PPL(A) Navigation TK Exam

[Overthere67]

I was recently talking to someone who had taken the Navigation exam for a PPL(A). When they related some of the questions to me I found it difficult to believe that the CAA could include so many totally irrelevant questions. No chart, protractor or ruler was required for the exam. I won't go into the fine detail of the questions, but I have held a PPL(A) for over 10 years and have never once needed to work out a particular zulu time in some country on the other side of the world!

So, in effect, this Navigation paper did not in any way test the students map reading and navigation skills. Is it any wonder that incidences of airspace infringements continue to be reported?

At times I wonder just how much those setting the questions at the CAA actually know about general aviation.

[Whopity]

I wonder if this could have something to do with the cost of producing charts. The CAA has to buy them! They cannot copy them because the copyright is owned by OS and they would charge for copies. Years ago, the CAA produced charts and a nice lady at Gatwick used to keep the old ones to give to examiners, then some bright spark threw them all out, the chart contract changed and now if they want to issue charts they have to buy them like the rest of us, and they can only get the current version.

Ironically, the brief to RFs seeking to become ATOs included a presentation on infringements, maybe its more relevant now we don't have any meaningful questions.

[Level Attitude]

So, in effect, this Navigation paper did not in any way test the students map reading and navigation skills. Is it any wonder that incidences of airspace infringements continue to be reported?It is not supposed to.

I would agree that the CAA have not developed the best of questions but this exam is to test a candidate's knowledge of the theory of navigation.

Navigation skills (map reading, plotting, Whiz Wheel use and completing a PLog) are all practical and are tested on the actual Skills Test.

have never once needed to work out a particular zulu time in some country on the other side of the worldThis question is a test of understanding.

I still remember how confused I was, the first time I went to Le Touquet (which a newly qualified PPL is perfectly entitled to do), trying to work out the times for the Flight Plan and whether the Home Airfield would still be open for my return.

[Overthere67]

Navigation skills (map reading, plotting, Whiz Wheel use and completing a PLog) are all practical and are tested on the actual Skills Test.

This has been the case for many years, as have chart related questions requiring the use of a chart, ruler and protractor in Navigation TK exams. Odd that the CAA seem to have suddenly decided that chart based questions are no longer necessary. I go along with Whopity's theory.

As for the question on time. The point that I was trying to make is that questions need to be relevant. How many PPL(A) holders have actually flown a light aircraft to Bermuda, apart from in their dreams? Most are more likely to fly to Europe, particulary if they live a short hop away in the South of England.

There were other equally irrelevant questions which were included in this same exam.

[Whopity]

Navigation skills (map reading, plotting, Whiz Wheel use and completing a PLog) are all practical and are tested on the actual Skills Test.
But, they form part of the TK Syllabus AMC1 FCL.215; FCL.235 (7.3) Flight Planning and Flight Monitoring. There is no requirement for a candidate to demonstrate the use of a Whiz Wheel as part if a PPL Skill Test, in fact I would prefer they demonstrate a more practical method of determining headings.

Flight planning was traditionally part of the Navigation exam, but now that we have chosen to produce 9 individual exams rather than one or two exams covering 9 subjects, as was originally envisaged, we have produced a pig in a poke. Of course if we want to pass the buck to the flight examiner to check that the TK is complete; (I don't recall any IN or briefing on this) then more candidates will fail the Skill Test and practical RT Test because the ground work has not been completed adequately. Yet another increase in costs, or more probably a multiplicity of standards.

As it is we can take the TK exams in any EU State using totally different papers, with any number of questions on widely divergent topics. This makes the EASA PPL is the most non-standard licence in the history of aviation!

[B61]

You are correct in that the exam now is utterly irrelevant to the PPL. Most of the questions seem to have been selected from the CPL and ATPL question bank.

The old exams were a practically based exam to see if someone can produce a plog for a routes, use the CrP-1 and read information on the chart.

The current exams entirely fail to do this.

As Whopity says, it would be best if they were entirely scrapped and replaced with two or three exams. As an interim, reintroduce the old Nav papers updated for an edition 40 chart (or one which shows Newquay airport rather than "RAF St Mawgan !).

I thought this was being looked into by AOPA, and that they are produced a new syllabus ?

The AMC actually says the word "examination" (singular) so where the nine exams came from is just a complete puzzle.

It also says no more than 120 questions, not the current 172 across 9 papers.

What about this new General Aviation unit at the CAA ? Can they not come up with something more practical ? In cooperation with AOPA .....who may not be aware of the problem. At an FI renewal seminar a couple of months ago, I had to put them right that there is now no reference to the CRP in the Nav exam.

[Mach Jump]

... so where the nine exams came from is just a complete puzzle.

Not really.

I understand that the CAA had already produced the new papers (9x4) for the old exam regime, then, to save themselves the trouble of re-writing them, distorted the new EASA recommendations to 'fit' the old exams.....:yuk:

The result is the dog's breakfast we have today.:*


MJ:ok:

[BEagle]

Be assured that change IS coming, but it cannot happen overnight!

[B61]

While we appreciate that this is the case, what is the timescale then ?

Also, who are the SMEs who will review what is produced ? It needs to be people with recent first-hand experience of PPL instruction and sad to say, from experience of a recent AOPA FI seminar there was only one AOPA presenter there who could claim this. The rest were very out of touch. A first port of call would be to pick out some of the RFs on Standards Doc 30 who specialise in PPL Theoretical Knowledge and ask for their thoughts/opinions/review of what is produced.

One suggestion has been to take the BMAAs papers and adapt them for PPL use. They are issued by the CAA, and they are focused on recreational flying. Has anyone looked at this, rather than re-invent the wheel ?

Taking a cue from Whopity, what are other EASA countries doing ? What about looking at the approach of other countries and trying to achieve some form of standardisation ? Is there an EASA CQB which could be used ? Or even an adapted FAA or TCA question bank which can be adapted ? Or something that one of the other EASA states has produced which looks sensible ?

And let's have a radical re-think, with a small number of exams, something like Air Law, an AGK/POF exam, and a Nav&Met, like there used to be up to the late 80s. It worked perfectly well. Certainly please don't waste time tinkering about around the edge for ages and still come up with some 6 or 7 exam monstrosity.

I can say from a recent meeting at the CAA that there are no plans to put the PPL exams on the new ASPEQ online exam system which will be used for all professional exams from 1st June. So the present system of GR examiners will be continuing.

[BigEndBob]

So why can't change happen overnight, with people being paid 5x what i pay myself to keep a club going with all the nonsense coming from EASA and CAA. Every time something new turns up we shake our heads!
With all these changes i have not seen any decrease or increaase in any standard.
Just loads of confussed honest safe pilots.

[Whopity]

So why can't change happen overnight,It does, we follow all the luny crap from Europe without so much as a thought about the effects. No wonder Nigel is doing so well in the opinion polls!