anyone 3/12/2010 in Preswick for phase 1 ?

anyone 10/12/2010 at Fareham Whiteley?

I've just booked my stage 1 at Prestwick on 3/12/10. Now to book a hotel, how exciting!

Anyone on the forum at Prestwick on 05/11/10 for phase 1?

I have mine also on 03/12/2010 at Prestwick @ 13:00 hours.

How's everybody feeling about it, I have been studying like crazy, but somethings just aren't going in!! :ugh:

There's probably only so much studying you can do for phase 1 - you can brush up on mental arithmetic and possibly go over some diagramming but the spatial reasoning(shapes) is something that I believe you simply can/cannot do! Personally, I'm focusing on learning the pre-study material and trying to pick out and understand the Key areas. Do you really need to know exactly how many seats there are on a 737-800? Or would it not be more sensible to bracket the aircraft, such as having a ball park figure (150-180) for larger 737s etc. All this information, I believe, would be on a Flight Plan so I can't understand why an ATCO would have to know the exact amount for every a/c variation. Same with speed; the main Boeing and Airbus frames have cruising speeds of 430-500knots and again you can group these depending on size/Number of engines etc, whereas props are 230-250kts.
I'm doing plenty of work, but personally chilling out a bit will give me a better chance.....hopefully!! Good luck all.

NDW,

I notice from your profile that you applied for RAF WSOp - how did you get on? Did you attend OASC? PM if you want.

Spyder

Spyder35, Please see PM.

Thanks

I think you need to have an idea. You will probably never need to know the exact number of seats on a 737-800, but you need to be aware of the size of the aircraft, and the number of seats is related to that.

In my opinion, they ask us to thoroughly study the document in order to test our motivation. If you are motivated, you will learn the data no matter what. If someone is really interested in becoming an ATCO, he or she will surely have to spend many hundreds of hours studying all sorts of subjects, so the Stage 1 ATC paper tests whether you were interested enough in air traffic control :)

Dcoliv

I think knowing this would indicate that I would have an "idea"; I am learning the information to a detailed level and am fully aware of the rigorous attention to detail that will be required to be a NATS ATCO, however, knowing that a 737-500 has 171 seats for example, is not going to be as important as having a solid overall understanding and applying logical reasoning to answers. I'd imagine that NATS aren't trying to recruit parrots.

Yes, you are absolutely right, I forgot to mention on my earlier post that I agree with you. It is wiser to memorize like that. As already mentioned in this thread, you can also group aircraft by size (large, medium, small) or by route (transatlantic, etc.) in order to make the memorization process easier :)

EDIT: by the way, a little bit off topic:

I passed the FEAST and SDM tests this September in my country (Portugal), but unfortunately I didn't pass Stage 3 (group exercise + personality questionnaire + more computer tests + interview with a psychologist). They are only recruiting 6 people and there were 70+ candidates in Stage 3, so the odds were slim at best :(

I'm heading to Whiteley in December to attend Stage 1. Assuming that I pass this stage and that I am invited to attend Stage 2, do any of you think it is possible for me to skip the FEAST and SDM tests if I explain the situation to NATS? This way, I would attend Stage 2 and I would only do the NATS tests. I don't know if anyone here has been in this situation before.

I will gladly repeat the tests in Whiteley if I have to, but I read somewhere that people shouldn't repeat them. If you've passed once, then you shouldn't need to repeat them. So I'm guessing that if I explain the situation to NATS they will ask for my data, unless the FEAST/SDM tests NATS does are different from the ones done in EUROCONTROL and many other countries, but I'm assuming they are the same (I don't know whether this is a fair assumption because FEAST's last exercise is the one with the cubes, and NATS tests that as early as Stage 1, so perhaps they aren't exactly the same).

Thanks in advance.

Fareham - Stage One Tests 11th November 2010
 

Hi All,

Im Chris, and im due to be taking the Intitial Selection Tests in Fareham on the 11th November 2010. Anyone else on here due to be there?

Im personally bricking it at the moment, and trying to find out what I can study to give me a good chance of success on this date. My maths is my weakest area by far, so this is personally my main concern! They say speed/time/distance equations is the best thing to focus on?

Has anyone seen any good websites to visit or any advice? Would be cool to catch up with anyone attending on the 11th November also!!

Chris

Hi Chris,

From what I've read in this thread, Stage 1 (Part 1) is mainly about testing your motivation and your math skills. What everyone suggests regarding the former is to learn very thoroughly the 25 pages NATS sent you because it will be useful in the first paper. Also, if you want to go the extra mile, I recommend reading Air Traffic Control by Graham Duke. It's like 110 pages so you'll read that very quickly and it is very interesting. It presents basic stuff of the UK airspace and also many things concerning airport procedures and control centre operations. It is also easy to read, at least if you're interested in these matters :)

Regarding the math skills, have you tried the Speed Distance Time Tests for RAF OASC candidates website? They also have a fuel calculation test and an orientation test.

Good luck! :ok:

Cheers, i have checked out that site...whats the best way to deal with the heading questions? Just visualise a compass or do the maths?

I personally find it easier to visualise the compass. Just memorize (or remember, in case you're already familiar with it) the 4 basic headings (North, 360; South, 180; East, 090; West, 270) and left/right turns on each one.

So, for example, if they say you're heading East (090) and you turn right 90 degrees, it should be immediate that you're now facing South (180). 45-degree turns are also common, so I recommend knowing this (clockwise): 360, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270, 315, 360 :)

Cheers!

Results from Stage 1???
 

Hi

Has anyone else had their results from the 18th October yet? Stage 1 at Fareham...?

Hi Chris,
I'll be there on the 11th aswell, are you on the morning or afternoon?
I'm on the morning, coming the night before (flying to the UK on wendsday and home again thursday evening) and then I have the morning pass with tests.

Thanks for the info :)

Human Resources
 

Hi Guys

I am due to sit the Stage One test in Prestwick on the 5/11/2010 but i have been in a accident at the weekend and i am unable to make the test now. And the test date which are online i still wont be able to make as they are in the next two weeks. I have been looking for the number to ring HR but i cant find it on any email correspondence that i have recieved. I sent a email, but i figured a phone call would be better as i am not sure if they would see the email in time.

If anyone has the number for HR could you please give it to me.

Thanks

Philip

Hi,

I'm sorry about your accident, but I'm sure NATS will understand. I found this on a website:

I hope it helps.