Riddller's IFS & UPT Blog

Several questions for you:

- What kind of sectional charts do they have you guys using? The traditional civilian ones?

- What are your training area boundaries like?

- Also, I took a look at the military pattern that was laid out in the pre-IFS ppt brief that was posted on this website; how does flying the military pattern get deconflicted with the traditional civilian (upwind-crosswind-downwind-base, etc.) pattern going on at Pueblo?

Thanx in advance.

1: Yup, they show us civilian sectionals in academics, but you never actually use them when flying or flight planning. They hand out in-flight guides to everyone which has all the stuff you need, namely a print-off of a TPC chart with PFPS overlays of the working areas. If you don't know what all that means, don't worry about it. You just use it. They also have IFS-specific approach plates which tell you when to call who on what frequencies, and how to get everywhere.

2: Areas 1-6 are 10-17 DME off the PUB VOR/DME, 14 radials wide, to the south. There's more areas to the south of those, same radials, and like 17-23 DME and 23-28 DME (I think). Once again, don't worry about it, they give you everything you need when you get here.

3: IFS traffic normally uses the small runway while other traffic uses the larger one. Regardless, IFS traffic still has an upwind, crosswind, downwind, base, and final, they're just rounded. Deconfliction is accomplished the same way it is at any other airport, via the tower controllers. The tower does normally have split frequencies though. One for the south side (normally IFS traffic) and one for the north side (normally other traffic, but IFS traffic can be sent there too). when you come in for the initial, they just work you into the pattern.

You only fly to the initial for your FIRST pattern of the flight. After that, you stay in the normal traffic pattern. This is assuming you fly out to a training area first, then back for pattern work. Half of the IFS aircraft do that, while the other half do pattern work first (everyone usually takes off one after the other, 5 times a day, usually 10 aircraft at a time). Halfway through the flight, those in the pattern go out to the traning areas, while those in the training areas come back for pattern work. If you do pattern work first, you go straight into a crosswind after takeoff, and do your thing for ~30 minutes. Coming back from the training area afterwards, you just fly to the initial for a full-stop.

Anybody reading the preceding paragraph and not having the foggiest idea of what I'm talking about, DON'T WORRY! After one week at IFS it will make perfect sense to you. It's easy and it's not a big deal.

Hey, I have a question. I already have a little flying experience, so I understand a lot of the terminology already. Some of my buds that are headed towards IFS have literally zero hours and not much GA knowledge at all, let alone any knowledge of military patterns, etc. How many people in your class are in the same boat and what has been their hardest struggle so far? Any good strategies for these guys to stay on top of things?

MOST of the people here are in the same boat as your friend. They might just have to study a bit harder to remember stuff that might not make sense to them when they learn it. It's much easier to remember stuff if you already have a point of reference. Tell them not to worry about it, and if the have any questions, ask them in class or ask the more experienced guys from their class or mine.

Not a big deal, that's what this place is here for!!