Update ladies and gents. I took the Meteorology test this morning and passed with a 90% score.
As good as this result is I was disappointed to have missed out on 100% for the following reasons. The first question I got wrong was indeed Q1 and I knew that my answer was incorrect and was tempted to change it from a to c, which was indeed the correct answer, but something was niggling in my mind that you should always stick with your gut instinct as it's usually correct. Sadly this time it was not, lol.
The second question I got wrong was regarding the change in direction and strength of the wind at an inland airfield compared to the wind at 2000ft. The quoted wind at surface level was 170/05 and you had to choose the correct wind conditions at 2000ft.
The options were as follows:
a) 270/40
b) 210/20
c) 270/30
d) 210/10
I will leave this open for debate to see what you guys put, but needless to say the answer I chose was apparently wrong. However, I was so sure that my answer was correct that I challenged this with the Chief Flying Instructor at the club and he agrees that my answer is more accurate.
Anyway, splitting hairs springs to mind and I passed so it doesn't matter.
In summary then: This subject was definitely more involved and complicated than Air Law and Human Performance. You really do need to properly understand the subject matter contained within each section of the book before you move on to the next, and in particular the first couple of sections which introcude different air masses, weather fronts, pressures etc etc which are the fundamentals to the rest of the book itself. Make sure you spend enough time on these early sections and that you completely understand it all before moving on as this will make life easier as you progress through the book.
I would say that there isn't really much, if anything, in the Meteorology book that you can skim past quickly like there was in the Human Performance book. You do need to make sure you at least properly read all of the Met book, and where possible take good comprehensive notes to help push the information into your mind. Also, Once you have completed reading and note taking for a chaper/section, go back through and quickly read the whole section again as this will just further push the info into your long term memory.
As always, these study techniques may not necessarily work for others, but if you consider that I passed Air Law after just 1 week of study with 95%, HP after 5 days of study with 100%, and Meteorology after 1 week of study with 90% you can see that this technique, albeit slightly long and painful at times, does work, and if you're serious about this flying lark you'll be prepared to put the time in as I have, and will get the rewards you deserve. Also not only will you pass the tests but you'll also have a good understanding the theory side of flying which will make you a better pilot in the long run.
Right, onto Nav. Updates to follow......
