Thanks PilotEdge!

[bdavidn]

Been on PilotEdge a little over a year. I had recently moved from Colorado to the California central coast and my first IPC out here was a little rough to say it nicely. I got my instrument ticket back in Colorado, where there really is no such thing as non-icing IMC except for a few days a year. Never really took instrument flying that seriously since it basically didn't exist. Obviously, on the California coast, your instrument ticket is vital. The first instructor I met suggested I get back into flight sim to dust off my IFR training and when doing some research found PilotEdge.

I have been flying for more than 10 years now, but the last 14 months on PE has made me a better, safer and more confident pilot. A decent hardware setup, a realistic piston simulator like A2A and the extremely spot on ATC procedures on PilotEdge are almost better than real world training since I can put myself in way more stressful situations than I hope I ever have to encounter in real world flying. Thanks to PE, my second IPC in California was a non-event with little feedback from the instructor. So not only has PE made me a better and safer pilot, it has also saved me thousands of dollars of aircraft rentals and instructor time. For those that rent, fly in IMC and don't have the budget to fly as much as they wish they could, PE is a lifeline to staying in the air safely.

Thanks for helping to make flying affordable while also producing a qualify, professional service. Extra kudos to the controller usually on weekday evenings (from some of the jokes I've heard think he's from north of the border). Have yet to hear him get flustered when everyone decides to call in at once, is always patient with newbies and just an all around polite and professional guy.

Happy to be a loyal customer.

Bryan New
N6999J

[Keith Smith]

Bryan,

Welcome to the network. I'm glad that the service has provided so much value and has helped you get back into r/w instrument flying. The controller you mention would be Shawn....and he is indeed unflappable.

[N208TC]

Reviving this old topic just to concretize how helpful and awesome PE is beeing to me. I'm a CP from Brazil, discovered PE almost 1 year ago and for me is the best home training platform ever.

Tonight in Socal I was planing to do some IFR training on the route KSNA-KAVX. KAVX was reporting ceilling of 200 OVC and visibility was variating from 1 3/4 to 3
Requested VOR-B approach, planning to land on RWY22. No visual on minimuns, went around, made 2 holds and weather was still bellow minimuns. After 2 holds, requested to alternate back to KSNA, made the ILS RWY20R and landed safely back to John Wayne.
I don't remember the last time I had to divert and for me it was a very good opportunity to do it exactly as it would occur in real life.
ATC was, one more time, fantastic.

For me, PE is revolutionary in FlightSim world and for those who take it seriously it's a strong, helpful and awesome tool.
For this chapter and others, I must say: Thank you all the excelent and professional air traffic controllers, thank you Keith Smith for your competence and help in our lifes and THANK YOU PE!

[Kevin_atc]

My name is Laurie Ingalls and mine is the classic case of someone who has been keenly interested in aviation from a very early age but life gets in the way. When I started learning FS98 I decided that 'simming' was likely as close as I would ever get to the 'real thing'. When FS2004 came along the new features and more realistic scenery rekindled the flame. By the time FSX was released I had acquired a degree of skill but my knowledge was spotty; there were huge holes. Along with navigation and flight planning, I wanted to learn and incorporate radio-work into my flying. I then discovered a couple of online networks that were offering a degree of service but positions were rarely fully manned and the skill level was inconsistent.

I believe it was 2011 or early 2012 when I first learned of PilotEdge. I loved the concept right away: reliable service and knowledgeable controllers in an environment keen on educating hobbyists interested in taking things to the next level. I sat in on many of those early workshops that remain an integral part of the PE archives from the Pilot Center. I was blown away at Keith's commitment level! I knew he was on the East Coast and yet, he would sit for hours answering our questions. And this after having presented an exhaustive online seminar on a wide variety of topics: VFR, SIDS & STARS, flight planning and so on.

Initially I was concerned I might find the geographic service area on PE limiting. Like many 'simmers', I wanted to fly the big birds to far away, exotic places. I soon began to understand that if you really want to learn to fly in the real-world, you start in a Cessna 172 like everyone else and you work your way through a proven, step by step path designed to provide the building blocks. PilotEdge is the perfect environment to get started down that path. The large community of real-world pilots in the forums, the meticulously trained staff in the towers and on the scopes are worth their weight in gold when it comes to flight training. My CFI commented many times at my aptitude for the radio-work once my real-world flight training began. But I must say my favourite part of the PilotEdge program is the CAT ratings and the I ratings. Once again, they provide building blocks; each rating adds a new challenge. Initially I wanted to just knock off each one and 'cruise' through the program. But I found the best learning is to take each one and adapt it to other airports and flying situations until the concepts introduced in the rating are second nature. I will be revisiting the I-ratings once my Instrument training begins.

In October of 2019, at age 66, I achieved my Private Pilot License. The Pilot Center on the PilotEdge website is chock full of learning and support material and I spent many hours there, both prior to and during my real-world flight training. The value-proposition for a PilotEdge membership is difficult to overestimate. I know that my time on PilotEdge translated into savings in my flight training costs that were many times the membership fees. But of much greater importance to me is that now, each time I take to the skies, I have just that extra bit of confidence that comes from the deeper learning experience I have gained as a member at PilotEdge.

Shortly after my check-ride I visited Australia's Gold Coast in November, 2019. My current dream/goal is to one day own my own plane so I took the opportunity to research one of the aircraft on my short-list; the South African made Sling 2. I sometimes have to pinch myself when I realize how, with some hard work, perseverance, and determination it is possible to turn dreams into reality. Without question, PilotEdge has been an integral part of that journey!

Best,
Laurie Ingalls