Flight Test and TC written this week. Any Last minute help!

[rt777]

Hey everyone, got my TC written sometime this week and my Flight test for my PPL.

I'm doing plenty of practice tests and keep scoring 65-75% on them, which concerns me. I'm reading chapters of FTGU like crazy and trying to get a little more understanding of everything before I take the actual TC test because I hear it is a lot harder than the practice and in school tests. Anyone have any tips for memorizing more material?

As for my flight test, I believe I will do fairly good, having a few problems with selecting a field for a Forced or Precautionary landing, as I get nervous as I don't want to pick anything unsuitable to land in. Otherwise I have about 65 hours and I believe my skills are pretty up to part with TC level.

Anyone have any last minute advice for either? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[captcrunch2013]

A 65-75% result on practice exams would indicate to me
that you have not studied the material, don't know the material
and have taken the practice exams too soon.

Now that you know or think you know the questions,
It's more a matter of understanding the material
rather than memorizing for an exam and perhaps
that's what is causing you problems.

Its a real temptation, to take practice exams and forget the
reading material. That will cost you in the end run.

Take a look at your incorrect answers and take a review of those
subject areas.

Odds are the real exam will be tougher , have newer questions
that are not included and that you have never seen before.

You can also go to the commercial exams and try those to see
what areas you are lacking in.

Any question, try putting it into Google and odds are there will be
a wealth of explanations to read.

[cap41]

Im a new grad. I found the TC written to be easier than the practice exams. Check the TC study guide. It will point you to the areas that are need to know. It's guaranteed that there will be questions from those highlighted area.

I found the flight exam enjoyable. keep talking, remember they are not there to try and fail you. Precautionary/forced landings are a small portion of the exam, You can still get partial marks in those areas even if you screw it up. nobody is perfect.

Please report back you results.

[Rookie50]

Those scores on practice exams are not high enough.

Suggests a weak area of understanding or 2, and truly understanding the material should be the goal, not memorization. Sorry but my frank thoughts. You should be scoring in the 90's and understand well each subject area. If there is a problem area spend some time with an instructor or experienced and current pilot strong in that area.

On the forced approach -- which I blew on my first ride, taking the ride on a day with 30 + knots upper winds, turned final, 30 or so knots over the ground, so didn't make the field -- they are less concerned with your choice of perfect field, than choosing one promptly, make a plan to land there, complete all checks and radio calls, brief passenger, secure engine/ fuel, ect...

You can change your mind on the field but do this early, and take your time -- lots of time from 4000 agl, assuming they still do it close to that.

Edit -- btw -- they are very fair to those showing competence, but you must achieve primary objectives like making the field! I had to do a good re- instructional flight with my CFI, 3 or 4 practice forced, then the next day I did a partial re-ride on the forced approach successfully.

I suggest read the flight test standards for ppl -- it is in the CARs online or your FTU can give you a copy.

[rt777]

Thanks everyone, really helps a lot! If that's the case, then I will study more!
I know I need to re-read all of the Materials, just I find when I read FTGU I don't really learn the outcomes of it unless I take notes and really really think it all over, rather than just quickly reading through it.

I have been reading and going over the Flight test standard for the PPL with my instructor so I have a good understanding on what I need to do for that. I still have a lesson or two before my Eval with my CFI before being recommended, so I should be able to practice the forced and whatever else I am not up to par in before

[Colonel Sanders]

Things people struggle with on PPL flight test:

1) steep turns (really). Passing 30 degrees of bank, add power and pull.

2) diversions. Practice procedure on ground until proficient

3) forced approach. Not enough practice. Poor prioritization.
Here's what you do:
(i) fly airplane (establish best distance glide speed pitch attitude, trim nose up)
(ii) plan and fly approach. If nothing else, immediately turn towards field.
(iii) engine restart

Rest is chicken sh1t. Here's the trick: Never stop doing (i),
even to do (ii) or even (iii). Far too many people stop flying
the approach so that they can do chickensh1t, which makes
me groan. You only do (ii) when (i) is good, and you only
do (iii) when both (i) and (ii) are good. Get it?

Learn to prioritize.

Note on PFL: Do not just look for fields on your
side, ahead of the airplane. That is only one quadrant,
and that is only 1/4 of the possibilities. There may be
a perfect field behind you, or directly underneath you.

Gamesmanship: Every examiner I have ever known,
pulls the throttle when he has a beautiful field on his
side of the airplane, which you will never look at. Debrief
point. When examiner pulls throttle, I viciously bank
aircraft right, knowing that there is a good field over there.
This upsets numerous people here, which as you might
imagine, causes me to stay awake at night.



Written test has been discussed to death here.

Read question. Slowly.
Read answers. All of them. Slowly
Read question again.
Read answers again.

Questions are often tricky and test your reading
comprehension and language skills, instead of your
aviation knowledge. Yes, we all know that, and
there's nothing we can do about it.

You can probably discard two answers as being
wrong. There will be two answers, both of which
will work just fine in the real world. But one of them
will be ever-so-slightly more correct.

Once you have answered, do not change. Your
first answer is always the best answer.

Do not spend too much time on one question.
Come back to it later.

Do not leave answers blank. There is no penalty
for incorrect answers. If you run out of time, choose
(c) or the longest answer.

[rt777]

Thanks again. Much appreciated.

What do you all think of the From the Ground up Workbook? It seems like a good way to study

[YQLRookie]

I did my flight test and exam back in early August, so I'll throw in my two cents worth also.

Flight Test
-Like others have said, keep talking. I was told to treat the examiner like my first passenger, so explain everything you do. Along a similar line, don't be afraid to verbalize ahead of time what you expect to happen (ie. I'm going to turn a little bit early here due to the crosswind)
-Stay calm. Getting nervous or upset is going to do you no good, treat the flight as if it was any other one of your pre-flight tests. If you blow an exercise and you know it? Well that's a shame, but move on and put it behind you, it's much easier to redo one partial than the entire test because you were upset.
-Our CFI partialled one student for saying what he was going to do while on final approach instead of actually doing it. You're high and would forward slip? Do it. My examiner had me take the forced approach to around 150' or 200' AGL, so treat it like the real deal. Oh, and don't forget your engine warms there.
-Did I mention staying calm?

TC Exam
-Similar to the flight test - stay calm
-You've got 3 hours, so take your time. As you go through the test I found it was helpful to star questions you were uncertain of, and then going back to tackle the question with a fresh mind
-It wasn't a problem on my test, but watch out for units, and make sure you thoroughly read the briefing for your navigation section.

Study hard until the end and leave no page unreviewed under the idea that "I've got it". On a few practice tests I noticed I was crashing on some basic concepts in the General section that I had glossed over in the FTGU like theory of flight. Went back, reinforced the key concepts, aced the general section. Good luck!

[rt777]

Again, thank you everyone, much appreciated. Going to dig my face into the book and study until I know everything!

[dirtysidedown]

Again, thank you everyone, much appreciated. Going to dig my face into the book and study until I know everything!

I echo this one, I have a supervisory coming up with my CFI and then my flight exam. I haven't started the hardcore studying for my written, but that will occur very soon.

[New_PIC]

Again, thank you everyone, much appreciated. Going to dig my face into the book and study until I know everything!

I've just recently finished some review flights and have a flight test booked this coming week as well. Also, like you, I still have to do the written exam. However, I first started a long time ago and then let it go for many years so my FTGU copy is quite a bit out of date. It doesn't hurt to read it but, instead of studying that old book much, I've been using the online AIM and the online CARs a lot. I've also been using some practice tests, and getting decent scores, but when I've been unsure on a question I go to the CARs or AIM to check it. And you should be familiar with this too:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/civilaviation/p ... u-2494.htm

Good Luck!

[rt777]

Hey guys, did the flight test yesterday. Scored 112 on it, mostly got 4's, and the odd 2-3 but everything went very good.

Now to pass that written on tuesday!

[New_PIC]

Congratulations!

I did my flight test yesterday too. I didn't get a score from the examiner but he said I passed and did well. I felt like I just scraped through some of the air work and I'm not happy with that. Once I'm on my own I'll put some effort into polishing up those skills, though I do intend to get out and go places too.

I don't have my written scheduled yet. Soon though. Good Luck on Tuesday!!

[Big Pistons Forever]

If you have passed the flight test but have not done the written you are still a student pilot. That means to legally fly you still have to be authorized for a "solo" flight by an instructor. Personally I will not authorize anybody who has passed the exam to go flying.

You want to go flying write the exam !

[Big Pistons Forever]

Deleted, double post

[Shiny Side Up]

If you have passed the flight test but have not done the written you are still a student pilot. That means to legally fly you still have to be authorized for a "solo" flight by an instructor. Personally I will not authorize anybody who has passed the exam to go flying.

You want to go flying write the exam !

+1

One thing I really wish TC would mandate is that one must write the written before you do the flight test, just like all the other licenses and ratings where both apply. A frequent problem is students who do the flight test, then immediately want to keep flying. Like BPF I won't authorize students to fly past this stage (excepting anyone who actually still needs anything to complete the license). Get your frikken written done! If you have time to book in a flight, or a lesson, YOU HAVE TIME TO WRITE THE WRITTEN OR GET SOME STUDYING DONE TOWARDS IT. If you don't get this important bit, or feel that an exception should be made in your favour for this, you are deserving of ridicule of the most scathing kind.

[Rookie50]

I did not even know you could do a flight test prior to passing the written. In my instructors eyes then, that was not even for discussion. I agree completely. For the cpl and IFR, I studied and passed the written before even starting the airwork towards the flight test.

[Shiny Side Up]

I did not even know you could do a flight test prior to passing the written. In my instructors eyes then, that was not even for discussion. I agree completely. For the cpl and IFR, I studied and passed the written before even starting the airwork towards the flight test.

On those two you must do that, on the PPL however, it is not a requirement.

[New_PIC]

If you have passed the flight test but have not done the written you are still a student pilot. That means to legally fly you still have to be authorized for a "solo" flight by an instructor. Personally I will not authorize anybody who has passed the exam to go flying.

You want to go flying write the exam !

+1

One thing I really wish TC would mandate is that one must write the written before you do the flight test, just like all the other licenses and ratings where both apply. A frequent problem is students who do the flight test, then immediately want to keep flying. Like BPF I won't authorize students to fly past this stage (excepting anyone who actually still needs anything to complete the license). Get your frikken written done! If you have time to book in a flight, or a lesson, YOU HAVE TIME TO WRITE THE WRITTEN OR GET SOME STUDYING DONE TOWARDS IT. If you don't get this important bit, or feel that an exception should be made in your favour for this, you are deserving of ridicule of the most scathing kind.

It sounds like you've had trouble with this in the past and it's something of a hot button for you. It may be a frequent problem but you don't know me or anything about me. Have a nice day.

[Rookie50]

If you have passed the flight test but have not done the written you are still a student pilot. That means to legally fly you still have to be authorized for a "solo" flight by an instructor. Personally I will not authorize anybody who has passed the exam to go flying.

You want to go flying write the exam !

+1

One thing I really wish TC would mandate is that one must write the written before you do the flight test, just like all the other licenses and ratings where both apply. A frequent problem is students who do the flight test, then immediately want to keep flying. Like BPF I won't authorize students to fly past this stage (excepting anyone who actually still needs anything to complete the license). Get your frikken written done! If you have time to book in a flight, or a lesson, YOU HAVE TIME TO WRITE THE WRITTEN OR GET SOME STUDYING DONE TOWARDS IT. If you don't get this important bit, or feel that an exception should be made in your favour for this, you are deserving of ridicule of the most scathing kind.

It sounds like you've had trouble with this in the past and it's something of a hot button for you. It may be a frequent problem but you don't know me or anything about me. Have a nice day.

Oh Man.

I can tell this won't be recieved, but perhaps get a new FTGU and try to learn and understand the material well, not just memorize through practice exams. This is assuming you wish to become a well versed and trained pilot, and not simply get the rating. Just my 2 cents.

[New_PIC]

I did a practice exam last night and got between 90% and 95% on every section. I have no concern about passing the test, I just have other things going on in my life right now and I haven't scheduled the exam in. I had every intention of writing it before the flight test but the weather has been so nice that I went for my review flights and the flight test first.

[Shiny Side Up]

It sounds like you've had trouble with this in the past and it's something of a hot button for you. It may be a frequent problem but you don't know me or anything about me. Have a nice day.

Who says its all about you? The forum by its nature is a general broadcast. If you weren't going to do that, then disregard. If you were, then feel free to take offense.

[rt777]

I did a practice exam last night and got between 90% and 95% on every section. I have no concern about passing the test, I just have other things going on in my life right now and I haven't scheduled the exam in. I had every intention of writing it before the flight test but the weather has been so nice that I went for my review flights and the flight test first.

In my case, I start my CPL on Tuesday, so I had to get my flight test done before September, so I took advantage of the weather.

I started my PPL and ground school on July 1st, and my plan is to take my TC on Tuesday, I realize I am still a student pilot, however I am not too worried about passing the written either. Just really wanted to get my flight test in before the weather starts going away, and I would take my written exam a few days after the flight test anyways

[rt777]

By the way, I won't be planning on flying until my PPAER has been passed, so don't worry I am not getting too far ahead of myself!

[Shiny Side Up]

Just really wanted to get my flight test in before the weather starts going away,

I hate to point this out to you, but September and October are usually the two nicest months of the year for weather in Canada. Flying wise that is.