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This overview was completed for the Initial Tower class, and is intended to provide an idea of what to expect, and additional information to help prepare for the class. Please note, while there is a great amount of specific detail provided for the scenario problems; this is one individuals personal experience, yours will be different. This information is not intended to be memorized or exploited, other than to provide a general idea of what to expect from the course.
Day 1
If you attended basics, you should have been given a sheet with information about today. You will go to CAMI at the beginning of the day and go through a whole list of things there. You go through various different apps and questionnaires. Some listening tests, where you have 3 people talking to you (through headphones) and you have to focus on 1 individual to hear what they are saying, and then answer questions. Make sure you put your headphones on properly (L for the left ear, R for the right). After that you get lunch and then head to your classroom to start initial tower cab training. This first day, you will be able to see your class schedule (days/nights) for the rest of your time at the academy. There is a list of all the aircraft callsigns that are used at the academy (attached to the bottom of the post), I highly recommend you get your hands on it and study it. You don’t have to know everything, just recognize them. When you get to TSS, the computer voices can be hard to understand at first, knowing some of the callsigns beforehand helps. You will start academics now, with LP1 – Course Overview (1 hour). After that, you will do LP 29 – ATC Human Factors (2.5 hours). Yes, for some reason LP29 comes early on, just go with it.
Day 2
You start the day with a QA briefing (30 minutes). QA are the people that will be grading you Performance Appraisal’s (PAs), which combine to form 90% of your grade. The remaining 10% is from academics (1% for each block test, 5% for the comprehensive test), you do 2 local runs at 30% a piece, and 2 ground runs at 15% a piece. QA will basically just talk to you and tell you what they are looking for (it’s all included in your handbook you got yesterday). You will get to talk to them 2 more times before you PA. After QA talks, you’ll to do an AMA-513 briefing (30 minutes). This is management basically telling you not to do stupid things and to study hard. Then you get to do your first CBI (computer based instruction) for SMS training (1 hour). After that, you get LP2 – AT Facility Training Over, Evaluation and Statistical Data (2.5 hours). Then jump into LP3 – Aircraft recognition (2.5 hours) – this is mostly review from basics. Also, LP4 – Terminal controller (1 hour) will be done today. Busy day, academics will move a lot faster in initial, with tests every other day.
Day 3
LP5 – Tower Cab Equipment (2 hours), LP 6 – Disseminating Weather (3 hours), LP7 – Introduction to ASOS (2 hours) will all be completed. You will then do the introduction to eLMS (1 hour - FAA system used for CBI). End of Block 1.
Day 4
Block 1 test (1 hour) first thing in the morning. I would recommend remembering what questions are asked on the block tests, as the comprehensive test is very similar to the block tests. Now onto LP9 – Airport Conditions, Uses and Lighting (2 hours), LP10 – Academy Airport (2.5 hours), LP 11 Academy Airspace (2 hours), and LP12 – Strip Marking [CBI] (2 hours).
Day 5
Finish LP12 today. Do LP 13 – FDIO (4 hours), LP 14 – ATIS (3 hours). End of block 2.
Day 6
Block 2 test. LP 8 - Tower Visibility [eLMS] (3 hours), LP15 – Clearance Delivery (3 hours), and LP16 – General Control (2 hours).
Day 7
Finish LP16, LP17 – Position Relief (2 hours), LP18 – Ground Control (2.5 hours), LP 19 – Taxi & Ground Movement (2.5 hours). End of block 3.
Day 8
Block 3 test. LP20 – Wind Shear, LLWAS (2 hours), LP 21 – Local Control (4 hours), LP 22 – VFR Arrivals (4.5 hours).
Day 9
Finish LP 22. Do LP 23 – VFR departures. End of block 4.
Day 10
Do the bock 4 test. LP 24 – IFR Arrivals & Departures (4 hours), LP 25 – Visual Operations (3 hours).
Day 11
LP 26 – Wake Turbulence (6 hours), LP 27 – Runway Incursions (2 hours). End of block 5.
Day 12
Take the block 5 test, and then do LP 28 – Fatigue Awareness (3 hours); it is basically the same thing from basics. You will then do an interim course critique (1 hour) to let the FAA know what you thought about the course so far and the instructors, material, classrooms, etc. You will then get orientated with the Tabletops & 3D (1.5 hours). You probably did some stuff in tabletops already (in various lessons there is time to go to tabletops and learn hands on). You finish the day with a review of the SOP, LOA, and Academy Airport (AAC) handbook (1.5 hours)
Day 13-17
Work in tabletops and 3d. You will be focusing on getting all your phraseology down. There are some PowerPoints out there that help get things done. You want to be able to say everything without stuttering or slowing down or saying um.
Day 18
Your final day in tabletops & 3d. You will be skill-checked today. On skill checks, instructors will not help you at all (unless you ask them a question). It is used to sort of simulate the PA. Make sure to study for your comprehensive test tomorrow.
Day 19
Start off with your comprehensive test, hopefully you studied past tests. It should be pretty easy. You will now do another QA briefing, so you can ask them some good questions. They will also go through the grading rubric point by point. Pay attention, it is helpful. You will get to talk to them before PA’s, so you will probably have more questions later. Any questions you do come up with, write them down so you can ask them later. You will then do some practice runs in the TSS. It will likely not understand anything you are saying at first, but it will get better in time. There will also be an RPO (remote pilot operator) briefing. These are the guys that control the TSS computer (they will fix certain things that the computer doesn’t understand when you say it). Note, they will not fix incorrect readbacks when it is a left/right issue, or no hold short instructions.
Day 20
TSS IFR briefing, TSS orientation, and IFR runs.
Day 1
If you attended basics, you should have been given a sheet with information about today. You will go to CAMI at the beginning of the day and go through a whole list of things there. You go through various different apps and questionnaires. Some listening tests, where you have 3 people talking to you (through headphones) and you have to focus on 1 individual to hear what they are saying, and then answer questions. Make sure you put your headphones on properly (L for the left ear, R for the right). After that you get lunch and then head to your classroom to start initial tower cab training. This first day, you will be able to see your class schedule (days/nights) for the rest of your time at the academy. There is a list of all the aircraft callsigns that are used at the academy (attached to the bottom of the post), I highly recommend you get your hands on it and study it. You don’t have to know everything, just recognize them. When you get to TSS, the computer voices can be hard to understand at first, knowing some of the callsigns beforehand helps. You will start academics now, with LP1 – Course Overview (1 hour). After that, you will do LP 29 – ATC Human Factors (2.5 hours). Yes, for some reason LP29 comes early on, just go with it.
Day 2
You start the day with a QA briefing (30 minutes). QA are the people that will be grading you Performance Appraisal’s (PAs), which combine to form 90% of your grade. The remaining 10% is from academics (1% for each block test, 5% for the comprehensive test), you do 2 local runs at 30% a piece, and 2 ground runs at 15% a piece. QA will basically just talk to you and tell you what they are looking for (it’s all included in your handbook you got yesterday). You will get to talk to them 2 more times before you PA. After QA talks, you’ll to do an AMA-513 briefing (30 minutes). This is management basically telling you not to do stupid things and to study hard. Then you get to do your first CBI (computer based instruction) for SMS training (1 hour). After that, you get LP2 – AT Facility Training Over, Evaluation and Statistical Data (2.5 hours). Then jump into LP3 – Aircraft recognition (2.5 hours) – this is mostly review from basics. Also, LP4 – Terminal controller (1 hour) will be done today. Busy day, academics will move a lot faster in initial, with tests every other day.
Day 3
LP5 – Tower Cab Equipment (2 hours), LP 6 – Disseminating Weather (3 hours), LP7 – Introduction to ASOS (2 hours) will all be completed. You will then do the introduction to eLMS (1 hour - FAA system used for CBI). End of Block 1.
Day 4
Block 1 test (1 hour) first thing in the morning. I would recommend remembering what questions are asked on the block tests, as the comprehensive test is very similar to the block tests. Now onto LP9 – Airport Conditions, Uses and Lighting (2 hours), LP10 – Academy Airport (2.5 hours), LP 11 Academy Airspace (2 hours), and LP12 – Strip Marking [CBI] (2 hours).
Day 5
Finish LP12 today. Do LP 13 – FDIO (4 hours), LP 14 – ATIS (3 hours). End of block 2.
Day 6
Block 2 test. LP 8 - Tower Visibility [eLMS] (3 hours), LP15 – Clearance Delivery (3 hours), and LP16 – General Control (2 hours).
Day 7
Finish LP16, LP17 – Position Relief (2 hours), LP18 – Ground Control (2.5 hours), LP 19 – Taxi & Ground Movement (2.5 hours). End of block 3.
Day 8
Block 3 test. LP20 – Wind Shear, LLWAS (2 hours), LP 21 – Local Control (4 hours), LP 22 – VFR Arrivals (4.5 hours).
Day 9
Finish LP 22. Do LP 23 – VFR departures. End of block 4.
Day 10
Do the bock 4 test. LP 24 – IFR Arrivals & Departures (4 hours), LP 25 – Visual Operations (3 hours).
Day 11
LP 26 – Wake Turbulence (6 hours), LP 27 – Runway Incursions (2 hours). End of block 5.
Day 12
Take the block 5 test, and then do LP 28 – Fatigue Awareness (3 hours); it is basically the same thing from basics. You will then do an interim course critique (1 hour) to let the FAA know what you thought about the course so far and the instructors, material, classrooms, etc. You will then get orientated with the Tabletops & 3D (1.5 hours). You probably did some stuff in tabletops already (in various lessons there is time to go to tabletops and learn hands on). You finish the day with a review of the SOP, LOA, and Academy Airport (AAC) handbook (1.5 hours)
Day 13-17
Work in tabletops and 3d. You will be focusing on getting all your phraseology down. There are some PowerPoints out there that help get things done. You want to be able to say everything without stuttering or slowing down or saying um.
Day 18
Your final day in tabletops & 3d. You will be skill-checked today. On skill checks, instructors will not help you at all (unless you ask them a question). It is used to sort of simulate the PA. Make sure to study for your comprehensive test tomorrow.
Day 19
Start off with your comprehensive test, hopefully you studied past tests. It should be pretty easy. You will now do another QA briefing, so you can ask them some good questions. They will also go through the grading rubric point by point. Pay attention, it is helpful. You will get to talk to them before PA’s, so you will probably have more questions later. Any questions you do come up with, write them down so you can ask them later. You will then do some practice runs in the TSS. It will likely not understand anything you are saying at first, but it will get better in time. There will also be an RPO (remote pilot operator) briefing. These are the guys that control the TSS computer (they will fix certain things that the computer doesn’t understand when you say it). Note, they will not fix incorrect readbacks when it is a left/right issue, or no hold short instructions.
Day 20
TSS IFR briefing, TSS orientation, and IFR runs.
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