Taking the ATPLs

[nosher]

HI all-have a bit of a silly question regarding the ATPLs (actually sitting them)
Is it possible to use a digital calculator while sitting the exams?
If so what is the most popular model?

[helicopter-redeye]

Casio FX991 MS from WHS

[Send Clowns]

Doesn't really matter as long as it is a scientific calculator that works with degree, minutes and seconds ( button labelled [° ' "] or [D M S] ) and has [EXP] and [ENG] buttons or equivalent. The instructors will probably be most familiar with current Casios, and be most helpful in showing you how to use them, as most students have these. As a former ground instructor that was my experience!

[Charlie Zulu]

Only a couple of weeks ago did I find the button that allowed me to use degrees, minutes and seconds on my casio. I've had it since I was in the third year of high school (about 15 years ago).

Would have made General Navigation exam much quicker as I wouldn't have had to convert all of the latitudes and longitudes into decimal places and back again... would have been done in just over an hour instead of the hour and a half it actually took.

I felt so silly when the function was pointed out to me!

Still will probably make flight planning a lot easier...

I think the answer to the original question is yes scientific calculators are allowed but you can't take one into the exam which has the alpha key or stores formulas.

[Send Clowns]

Ah, CZ - your instructor missed a trick! I always taught students how to make good use of that function.

Send Clowns
formerly Gen Nav / Flt Planning instructor, BCFT

[Charlie Zulu]

Aye! He did indeed. However, to be fair I never did have much of a problem with General Navigation (except INS/IRS but got there eventually), so the instructor didn't have any reason to question my workings out in regards to using the calculator.

By the time the brush up course came along, if he had showed me that function on the calculator, I probably wouldn't have started using it as I was by then a stick in the mud and didn't want to disrupt what I was already doing for fear of failing by pressing the wrong button...

Still it might be a nice little ammendment to the notes to remind students that they may have a calculator with that very useful function... I'll send him a suggestion.

[chrisbl]

So I take it the ASA Cx2 and it Jeppesen equivilent are not allowed.

[Charlie Zulu]

Unfortunately it isn't allowed with JAA exams. You need to use one of those lovely mechanical thingies. A CRP-5 is used to set the exams questions, so that is what I use to sit the exams.

Maybe one day though...

...we can all dream, eh?

[chrisbl]

The US are a bit more enlighted where you could use the mechanical or electronic.

[Charlie Zulu]

Yes I know the FAA (and maybe other authorities) allow the electronic version.

Although I still used the CRP-5 for the FAA CPL and IR writtens. No big deal really. I'm more comfortable with the whizz wheel anyway as one push of a wrong button on the electronic version could cost you a mark on the exam...

[Send Clowns]

Ah, distance learning! That explains it - one of the advantages of doing everything in the classroom.

[David_Lid Air]

I must say that i admire those who does ATPL on distance learning.. I donīt think that i would had made it through the exams without my teachers help, they did help to enlighten alot of things

Good luck to you