ATPL nightmare

[Captain Ratpup]

Having just sat met for the third time, I'm starting to lose my wits. Just looking for some advice or sympathy from others who might have experienced the same thing.

Despite having worked my backside off to get these exams out of the way (including some one-to-one time with Ken at Bristol) I still can't crack met. The other papers seemed a piece of cake in comparison, I just don't know why I can't push a 72% result into an 80 or 90%. Or even just a 75% pass!

Having started the CPL course, I've been told that my flying is excellent so all we're doing now is mock skill tests. I polished off all the other papers first time. But this old nemesis of mine (i.e. met) combined with the five figure debt has really started to get me down.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm not going to start to blame the CAA for shoddy annexes and ambiguous questions as we all know the score there. But I can't work out what else there is to learn! I've done all the Bristol feedback, bought the Oxford CD, had some one-to-one and I still can't pass the bugger!

Ratpup

[stratotanker135]

www.gtserv.co.uk true gents speak to Dave webb, Pete Swatton and Roger Henshaw you won´t hear a bad word spoken about them or their school, from the old school, just ask for their experience and if you´ve got 30 years they´ll tell you. They have saved many desperate students and they will save you. Chin up you´ll get them.

[Canada Goose]

For me met was one of the easiest subjects – I've always had a bit of a passion for it !! Anyway, enough of 'me me me' ! I'm not trying to wipe your face in it !!

For the most part if you can grasp the big picture by understanding the basic principles the rest will fall into place. Note: I said understand – not learn!!! Something, which after many years of studying took me until my finals at university to get a handle on. If you can understand how something works it becomes a damn sight easier to then recall and apply that knowledge rather than trying to learn something verbatim. Sure, there will be certain things that need to be just learnt (e.g. down drafts for a microburst can reach speeds of about 65kts – if my memory still serves me !!) but for the most part understand the principles. I studied at BGS and hardly did any of the feedback for met as I was confident with the subject (just as well cos I was so overloaded with the other subjects !!). I got 88% which isn't a stellar mark but I was pleased with it cos I didn't have to do much work for it !! Sorry agin to harp on about that fact but hopefully you can see the point I am trying to make !!!

Just remember – everything starts off with the sun !!! Without heating there wouldn't be any weather !!!!!!!

Good luck Cap'n - you're not alone !! Met is the bane of many a pilots life !!!!

CG.
:ok:

[helicopter-redeye]

As a series, non partisan point, Roger Henshaw at GTS is a real whizz on Met and does 1:1 tuition/ special courses etc.

As noted above, worth a call to suppliment the instruction from BGS.

If you ask all the experts, they'll teach you a bit more each time.


h-r:)

[JB007]

I also had a complete nightmare with Met - thought I couldn't learn anymore of it but still couldn't reach 75%!!

I did a 1 day course with Steve Francis who was at Oxford at the time, not sure where he is now though but i'm sure he's still in the business! Went from 72% to 95% on my 3rd attempt - he was bl**dy amazing!

I'm sure someone on PPRuNe will know where he's working because he was worth every penny spent that day.

Keep slogging away mate, you'll nail the bug*er....

[Pete Begley]

I'm good friends with Steve Francis and I'm sure he'd help you out. He is the King of Met (don't tell him I told you) he may see this and respond but I'll let him know anyway, he'll be in touch.

Fret not you WILL pass.

[pugzi]

Hiya,

Thank you all for your very kind words.
I'm Steve Francis, and I teach Met and Aircraft Performance. I'd be more than happy to help, in fact only too pleased. Gimme a day with you and you will never regret it, promise. I'll make you understand it in a way you never thought possible, and you'll hopefully be shocked thats it's really not as bad as it seems.
I attach a wonderful testamony from a student here for you.

"I considered myself quite lucky recently when, in the absence of the regular instructor, you stood in to take the lectures. Many of the guys on the course, myself included, felt you did a good job of getting us to actually understand met in a way we probably hadn't done before. For me personally, it was far and away my bogey subject and I was dreading that particular exam.
After the last session of met I remember thanking you for your passionate efforts in getting us to actually think about -- and understand -- met. You said I could repay that by getting 100% in the exams. Well, that was probably too tall an order but I did get a creditable 93% instead. There is simply no way I could have envisaged that score before going through your class, particularly as April's paper had some awkward questions on it. So, ultimately, I'm writing to say another 'thank you' and hopefully give you the satisfaction of knowing that you got at least one pretty marginal meteorology student to pass with a respectable grade.
And if that's not enough, you can take heart from the fact that since your lectures I've now actually become curious --and dare I say, interested -- in Met. So much so that I've bought a book called Climatology for Airline Pilots by some chap called Quantick and have just finished Chapter One. If you've any other recommendations, fire away!"

Good luck

Steve Francis