PPL Flight Planning exam

[Pianorak]

I am expected to prepare for the PPL "Flight Planning" examination. Looking at the PPL Confuser I find "Flight Performance and Planning Questions" listed which I suppose must be related. I have been assured that the "Flight Planning" exam is less wide-ranging which I very much hope is the case since I am as yet quite unable to answer many of the questions in the PPL Confuser.
Can somebody confirm and reassure me? Thanks.
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[BEagle]

Re. Flight Performance and Planning -

1. Make sure that all your reference books are JAR-FCL compliant.

2. Understand the difference between Specific Gravity and Density - and make sure that you're familiar with the different units of mass and volume.

3. READ THE NOTES on the tables in certain questions.

4. R T F Q!!!!!!!

It's mostly schoolboy maths and physics. Or rather the sort of maths and physics we used to do at school in the 1960s.....

[High Wing Drifter]

The questions in the PPL confuser are pretty much identical to the examination questions, if not in content, then in style.

This goes for all the PPL exams ('cept RT which the 'fuser don't 'ave no questions for).

[Lawyerboy]

I've just passed my meteorolgy (hurrah!) and navigation is next, which is kind of related to flight planning. Sort of. Any tips for that one?

More to the point though, can anyone assist with this: took and passed my first exam (Air Law) in December last year. Finally pulled my finger out and took and passed my second exam (Meteorology) yesterday. I think I have until December this year to sit them all and then will have until December next year to pass my GFT.

Am I right?

No one seems to be able to confirm and I don't particularly wish to spend the next three days holding for the CAA if I don't have to.

[Evo]

You have 18 months to pass them all now :ok:

(edit to add that, as far as I remember, the real exam is very similar to the Confuser one. However, it's much easier than the Maths and Physics that I did at school :p :p ;) )

[Justiciar]

LawyerBoy:
Flight performance and planning is of course a separate exam from navigation and covers things like weight and balance, fuel use and endurance. I think from memory it also asks about things like minimum safe altitudes. I found navigation took the longest time to take of any exam because you have to get the map out and plan your route from references given in the paper.
Get hold of the Confuser if you haven't already and once you've read the books go through the questions time and again until you can answer them confidently.
I don't know how much you're flying but my advice is to get the exams done sooner rather than later. You've got another 5 exams to go - including the RT theory not covered in the Confuser - and you'll find if you're not careful that you will be ready for your skills test with 2 or 3 exams still to go! Both Navigation and Aircraft systems require quite alot of preparation: Navigation because you've got to get your head around the theory, and Aircraft Systems because there's alot of it!

[Lawyerboy]

Obliged to you both.

As it happens I am ready to take the skills test (did my QXC 9 months ago now, would you believe) but through sheer apathy on my part have really done sod all ever since.

With one eye on the rapidly reducing calender, however, I have decided that enough is enough and am doing the exams at the breakneck speed of one every few weeks, work premitting.

Navigation is the one that bothers me the most, but that's just down to my complete lack of any mathematical ability whatsoever. Haven't got any of the confusers yet, but am searching Amazon as we speak...

[Evo]

As it happens I am ready to take the skills test (did my QXC 9 months ago now, would you believe) but through sheer apathy on my part have really done sod all ever since.


I've just been looking at LASORS, and it says that "The skill test shall be taken within 6 months of completing the flight instruction". (LASORS, Section C1.4 "The JAR-FCL PPL(A) Skill Test Requirements"). I've no idea what this means (BEagle?) but it might be worth finding out!

[Lawyerboy]

Hmmmm.... I did have a slight worry as to whether there might have been a deadline after doing the QXC, but I am technically still under flight instruction. I go up every now and again for a revision session, PFLs, circuits, VOR tracking, steep turns and so on. Doesn't that count?

Sorry, one other question - the PPL Confuser, what's it actually called/who's it by?

[Evo]

It's by Neung Somying (the Transair website) or Sornying (Pilot Warehouse), and as far as I know it's called "The PPL Confuser" (there's an IMC Confuser too). Transair have it (look at Books -> Private Pilot Training -> CAA PPL Training).

[CPilotUK]

I don't know how much you're flying but my advice is to get the exams done sooner rather than later. You've got another 5 exams to go - including the RT theory not covered in the Confuser - and you'll find if you're not careful that you will be ready for your skills test with 2 or 3 exams still to go!

Good advise.

I had only 2 flights to go before I was ready for my solo cross country, but I had to make the difficult decision to discontinue flying, because I still had 6 exams outstanding.

I was told by the Deputy CFI, that club rules stipulates that at least Navigation and Meteorology must be passed before doing the solo cross country. Also, I think that all exams have to be completed prior to the skill test apart from RT Practical.

[Pianorak]

BEagle Thanks to your good advice I passed the exam last night - coped with the "difficult" stuff but slipped up on a couple of "easy" ones. Obviously didn't RTFQ properly. :\

[RodgerF]

CPilotUk

So sorry to hear you had to stop flying, all I can say is shame on your instructor for not insisting you got on with the exams. I find that telling a student, no exam no flying concentrates the mind wonderfully.

BTW the club rules are in alignment with the CAA advice in the old CAP publication describing the PPL. Having 'Human Performance and Limitations' done before solo XC was also recommended by the CAA

[Lawyerboy]

RodgerF - I've found that having a wife that says 'no exams, no flying' concentrates the mind even better....

[SimJock]

Just a small point but when doing the Nav exam, always check the front of the paper and which revision of VFR chart it was drawn up for, then ensure that you have that revision of chart to do the exam with.

Some schools wheel out old exam papers that if used against a current chart will get different answers due to the constantly changing en-route obstructions and airspace etc.