Changes to Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) Airman Knowledge Test

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ethosunum

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EthosUnum
Just saw this circulated today through ASA. For all those interested.

http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/media/whats_new_par_tests.pdf

Beginning February 9, 2015
Questions in the following topic areas have been deleted:
o ADF/NDB
o Radar Summary Charts
o EFAS (En Route Flight Advisory Service)
o Medevac
o TWEB (Transcribed Weather Broadcast)
The following types of questions have been deleted:
o Questions involving scalability (i.e., those questions requiring the use of non-standard scales for measurement or calculation)
o Aircraft performance and weather questions that involve multiple interpolations across multiple charts



Sounds like getting rid of the computational sectional based questions with non-standard scales. At least to me it did.
 
Finally... I took my written just a few months ago. I wish this would've come sooner. With all the weather products available online and EFBs, trying to understand the old stuff was confusing. The interpolation stuff was a trip, too. The numbers are close enough already on 152 performance charts; if I have to get ultra scientific and interpolate to see if I can make a short field takeoff or landing, I probably shouldn't be trying.
 
now if they get rid of the "which direction do I turn the knob" on the instrument test....
 
murphey said:
now if they get rid of the "which direction do I turn the knob" on the instrument test....
Click to expand...
:yeahthat: I'm about to start prepping for instrument, and from what I hear, I'll just wait for them to start pulling nonsense from the written.
 
I hope its for the better, sounds like their turning toward more practical "real world" type stuff.
 
ethosunum said:
Just saw this circulated today through ASA. For all those interested.

http://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/media/whats_new_par_tests.pdf

Beginning February 9, 2015
Questions in the following topic areas have been deleted:
o ADF/NDB
o Radar Summary Charts
o EFAS (En Route Flight Advisory Service)
o Medevac
o TWEB (Transcribed Weather Broadcast)
The following types of questions have been deleted:
o Questions involving scalability (i.e., those questions requiring the use of non-standard scales for measurement or calculation)
o Aircraft performance and weather questions that involve multiple interpolations across multiple charts



Sounds like getting rid of the computational sectional based questions with non-standard scales. At least to me it did.
Click to expand...


Sounds good overall, though I have no problem with students working across multiple charts--they just need to make it so the answers are not 16.1 gallons, 16.2 gallons, and 16.4 gallons, etc.!

I am a bit surprised to see EFAS on the list; it, combined with FSS, are still relevant to many airplanes that do not have in cockpit weather.
 
TUPilot said:
Sounds good overall, though I have no problem with students working across multiple charts--they just need to make it so the answers are not 16.1 gallons, 16.2 gallons, and 16.4 gallons, etc.!

I am a bit surprised to see EFAS on the list; it, combined with FSS, are still relevant to many airplanes that do not have in cockpit weather.
Click to expand...

Weather advisory service will still be available, it just won't have a discrete frequency and there will no longer be a specialist specifically designated to monitor 122.0. Weather will now be available from any specialist on any frequency listed as an FSS frequency. Why ask knowledge exam questions about a service that is no longer distinguishable from other FSS services? BTW, this isn't going to happen until 10-1-15.

Bob Gardner
SAY AGAIN, PLEASE
 
ethosunum said:
Beginning February 9, 2015
Questions in the following topic areas have been deleted:
o ADF/NDB
o Radar Summary Charts
o EFAS (En Route Flight Advisory Service)
o Medevac
o TWEB (Transcribed Weather Broadcast)
Click to expand...


Other than medevac stuff, you know you've gotten old flying when you've used all of those things to good purpose and they're gone or going away. Heh.

When do they bring AM Weather back on PBS? I used to set the VCR to record it. Hahaha. Sigh.
 
ethosunum said:
o Questions involving scalability (i.e., those questions requiring the use of non-standard scales for measurement or calculation)
Click to expand...

Anyone know what that means?
 
dmspilot said:
Anyone know what that means?
Click to expand...

Assume it has to deal with questions that involve measuring distance on excerpts of the sections that aren't at standard scale. So you had to use the scale printed, not what you read from a plotter.

:dunno: But I have not even taken it yet :dunno:
 
About time they ditch those damn radar summary charts. I've never bothered to even look at one outside of a written.
 
So are they getting rid of these questions on all the tests or just Private Pilot? I've been working my way through the King Schools Instrument Rating course and there are a TON of ADF questions. Not really hard, but also not really applicable to most aircraft these days either.
 
bobmrg said:
Weather advisory service will still be available, it just won't have a discrete frequency and there will no longer be a specialist specifically designated to monitor 122.0. Weather will now be available from any specialist on any frequency listed as an FSS frequency. Why ask knowledge exam questions about a service that is no longer distinguishable from other FSS services? BTW, this isn't going to happen until 10-1-15.

Bob Gardner
SAY AGAIN, PLEASE
Click to expand...

I guess I missed that. I didn't know that 122.0 was going away. Doesn't really matter, I can count the number of times I've used it over the past 10+ years on the fingers of one hand. Maybe that's why it is going away?
 
Ghery said:
I guess I missed that. I didn't know that 122.0 was going away. Doesn't really matter, I can count the number of times I've used it over the past 10+ years on the fingers of one hand. Maybe that's why it is going away?
Click to expand...

I have rarely used EFAS but it will be easier to get now....122.0 was/is hit or miss reception...now just find a FSS frequency that will work and get the advisory.

Flight Watch is still there....just not the dedicated 122.0 freq.
 
StinkBug said:
So are they getting rid of these questions on all the tests or just Private Pilot? I've been working my way through the King Schools Instrument Rating course and there are a TON of ADF questions. Not really hard, but also not really applicable to most aircraft these days either.
Click to expand...

It's a process...they just did the private first. The others will be changed in due time.

Bob Gardner
 
Ghery said:
I guess I missed that. I didn't know that 122.0 was going away. Doesn't really matter, I can count the number of times I've used it over the past 10+ years on the fingers of one hand. Maybe that's why it is going away?
Click to expand...

Not going away, Ghery, just being added to the usual mix with 122.2, 123.6, etc. Expect the A/FD and AIM to be corrected soon.

Bob Gardner
 
TUPilot said:
Sounds good overall, though I have no problem with students working across multiple charts--they just need to make it so the answers are not 16.1 gallons, 16.2 gallons, and 16.4 gallons, etc.!
Click to expand...

I know exactly what you mean. Especially if the performance charts that you need to interpolate provide for a 10% reading error. It always drove me crazy.
 
So is the 2015 ASA/GLEIM PPL Test prep going to be valid after 2/9/15? Will there be new questions added, or only deleted?
 
If they do change the test bank, you should be able to get the revisions through Asa, gleim, etc.

I'm glad they are revising it. I got sick of having to explain to students why they are being tested on something they probably won't use.
 
So, I have to wonder that if the ADF/NDB questions are disappearing, if they will remain on the instrument tests. At least the NDB questions should possibly remain due to the use of localizers on ILS approaches and to identify certain intersections on victor airways.

Whatcha all think?

David
 
All makes sense, but why did they drop medevac and radar charts??
 
flhrci said:
So, I have to wonder that if the ADF/NDB questions are disappearing, if they will remain on the instrument tests. At least the NDB questions should possibly remain due to the use of localizers on ILS approaches and to identify certain intersections on victor airways.

Whatcha all think?

David
Click to expand...

Ehh...what does an NDB have to do with the localizer component of the ILS? Or were you referring to Compass Locators?
 
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