Vagabond
 

I am considering flying out of BFI instead of my usual spot, just cause BFI is closer. What FBO are you at and do you like it? Most of my flying has been done in less busy airspace, I'm a little nervous to make the jump.

Don't know where BFI is, can't help you there. But for commercial training, you want the busiest airspace you can conveniently get to. Otherwise you will have to learn how to talk on the radio in the right seat of an RJ going into some huge metropolitan area...they will not teach you that during sim training.

are you looking for me?
 

Wow, this is the first time someone on the forum put my name on the title of any thread! I assume you are referring to me?

Anyway, people on the forum know that I am in Seattle and recently began flight school. I have a whopping 7.4 hours in my FAA-approved logbook. I am learning at Wings Aloft, an FBO at BFI (rickair, that is Boeing Field). It's a pretty good outfit, but I find it expensive, although not as expensive as Galvin down the street. It has a variety of planes so there is not much chance of being denied the opportunity of flying when you want to. There is an annoying little membership fee, but the process of reserving a plane and flying it is smooth and logical (which helps my lawyer brain). I fly the C-172 mostly.

As I said in another thread, BFI is not SeaTac, but it gets busy. Lots of general aviation planes, business jets, cargo, helicopters flying around all the time. And one has to be careful of SeaTac airspace. Why I've had to dodge more than one Alaska MD-80 while attempting to land! Makes flying patterns very interesting to say the least. My discovery flight (details of which are reported ad nauseum in an old, old thread) was delayed even because President Bush came to town. That day, I learned what a NOTAM was from my friends here on the forum.

Your skills in radio communications will improved markedly. My CFI let me talk to Boeing ground and Boeing tower for the first time a couple weeks ago. I learned to speak loudly and clearly. I knew it was not a super busy day so I said everything in its entirety. There is a thread going on here about improper phraseology. Well, my humble opinion is to use a little judgment. If it's not busy, then talk with the tower as you have been taught in ground school. A busy time is not the time to engage in idle chit chat with some guy in the tower you don't even know. But then that's just my opinion.

Where are you flying out of now? I thought about going to someplace less busy, but I'm glad I am staying at BFI. I can only become a better pilot. My final comment - if a lawyer can fly around BFI without killing herself and her CFI, then anybody can fly out of BFI.

Yes Vagabond! I was meaning you! I am in Seattle also and wanted a heads up on the best available training! :)

I might come down to check it out, when are you there? We can meet up for coffee.

Whew, I thought you might have been referring to someone else!

Anyway, I am scheduled to fly again Tuesday, October 24, at 10:30 am, although I usually go earlier to do my pre-flight. If you are free then, come on down. William (that nice fellow) at Wings knows who I am.

PS: just ask them to page that crazy lawyer.

What's your usual spot? If you're in the south sound area, have you tried the narrows airport?

I'd disagree with Rickair7777, if you are pursuing primary training, learn in a relaxed atmosphere and airspace. You'll save a ton of money not waiting on ground delays or holding short for inbound jets, wake turbulence, etc. Talking on the radio? If you can talk on a cell phone you can talk on a radio, it's just a matter of what to say and when. That all comes with practice.

Good luck

Darn it, I'm busy on tuesday - taking the kids to the dentist. Crazy lawyers are fun though, can't wait to run into you!

radio proc
 

Hi vagabond! Whe I was a student I used to know exactly what to say - until the mike button got pressed. Then: tongue-lock. That was real popular on the tower freq. My old instructor cured me. "Look. Boils down to the exact same 3 things every time. Tell 'em
1. Who you are
2. Where you are
3 What you wanna do. That's IT!"

Ninguno problemo forever after. Now I can even talk all deep and drawly like the big iron guys, but that took years.

Nice to hear from you again, Crashman! I think it ought to be a misdemeanor for two lawyers like us to step into any cockpit and take to the skies. hee hee.

MileHighMama,

Just got word that I am flying again on Tuesday, October 31 at 10:30 am. If you are free, come on down to BFI. Bring your kids, too. Might be a scary thing to watch a lawyer try to fly faster than 100 kts and still not puke all over herself.