Flight planning ATPL Gatwick

[skylarker1983]

Hi all,
Im sitting flight planning at Gatwick next week.
Quick question regarding the Jep manual..
I have lots of markings on my maps-routes,headings and lots of other stuff highlighted and written in
How strict are the examiners and whats the official line?
I got my hands on a friends manual that's completely unmarked,
and am wondering which to bring??
Thanks

[Eurotraveller]

Hi Skylarker,

On my Flight Planning ATPL a year or so ago, they did a random check of the manuals, and one guy who had some pencil marks on his got his manual confiscated.

I'd recommend taking the unmarked one!!

[mech500]

take both.
If they confiscate the marked-up one just say:

''whoops i must have picked up the wrong manual - i have an un-marked manual in the coat room. Think i must've picked the wrong one up (easily done, given exam stress) i'll go and get it now'':ok:

[Spit-Fire]

I'm sitting next week and from everyone who sat before me and advice through my FTO is don't write on anything but marking is aloud. They always take 2 copies of the Jep manual randomly from people to check and then give it back.

Mark the SIDS & STARS section along with charts - will save you valuable time.

[Nashers]

highlight, draw lines and mark as much as you want..... just dont WRITE in it. no numbers or alphabets or your done for.

i had all my charts highlited and lines drawn all over the place. did not have problems at all.

[Flying Squid]

My FTO's advice was NO markings of any kind.....but we did anyway. Most people didn't make any notes on anything but instead had made discreet highlighter markings over some aerodromes on the VFR ED-6 Chart aswell as the E-Hi charts. Small marking's shouldn't be an issue but writing notes may well get you into hot water if you get caught out.

Good luck with the exam. Small tip....when you get into the exam room get out all your charts on the desk and put your Jeppo on the floor. That will save you some time flicking through it. Alot of people found it helpful doing the chart questions at the same time but thats personal preference. I just plodded through it and was alright.

FS :ok:

[mumblinjim]

We were told we could highlight anything and leave plotted lines on charts, but NO WRITING of any kind.:=

[Leezyjet]

As flight planning is the one exam where many people run out of time before finishing, save yourself a few minutes by going through the question paper and answering all the questions related to each chart you have out at the same time, then it saves you putting it away after 1 question, only to have to get it out again later. Just make sure you mark the correct box on the answer paper for that question, then go back and fill in the gaps.

:ok:

[Sagey]

It is an interesting debate. The CAA initially didn't want to allow any markings of any kind. However, the schools rightly complained, arguing that the manuals were expensive and therefore it was not fair on students to have to buy two copies, one to prepare for the exam and one to sit the exam with. Therefore you are allowed to bring in a copy of the manual that you have prepared for the exam with. Lines drawn on charts, circles drawn on charts, words highlighted, charts highlighted are all acceptable. Extras such as words written are not.

It is the marathon of ATPL exams!!

[skylarker1983]

mmm..interesting mix! Think its best to go with the unmarked copy, and just highlight and plot routes.
Need to get marking the other copy so:ugh:

[moona]

From someone who has taken the Flight Planning exam before and run out of time (failed), I would highly recommend Marking Sid / Stars and charts.

When I told my friend he laughed and handed me his jepp, Highlighted and Marked with everything from Bristol. He said he was done in half the time allocated even after his jepp was taken for checking. He did all the cap questions until they returned his jepp.

I've been running through the Bristol QB using it and it turns what used to be a case of:

open chart, find a, find b, draw line, calculate something

to: open chart, calculate something

A huge timesaver :ok:

stick to lines and highlights though!

[Letdown]

Definitely hightlight all the chart positions/places/tracks as well as all the Flight Plan info and SID & STAR's and VFR Plates within the Jepp Manual, it saves a massive amount of time when taking the exam.

I've just completed the Mod 1 Brush-up at Bristol and during the two weeks was struggling to complete the practice exams within the 3 hour time limit, as I was taking too much time finding places and drawing in track lines or locating info within the manual.

Since I've been back home I went throught all the exam feedback papers and highlighted all question content within the manual and then took all 5 practice exams under exam conditions (i.e. timing with no cross-check of answers) using the highting approach. I now can complete each exam (of 72 questions not the 56 that will be required) within 2.5 hours and have averaged 95% !!

The other tecnique I would recommend is completing each set of questions on a chart-by-chart basis, again I've found this also saves valuable time.

As a point of reassurance, the FP Ground instructor at Bristol confirmed that they had in writing from the CAA that it was ok to highlight items within the Jepp Manual - NOT however write in it though, as has already been mentioned.

Fingers crossed for next week, good luck to everybody taking the December sitting.

[Mohit_C]

Does anyone know where I can get hold of the Route Manual Charts (HI)/(LO) - CAA Edition? I searched through the CAA website but couldn't find these.