The syllabus _has_ changed.
Specifically the Nav syllabus.
Someone on here will be able to tell you which _specific_ book covers all the new nav topics, as only one book does.
The new PPL nav exam is an exercise in learning useless rubbish that you can forget immediately after the exam.
A significant waste of your time and effort, but mandated to get you through the box ticking exercise now in place.
other subjects have not changed significantly.
become expert on what projection your map is using (conic or mercator)
what straight lines on maps relate to (great or small circle navigation) which, is really useful to people flying Warriors . . . . . or other light aircraft (not)
Know how to spot a rhumb line at 20 paces, on different map projections.
Oh, be able to work out UTC from Local Mean time in places you'll never be able to fly to in a week in a light aircraft.
And once there, when given UTC be able to work out local mean time in Caribbean sunspots (which will now be on the opposite side of the planet from you), again, very useful to people flying SEP aircraft (if they have wing tanks the size of the Exxon Valdize)
The CAA syllabus _does not_ cover the things you need to know to pass the CAA/EASA nav exam. (not all of them, it gets about 80% of them tho)
so if you only get one wrong from all that you know, you'll scrape a pass . . .
Said as one who has just gone through this rubbish.
And remember, GPS is susceptible to jamming and interference (my ar5e)
There have been more days int he last 20 years unflyable in the UK due to volcanic eruptions than to GPS issues.
And NOT ONCE, not once are you asked to check NOTAMS before you commit aviation, not once.
What is more useful, avoiding blundering into a Red Arrows display or being able to spot a Rhumb line on a UK 1/2 mill chart . . . ?
Whoever wrote those exam(s) wants putting in the cupboard under the stairs with "D" hat on for a very very long time . . .
Can you tell I'm not impressed?
Last edited by airwave45; 30th Sep 2013 at 13:19.