ATPL Flight Planning Tricks, Short Cuts etc
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As the thread title suggests, this thread is for "ATPL Flight Planning Tricks, Short Cuts etc"
There's plenty of "How are the pass rates for FP now", "How much time should I dedicate" etc etc threads, some not all that old, lets keep this thread useful for people studying Flight Planning and ask questions in relevant threads
There's plenty of "How are the pass rates for FP now", "How much time should I dedicate" etc etc threads, some not all that old, lets keep this thread useful for people studying Flight Planning and ask questions in relevant threads
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Calculator @ YSBK and TAS calc?
Hi guys,
I'm studying for flight planning too.
I am curious as to what the current calculator being supplied to candidates at YSBK centre? If anyone has done and exam there recently please reply.
Also what is the fastest method people have found to determine TAS at a given FL, M and ISA var?
Method 1 - look up ISA OAT against FL @ 0.0M on page 3-106... then
Sqrt of (273 - OAT{at given FL from page 3-106} + or - ISA var x 39 x M) -1= TAS
or
Method 2 - Straight through using calculator and ISA temp decrease of -1.98 degrees/1000'
1.98 x FL (+/- key)= 'negative figure'
then
Sqrt ('negative figure' + 15 + or - ISA var + 273) 39 x M -1 = TAS
Also what accuracy are we looking for in TAS AFT notes suggest +or - 1kt will suffice and anyone with high mark concur?
Cheers
YCOY
I'm studying for flight planning too.
I am curious as to what the current calculator being supplied to candidates at YSBK centre? If anyone has done and exam there recently please reply.
Also what is the fastest method people have found to determine TAS at a given FL, M and ISA var?
Method 1 - look up ISA OAT against FL @ 0.0M on page 3-106... then
Sqrt of (273 - OAT{at given FL from page 3-106} + or - ISA var x 39 x M) -1= TAS
or
Method 2 - Straight through using calculator and ISA temp decrease of -1.98 degrees/1000'
1.98 x FL (+/- key)= 'negative figure'
then
Sqrt ('negative figure' + 15 + or - ISA var + 273) 39 x M -1 = TAS
Also what accuracy are we looking for in TAS AFT notes suggest +or - 1kt will suffice and anyone with high mark concur?
Cheers
YCOY
YCOY,
I've found Method 1 faster and the input of the numbers into the calculator is much easier and possibly saves a precious few seconds.
I didn't use AFT notes for studying but +/- 1kt is very desirable. If you make absolutely no mistakes in anything else, you could probably be a few more knots off and still get the right answer. However, using Method 1, there is no reason why you should be more than 1 knot off from the correct TAS.
I've found Method 1 faster and the input of the numbers into the calculator is much easier and possibly saves a precious few seconds.
I didn't use AFT notes for studying but +/- 1kt is very desirable. If you make absolutely no mistakes in anything else, you could probably be a few more knots off and still get the right answer. However, using Method 1, there is no reason why you should be more than 1 knot off from the correct TAS.
Last edited by Centre of Pressure; 20th Aug 2013 at 08:18.
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I sat flight planning about 2 weeks ago and it was a big relief to get through. I went and did the AFT course and its the best value for money you can do. I'm not overly bright and managed to pass with a 92% first go. He has changed his practice exams to make them much harder. I failed 3 of the practice and passed one with 76%. However on exam day finished with 40 mins to and felt confident throughout. Only had 3, 5 markers and about 4, 4 markers. I found the aft flight planning form invaluable. Study hard learn every trick you can. I used 420kts for the 1inop CPs which they tell you not too but it still work. Best of luck to everyone for their next attempt.
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I still can't believe how much more difficult this exam is compared to the rest. I had passed all my previous exams first attempt self studying, leaving Flight Planning last. The one subject I actually went up to Maroochydore to sit the AFT class for, which I highly recommend, yet failed the exam miserably. I may not be the absolute smartest of people but I'm not incredibly stupid either, and put the time and effort into these exams. Averaging 94% in CPL exams and 92% in ATPL's (Up until sitting Flight Planning).
Anyways just wanted to have a bit of a winge first off, but as for tips and tricks, well I would still go ahead and recommend Nathan Higgins' notes from AFT; his notes had gotten me a sound pass in every other ATPL subject via the distance learning course, so I guess his FP notes are giving me as good of a chance as any. Going up to his class was good, but really there's not anything you learn up there that you can't simply read out of his folder, if I could do it again I would save the money and simply use his notes at home, but I enjoy self studying as suppose to a class room.
Also with buying his notes you get the cyber exams package with it, his cyber exams seemed close to the CASA exam, next time I will sit them more than once each before attempting the exam again. I highly recommend his cyber exams for FP.
Also like others have said, highlight smartly in the POH, especially edges of pages, it's as good as having tags. There's also nothing to say you can't highlight routes and distances on ERC charts. Highlighting distances on different, close by routes, can ensure you add up the correct distances for the right route, and also help ensure that you don't miss any. This is perfectly safe and legal!
For averaging tracks, draw a line from where you are, to where you are going (ie. from your location or waypoint, to the top of descent), measure this track from the half way point roughly (Somewhere where you can easily align your protractor along the grid), and remember to take off mag variation, this is so much quicker and easier than calculating the average track, or eyeballing it and guessing
Before deciding where to put in weather subdivisions, have a quick look at how similar the weather sectors are at your altitude, the closer they are, the more inclined you should be to average, there is no harm in jamming three or four different sectors into an average figure, if either they are all roughly equal distances apart, or if they are all relatively close in figures, this saves a lot of time. If averagin say two sectors (X and Y), and X is half as long as Y, then it's simply (Y+Y+X)/3
Remember time is your enemy in this exam, and having a sound understanding of how to average figures quickly and accurately in different scenarios is a must!
C'mon people, let's beat this exam! I'm sure CASA have deliberately errected this wall in front of our otherwise happy little lives, just to **** us, and I sure as anything get no joy out of letting them win.
Anyways just wanted to have a bit of a winge first off, but as for tips and tricks, well I would still go ahead and recommend Nathan Higgins' notes from AFT; his notes had gotten me a sound pass in every other ATPL subject via the distance learning course, so I guess his FP notes are giving me as good of a chance as any. Going up to his class was good, but really there's not anything you learn up there that you can't simply read out of his folder, if I could do it again I would save the money and simply use his notes at home, but I enjoy self studying as suppose to a class room.
Also with buying his notes you get the cyber exams package with it, his cyber exams seemed close to the CASA exam, next time I will sit them more than once each before attempting the exam again. I highly recommend his cyber exams for FP.
Also like others have said, highlight smartly in the POH, especially edges of pages, it's as good as having tags. There's also nothing to say you can't highlight routes and distances on ERC charts. Highlighting distances on different, close by routes, can ensure you add up the correct distances for the right route, and also help ensure that you don't miss any. This is perfectly safe and legal!
For averaging tracks, draw a line from where you are, to where you are going (ie. from your location or waypoint, to the top of descent), measure this track from the half way point roughly (Somewhere where you can easily align your protractor along the grid), and remember to take off mag variation, this is so much quicker and easier than calculating the average track, or eyeballing it and guessing
Before deciding where to put in weather subdivisions, have a quick look at how similar the weather sectors are at your altitude, the closer they are, the more inclined you should be to average, there is no harm in jamming three or four different sectors into an average figure, if either they are all roughly equal distances apart, or if they are all relatively close in figures, this saves a lot of time. If averagin say two sectors (X and Y), and X is half as long as Y, then it's simply (Y+Y+X)/3
Remember time is your enemy in this exam, and having a sound understanding of how to average figures quickly and accurately in different scenarios is a must!
C'mon people, let's beat this exam! I'm sure CASA have deliberately errected this wall in front of our otherwise happy little lives, just to **** us, and I sure as anything get no joy out of letting them win.
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Agree with you regarding AFT. When I completed my last few ATPL subjects I was working overseas so the distance learning course was my only option. Returned to Aus twice a year to sit for the exams and passed first go, except flight planning. That one took two goes.
The content wasn't hard at all, but the time limit and the number of questions in the exam meant that you're under pressure right from the start. I've been through uni and have both a bachelor's degree and a post grad diploma, but have never worked so hard during an exam as I did to pass flight planning. But now with an ATPL in the hand, and a nice FMS in the aircraft I fly to calculate my PNRs, ETPs, and TODs, I now think WTF was all that about?
The content wasn't hard at all, but the time limit and the number of questions in the exam meant that you're under pressure right from the start. I've been through uni and have both a bachelor's degree and a post grad diploma, but have never worked so hard during an exam as I did to pass flight planning. But now with an ATPL in the hand, and a nice FMS in the aircraft I fly to calculate my PNRs, ETPs, and TODs, I now think WTF was all that about?
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727 manual "tab" idea
Hey there,
Unsure if anyone's posted this idea...but when casa announced the "no tabs" policy, I did the reverse...and cut finger tabs into my 727 manual. Check out the link below to see what I mean.
http://aprettybook.com/wp-content/up...onary-Tabs.jpg
Cheers
Unsure if anyone's posted this idea...but when casa announced the "no tabs" policy, I did the reverse...and cut finger tabs into my 727 manual. Check out the link below to see what I mean.
http://aprettybook.com/wp-content/up...onary-Tabs.jpg
Cheers
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Any feedback from ASL when doing it this way Pilotolatino? I find alternating between folding the corners of regularly used pages at the top then bottom works well enough.
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Unsure if anyone's posted this idea...but when casa announced the "no tabs" policy, I did the reverse...and cut finger tabs into my 727 manual. Check out the link below to see what I mean.
Here's an idea; learn where everything is, so you can find it quickly. You'll have many more documents throughout your aviation career you'll have to quickly reference (operating manuals, training manuals, flight manuals, policy manuals, performance manuals, data manuals, all without tags), now is a good time to set your standards.
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Any tips for PNRs? My SGRs seem to come out accurate enough, but my total fuel burn never seems to be accurate enough! Always getting the actual PNR part wrong and the rest of the questions correct.. No problems with accuracy on the CPs, just PNRs.
How is everyone going on the exam in 2014?
How is everyone going on the exam in 2014?
Studied alongside full time work for about 2 weeks then studied full time for 4 days and passed first time with 90% and 26 mins remaining (after I stuffed up an early PNR which I had to nearly completely redo that took around 35 mins) using the Rob Avery material. Late Jan 2014.
I found most of my answers to be between 10-30kg away from a CASA answer (both under and over) and the spread of answers was 250kg or more IIRC.
I actually found the PNRs were the part I most consistently got right in the practice exams. Not sure about other methods but the Avery one seemed to work well for me.
I found most of my answers to be between 10-30kg away from a CASA answer (both under and over) and the spread of answers was 250kg or more IIRC.
I actually found the PNRs were the part I most consistently got right in the practice exams. Not sure about other methods but the Avery one seemed to work well for me.
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Congrats JJTS! Great result. Would you mind elaborating on Robs PNR technique? I'm using the AFT material which works around picking one of the possible answers and using a correction formula to find the right answer. Is this the same as Robs?
No it seems to be pretty different.
Rob's technique is based around calculating the fuel you have available to go out and back to the PNR from a certain point and then using that to calculate the distance to the PNR.
Probably best to stick with one method if they are quite different. It may be worth finding out how Gavin Secombe used to teach it as he is in charge of the CASA exams now.
Rob's technique is based around calculating the fuel you have available to go out and back to the PNR from a certain point and then using that to calculate the distance to the PNR.
Probably best to stick with one method if they are quite different. It may be worth finding out how Gavin Secombe used to teach it as he is in charge of the CASA exams now.
It may be worth finding out how Gavin Secombe used to teach it as he is in charge of the CASA exams now.
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Just wondering if anyone has done the exam and had to type in the answers? As per the new changes from start June?
Last edited by TomcatAV8R; 8th Jul 2014 at 06:31. Reason: Spelling and grammar
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Hey Guys,
I sat the exam for the 3rd time in October and got 70%. Dont know if you have sat any exams recently, but when I sat mine they were changing some the exam questions from multiple choice to written answers. I only got one, and you have to enter the PNR/CP distance as a number, you have a certain percentage either side to CASA's answer.
Found the questions were straight forward, nothing surprising. Only advise is to read the question carefully, make sure you know what it's asking (Optimum level vs max level, distance from departure or destination).
Any questions feel free to PM me and I'll try to help.
I sat the exam for the 3rd time in October and got 70%. Dont know if you have sat any exams recently, but when I sat mine they were changing some the exam questions from multiple choice to written answers. I only got one, and you have to enter the PNR/CP distance as a number, you have a certain percentage either side to CASA's answer.
Found the questions were straight forward, nothing surprising. Only advise is to read the question carefully, make sure you know what it's asking (Optimum level vs max level, distance from departure or destination).
Any questions feel free to PM me and I'll try to help.
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Hi ALL
I sat Flight planning at the end of last year and got through first time with the course from Aviation Australia. I highly recommend sitting in on the course they are providing with RoB Avery teaching. We had 6 of the 9 get through first hit. Rob has all the new rounding techniques down pat, I think time was the biggest killer for that exam.
I sat Flight planning at the end of last year and got through first time with the course from Aviation Australia. I highly recommend sitting in on the course they are providing with RoB Avery teaching. We had 6 of the 9 get through first hit. Rob has all the new rounding techniques down pat, I think time was the biggest killer for that exam.