Day 4 of ITR

We finally made it over halfway through our manual. I can't wait to be done with this stuff. We started off the morning with a section on FAA Publications. Now that right there is really a way to be sure that even if we thought we were somewhat awake at 0700 and ready for a lecture, we were wrong. That section covered the 7110.65 (obviously), among other orders and LOAs and SOPs. We also had to fill out a crossword on FAA contractions. After that we moved onto aircraft recognition. Almost the entire lesson was done through an e-learning module on our computers. The program went over the differences between small, large, and heavy aircraft, and then showed a brief list with pictures that consisted of a few planes that fell into each category. There was then a short exercise that showed abbreviated aircraft types and we had to select the full name that matched up to that type (and the other way around). I felt that this section wasn't as extensive as it should have been, as it moved pretty quickly, and I still don't feel like I would remember the abbreviated type to write up on a strip if, for example, a Beechcraft Baron called up and I needed to do so. I guess that's just something I'll have to review on my own time.

A pretty long section that we covered was stripmarking. We reviewed the different blocks that make up a strip, and the proper ways to mark arrival, departure, and overflight strips. There was an extensive e-learning module that involved us clicking and dragging the data from each block on a strip into the correct box that described what it was. Our final section to cover for the day was FDIO (Flight Data Input/Output). This one was long too. It covered the different components of the FDIO system, and how to use the keyboard. We reviewed how to enter a new flight plan, as well as how to amend one and do other things with one. I liked the e-learning module for this one, just because there was a lot more to do with it. For each action that we learned how to do with a flight plan, we had to enter that specific action into a simulated FDIO screen a few times for different aircraft. We're slowly starting to do more on the computer, which makes the lectures more interesting, and slowly starting to work toward getting in that radar room. Supposedly we'll be able to try a few things out in there before we even start RTF, so that should be fun.

It snowed today. The weather here is so random. One day it's in the 60's, the next it drops to the 30's and it snows. The one thing that doesn't seem to change is the wind though. I can't stand it. They've been gusting pretty strong. I hope it warms up next week.