drpixie
Loved your post.
Have you tried working the answers to 6 decimal places for each and every calculation with rounding on your calculator turned OFF to get the
to fall easily into the right box?
My failing memory suggests that was a routine required? by the regulator in the past.
If you can survive that process then you might have the qualities required to be a good captain one day.
With at least one of their answers to the long question being clearly incorrect.
Noel, God bless him had to work it through for them on a whiteboard, to be told, and this is just hearsay you know, we are now going to have to arrest you for having unauthourised knowledge of the question. Penalty 1,000,000 points or 20 years working for the regulator.
Question to them, what about those who have accidently passed and those who have apprently failed but actually passed, corrective action will be taken? Err no.
The Green Goblin
Seems to have it nailed and his comments regarding many iterations over shorter legs makes a lot of sense, (see my 6 decimal above would have a similar effect?) if you have the time and numeracy acuity.
In real life good operators, come back to quick and relatively dirty macro/rule of thumb answers to check the computerised calcs as they go.
The stats are full of flights that went bad because the crew were blindly following the bouncing ball instead of maintaining full SA as a double check in their heads.
It might appear to be an intelectual exercise but has actual the effect of filtering out those unsuitable even though some but not many get through the airlines net. The real lessons start when you get on the type they have assigned you and even then you may wash out for any number of reasons unrelated to flight planning
Doesn't sound like a lot has changed at the regulator and you may be right about the current situation, we have been there before.
Having said that don't give up, let things settle down, talk to your tutor, he'll have an idea of whats happening and good luck with the next one, as they say, it's the best view in the world.