Actually, after I wrote the post, I got off my fat ass and got some more studying done.

I’ve found what works for me is doing a module on the DVD training, then reading the “Learning Objectives Document” to re-inforce what I just watched.

What a LOD or “Learning Objectives Document” is, is a document which is broken down system by system of “need to know” information for the oral evaluation. So the DVD’s contain lots of information, but the LOD shows you what data is important to know for evaluation purposes.

I’ve gotten about four systems done so far and things are going very well.

I’ve got to fly back east for some family-related stuff so I’ll have ample opportunity to crank out some more stuff!

Here it comes!

*cricket*

*cricket*

It really hasn’t been much as I guess I require a firm training date in order to provide extra motivation for studying.

I’ve browsed and reviewed data during “downtimes” on trips, but I need to get back into the groove of studying.

That’s really all I have!

Not much to update beyond digging into the books, but I’ve re-discovered that a real good source of training information gouge are other pilots that have recently been through the program.

We shared a van with another crew enroute to the hotel. Fortunately, for me, the other FO was in the middle of IOE on the domestic side of the 757/767 program and had finished training last week.

So I got a chance to pick his brains. What books to read, what I NEED to know, things that I need to shuffle away to the “read when you’re superbored AFTER training”, etc.

That’s really going to help a lot because a lot of information is thrown at you on the training DVD’s and 757/767 manuals that I don’t have a good grasp on that I need to know this in order to pass my type rating oral, flight training and checkride.

Speaking of that. If I didn’t already mention, I will be type rated so I’ll go thru the same exact training that the captain is going to go through.

There are minor differences between SIC (co-pilot) training and PIC training but traditionally only the captain recieves a type rating as part of the training.

Another note is that even though the 757 and 767 are essentially a ‘common category’, there are seperate 757 and 767 manuals and slight differences in the checklist and procedures.

Well, between flights I ran downstairs to the pilot lounge to see if there were any Jepp revisions in my v-file.

In my v-file this evening was a “Welcome to the 767 Program” letter from the program manager. It basically talked about the various training phases, what to expect and debunking some of the AQP (whatever that stands for) acronyms.

Now I’m confused even more than ever, but at least it was interesting!

A lot of the ground work is self-study so I had to explain to my wife this evening that even though Ihave a 21-day training “footprint”, that a lot of the time prior to showing up, I’m going to have my head buried in the books because the 757/767 is A LOT different than flying a McDonnell-Douglas product.

A little scary, a little exciting.

Scary because I know NOTHING about the aircraft and I’ve got a mystery training date where I’m going to be expected to perform on day one in April — hasn’t been confirmed or solidly scheduled yet.

Exciting because it’s a whole different aircraft and an entirely different operation. Hell, the international side is almost run as a different airline entirely.

One thing NEW that I learned this evening is that I’ll have a domestic IOE trip (basically, flying with a check pilot/”initial operating experience”) covering both the 757 and the 767, and then accomplish a TOE (”trans-oceanic operating experience”).

I have a long layover tomorrow so I’m going to dive right into the systems CD.

Well, step one is done.

Every year, instead of sitting in a ground school discussing operations specifications, security information, CRM highlights, federal aviation regulations and other non hand-on-yoke type issues, we ’self study’ on a DVD.

However, “Fleet Common” as it’s called is a very brief 483 minutes.

This, painstakenly, I have completed. And it sucked. A necessary evil, but thank goodness that’s over.

Now I’m going to dive into the 757/767 systems DVD presentations. Wish me luck (get me coffee!)