Ppl navigation exam
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 153
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From: Cheltenham
You only get a debrief if you've failed by a little bit, cannot remember exactly by how little. More than than the examiner is not allowed to tell you anything.
Join airquiz.com and run through their nav stuff anda do the Confuser too.
Does your school have any nav mock tests?
Join airquiz.com and run through their nav stuff anda do the Confuser too.
Does your school have any nav mock tests?
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2000
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 14,480
Likes: 178
From: UK
Surely, you should get a debrief even if you passed.
Regardless, whilst question banks have value, it's important to know the material. There aren't really 'tricks'. With nav it's basically practice.
G
Regardless, whilst question banks have value, it's important to know the material. There aren't really 'tricks'. With nav it's basically practice.
G
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: Bucks
From recollection the nav exam is split into 2 sections - the 'plot a route and ask questions', and the electronic nav aids. It would be useful to determine whether you particularly failed on or the other or both sections.
If you are having problems correctly plotting routes and wind offsets then there are various online products (e.g. SkyDemon) that could be used to cross-check random routes that you create for practice.
If you are having problems correctly plotting routes and wind offsets then there are various online products (e.g. SkyDemon) that could be used to cross-check random routes that you create for practice.
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 517
Likes: 0
From: London UK
Standards Doc 11
Standards Document 11: JAR-FCL Provision and Conduct of Ground Examinations for the Private Pilot Licence Aeroplanes & Helicopters (including Registration of the Training Facility & Authorisation of Examiners) | Publications | About the CAA
says (for both pass and fail):
Which is new, I think, and certainly better.
IIRC, previously if you passed with only one question wrong, i.e. theroretically you knew all you needed to except for one single weakness, they weren't allowed to tell you what it was!
Another practical exam tip is that (from memory) the easier questions are at the end, you may want to do them first because it is easy to run out of time doing nav.
Standards Document 11: JAR-FCL Provision and Conduct of Ground Examinations for the Private Pilot Licence Aeroplanes & Helicopters (including Registration of the Training Facility & Authorisation of Examiners) | Publications | About the CAA
says (for both pass and fail):
The GR should indicate areas where weakness has been found, but should not discuss answers to specific qurestions.
IIRC, previously if you passed with only one question wrong, i.e. theroretically you knew all you needed to except for one single weakness, they weren't allowed to tell you what it was!
Another practical exam tip is that (from memory) the easier questions are at the end, you may want to do them first because it is easy to run out of time doing nav.
Last edited by 24Carrot; 19th August 2012 at 09:51.
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 6,626
Likes: 12
From: UK
More than than the examiner is not allowed to tell you anything.
No change in the last 20 years.
Last edited by Whopity; 19th August 2012 at 10:03.
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 526
Likes: 0
From: Aberdeen, UK
The Nav exam is markedly easier to do once you've started doing cross-countries and have experience of planning routes and completing plogs. Makes much more sense after you've done it in the real world.
If you're coming to it just off the books alone, you might find it a bit trickier to get your head around.
A be very careful with accuracy - thin lines on the chart, and work out your plog correctly, especially with the winds side of the whizz wheel.
Usually, once of the answers will be if you've calculated a reciprocal wrongly, added rather than subtracted magnetic variation etc, so be very careful - it's very easy for the wrong answer to appear to be the right one by virtue of it being one of the options.
If you're coming to it just off the books alone, you might find it a bit trickier to get your head around.
A be very careful with accuracy - thin lines on the chart, and work out your plog correctly, especially with the winds side of the whizz wheel.
Usually, once of the answers will be if you've calculated a reciprocal wrongly, added rather than subtracted magnetic variation etc, so be very careful - it's very easy for the wrong answer to appear to be the right one by virtue of it being one of the options.
Joined: May 1999
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 27,401
Likes: 857
From: Quite near 'An aerodrome somewhere in England'
The Examiner should .....
If the applicant passes, I consider that any incorrect answers should be specifically debriefed ("Question nn you answered b and the correct answer was c - you added variation in the wrong sense", or whatever. Otherwise you will never know whether he/she ever understood what he/she had answered incorrectly.
If the applicant fails, you could say something like "You need to practise use of the computer" or "Read up more on radio aids" or something similar as appropriate.
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 814
Likes: 52
From: Lechlade, Glos.UK
PPL Navigation Exam
It's been a million years since I learnt to fly and just as long since I used a Dalton Computer. Hence I am absolutely no use to my partner who is soon to sit the PPL nav exam. So questions:
1. Any suggestions for internet study, mainly video explanation of the Whizz wheel? Learning from a static book is not easy.
2. Can you take into the exam a calculator?
3. Can you take in spare paper and pen to do rough calculations on?
4.. What basic info does she need from the Whizz wheel other than TAS, G/S, Hdg Mag?
1. Any suggestions for internet study, mainly video explanation of the Whizz wheel? Learning from a static book is not easy.
2. Can you take into the exam a calculator?
3. Can you take in spare paper and pen to do rough calculations on?
4.. What basic info does she need from the Whizz wheel other than TAS, G/S, Hdg Mag?
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: United Kingdom
Read the Navigation PPL book, everything that comes up in the exam is in the book. Be confident with the wizz-wheel, plogging, working out crosswind components, converting IAS to TAS to GS.
Airquiz was also an invaluable resource when I was revising for my exams.
Airquiz was also an invaluable resource when I was revising for my exams.
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,831
Likes: 16
From: Moray,Scotland,U.K.
I used a Dalton (whizzwheel) for my exams in 1964, but, after letting my PPL lapse, used an unprogrammable scientific calculator in 1987, as I was current in using it with the simple trig needed. I think programmable calculators are banned.
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Birmingham
Just resat (as took too long to do finish practical side due to long gaps because of work/weather).
There is a whizz wheel app "Flight Computer" that includes clear instructions for using it in the paid version - no connection other than user for practice.
There were also distance/time/speed causation and conversions between NM, statue Mile and kilometre and kg, lb gallon density calculations - which seemed to be there to check the units as well as calculation asthe wrong answers included the correct number with wrong units and correct units with wrong number
Pen and rough paper definitely allowed and I drew out anything that involved a calculation at all in any paper.
E.g. (W-E+)CDMVT(W+E-), wind triangles, course correction, altitude v height v MSL on QFE or QNH, ETA based on course covered etc. There were performance tables where figure expected was half way interpolation so again rough paper very useful.
Any set of practice MCQs would be useful I used airquzz last time and this time ones included in course.
There are approved scientific calculators (sorry not sure of list) but it does not include a iPad or iPhone (or android) so although they were all I used for practice papers I had to borrow a legal one for the exam and use the physical whizz wheel.
Good luck to your partner
There is a whizz wheel app "Flight Computer" that includes clear instructions for using it in the paid version - no connection other than user for practice.
There were also distance/time/speed causation and conversions between NM, statue Mile and kilometre and kg, lb gallon density calculations - which seemed to be there to check the units as well as calculation asthe wrong answers included the correct number with wrong units and correct units with wrong number
Pen and rough paper definitely allowed and I drew out anything that involved a calculation at all in any paper.
E.g. (W-E+)CDMVT(W+E-), wind triangles, course correction, altitude v height v MSL on QFE or QNH, ETA based on course covered etc. There were performance tables where figure expected was half way interpolation so again rough paper very useful.
Any set of practice MCQs would be useful I used airquzz last time and this time ones included in course.
There are approved scientific calculators (sorry not sure of list) but it does not include a iPad or iPhone (or android) so although they were all I used for practice papers I had to borrow a legal one for the exam and use the physical whizz wheel.
Good luck to your partner
