Preparation for UK Military Pilot Aptitude
 

Hi,

I'm currently cracking on with preparations for my FATs and I've been working hard, but I have a couple of questions. I understand these threads and questions are all over the internet but I'm struggling to find the exact answers that I'm looking for.

I've currently found several apps for practising my motor skills and multitasking ability, however, none which involve any basic mental arithmetic practice as a task as a part of the multitasking. Is there a specific app out there that can offer this?

I have been practising a lot of SDT stuff (Speed Distance Time | OASC: RAF Officer and Aircrew Selection Centre) and I'm scoring well and doing the ten questions in good time. However, can anybody tell me if the standard of questions on this website is the same or at least comparable to what I can expect on the day?

One quick last one: I currently don't have the facility to practice hand/foot/eye coordination specifically. Unfortunately I can't afford a car (or even some rudder pedals for my computer!) so to what capacity can I get some preparation for this done?

I understand it is aptitude testing, but preparing can only help.
Apologies if this is in the wrong forum.

Thanks for any help!

I fear we are only minutes from the usual (incredibly helpful) 'Poke off and read the OASC thread.'

Can't help you I am afraid mate, there weren't such things as apps when I went through and I practiced by catching rugby balls and playing squash. I reckon that if your 6, 7 and 60 times table is up to scratch you'll be fine.

Best of luck.

Max,if you have access to a bike,get togged up with wellies, anorak,and helmet,with attached `Go-Pro HERO camera,iPOD,mobile,and possibly a tablet(not ecstasy,keep that `til later); then set off for the nearest,largest roundabout,at rush-hour,and spend awhile dodging the traffic whilst taking a `selfie`,texting/phoning your mates,listening to `moosic`;variations would include not stopping on`red`,racing cars to the next lights/zebras,etc whilst swerving wildly to avoid pot-holes/drains,eating a Big-Mac would gain extra points,and riding `no-hands` gains double-points......Let us have an update please...even from the hospital.....oh,a good finale would be going around the `wrong way`.....!
If you can do your `times tables`,as `orca` suggests,you may be in with a chance....good luck..

You having a bad day Sycamore

Semi-seriously; I could ride to school without touching the handlebars at all (except to brake, but look/plan ahead so you minimise braking). Balancing your school chair on one leg will help balance, and pass the time in RE or German. Turn off the computer and go play sport. Do 5 relevant calculations a day in your head - time for the car/bus/bike/me to reach destination, then ETA; that kind of thing. Don't just do sums on paper sat at your desk. When you get good,do the sums whilst riding the bike with no hands. You might not want to do this on a public road to start with ;)

The practice tests are quite representative (I last visited OASC in 2007).
Be aware that there is not much you can do to improve fundamental motor skills past a little bit of practice - you've either got it or you haven't, so just relax and give your best.

Try this for multitasking:
http://www.kongregate.com/games/icylime/multitask
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...asking-skills/

Fox was just going to post something very similar I passed OASC at Biggin in 87 but failed the medical due to eyes went on as a techie to the O.P just go for it mate.

Cheers for all the help guys, I appreciate it.
Maths and motor skills have always been a strong point of mine. I'm doing the typical A-levels in maths/physics/chemistry, and I play a few musical instruments - which I suppose is useful?
Just to clarify - when I say apps I don't mean apps for phones etc, I mean bits and pieces of software for my computer. I just wanted to refrain from using the word "games".

Fox3, that stuff looks great, thank you! Unfortunately Sycamore - I'm not the type of guy to take selfies!

Perhaps I'm overthinking the whole flying aptitude part a bit, but I guess its better to over-prepare than the opposite.

I've gathered that FATs assess you until you reach your breaking point, so I know to be happy with not being able to answer absolutely everything and to react positively to the challenge and work the problem.

Thanks again guys.

I used this in 1964! Great help with one of the papers, may still be relevant, may not. It is readily available for a few pounds from a variety of places, my usual is AbeBooks - Used Books, Secondhand Books, Rare Books, New Books & Textbooks

Play Tetris.

Seriously.

The combination of spatial orientation, prioritisation and time-sensitive tasking as the levels get harder should be of help with the hand-eye coordination tests.

I took the tests three weeks ago so happy to ask any questions! Tips I can think of off the top of my head:

- Have a beer in the mess the night before. Seriously, it's something a lot of people said to me as well and I thought it was weird. But it relaxes you and puts you in a good mind-set. Only one, mind....

- Take your shoes off for any test where you have to use the rudder pedals. My psychomotor skills aren't fantastic but it helps your feet get a better feel. They're a bit of a nightmare the pedals to be honest, incredibly sensitive. Just try your best.

- There's a number of tests (especially the one where you're expected to follow a load of different coloured aircraft coming on and off the screen) where you will most likely have no idea what the answer is. Don't lose faith, just give a good stab and move on.

- Take every break you are assigned. There's temptation towards the end of the day to slip into "I-want-to-finish-itis", but you'll fatigue yourself. Go to the waiting room so you can inanely stare at the mock Spitfire out the window. Lovely feat of engineering.

- When you're expected to memorise long series of numbers or letters, come up with a way of reciting them back to yourself. For letters, I either made up a noise for it if it had enough vowels in it, or I tried to find common acronyms in them to aid my recall. For numbers, I just constantly muttered them back to myself until it asked me to type it back in. Probably sounded like a mad man...

- If you fail, try again in a year. This was the third time doing the tests, having passed them (just) once, then the second time I failed, and this recent one I got a competitive score. Don't give up.

Good luck, I'll keep an eye on this thread and answer any questions!

P.S. Just had a quick look at the SDT questions and they're relatively similar. Also revise closing speeds (I had literally no idea so just pressed a random key for each!) and fuel consumption calculations because they throw a few of each in....

"Look, Daddy - no hands !..........Look, Daddy - no teeth !"

(Sorry, thought it was the Caption Competition ! - Senior Moment, I'm afraid).

I'm actually heading up to OASC in about an hour. I received a walkthrough of the exams in a word document, which I can say is not, not the same as the aptitude test information on the RCAF website that I found a few months before. It helped me relax a little, if not pass the tests. And I also used that SDT site for a few months, and at the very least it's flexed my brain into working the numbers and learning the tricks. Anyway, I'm going to stop talking now, wouldn't want to jinx it....:ok:

Good Luckings to you!

I worked on my quickfire maths for quite some time before. Speed, dist, time etc - lived and breathed those kind of calculations for weeks.

I had been on the UAS for a year or so before going to OASC so already had a good idea of what to expect. I finished the aptitude tests very quickly compared to others and found out much later that I had come out with very high scores - which did not reflect my aptitude level, but my swotting up. I also used to (rather geeky but very useful) use Microsoft Flight Simulator which, at the time, had just come out with add on packs photorealistic scenery, allowing me to navigate between known places. I'd hammer the flight sim, constantly doing calculations in my head, and re-doing UAS flying sorties (navigation, diversion, EFATO etc etc).

Helped my UAS flying and aptitude tests a lot. A good few years ago mind.

All the best!!!

On the SDT stuff, don't forget the old trick - second nature to aged pilots comme moi - that 6 mins is one tenth of an hour, so you travel one tenth of the speed.

Was reminded of this recently when trying to explain the "whizz wheel" on the back of the DR Computer to some Air Cadets. The phrase "circular slide rule" clearly meant nothing - "Wotsa slide rule Sir?:confused:" - so we tried a practical example:

Give me a speed - Bloggs. 130 knots Sir.

Give me a distance between 45 and 90 nautical miles - Trenchard. 52 Sir.

Too easy sez I, putting down Whizz wheel - it's 24 minutes.

Teenage jaws could not have dropped further or quicker if I'd made sparks come out from under my fingernails.

Then came the satisfying grins when I explained:

130 kts is 13 miles in 6 minutes, 4 thirteens in 52, 4 x 6 = 24! :ok:

And there are more "tricks" like that of which Yoof seems unaware.... :(

You could always read and maybe even post your question on the thread at the top of this forum. I think this question has already been discussed many times.

There, someone said it.

S-D

Quality. .....
with regards Jenkins post

Even 130kts is superfluous knowledge if it's a Tutor.

Although understanding glide angle probably helps.

Sorry Max, no idea what you are talking about. I went through the selection games at Hornchurch in 1956, so i'm a bit out of date.

Bob C

Play darts.

Oh JENKINS - you are a wag! (and you weren't exactly supersonic yerself)

The Cadets were using a light aircraft Flight Sim - that's my excuse!

And the maths still works - at 260 kts it would have been 12 minutes, at 520 :eek: 6 minutes.

But you are right - :ok: - not only do my brains come out of the back of my head above 150 kts, my nose bleeds above 1500 ft .........