Air Law Exam

[Ryan5252]

Before the forum police get going I have done the usual search and found the information very informative. You may also note the total number of posts I have made verus the time I have been a member here. Reason it is so low is because I don't generally post as most of the information is readily available if you can just be bothered to look in the right places and do more than one search. I don't normally contribute to the topics as I don't feel I am not 'quite there yet' - though I have learned enough from just reading.

Now to get on topic. I am doing my Air Law exam tomorrow afternoon, I am going to sit down with my pen, paper, PPL confuser & Trevor Thom and hope to make a dent.

I am wondering if anybody has any tips to prepare or perhaps can shed light on particular questions which appear more than once. i.e. I have a feeling that there may only be two or three on the Chicago Convention but maybe 10 on Airport signals such as white light from tower, or two balls from a mast etc etc. It may well be that more time should be spent on individual areas as more marks are available.

As I understand it the time allowed is 60 minutes for 40 questions with a 75% pass rate being 30 correct answers. If things have changed overnight or just any other tidbits people may have I would be forever grateful.

Also, is a calculator allowed?

Thank you in advance,
Ryan.

[TheOptimist]

No calculator allowed.

Have you only started revising tonight?

It's passable with minimal revision if the right questions come up. I got 90% in mine with about 5 days revision. You're right about the number of questions you have to answer, the time you are given and the pass percentage.

I doubt you'll get much out of Trevor Thom at this stage. Others might disagree. If I was in your position I'd be blitzing the confuser until I knew it 100%, then going over the 'non-common sense questions.'

There's no way of saying which questions will appear. I can't remember my questions exactly but the ones I got wrong involved;

1) The role of ATC in SVFR when you're not in a lane.
2) Whether the airplane registration is needed on every flight (it is).
3) The renewal conditions for the PPL.

Get working!

[Whiskey Bravo]

I think the purpose of the exam is to ensure you know the basics of a detailed subject thoroughly to avoid putting others and of course yourself in danger. The confuser is a fabulous resource if used properly, but learning the subject is not it. Read the books, prerferbaly twice and then try the conufuser...

I spent a few weeks reading the books until I was confident I understood everything and then spent a lot of time at AirQuiz.com where you will find questions that are not in the exam but really test your knowledge and make you comfortable.

Please take time to learn the subject, a bare minimum pass is really not 'cool'.

[Ryan5252]

Sorry, I should have clarified; I have been studying for just over 2 weeks using a combination of TT Book, Confuser & an OAT Aviation DVD lent to me by the club!
Its just now sinking in that I will actually sit the exam! :{

Thanks for the replies so for, please keep them coming.

Ryan.

[Whiskey Bravo]

Ryan. Hate to plug anywhere as everyone's experience will be different but AirQuiz.com really worked for me. I spent a couple of weeks in the books but you'll get questions there which won't be in the exam but really cement your knowledge. If you score 85% plus there then you can feel very confident going into the exam. I didn't touch the confuser until two days before exam day and scored 98%.

My tip would be to read the questions very carefully. The exam won't take anywhere near an hour so read and re-read with an open mind every one before answering. Unfortuneately it seems like the exam is like an old style school test with question designed more to trip you up rather than to figure out what you actually know.

Apologies for my harsh reply earlier, good luck in your exam!

[flybymike]

Before the forum police get going I have done the usual search and found the information very informative. You may also note the total number of posts I have made verus the time I have been a member here. Reason it is so low is because I don't generally post as most of the information is readily available if you can just be bothered to look in the right places and do more than one search. I don't normally contribute to the topics as I don't feel I am not 'quite there yet' - though I have learned enough from just reading.

The search police have a lot to answer for when a forumite thinks it is necessary to make such a long apology before asking a civil question.;)

[Lister Noble]

Read the questions slowly and thoroughly,some of the multiple answers are designed to test your knowledge by offering very similar answers that look right but are not.
To make sure you have not been confused,check the questions and your answers twice, and once again before handing in the paper.
Good luck
Lister:)

[Ryan5252]

Well folks, I have done as much as I can so its a quick shower now then off to the airport. A few hours of cramming in the pilots lounge to be had before sitting the exam. Thanks for all the replies!

[1800ed]

The most important advice given to me was RTFQ/RTFA.

Read the f'in question/Read the f'in answers. There were a couple of times when I got questions wrong exam because I misread the questions or answers - they they are known word some of them in a way to catch you out on common mistakes or misunderstandings. Or the correct answer is in months, say, when in all the text books a time limit is given in years.

[gla-lax]

a calculator is allowed just not one that can be programmed.

[42psi]

Good luck Ryan5252 :ok:

Let us know how you get on, I've got that one to do as soon as possible so would be keen to hear what you think of it :eek:

[DK2]

I passed my air law exam today!

I agreed with what has been said earlier, some of the questions are definately there to trip you up rather than test your knowledge.

Not sure what everyone else thought, but I found that the Jeremy M Pratt book was a lot better than TT's. I'd been using both, but concentrated on Trevor Thom's more as it's fairly shorter and more to the point. I had spent weeks with preparation (Airquiz, etc) but I still failed my first attempt...Then I decided to give JP's book a try and no problems second time around...

[Ryan5252]

Passed today with 87%, not too bad so happy with that. Thanks to all for their constructive responses!! 1800ed, your question type came up so I was savy enough to know that 5 years and 60 months are the same thing!!

Another question which came up was;

An Alert service can be provided if;

a) I cant remember
b) A flight plan is filed at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure time.
c) The Aircraft is capable of two way radio communication with ATC
d) The pilot has filed a flight plan, or ATC are aware of the pilot or the aircraft is believed to be the subject of unlawful interference.
(answer order a b c d has been shuffled)

I got the question correct but I am curious of what others think of this?

[TheOptimist]

I imagine the answer is D but it's a poor question.

Is D right?

[BackPacker]

I would think the answer would be C. An alerting service is implicit in any service that you request from ATC, whether that be Basic or something else.

And to request any kind of service all you need is a functioning radio. You don't need to submit a flight plan or take a hijacker with you.

Having said that, if you phone an airfield ahead of time to announce that you'll be arriving no-radio and would they please call the emergency services if you have not arrived by suchandsuch time, does that count as an "alerting service" as well?

[TheOptimist]

Regardless of the answer, the service is provided to any aircraft that the ATC know about within the FIR's.

It gives assistance to aircraft in distress and notifies the relevant search and rescue units, so you don't need a 2 way radio. Similarly the filing of a flight plan is irrelevant due to the fact it is provided to anyone in the FIR's.

D must be correct.

[Ryan5252]

The correct is indeed d), though I still dispute (and my FI is in agreement) that an alerting service cannot be provided unless two way radio communications is established with ATC.

[kr0me]

Well today's the day of my air law exam for the 2nd time!!

I passed it about 2 years ago then ran out of money for a while. I've recently started flying again but the air law has expired so having to re-sit!
Most of my knowledge has been lost over the months so I'm now ****ting proverbial bricks. had my nose buried in books for the last 2 weeks and feverishly scanning through the confuser this morning.
Will let you know how it goes.:{

[7of9]

Passed my air law 5 weeks ago 1st time 75%.
Passed Human Performance & responses yesterday first go 85%.
Studying Communications to take soon then onto the Air plane Technical from there.

Good luck to others taking their exams & hope you have success.

Trev

[Lister Noble]

Good luck krome
Lister:)

[Ryan5252]

Good luck Kr0me - make sure and let us know how you get on - watch out for the trick question(s) :ok:

[TheOptimist]

Your FI is wrong I'm afraid.

As I said before an alerting service 'gives assistance to aircraft in distress and notifies the relevant search and rescue units.' You don't need a 2-way radio for either of those things. You don't even need a 1-way radio for alerting the relevant SAR services.

[Halfbaked_Boy]

The answer is (or should be) D.

You don't need two-way comms for an alerting service to be provided. The other two answers are rubbish, hence the most correct answer is D.

Ende :)

[Ryan5252]

now I have to go and get my books out and take a look!! Thanks alot! :{

[kr0me]

Passed!!

Thanks to everyone that wished me luck.
Was a piece of piss apart from a couple of curve balls they through into the mix of which escape me now but they invloved the ICAO territories/registered state etc. For anyone that still has to sit the test, if you come across a question that you've forgotten the answer to, try and eliminate 2 of the answers by process of elimination then weigh up the two remaining answers by asking yourself what the safest or most sensible answer would be. The chances are that you'll be right! Bear in mind that the majority of the time, your first instinct on an answer is normally correct but make sure you read them all thoroughly before answering, as someone else said, there are 1 or 2 trick questions in there that can catch you off guard unless you pay attention.

Anyway.. After I'd done the exam, We'd planned to do a solo cross country, as I said before, I haven't been flying for a couple of years due to lack of funds, so now I'm back on the scene I'm trying to get through the rest of it as quickly but safely as possible. I've got 45'ish hours under my belt now and in the last 3 weeks were just to get me back in the hot seat and try and carry on from where I last left off but because my air law had expired I couldn't go solo straight away. So today was the day for it and it all went pear shaped from there!
I'm based in London so Elstree Cabair is my local school. I'd been from Elstree to Cambridge a few times with my instructor but never alone although I'd done a few solo cross countries to other destinations when I was flying before.
We started with a couple of circuits to make sure I was comfortable and then shot up to Ware and Buntingford just to familiarise myself again with the area and where I'd be going. This all went without a hitch. We returned to Elstree where my instructor got out, made sure I was confident and comfortable which I was and then off I went. Due to getting quite late in the day and the impeding sunset at 18:03 we decided that rather than going all the way to Cambridge, I'd get to Buntingford via Potters Bar and Ware then turn around and come back. Once leaving the Elstree area, I'd dial Farnborough into the box and get a basic service.. Again, all fine. I got to Potters Bar so dialed Farnborough with the usual "I'm a student Pilot" and requested what I needed. Got told my squawk code and regional QNH so dialled those in and away I was in the direction of Ware. All this time I was checking my position, time and usual formalities like FREDA checks. I got to Ware and nothing was wrong, all good so far..
When I finally got to Buntingford, I checked my time, looked at my board, map and DI for the return leg, no sooner had I got on track, Farnborough started to call me with details of other aircraft in my vicinity.. Nothing strange there of course but I started to get a bit unsettled as I couldn't see the other aircraft. This kind of threw my concentration off and before I knew it, I'd lost my bearings. Now anyone that knows the area will tell you it's no more than 10 mins flying time at 100 kts between Buntingford and Ware and this track routes between Luton and Stanstead. I was looking out both sides trying to work out where I was now and I should have hit Ware a minute ago but still couldn't see it. I heard a voice on the radio with my callsign telling me something about Stanstead and turning right so I started to bear slightly right and carried on trying to work out where I was. Again the voice came over "can you confirm you are turning right to avoid Stanstead?" I confirmed and carried on staring out of the window. another 30 seconds passed and Finally the voice said "G-**** turn immediately right before you encroach on Stanstead.. This time I took a sharp 90 turn to the right and waited for a bollocking.
After 2 minutes there was still silence so I was confident that I was now far enough away as not to cause any problems but now my main problem was I was seriously lost. I hadnt a clue where I was, it was starting to get dark and I felt a complete tit for losing my way. I'd never done this before but rather than flying around at 2200' in the roughly correct heading I called Farnborough and asked them to give me a heading to Elstree. Within 30 seconds, they'd given me my position, heading and distance to get home and stayed with me all the way untill I could see the runway.
I've never been so grateful to an ATC in my life. In my mind, I'd messed up big time by letting everything start escalating and thought I'd messed up even more by asking for assistance but when I got back on terra firma, my instructor who'd been listening in on the whole thing said yes, I'd lost my bearings and made a couple of simple mistakes but I'd done the right thing in the end and I'd not endangered myself or anyone else by asking for help. ATC are there to help and as such should be used whenever needed.
My advice to any student pilot on a solo navigation exercise is;
Never be too proud to ask for help! ATC such as RIS is there to help so use the service! It helped me out big time today and I'm extremely grateful to them for just doing their job.

Anyway.. it's the Navigation exam next so hopefully I won't **** up again! :ugh:

[Tuckerr]

Congratulation Kr0me, I also passed my air law today which was fantastic! There are certainly a few questions in the paper which I'm sure could have had two answers, and some which were rather confusing in how they were worded, but overall I think the paper was not too bad.

How does the MET exam compare to air law, as that is what I'm going to be studying for next.

[kr0me]

Congratulations are in order for you too it seems!

I haven't done the Met exam yet either but I hear from fellow students and instructors at the school that it's one of the hardest to grasp. I think it just depends on your aptitude for certain subjects. I've read up on it a bit and it looks straight forward enough but we'll see when it comes to the revision.

[Bigglesgoggles]

Congrats. I was a bod and only managed to get only one question wrong in my Air Law exam and to be honest didn't find it too hard. The confuser went a long way to helping me pass even if a couple of the answers given in there are actually wrong!

I think with any exams, especially where safety is concerned you should fully understand the subject otherwise it defetes the object. You can cram and probably pass with the confuser alone but then you will only have a surface knowledge and could put yourself and others at risk. For example if you don't fully understand airspace classification then you could end up in BIG trouble! Just a thought!

[trident3A]

That little corridor between Luton and Stanstead is a nightmare!

[kr0me]

I don't know what I did wrong but I suppose it's one for the "Lessons learnt" book. Just have to make sure I don't do it again.