EzyChic

D/S/T ??????

*Looks confused*

AJ7

Distance/Speed/Time and all that...

A/C flying at 420knots, 70 miles between A+B, how long to cover that distance etc...

Looking confused... you'll be right at home here then

wazzer1976

Stu, is that 15 working days or 15 days please?

Cheers

Warren

bgoldfish

Wazzer - was 15 working days when I went through Stage 1. They did let me know quite quickly - but the email did say 15 working days as a maximum.

wazzer1976

Thanks guys, I'll wait patiently, I know I can do this job well

craig51

Distance=Speed*Time and all that...

A/C flying at 420knots, 70 miles between A+B, how long to cover that distance etc...

Looking confused... you'll be right at home here then


Now see, this is where i get annoyed at myself. Using my physics ie D=S*T, the sum is 70miles divide by 420kts (lets assume 420kts is also 420mph)

So the sum would be 70/420 = 0.16 =1/6th hour = 10 mins

Now thats allvery well with a calculator, but how to divide 70 by 420 in your head? Also, if the answer is 0.24, how to convert that into minutes in your head?

smellysnelly2004

I'm sure there's a cleverer way but personally...
60kts = 1 mile a minute
420kts = 7 miles a minute
70 miles = 10 min

No calculators required

Atcham Tower

I did that in my head in about 5 secs and I'm about 40 years older than you are! The secret is to break the speed into 60 kt increments (one nautical mile per minute). 420 kts = 7 NM per minute. 70 miles divided by 7 = 10 mins. Who needs a calculator?

aewaite17

One other thing that has been bugging me... Have been working through the motivation paper for S2, and know what QFE & QNH mean - but what do the acronyms actually stand for?

Bamboozle Woozle

"QFE and QNH are arbitrary Q codes rather than abbreviations, but the mnemonics "Nautical Height" (for QNH) and "Field Elevation" (for QFE) are often used by pilots to distinguish them."

Simply just googled QFE and got this, there is more in Q codes if you wish to find out more.

craig51

thanks for the answer, but it doenst involve using d=st.

Do NATS want to see the working out, or just the answer?

Bamboozle Woozle

Its multiple choice, so they just want you to put the correct answer - doesnt matter how you get there! I would recommend practising the 60kts per minute method, (from my interview experience it was invaluable!) as it is much easier to work in your head - especially when those crafty interveiwers put you on the spot at stage 3!!!

AJ7

Bamboozle is correct... they're not going to throw out something that isnt do-able in your head... or at least they didnt through my process

Now the mental maths on the computer tests at stage two whilst you're watching another part of the screen and have 2.6 seconds to answer... thats a bit diff

Basically its simple numbers. Forget physics or the term D/S/T if you want. Division and multiplication of what will usually be factors of 6 pretty much cover it

craig51

Well, thats me back from my stage one in Glasgow. Fingers crossed I did well. The day went smoothly enough, got there, upto 2nd floor, registered, watched a DVD while the rest registered. This was when things got interesting.

While I was waiting, got chatting to a couple of guys, and asked them about the motivation paper. All i got was blanked looks. After some more chat, it turned out they never got the second email with the link etc, or anything through the post!

One of them went to speak to an organiser, and she then got us all together, and asked how many of us didnt get the material. From about 30 of us, 11 i think went home! I felt really sorry for them as one came all the way from Newport They were offered the chance to sit it, but if they failed, they would have to wait a year!

Anyway, we were then sent through to a room, sat down at tables of two, and were given the checking paper. 5 mins to check as many as possible. Then the cubes, which we got 15 i think. Then the diagramming one, applying the change to the pattern, think we got 15mins for that.

The group was then split into two, one to sit the motivation paper, and the rest of us to speak to a controller. This i found was very helpful and we had a good chat.

Then the paper, which was 20? mins long. All in all, a good day, think i did OK, but really felt for the guys/gals who went home without even sitting the test!!!

Gonzo

Adrian old chum, you obviously were never interviewed by me!

Pencil, paper, scientific calculator, C5P slide rule all required!

lafouine

hi you said I quote :

" Anyway, we were then sent through to a room, sat down at tables of two, and were given the checking paper."

What do you mean by "the checking paper"?

What did you have to check? is that what's called the motivation paper?

Are the controllers cool and and do they share a lot of their "knowledge" with you or do they just wait on you to ask questions and answer them by a wee answer?

Thanks for replying.

Chris

PS: Good luck on your results, I wish you to get through to the 2nd stage.

lafouine

oh dear,

That's gotta be tough then.
Hope I fall on a good star!!!

lol.
kidding.

Take care.

Chris

timelapse

Yeah many a candidate has fallen flat after Gonzo kicks off the interview with the simpler questions, to break the ice.. String Theory and Quantum Interlocking Pair-Tunneling Phenomenon are his favourites I've heard.

He has very high standards!

AJ7

Indeed I wasn't... for which I am eternally grateful

I anticipate being caught at some point though for a technical poser or two. I live in hope otherwise

Like the time when salicyclic acid cropped up in my oral board...

AJ7

lafouine

The 'checking' Chris refers to is Basic Checking: Its to do with the ability to match strings of digits or letters exactly and accurately in a short period of time.

For example, 134867 will be printed on the left hand side of the page.

You have to pick out the exact match to that from the right hand side of the page. I think its 50 to do in 5 mins.

Adrian