CTC PILAPT: Flying Through Boxes

[superKar]

Hi guys,

I have gone for the CTC easyJet MPL twice and both times I got everything right but one task: Flying Through Boxes. Feedback was I did great everything else but I have failed the Flying Through Boxes twice so far.

Can you please recommend me any softwares to practise it? The best one I have found so far is SkyTest however there is a huge difference between the Flying Through Boxes in the SkyTest and the CTC PILAPT Flying Through Boxes: in the CTC PILAPT the horizon moves when you bank whilst in the SkyTest software the horizon is fixed.

Are there any similar software on the Internet to practise the Flying Through Boxes which are very similar to the CTC one? Or would you recommend me to use a flight sim software for Macbook?

Thank you for your help!

[Scagrams]

Microsoft flight simulator x ?
That's how I practised at least

[FlyingRed1]

https://www.pilotest.com/english/

I know a few people who used this website, me included. I'm afraid I can't remember how close it was to the CTC test.

[sapperkenno]

It's an aptitude test, and you failed it twice... Does that not tell you anything?!

[china]

Hey sK

Have you talked to skytest about your issues and the apparent difference in what they are offering?

I have found them very helpful whenever I needed to contact them.

[superKar]

Hi guys,

thanks very much for your answers.

Microsoft flight simulator x ?
That's how I practised at least

Scagrams: based on your experience, do you think that the Microsoft Flight Simulator X gives you more confidence in taking the Flying through boxes task for the CTC PILAPT?

https://www.pilotest.com/english/

I know a few people who used this website, me included. I'm afraid I can't remember how close it was to the CTC test.

FlyingRed: Thank you, I'll give it a go!

Have you talked to skytest about your issues and the apparent difference in what they are offering?

I have found them very helpful whenever I needed to contact them.

china: That's an excellent point, I think I'll try and give them this feedback!

[gbotley]

In SkyTest settings you can actually change the appearance of the flying through boxes test. See if one of the options as to the appearance of the test helps you out.

[superKar]

Hi gbotley, you are right, you can actually change the colours, the size and the shape of the boxes along with the speed and all the rest. The only thing you can't change is the horizon, it's fixed.

[HEJT2015]

Hi there, I feel your pain regarding the flying through boxes test. I originally applied for the easyJet MPL in June, sat Day 1 and on this test I got 4 4 5 (out of 10). I failed the PILAPT.

Ultimately, you must get a flight simulator - personally I love x-plane - the aircraft you fly roll and therefore bank. No aptitude software currently does this so unless you fly on a sim it'll seem alien to you. Just practice manual flying with gentle movements and remember when you turn left you need to stop the roll by counteracting (turning right). To make it harder try this for an external view of the aircraft - this really works well!

For skytest, as people have mentioned, alter the settings so that you are flying through boxes. Make the boxes as small as possible. Add a small lag so that you know what to expect. Make the run time slow, it's not that fast and what ever you do you must have small, smooth, calm movements otherwise you'll get nowhere. Finally just aim for the centre of the square, do this by only looking at the one closest to you.

I took my resit of the PILAPT in september and this time round I got 8 8 9. I'm now through to stage 3 and have it in November. Best of luck with your preparation! There's a virgin MPL chap who failed numerous times before, but look at him now... he's certainly not complaining

[superKar]

Hi HEJT2015,

first of all thanks so much for your advice, it's invaluable! I'll get x-plane 10 global so I can start practising as soon as I can.

Ironically I went for the easyJet MPL myself two months ago and I got 4 4 5 my self as well!

Thanks again!

[gbotley]

Best advice I can give for flying through boxes is treat it like fly by wire as in larger aircraft there will almost certainly be a delay in response down the fact they're much bigger machines than your little Cessna. You need to be planning your moves one to two boxes ahead.

That test seems to catch a fair few out,

[HEJT2015]

Hey superKar,

You're very welcome and I hope you find it a tad easier this time round! Just keep practicing and it will become second nature.. you'll be wondering why you struggled in the first place

Best of luck!

[V_2]

The aptitude tests are there to see if you are up to the challenge (and yes I have done the box one you are talking about). You are about to spend a lot of money on your training. Sure you can use online apps/sims to boost your score and scrape a pass. But is that going to help you pass your IR? What about your sim check for an airline?
I would just warn you to have a serious think before you try to improve your score; is it REALLY helping you long term...? Sure some people go on to have great careers after practising, but other do not! Failing might feel awful but it could also be doing you a huge finicial favour long term. But best of luck with your choice

[frequentflyer2016]

I found this one actually pretty useful:

https://www.pilotest.com/english/

I also would recommend SkyTest with the following custom settings:

duration: 1 min
Frames:
size: very difficult
distance: medium
Turns:
intensity: medium

Speeds: flight: medium
change of heading: medium

Turbulances: Intensity: easy

Now, this one is VERY IMPORTANT!

Control:

response delay: low

directional control speed: very slow

P.S.
There are cases very people passed the PILAT with relative low results in this test (like, 4,5,5). I guess it is important that your overall score in the PILAT is hitting a specific target in order to pass.

[andy148]

Hey SuperKar,

If it helps at all i got 5 7 8. Having the horizon roll is just like being in a real aircraft, it shouldn't throw you out that much. You have to be gentle, input, neutral, remove (stop) input...repeat.
If you move the control like your in air to air combat then you'll struggle to stay in the boxes, think 2 boxes ahead, and think how your going to get the plane to that box smoothly.

Latest pilot jobs has a good exercise for it, not exact but not bad.

Good luck.

[wiggy]

At the risk of not preaching to the choir and perhaps sounding a bit brutal IMHO despite all the well meaning advice sapperkeeno and V_2 make valid points that are worth considering.

The aptitude test is there for a reason, it is not just a fancy game/filter to be played on the day, to get you onto the course - it is there to see if you have the basic hand eye coordination that is required for flying - something that used to be called old fashioned "stick and rudder" skills and is still very much required, even on modern Fly by wire types.

Such coordination is something that is not just required during basic training, it will be assessed during selection for an airline, after that will frequently be "tested" in your flying career, from on the line, e.g. on every take off or approach and landing with paying passengers down the back, especially in a howling cross wind, and also formally checked in front of an examiner in the simulator every 6 months, right up until you retire.

As an ex trainer I can testify that just like some folks can't drive safely, some people simply cannot fly...there are indeed some who when it comes to coordination do seem to have been "born with two left feet". You can offer advice like others have done on this thread, change teaching techniques, change instructors, but the coordination isn't there....there's no shame in it, and TBF many realised themselves that flying wasn't going to work for them and changed careers.

If confidence is the only issue in the OPs case then just maybe a bit of home practice, perhaps having heeded the hints and tips given by others may well help, but that may not solve an underlying issue. If the coordination isn't there the OP could be setting himself/herself up for a world of expensive pain when they start flying for real. Failing the aptitude test once might be down to bad luck, but failing twice should set the alarm bells ringing. TBH there comes a point (and it might be now, but I'd certainly suggest after a third failure) where maybe it is time to consider saving money and doing something else.

In any event I wish the OP good luck.

[planesandthings]

This thread appears to have been dragged up again out of nowhere...!

Like others I would suggest Flight Simulator glideslope boxes. Works pretty well.

Seeing also as this is a second failure, I'd hope you have looked or have done a short trial lesson in a real aircraft too to see if this really is for you and your aptitude. I know as gbotley says it might not exactly replicate the test but flying through boxes is one of the few tests that are properly flying coordination specific and worth doing anyway to see if it's really what your up for, after all, it'd help in interviews to show your forward thinking and interested in flying and not someone who's just suddenly picked this career! It's a big investment with lots of competition, so may you be third time lucky!

[Officer Kite]

I remember getting 9 9 10 at the CTC flying boxes. The plane flies quite slow in the test and it was sluggish compared to FSX from what I remember.

One thing I found helpful was always aiming for the centre of the box and not the sides

Best of luck however it turns out

[indi1988]

"It's an aptitude test, and you failed it twice... Does that not tell you anything?!"

Sapperkenno... you are exactly what is wrong with the industry today. You have epitomized the un-supportive cut throat pilots union in one sentence.

Some poor bloke has come onto a pilots forum to ask for help and you have actually taken the time out to spit on him? What did you get from this? Is your life actually so empty that you must berate him to pass the time? Why not order a pizza and have a beer instead.

For all you know, he could be a first class pilot with much better aviation skills than you, but is finding one particular aspect 'sticky' ....

I genuinely hope you are flagged by recruiters for your awful attitude and behaviour.

[wiggy]

Sapperkenno can speak for himself regarding the tone of his post but he has a point. There are times to be supportive - as many have been, but there are also times when somebody needs to be forthright, especially in forums such as this, where people are potentially going to be throwing shed loads of money at training and point out the unpleasant fact that not everybody passes selection tests, or passes pilot training..

My worry here is that this one test the OP is finding "sticky" is probably the one which tests his/her aptitude to handle one of the most fundamental aspects of the job, even in this day and age. If you haven't got the hand/foot/eye bit sorted out no amount ability in other areas (scan rate, ability to absorb info etc ) will fully compensate.

It might sound brutal but some organisations simply wouldn't 'invite" a candidate back for a third go at a test such as described, especially if the organisation/company were going to be paying for the subsequent training..CTC of course may well handle it differently, especially if the candidate is paying....

If I was in the OPs shoes amongst other things (such as having a trial lesson, as someone suggested previously) I would certainly be trying to find out what percentage of CTC's candidates go on to complete training on time, on schedule and on budget and then go on to get a job at a major airline having failed the aptitude test in question two or more times.....