Well done. I have done 8 out of the 9 exams, my last exam is Flight Perf and Planning, and I definitely agree it is the hardest exam to study for. I too am aiming to get my license before the end of the year :) Best of luck, and thanks for the tips
Thanks and best of luck to you also. I am just about to start revision for Principles of Flight (my final ground school exam), then just the radio license, cross country qualifier and skills test to go. Lots of lesson cancellations lately though, so not be in the air for about 7 weeks :( Please let me know how you get on.
Hi Dale. I started flying 24 years ago when I lived in the US but didn't continue when I returned to Liverpool. I flew 36 hours with zero ground school but I restarted flying last year. Like you, I've done 6 out of 9 ground school and even though I'm a graduate in aerospace engineering, I failed my flight performance exam two weeks ago with one question wrong but I will retake it tomorrow. I don't know if you are aware but prior to January 2021, the CAA ground school exams were literally a selection of 16 to 20 questions from the Pooleys Question Bank (of ~120 questions) so all you needed to do was memorise those questions/answers - which I admit is a bit flimsy. But the CAA changed it by going from one extreme to another. Now you literally have to study the text books to get through. I also failed my Ops exam and I even contacted the CAA to complain that some questions weren't even in the text books. Turns out, one question was an ATPL question and shoudn't have been there - but they said 'it won't change the outcome of the result'. My biggest gripe is that the questions are worded to 'catch you out' as opposed to determine if you are knowledgable about the subject matter. Anyway, as for flight planning, here are some of the questions I'm having issues from a list of questions I found. Don't expect you to answer them but I'm posting them here to give others some guidance of the bullshittery that they CAA introduced to the new format of exams. 1. Regulated or Certified Ramp Mass? There's a Regulated T/O mass and Regulated Landing Mass but no mention anywhere of Regulated Ramp Mass. However, there is a mention of Certification of Ramp Mass but it's not the same. I checked CAP 696 and can't find the answer. I honestly don't know the answer so I'm just going to have to guess it's Regulated Ramp Mass. 2. For the performance charts, in the text books, they say if it's a headwind, you use 50% of the number given but if it's a tailwind, you use 150% of the number given - but if you use those numbers, the result is incorrect. Also, you're supposed to increase the landing distance by 1.43 or the take off distance by 1.33 but again, if you add those figures to the result from the chart, it gives the wrong answer. I tried even messing around with the figures and the answer is never correct. 3. For the maps, they ask you to find the highest obstacle within 5nm of the track - but the documentation states that you need to look 30 minutes longitude and 30 minutes latitude of your track. 4. There's a question about when do you file a full VFR flight plan. The only one that is wrong is Class A airspace since that's restricted to IFR. However, the other three answers (Class D Controlled Airspace, Class F and crossing international boundaries) are all correct. Cheers, Ab p.s. distance off track. Shit, I haven't studied that!
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I was aware of the old testing format, but aside from the poorly worded questions, I think it is better to have a larger question base to increase pilot knowledge, however ... I think like alot of the ground school content will never be used out of the classroom. I am currently waiting for good weather to do my Cross Country Qualifier and to do my Principles of Flight Ground School Exam.
@@SpectrumGeeks Hey mate. Thanks for the repsonse. Quick update. I passed the Flight Planning/Performance exam yesterday but Question 6 was absolutely infuriating. It literally took 10 minuutes and I had to guess. You had to use two tables and the information all conflicted with each other. I only got 75% so I really don't know what I got wrong. Anyway, I only have Navigation and Comms to go; which I need to get done before the end of February - in addition to the R/T ceritificate but I contacted the CAA and the confirmed the R/T exam isn't part of the mandatory CAA written exams and therefore doesn't need to be done within the 18-month time limit. It's my hope - weather and finances pending - that I'll be able to complete my PPL by early summer but I plan to combine my PPL with Night Rating. Then I can move on to IMC after I fly a few hours as PIC. Good luck with your cross country. I only did two dual cross countries in Wyoming; one from Casper to Buffulo and a night cross country from Casper to Cheyenne. That's when fligh planning gets really interesting.
@@SpectrumGeeks ...and yes, I totally agree with you. In fact, after I complete my ground school exams, I'll write to the CAA and advise them of this because a selection of 20 questions doesn't give a correct summary of your knowledge. If I were tested on literally 80 other questions, I'd perhaps get 10% wrong but the rest correct because I studied so much. That's why I was deflated.
Thanks for watching and commenting. During my training I used the CRP-1 Flight computer. Now when flying I mostly use the Sky Demon moving map software.
Thanks for the tips. Just passed AGK Today, I did Aerospace engineering with pilot studies at Uni of Hertfordshire and the exam i did were quite if not similar to the topics for Flight Performance, all about fuel, convergence, planning ect, i feel much more at ease, hearing the content is very relevant from you.
Congrats Dale, I have recently taken and passed my Flight Performance & Planning exam and I also got 75% on this exam. This exam is definitely the hardest exam to study for. Apparently speaking to the examiner a lot of students get 75% for this exam
Very helpful, thanks. FPP is my last exam. I would strongly advise (from what you say, and from what I've done) completely re-study Nav as well as the performance stuff. It's ages since I did nav, so I was a bit rusty. No ground school or PPL Tutor for me - just the books (Pooley's) and the practice exam booklets. You use cards - the key to my method is similar. I use a computer version of cards - an app (free) called Anki. I have made 2,500 Anki flash cards! I've done my Qualifying Cross Country (what a day that was!) so after this exam (if I pass) it's RT and skills test. I may make a video a bit like yours in case it helps others.
Best of luck Mark. Cross Country is next for me, and Principles of Flight is my final ground exam, and then FROTL exam as well. Bad weather keeps cancelling play for me.
@@SpectrumGeeks Thanks for the good wishes, and best of luck to you. I've had a lot of cancellations too. I fly out of Blackpool which is blowing a gale a lot of the time! On principles of flight I found stability needed careful study. Also, in the exam there was a question about it that was ambiguously worded. I got that one wrong, which is bad when you can only flunk a few and you fail. I've seen a number of stupid questions like this, very shoddy. I had to appeal my met exam result (fail) and, after a six month fighting the CAA, I won and passed first time like the others (so far). It had five dodgy questions in it selected at random for me!
Thanks for this video, this is my last exam and I’m also using EasyPPL to study, I’ll be attempting soon! Did you find you had to memorise all of the generic factors given for TO and landing distance calculations or are they given to you if you get a question? I’ve had some EasyPPL mock questions that have given me the table of generic factors and others that have given me POH figures and included the runway is a wet paved surface! Many thanks
Glad the videos are helpful. From memory the questions where calculations are needed come with POH exerts with the factors in for you to reference for your calcs, just like you have experienced in EasyPPL. Best of luck with the exam.
@@SpectrumGeeks Thanks for the reply! Passed the exam this morning and yes they did provide the factors! Onto FRTOL next, thanks for putting these videos up to our minds at ease!
@@SpectrumGeeksthanks Dale, congrats on becoming a pilot 👍 took human performance exam yesterday and passed that 100%. Still dreading this one I best start learning it eugh 😂
Well done. I have done 8 out of the 9 exams, my last exam is Flight Perf and Planning, and I definitely agree it is the hardest exam to study for. I too am aiming to get my license before the end of the year :) Best of luck, and thanks for the tips
Thanks and best of luck to you also. I am just about to start revision for Principles of Flight (my final ground school exam), then just the radio license, cross country qualifier and skills test to go. Lots of lesson cancellations lately though, so not be in the air for about 7 weeks :(
Please let me know how you get on.
@@SpectrumGeeks That's a shame about lots of cancellations :( Where are you doing your training? I am at Lee on Solent :)
Gloucester Airport is my home base, great place to learn from.
Congratulations Dale well Done 👍 nearly there 🤞
Almost Might take another one this week (weather depending).
Congrats on completing another milestone and sharing experience
Thank you! More to come :)
Hi Dale. I started flying 24 years ago when I lived in the US but didn't continue when I returned to Liverpool. I flew 36 hours with zero ground school but I restarted flying last year.
Like you, I've done 6 out of 9 ground school and even though I'm a graduate in aerospace engineering, I failed my flight performance exam two weeks ago with one question wrong but I will retake it tomorrow.
I don't know if you are aware but prior to January 2021, the CAA ground school exams were literally a selection of 16 to 20 questions from the Pooleys Question Bank (of ~120 questions) so all you needed to do was memorise those questions/answers - which I admit is a bit flimsy. But the CAA changed it by going from one extreme to another. Now you literally have to study the text books to get through. I also failed my Ops exam and I even contacted the CAA to complain that some questions weren't even in the text books. Turns out, one question was an ATPL question and shoudn't have been there - but they said 'it won't change the outcome of the result'.
My biggest gripe is that the questions are worded to 'catch you out' as opposed to determine if you are knowledgable about the subject matter.
Anyway, as for flight planning, here are some of the questions I'm having issues from a list of questions I found. Don't expect you to answer them but I'm posting them here to give others some guidance of the bullshittery that they CAA introduced to the new format of exams.
1. Regulated or Certified Ramp Mass? There's a Regulated T/O mass and Regulated Landing Mass but no mention anywhere of Regulated Ramp Mass. However, there is a mention of Certification of Ramp Mass but it's not the same. I checked CAP 696 and can't find the answer. I honestly don't know the answer so I'm just going to have to guess it's Regulated Ramp Mass.
2. For the performance charts, in the text books, they say if it's a headwind, you use 50% of the number given but if it's a tailwind, you use 150% of the number given - but if you use those numbers, the result is incorrect. Also, you're supposed to increase the landing distance by 1.43 or the take off distance by 1.33 but again, if you add those figures to the result from the chart, it gives the wrong answer. I tried even messing around with the figures and the answer is never correct.
3. For the maps, they ask you to find the highest obstacle within 5nm of the track - but the documentation states that you need to look 30 minutes longitude and 30 minutes latitude of your track.
4. There's a question about when do you file a full VFR flight plan. The only one that is wrong is Class A airspace since that's restricted to IFR. However, the other three answers (Class D Controlled Airspace, Class F and crossing international boundaries) are all correct.
Cheers, Ab
p.s. distance off track. Shit, I haven't studied that!
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I was aware of the old testing format, but aside from the poorly worded questions, I think it is better to have a larger question base to increase pilot knowledge, however ... I think like alot of the ground school content will never be used out of the classroom.
I am currently waiting for good weather to do my Cross Country Qualifier and to do my Principles of Flight Ground School Exam.
@@SpectrumGeeks Hey mate. Thanks for the repsonse. Quick update. I passed the Flight Planning/Performance exam yesterday but Question 6 was absolutely infuriating. It literally took 10 minuutes and I had to guess. You had to use two tables and the information all conflicted with each other. I only got 75% so I really don't know what I got wrong.
Anyway, I only have Navigation and Comms to go; which I need to get done before the end of February - in addition to the R/T ceritificate but I contacted the CAA and the confirmed the R/T exam isn't part of the mandatory CAA written exams and therefore doesn't need to be done within the 18-month time limit.
It's my hope - weather and finances pending - that I'll be able to complete my PPL by early summer but I plan to combine my PPL with Night Rating. Then I can move on to IMC after I fly a few hours as PIC.
Good luck with your cross country. I only did two dual cross countries in Wyoming; one from Casper to Buffulo and a night cross country from Casper to Cheyenne. That's when fligh planning gets really interesting.
@@SpectrumGeeks ...and yes, I totally agree with you. In fact, after I complete my ground school exams, I'll write to the CAA and advise them of this because a selection of 20 questions doesn't give a correct summary of your knowledge. If I were tested on literally 80 other questions, I'd perhaps get 10% wrong but the rest correct because I studied so much. That's why I was deflated.
Absolutely love your videos, extremely helpful. What I would like to ask is which flight computer you are using?
Thanks for watching and commenting.
During my training I used the CRP-1 Flight computer. Now when flying I mostly use the Sky Demon moving map software.
Thanks for the tips. Just passed AGK Today, I did Aerospace engineering with pilot studies at Uni of Hertfordshire and the exam i did were quite if not similar to the topics for Flight Performance, all about fuel, convergence, planning ect, i feel much more at ease, hearing the content is very relevant from you.
Excellent and congratulations. I have just one more ground school exam to do (Principles of Flight) and then I am all done.
@@SpectrumGeeks did POF last week should be a no brainier, Good Luck
@@adama8990 Good to know, thanks.
Congrats Dale, I have recently taken and passed my Flight Performance & Planning exam and I also got 75% on this exam.
This exam is definitely the hardest exam to study for. Apparently speaking to the examiner a lot of students get 75% for this exam
Congrats and thanks for sharing, good to know others didn't breeze it :)
Well done Dale, all beyond me however interesting to watch. The hard work will all be worth it.
Thanks for watching :D
Thanks a lot dude your vidz really helped me with my exams, we in pakistan also have uk caa exams
Pleasure, glad it helped and fly safe.
Very helpful, thanks. FPP is my last exam. I would strongly advise (from what you say, and from what I've done) completely re-study Nav as well as the performance stuff. It's ages since I did nav, so I was a bit rusty. No ground school or PPL Tutor for me - just the books (Pooley's) and the practice exam booklets. You use cards - the key to my method is similar. I use a computer version of cards - an app (free) called Anki. I have made 2,500 Anki flash cards! I've done my Qualifying Cross Country (what a day that was!) so after this exam (if I pass) it's RT and skills test. I may make a video a bit like yours in case it helps others.
Best of luck Mark.
Cross Country is next for me, and Principles of Flight is my final ground exam, and then FROTL exam as well.
Bad weather keeps cancelling play for me.
@@SpectrumGeeks Thanks for the good wishes, and best of luck to you. I've had a lot of cancellations too. I fly out of Blackpool which is blowing a gale a lot of the time! On principles of flight I found stability needed careful study. Also, in the exam there was a question about it that was ambiguously worded. I got that one wrong, which is bad when you can only flunk a few and you fail. I've seen a number of stupid questions like this, very shoddy. I had to appeal my met exam result (fail) and, after a six month fighting the CAA, I won and passed first time like the others (so far). It had five dodgy questions in it selected at random for me!
Thanks for this video, this is my last exam and I’m also using EasyPPL to study, I’ll be attempting soon!
Did you find you had to memorise all of the generic factors given for TO and landing distance calculations or are they given to you if you get a question? I’ve had some EasyPPL mock questions that have given me the table of generic factors and others that have given me POH figures and included the runway is a wet paved surface!
Many thanks
Glad the videos are helpful.
From memory the questions where calculations are needed come with POH exerts with the factors in for you to reference for your calcs, just like you have experienced in EasyPPL.
Best of luck with the exam.
@@SpectrumGeeks Thanks for the reply! Passed the exam this morning and yes they did provide the factors!
Onto FRTOL next, thanks for putting these videos up to our minds at ease!
@@janezfeasey3842 Congratulations, best of luck for the FRTOL. Glad the videos are of some help.
Took two exams today. Air law 93%, op procedures 91%. This will be the next one I’m taking along side nav I’m dreading it
Congrats on the two exams and a great pass. Best of luck with Flight Performance and Planning, and your journey of becoming a pilot.
@@SpectrumGeeksthanks Dale, congrats on becoming a pilot 👍 took human performance exam yesterday and passed that 100%. Still dreading this one I best start learning it eugh 😂
@@phantomsnipe Congrats on the top marks, all the best for Flight Perf and Planning, and thanks for the congrats on getting my licence.