Passing instrumentation - only using feedback?

[Martin1234]

How good and thorough is the Bristol ATP online feedback in the subject of instrumentation? Is it likely that you will pass the test only by remembering all questions in that database?

[Charlie Zulu]

Having sat the Instrumentation exam this month I would say that the Bristol Online Question Database is good BUT you will not pass the exam by just remembering the questions and answers.

You will need to study for and learn the material within the course to pass the actual exam.

The official database is always being updated with new questions and old questions being taken out.

I'd also say that there were questions within the Instrumentation exam this month that I had not seen anywhere else. The feedback sources that I used included all of the feedback from Bristol in May, NAC feedback and the Bristol Online Database.

[Martin1234]

Thank you, even though I didn't like the answers. :{

My old Oxford Aviation book is almost impossible to grasp in a subject like instrumentation. It is so in-depth that you struggle to learn the basics.

Is there any instrumentation book out there that is no more in-depth than necessary? A summary of the subject would also be nice.

Speaking of summaries, if you want one for some other ATPL subjects (not instrumentation) go to;

http://www.tfhs042.com/pages/links.jsp

Use the links called "sammanfattning" (means summary). I think all of them are in English. The summaries are written by students at Lund University School of Aviation, Sweden.

[Charlie Zulu]

Hi Martin,

What a fantastic link! Thanks a lot!

Will help wonders with Performance, I was thinking about doing the same for the subject although I suppose there is no point in re-inventing the wheel.

In regards to Instrumentation:

About half of the exam is Pitot / Static / Compass and Gyroscopes. Understand those and you should be fine with them. No nasty suprises. We didn't even have a Compass Deviation calculation question, but thats not to say they won't crop up at a later date.

The rest is made up of Autopilots / INS / IRS / FMS / TCAS / GPWS / CVDR / FDR and Engine Monitoring.

This month they tended to put the INS / IRS type questions in the General Navigation exam but they still cropped up in the Instrumentation exam.

Know the GPWS modes and alert messages (the "whoop whoop" msgs). TCAS and the different colour codes / symbols. The difference between the two different RA's. Difference between TCAS 1 and TCAS 2.

The autopilot and autothrottle modes including which one holds what in each stage of flight. The different stages of the Autoland, such as when the Flare mode is armed / engaged / disconnected etc.

They are quite big on different colours on PDF's etc. Just remember the A/T A/P Armed and Egnaged modes are displayed at the top of the primary PFD with the Armed being in white and Engaged being in Green.

One of the students said PDMG 737-800 simulator add-on for MS Flight Sim 2004 is pretty worth while for this stuff.

You should be fine...

Best wishes,

Charlie Zulu.

[diverine]

Hey guys,

I've been studying for the exams using the Bristol ATP Online and just took 9 exams:

010,021,022,040,050,062,070,091,092. And on most of them (except Meteo), I studied from Q&A and passed them all on the first sitting. I am taking the exams in Switzerland. Perhaps, they do not update the databank as frequent as the Brits...

FYI, the instrument questions were almost 90% identical. I've got 87%... The ones which weren't identical were either rephrased or similar to the question on the bristol database...

I am planning on studying for the remaining 5 as I did for the first 9.....

Good save the Bristol online database!!! :ok:

Oh one more thing....

In the Meteorology exam, there was a question in which there was a mispelling.....

Instead of the city of "Delhi" in India, it was mispelled as Dehli... I can swear that I went over that exact question with the exact misspelling on the Bristol Atp Online.

That makes me think..................

[Miss Aviator]

I just sat the exam last week and I would have to say that 65% was the same for Instrument and out of those some reworded. I am taking them in Greece (computer based, randomly chosen) The rest was stuff that I didn't come across much : FWS (Flight Warning System) red alert means ? (obviously the highest alert but the choices were worded similarly and since I only studied from the Bristol question bank I didn't know the wording from say the Bristol books), electronic stall warning systems (vane, conical slat, pitot-type probe ?), temperature error questions (know relationships between IAS, CAS, TAS, EAS and TAT), electric RPM Tachometer uses ? (28V DC+phonic wheel, 28V DC, single-phase AC + phonic wheel, 3-phase AC + phonic wheel), an annex with 4 graphs asking which one corresponds to how the FD would intersect a track, FD command bar questions (which I later read up on after getting a hold of the Bristol text and found it didn't help).

Anyways, I passed RNAV and Operations with 86% -- questions were 90% similar with some wording differences. I have another 4 days of exams this coming week. The easier ones: Air Law, VFR & IFR Comms, Human Perf., Mass & Balance.

I finally have the Bristol text now and once I'm done I am willing to sell to anyone interested ?

Cheers and good luck to all,
Miss Aviator

[LAWN DART DRIVER]

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LDD