Well, I started RTF this past Monday. So far, it is okay I suppose. The instructors are pretty cool and treat you with a lot of respect, just don't talk to the person next to you or fall asleep in class and everything will be just fine. That's about all they ask. You usually get a small break at least once an hour and get lectures from all sorts of different personalities. You will have a main instructor that does most of the talking, but others will come in and teach each day as well. All the instructors are either FAA or Raytheon (contractors) The Raytheon guys are all old school. They have all retired from the FAA and came back years later to teach the new generation how to push tin. They have a lot of good stories and it's neat to listen to their experiences.

You go over a whole lot of material. One week after you start class you will have a block test and if you don't pass it, you have to get remedial training. They say we will definitely be prepared for it before taking it so I am hoping it will all be alright.

So far we have went over:

Academy Airspace
Academy LOA/SOP Procedures
Primary and Secondary Radar
ARTS Color Display
Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS)
Radar Identification
Transfer of Identification
Separation Procedures and Safety Alerts
Vectoring
Speed Adjustments

We have also be learning the phraseology quite a bit. The instructor really emphasizes knowing the phraseology that we need to this point.

Here are the few pieces of phraseology that you will be required to know within the first week of training for RTF:

-James Airport (4Y3) VFR Practice Instrument Approach
"(Callsign), (Position) from James radio beacon, turn right/left heading (heading), maintain VFR, practice approach approved, no separation services provided."

-Bartles Airport (BRT) Departure Without Release Void Time
"(Callsign), released for departure. (This next part is optional and is usually used if you have another inbound aircraft and want to ensure your departure will not conflict with the inbound aircraft)..When entering controlled airspace, fly heading (heading)."

-James Airport (4Y3) or Viney Airport (4V4) Departure Release Without Void Time
"Advise (Callsign), Released for Departure."

Victor 4 Airway Interception
-From Academy Airport (AAC)
"(Callsign), (Position with respect to course/fix along route), turn left/right heading (heading), join Victor 4, resume own navigation."

-From Bartles Airport (BRT)
"(Callsign), (Position with respect to course/fix along route), fly heading (heading), join Victor 4, resume own navigation."

-James Airport (4Y3) Departure Release Thru McAlester FSS
"Advise (Callsign), released for departure, clearance void if not off by (Void Time). (This next part is optional)...When entering controlled airspace, fly heading (heading)."

Viney Airport (4V4) Departure Release Thru McAlester FSS
"Advise (Callsign), released for departure, clearance void if not off by (Void Time).

Academy Airport (AAC) Approach Clearance
"(Callsign), (Position) From Woody, turn left/right heading (heading), maintain (altitude) until established on the localizer, cleared ILS Runway 28 Right Approach (this next part is optional if you use speed control)...Maintain (One Eight Zero) knots to Woody."

-Bartles Airport (BRT) Departure Release with Void Time
"(Callsign), released for departure, clearance void if not off by (void time), advise Academy Approach not later than (void time + max of 30 minutes) of intentions. Time (current time in 1/4 minutes). Also the optional part...when entering controlled airspace, fly heading (heading)."

If you know all that stuff on day one, you will really impress your instructors. Good Luck!