JAA ATPL subjects...

[Princess PP]

I am trying to formulate plan for time allocation for study of each of the following ATPL subjects.

- Mass and Balance
- Instrumentation
- Flight Planning
- General Navigation
- Meteorology
- Human Performance
- VFR Communications
- IFR Communications
- Principles of Flight
- Airframes
- Performance
- Operational Procedures
- Radio Navigation
- Air Law

I would be very grateful if people who have been through some or all of the exams could give me their oppinons as to which subjects they found the hardest, and consequently, took up more time.

Also, I am interested in the actual format of the exams. Are they all multiple-choice for example?

Thanks for your time...

PPP

[smallfish]

I would recommend that you have a look at the course materials at one of the schools and try to gauge the quantity and difficulty for yourself. Everyone finds different parts of the course more or less difficult depending on their individual strengths and weaknesses. I found the technical stuff reasonably straightforward but struggled with law and ops, others on my course found quite the opposite!

[Princess PP]

Thank for that Smallfish,

I have actually just enrolled on a Distance Learning course this week.

I thought perhaps there might be a trend in which particular subjects were real B's.

Thanks again.

Anyone else?

[BE20]

Hello fella's. I am waiting for my material to arrive from Atlantic. Can anyone tell me the first 7 subjects for Module 1? Secondly what is the minimum time frame required before you can write the exams?? (I have an ICAO CPL). Cheers.

[STurns]

Well the first subjects in the Bristol Groundschool module 1 are -

Mass & Balance
Instrumentation
Flight Planning
General Navigation
Meteorology
Human Performance
VFR Comms
IFR Comms

Princess PP - hHich subjects are difficult really is a personal question. For me it's Instruments. Could be totally different for you.

Will have my first proper look at the Bristol course this weekend, but from the quck scan i've had it looks very professional. Comes with a nice Jepp binder with all the approach plates/hi-lo charts too, although I think all schools provide this, no?

[Princess PP]

STurns,

Why do you say that you find Instruments difficult (bearing in mind you have just recieved the pack)? Have you done some ATPL study before?

[Capt Wannabe]

Well, I´m sitting the first set of JARs in April, and I will confirm that instruments is an absolute bitch. The problem is not so much understanding the subject, but rather trying to figure out the correct answer to the question. Remember the paper is set by the French, and in some areas they have a very different understanding from the rest of us ! For some questions there can be more than one correct answer, or no answer which is totally correct. It is even at the stage where the schools are not 100% sure what the questions are asking.
Part of the problem seems to be that there is no generic aircraft for the instruments paper whereas with Nav Gen all questions relate to the 737-400. Questions is instruments may refer to ´An autopilot´, but there are so many different types and designs that it is often possible to find references which will produce different answers.
So, my advice on this would be if you can get hold of any French notes and get a frog to translate them you may stand a chance of having a rough idea what is going on :)

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CW

[EGDR]

I've just got all my books for module 1 from Bristol ground school. There's a fair amount of material but nothing looks to difficult.

I understand the examinations have just gone through some changes but is there such a thing as past papers or a question bank or sample exams. As this would be very helpful in giving me an idea of what the examiners are looking for .

Does anybody know ????????

[STurns]

Princess,

I sat the ATPL navs about 4 years ago and was stupid enough (for various reasons I wont even bother going into) not to follow it through.

If I can remember rightly it was either 7 or 9 exams and I passed all first time apart from Morse (I hated that) and Instruments (failed by about 6% if I remember)

Still got the old PPSC notes knocking around somewhere, they may come in useful as another view on a topic if I get stuck with Bristols (or it will just confuse me more!).

[Gucci Cockpit]

Princess,

I think you are one of the few people who are going about getting their forzen ATPL in a modular path but at the least cost.
Could you please send me your email address? I would like to ask you for your advice, if you're not too busy. I know you're doing your exams at Bristol

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"mayday mayday! The sim has lost one of it's legs!"