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September, 2024

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If you're a Pilot of Aircraft....

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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,409
Alright basically I'm look for a hand from Canadian pilots, but American pilots will do to. I'm studying up to write my final exam to get my private pilots license (already passed my flight test) I know ski seasons coming up and my dad is nagging me hard to study. When the season hits skiing is priority #1 and this thing will never get done. Once I've passed this puppy, my life will be 100% stress free, and I'll be the happiest man alive.

Im studying online at pilottraining.ca (The online flight studying course done up by harvs air) and its killing me. Its just powerpoints, and quizzes, and I have no retention whatsoever. It's a very poor system. When was the last time you ever learned anything from a fucking powerpoint. So I'm wondering what you guys have done to remember info to pass the written exam. Also what do we need to pass the written exam? My weak spots are mostly navigation involved. The big things being radio navigation, and weather.

I'll probably have some questions within the next few days if I get any replies from legitimate pilots (who are out there, is rory bushfield on NS?) I'm also going to apologize to those legitimate pilots now, because this thread is going to get walked all over by them hardcore trollers. +K to members who contribute true, useful, proven information.
Nov 9 2011 11:42PM
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PJS.
Posts: 11943 - Karma: 895
Magic makes the plane stay up
Nov 9 2011 11:44PM
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sherwood4099
Posts: 1173 - Karma: 22
Take notes on the power points,after create and appropriate study system from them and take the practice quizzes until you do well. Can you retake it if you fail? Or does it require a bunch more cash and flight tests
Nov 9 2011 11:46PM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,409
Luckily you can repeat the quizzes. For now I've been doing the section major quizzes over and over. Unfortunatley when I got to a practice test, the questions didn't even seem remotely similar.

If I fail the final, I have to wait a week before I can retake, then 2 if I fail, then 4, then 8, etc.....

Then theres a fee every time I take a test.... Which sucks forsure.
Nov 9 2011 11:49PM
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steezyskier17
Posts: 181 - Karma: 17
Is the test online? I would say if the answers are in the powerpoints and the stuff you need to learn, open all the info and stuff in one tab, and the test in another.
Nov 9 2011 11:52PM
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gordie.
Posts: 2014 - Karma: 84
you can study to become a pilot online?

kinda wack
Nov 9 2011 11:53PM
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WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
agreed.


this whole thread makes me incredibly wary of pilots.
Nov 9 2011 11:54PM
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sherwood4099
Posts: 1173 - Karma: 22
Your getting real unrecognizable questions on the final compared to the practice? Mabey the power points dont have all the information. There has to be a written complete manual of all the criteria I can't alll be online?
Nov 9 2011 11:56PM
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TOAST.
Posts: 7435 - Karma: 35,432
you really want a pilot out there who has no idea what hes doing.
Nov 9 2011 11:56PM
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Travapple.
Posts: 6787 - Karma: 88
lesh is a pilot
Nov 9 2011 11:57PM
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dmc12380
Posts: 3545 - Karma: 792
commercial pilots a lot different, ... at least i hope.

pilots with a military background are most trustworthy though
Nov 9 2011 11:58PM
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Rob.
Posts: 189 - Karma: 16
I got my PPL in 2007. From what I remember, acronyms are your friend. Make up your own if necessary. Navigation-wise, I don't think I had that many, but your best bet is to plan a couple of cross country flights, VNC chart and all, and that should be the most helpful. I remember the Nav part of my MOT exam being mostly flight-planning, so it should help you the most. There was a bit of pure theory in there as well, but not nearly as much.

Also, go to your local flight club to see what resources they can give you. Sample exams are your friend.
Nov 9 2011 11:58PM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,409
Last two, Everything is online. You can go to a groundschool but I've heard my local groundschool is kind of sketchy, and unproductive. Plus I don't wanna waste gas cash if I don't have to, you know? But yeah, www.pilottraining.ca is a like canadian standard for flight studying in canada now. I guess most flight schools get their students to use it.

I wish it was layed out like my history class last year. It consisted of a booklet with a bunch of info, and then fill in the blanks, crosswords, and a bunch of stuff like that. I would confidently re-test in that class today, and I can guarantee and 85% plus mark.


Nov 9 2011 11:58PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
seriously? i have a friend who barely graduated high school, has severe ADD, and moderate dyslexia, and generally is borderline retarded...And he got his liscense when he was 17.


Learn to fucking study! when...actually IF you ever get to college, you will learn that powerpoints are pretty dope cause all the important shit that you need to know is spelled out directly in front of you.


Post sample questions in this thread and see how complete ground dwellers can kick your ass answering them.
Nov 10 2011 12:02AM
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WillStart
Posts: 3955 - Karma: 3,192
yeah i'm sure commercial is waaaay different, but a private pilot is still flying a whole plane above us at any given time. hopefully they know their shit.
Nov 10 2011 12:03AM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
my buddy i referenced above got his liscense permanently taken away for flying into restricted airspace 2 times, and then failing a drug test.


BE AFRAID...BE VERY AFRAID!
Nov 10 2011 12:05AM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,409
I'll practice planning a few out. I was pretty good at them during the summer, but its been awhile. Do you know if there are alot of "Linked" questions in the exam. Example being if you get A wrong, you will get B wrong because question B is based off of question A.

And guys, don't worry about pilots. It sounds nuts, but it isn't. Its very strict and regulated, and thats why I'm going crazy trying to remember all of this information to pass this test. Commercial pilot standards are even stricter. In my time becoming a private pilot, I've had to pass 4 tests so far. One to become a student pilot which required a mark 90% or greater. A radio operating license test, so I could operate an aircraft two way radio. A test to prove that I was fluent in english (even though I've spoken english all my life) And my flight test, which is about 1 hour, of vigorous in aircraft testing, where you have to demonstrate ALOT of skills.
Nov 10 2011 12:06AM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,409
Thats why I'm here bro, to get some help and knowledge from other guys. I totally agree with you on powerpoints, they are great because everything is right there. The thing that kills me is thers 13 sections with about 10 or so powerpoints averaging at 30-40 slides per powerpoint. It's overwhelming for me to retain by reading, and then taking the quiz and repeating. There is a progression, but it is slow, so I'm trying to stab this cow at a different angle.

Even if I post sample questions, I woulndt doubt ground dwellers could kick my ass at them. Anyone can spend a little bit of time to find an answer to just about any question. The problem is remembering this stuff. When I go into this test, I don't exactly have google chilling right there for me, you know.
Nov 10 2011 12:13AM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
There are two types of studying:

Curious studying - the topic actually interests you, and its enjoyable to learn more. you retain information without even trying to. you are fully engaged in the material and have no outside thoughts

Brute Studying - you actively have to read from one line to the next, and force yourself to lip sync the words. your mind constantly wanders, and the material is dry and boring. you may actually break a sweat trying intently to retain the information in front of you.


Learn how to brute study. Its all about how bad you want it. When i had to brute study, i found walking around and repeating what was on the screen helped. I would putt a golfball, or bounce a tennis ball on a racket while reading and repeating. Its not fun, but you can do it. Its all about how much you want it.
Nov 10 2011 12:20AM
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Sam.Carson
Posts: 2884 - Karma: 33
only thing i have been flying is a jet in BF3
Nov 10 2011 12:27AM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,409
I think you may be on to something here. Usually when I study, I'm like eating pistachios or spitz, and I can stay focused on that stuff, likely because im actively engaged in something else at the same time, and I can keep going at it. I'll have to try some of those.
Nov 10 2011 12:28AM
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Rob.
Posts: 189 - Karma: 16
Since it was so long ago, I can't be sure. My gut would tell me that no, there shouldn't be any. A well made test will not have one question dependent on the answer to another question. However, there may be a couple.

What I seem to remember is having one or two maps (either two parts of a VNC or one part of a VNC and a part of a VTA), and having to do some flight planning of a couple of different flights within the area. There were multiple things that were asked about each of these flights, but I don't think they relied on answers from other questions.

Just be very comfortable with the charts. Mostly VNCs, not so much VTAs. Be able to spot and pick out the important information quickly. You should have excess amount of time, but it will help to be familiar with what types of fonts/symbols to look for. The chart will be from some random place in Canada. I had to plan flights through New Brunswick (and maybe a bit of PEI), though I was not near there. So don't plan on becoming familiarized with just one map.

I just checked my old notes, but it looks like I don't have any sample exams. I think I couldn't take any home. All I found was Flight Test preparation notes, which won't do you much good if you've passed it already.

Try to call your flight school to see if they have any resources you can use, to save the gas of going their if they don't. I never used that online website, so I can't vouch for how well the material is. Then again, I did get my license a while ago (before the language proficiency tests). If there is a good ground school instructor, I'd suggest paying for an hour of their time to do a review before your exam. Best of all, find someone else who is also writing the test at the same time.

I did my license through the air cadets, so I had to do everything within 6 weeks, but there were 20 of us at the one school and we all helped each other out. There was also a great ground school program that helped immensely.

Let me know if I can give you any other tips, I'll try to check back here at some point in the next couple days. Otherwise, good luck.
Nov 10 2011 12:30AM
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TinyTigers
Posts: 484 - Karma: 213
king flying school is the shit, try it. its expensive, but it will help with other ratings too.
Nov 10 2011 12:47AM
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BravoWhiskey5280
Posts: 4020 - Karma: 520
I highly recommend getting the Jepessen Private Pilot Exam Study Guide. Pretty goes over the whole PPL with questions that will be on the FAA written test. Also remember that its all about gouges when it comes to remembering stuff about flying. Im an Aviation major with emphasis on becoming a pro pilot. Gouges are simple things like acronyms. For example the gouge for the landing checklist in a Cessena is CGUMPS. Carb heat on, Gas or fuel select on both, Under carriage down, Mixture leaned out for landing, Power so reduce power, and S is for Seat belts. I have hundreds of gouges, but its honestly the best way to remember all the material. Another gouge for lets say the PAPI lights is red over red your dead, red over green your clean. Simple shit like this makes it easy. The PPL is fucking easy to man. Wait till you get your instrument rating, multi-engine rating, or commercial rating. Thats when it gets REALLY tough. Good luck though man.
Nov 10 2011 3:06AM
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Fucktown
Posts: 474 - Karma: 22

I'm really surprised that you took your flight portion of the test before an oral/written portion.

Do you have to take an oral or a written knowledge test? Knowledge test in America is VERY easy, it's 70% to pass, it usually goes over general knowledge questions about airspace, navigation, aircraft performance, laws relevant to you as a private pilot. Oral test is a bit harder and usually stresses more specific facts about the aircraft you'll be flying and the local airspace you will be flying it in, as well as your priveleges/limitations as a private pilot. Your flight instructor should have some better resources than just test banks - In America there is a PTS (Practical Test Standards) booklet that you can buy or download online that will give you everything you can/will be tested on for both the oral and flight portions of the practical exam... that is a really good booklet to go through even if you're not studying for the oral specifically.

Nov 10 2011 3:49AM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,409
I had to do it because of time constraints with going back to highschool. Once school started back up I would have no time to fly, but time to study, so I went ahead and got the flight portion done with (and it was really easy) Kind of sketch though, during the flight, the CFI at my flight school (which will remain un-named) didn't fill out an assessment sheet as I flew. I asked for it when I was done, because my dad told me to get one (he's the boss man of the family business, and he ran a flight school back in the 70's and 80's. We do aircraft maintenance and imports and so on now.) so he kind of knew how things worked. I never ended up getting one back which was really weird. Not sure if my dad did either. So anyways, thats weird.

They also have one instructor who is an absolute prick and know it all, and he has a really bad name around the airport/surrounding flying community. Once we were practicing stalls, and he said I wasn't doing them right, because I took alittle bit longer. When he would do a stall, he would pull back pretty hard on the control column, and the vsi would have a huge reading, and by the time the aircraft was in a stalled condition, we probably gained 75-125 feet in altitude. In my flight training manual I showed him the lesson on proper stall entry, and it shows right in a diagram, and aircraft climbing, and then stalling and it says thats an improper stall entry. (I'm pretty sure those are whip stalls which are also placarded against in our companies 172) He didn't give a damn at all. When I was doing my cross countrys I would be planning them out (and they both went really successfully) and he just sat in out company lounge friggen texting.....

Basically I'm not to fond of that group, there really messed up, hence not going to groundschool evey tues and thurs, because I don't feel like wasting my time, and money. So thats why I'm stuck with online groundschool and what book resources me and my dad have. Kinda sucks cause my pops is in cali right now so I can't really get any help from him.

The other thing that shocks me is every flight school projected timeline of just flying to get a student finished (flight tested and accumulate all necessary hours). Most are in the 80 hour range which its nuts. Thats close to 10000 dollars depending on there rate. Like is my generation that poor at doing stuff. I finished all of my flying in 50 hours, which I'm pleased with.
Nov 10 2011 9:46AM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
This has very little to do with pilots and everything to do with you're study skills. You need discipline, because if you ever want to further your education in aviation or college it will be more difficult than a PPL.

Example: the box of books they gave me for the T-6 is the size of my car engine.
Nov 10 2011 10:01AM
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TACO-DOG.exe
Posts: 11988 - Karma: 12,261
my plane uses farts to stay up
Nov 10 2011 10:03AM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,409
Yeah, I've never been very good at studying boring stuff eh. School is way to easy on kids nowadays and it really promote procrastination. I've never had that great of study habbits, and I still have stellar marks at school. 80's and 90's across the board. So I'm really trying to buckle down and get after it.

How do you like flying the texan/harvard 2. There pretty badass when they fly by. Learning about operating systems of an aircraft isn't as bad I've found though. I aced that portion during the oral part on my flight test. Then again its only a 172, so it should be aced.
Nov 10 2011 10:07AM
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RustyPlanks
Posts: 290 - Karma: 10
Jeppesen Private Pilot FAA airmen knowledge test guide.

Read Each question. Anwser

Highlight the ones you don't get right.

Go through Again.
Mark. Again Do till you know book.

Take Written.
Nov 10 2011 10:08AM
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Mr.Huck
Posts: 6096 - Karma: 14,896
Does flight simulator count? JK.

The trick to taking industry specific standardized tests is to read through the material once, and then just begin taking the practice tests. Instead of concerning yourself with learning the material, you learn the questions. Just keep taking the tests until you want to puke and then take them some more. If you are consistently missing questions about specific topics, go back and review that to figure out why. Then go back to taking the tests.
Nov 10 2011 10:10AM
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Fucktown
Posts: 474 - Karma: 22

Yea, that sounds like a pretty shitty attitude to have as a flight instructor. It's best to get away from those people as soon as possible haha. It's good that you had the common sense/knowledge to question his mistakes though, probably means you are/will soon be a better pilot than him.

http://www.amazon.com/Private-Pilot-Test-Prep-2012/dp/1560278501

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1560277238/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1560278501&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0GDRN88GY2J9VHXP9D66

http://www.amazon.com/Private-Airplane-Single-Engine-Practical-Standards/dp/156027462X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320969433&sr=1-1

-I think you can get the PTS online for free through the FAA, but those three resources should give you enough knowledge to get through your private, as well as looking through the FAR/AIM (obviously canadian equivalent) study guide for the rating sought.

Hour wise that sounds pretty similar to American schools.. part 141 schools especially are insane money sinks. Hourwise I it really depends on the instructor and how in tune he is with your goals.. a lot of schools pump people out at lower hours (40-50) and even more pump them out at excessively high hours (70+). I'm not saying those numbers are wrong necessarily, as every student is different.. but I would personally prefer to not give a student their license until they're ready. I feel like my instructor had me take it a lot slower than I would have liked in areas (he was very hesitant about first solos because I was his first ever student), and yes that made me spend more money in the long run to get my private... but in the grand scheme of things, I feel like I am a better pilot for it. The best thing you can do as a student is to go out and do everything to the absolute best of your abilities on EVERY flight.. try to make every take off and landing the best take off and landing you've ever had. Just because the private standards may be +/- 100 feet for altitude on a specific manuever, doesn't mean that you should only strive for +/- 100.. strive to progress every flight and you'll never waste an hour up there.

Nov 10 2011 7:04PM
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MLB
Posts: 4462 - Karma: 298
basicly.......you need to do your ground school at a REAL flight training centre. There are some little tricks that pilots who have been flying for a while will teach you that the internet just can't.
Nov 10 2011 7:19PM
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maxwell666
Posts: 554 - Karma: 20
my dad has his private pilots license. Its not fucking fair! I cant get mine because I am colour blind.
It would not make any difference at all.

>=(
Nov 10 2011 7:43PM
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Fucktown
Posts: 474 - Karma: 22
Are you in the US or Canada? I'm fairly certain they will still issue you a medical if you're colorblind, just with a restriction (Probably cant do night flights because position markers are red/green)
Nov 10 2011 7:48PM
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-Mugatu
Posts: 2579 - Karma: 84
when I read that I imagined it was said from a 6 year old
Nov 10 2011 7:48PM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,409
Ohh man, thats super unfortunate. On the other note, I must say, that skiing is a much more liberating and free feeling than flying. I really enjoy flying but I love skiing more, its more natural, and flying is very restricted, and can sometimes be a little bit intense. I hope your dad still gives you the chance to control the airplane a little bit while your in the air with him, nothing in wrong with that.

I'm not sure if you can even get a license with restrictions. At my medical, I was vigorously tested on colour sensitivity of my eyes. I must have had to do twenty or so of those colour blind number things.

I don't want to sound like a dickhead, but do you realize how colorful your avatar is. The elk is basically a full colour spectrum.




Also like to thank everybody whos contributed with some +K. I got on the study train today, and worked pretty hard by using a little bit of everything from here. Just getting after it has helped lots, repeating tests has helped lots, and writing down important info or info I don't understand has done me well. If I stay on top of it, I might be testing in little to no time. The one thing I'm still have a tough time with, is radio navigation. Does it have a heavy emphasis in the written exam?
Nov 10 2011 8:08PM
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chocolatemilk
Posts: 29 - Karma: 11
Well, if you're seeing anything over anything with a PAPI, your sideways.  You're talking about a VASI.  The rest of your post is pretty solid though.

For me, a lot of it is finding things to trigger your memory (for example, I remember the difference between VASIs and PAPIs with the fact that VASIs are oriented vertically).  But a good portion of it is just rote memorization, which kind of sucks.
Nov 12 2011 9:10AM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,409
I hate to bring this thread back, but after alot of studying, and following what went down in this thread, I passed the PPL Written exam, with an 80%.

So stoked to be done, and since I passed, I was able to convince my prettty strict parents to let me skip school for my hills opener. +k to errbody.
Dec 8 2011 1:45PM
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7springsprod
Posts: 2661 - Karma: 3,181
My dad and I just bought a 150. Having a plane and a private pilot's license makes everything seem so much smaller and accessible. It's incredible.
Dec 8 2011 3:07PM
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skiingpimp
Posts: 1176 - Karma: 31
nice work. stay current though.
Dec 8 2011 3:10PM
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OulyJ
Posts: 16 - Karma: 8
I'm also studying to get my PPL, if you have any questions or need any help. Message me.
Dec 8 2011 3:29PM
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8334c34f2234
Posts: 150 - Karma: 12
Yeah I go to a part 141 school and it took me about 47 hours to get my private and around 60 for my instrument. Now i'm working on my commercial which is another 120 hours. I feel ground school is pretty essential. Especially if your CFI isn't the best at explaining. At least my ground school everyone is required to take the written at the end of it and pretty much everyone passes.
Dec 8 2011 3:42PM
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ECB
Posts: 6991 - Karma: 620
exams4pilots.org
Dec 8 2011 4:44PM
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1337
Posts: 31046 - Karma: 29,167
are you kidding me? If you can't figure out radio directions and all that shit, you shouldn't be flying a plane.
Dec 8 2011 4:49PM
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ECB
Posts: 6991 - Karma: 620
It's not quite that easy. There is a lot of test material that you may never need to know, but you still get tested on it.....
Dec 8 2011 4:52PM
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CassiusClay
Posts: 1757 - Karma: 2
I've never taken a flight exam, but have taken many other types of exams. Basically just study, beat that shit into your brain. Take notes on the powerpoints, after each time you finish a page, go back and study the shit out of it. Quiz yourself left and right on every single fucking sentence that you just wrote down. Do not stop doing this until you can properly recite each of the main pieces of the page. Continue doing this with other pages. With each page you write beyond the first page, review the first page as well as those you've already 'memorized'. At the end, go through the whole thing again reviewing every single page to make sure you've got it all down. Period. Period. Period.
Dec 8 2011 6:25PM
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Supergyro
Posts: 797 - Karma: 36
I'm sixteen and I've flown for a national gaurd auxillary. /claim
Dec 8 2011 6:33PM
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NinetyFour
Posts: 8650 - Karma: 13,409
Uhhh lol. Guys OP (me) passed. I'm done studying and proficient in everything now. I don't need anymore help for this, but thanks anyways, I'm sure there's others who could use this info.
Dec 8 2011 10:39PM
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