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Skybound-mg

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Skybound-mg
I'm just starting off my journey to a PPL. I'm kind of in a holding pattern at the moment as I have to wait 90 days to even attempt my 3rd class medical -- Was diagnosed with ADD and have been on stimulant meds, needs 90 days without to even attempt it.

In the meantime I've been doing an online ground school. So far, so good.. but my biggest issue has been forgetting acronyms.. Not necessarily what the acronym is used for(CTAF, ADS-B, VOR (i finally got this one drilled into my head)), but what the letters actually stand for.

Does anyone know of any good "Cheatsheet" resources available that can be used as a quick-glance reference to help me as I'm continuing through my online ground school?
 
You could just build your own as you go. It’s been a long time since I took a written, but I recall that the acronym is either assumed ‘on the Sectional supplied, the CTAF for Martinsdale airport is: (multiple choice)” or “CTAF stands for (multiple choice).” If you know “what” it is, then that is generally enough. I know the concept of what ADS-B in & out mean & how it applies to different category airspace, but I can’t unpack the acronyn (nor can I unpack WAAS GPS in relation to ADS-B, but I know what it means in regard to having access to Class A & B airspace).
 
Make your own cheatsheet "as you go". Whenever you encounter an acronym and have to remind yourself what it stands for, just add it to the list. It should be long enough in no time.

...but don't sweat it too much. As long as you know what a Voracious Ornithological Representation is and does, you'll be all right. :)
 
kath said:
Make your own cheatsheet "as you go". Whenever you encounter an acronym and have to remind yourself what it stands for, just add it to the list. It should be long enough in no time.

...but don't sweat it too much. As long as you know what a Voracious Ornithological Representation is and does, you'll be all right. :)
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:D --I KNEW I finally had VOR right.. :-D

Yeah I think I'll just make my own then -- I've never taken a PPL test-- most of my computerized exams were for Microsoft technologies, and they'd love to ask you questions about something and give you 4 totally plausible answers--- if you didn't know what it was exactly, you'd get it wrong. They love to make up acronyms/function names/etc that aren't great, and there are more obvious choices that would have been better -- and those "Would have been better" options were ALWAYS on the tests.
 
Wait! VOR stands for something? Who knew!

The FAA actually asks stupid questions like this? Wow.

(It's been, like, purd near 50 years since my last FAA written... So please forgive me for being a maroon and not knowing this stuff.)
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Wait! VOR stands for something? Who knew!

The FAA actually asks stupid questions like this? Wow.

(It's been, like, purd near 50 years since my last FAA written... So please forgive me for being a maroon and not knowing this stuff.)
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Acronyms are one of those “new” things. ;)
 
Skybound-mg said:
I'm just starting off my journey to a PPL. I'm kind of in a holding pattern at the moment as I have to wait 90 days to even attempt my 3rd class medical -- Was diagnosed with ADD and have been on stimulant meds, needs 90 days without to even attempt it.

In the meantime I've been doing an online ground school. So far, so good.. but my biggest issue has been forgetting acronyms.. Not necessarily what the acronym is used for(CTAF, ADS-B, VOR (i finally got this one drilled into my head)), but what the letters actually stand for.

Does anyone know of any good "Cheatsheet" resources available that can be used as a quick-glance reference to help me as I'm continuing through my online ground school?
Click to expand...
I was going to suggest the Pilot/Controller Glossary, but then after digging in there for VOR, they don't even break down what that stands for (in the VOR section). They do spell it out in the VHF section, but only in relation to VORTAC, you'd still have to know(or assume) its the same VOR for each:

VOR entry(no mention of what it stands for):
"VOR− A ground-based electronic navigation aid transmitting very high frequency navigation signals, 360 degrees in azimuth, oriented from magnetic north. Used as the basis for navigation in the National Airspace System. The VOR periodically identifies itself by Morse Code and may have an additional voice identification feature. Voice features may be used by ATC or FSS for transmitting instructions/ information to pilots."

The VHF entries:
"
VHF− (See VERY HIGH FREQUENCY.)
VHF OMNIDIRECTIONAL RANGE/TACTICAL AIR NAVIGATION− (See VORTAC.)
"

Perhaps this section should have said: (See VOR or VORTAC) to make the implication a bit more clear.

So, maybe this resource isn't the best place for general acronym look ups.

Learn that one, and you get two for one, its an acronym containing an acronym.

https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/media/pcg_10-12-17.pdf
 
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Skybound-mg said:
:D --I KNEW I finally had VOR right.. :-D

Yeah I think I'll just make my own then -- I've never taken a PPL test-- most of my computerized exams were for Microsoft technologies, and they'd love to ask you questions about something and give you 4 totally plausible answers--- if you didn't know what it was exactly, you'd get it wrong. They love to make up acronyms/function names/etc that aren't great, and there are more obvious choices that would have been better -- and those "Would have been better" options were ALWAYS on the tests.
Click to expand...

If you're a sysadmin or developer for Microsoft based technologies, you'll have NO PROBLEM with all the FAA stuff. MS is the company that made completely deterministic systems (computers) completely random and generally unreliable. Part of the way they did that was by coming up with ridiculous acronyms, creating error ridden and conflicting technical documents, and re-badging 30 year old concepts as state of the art. They make the FAA documentation seem clear and concise. Welcome aboard!
 
Skybound-mg said:
In the meantime I've been doing an online ground school. So far, so good.. but my biggest issue has been forgetting acronyms.. Not necessarily what the acronym is used for(CTAF, ADS-B, VOR (i finally got this one drilled into my head)), but what the letters actually stand for.
Click to expand...
FWIW, a few things.

1. You will learn the important acronyms through repetition.
2. If you know what it's for, who cares what the individual words are. If you know a VOR is a ground based transmitter that sends out a signal translated by a receiver into discrete radials, so what if it stands for Very Obtuse Response?
3. Consider yourself lucky. Sounds like your brain will automatically reject the multitude of stupid mnemonics that many use to substitute for actual learning.
 
Htaylor said:
You mean like Fire Roasted Tomatoes? Or something like that.
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The worst of them. I used to do a periodic non-scientific survey online and during flight reviews, where I would ask a simple inop equipment question. Seemed those who learned the roasting tomatoes or doing nasty things to a feline mnemonic were more likely to get it wrong.

My all time favorite answer to an inop piece of required equipment question was, "It's not in [umentionable mnemonic], so you're good to go!"

...from a CFI!

Then there was my first student's checkride. He had a real airworthiness issue when he reviewed the aircraft logs. It was out of annual and no one else had noticed! We switched airplanes and he told the DPE what happened. Not impressed. Instead the DPE turned to me after my student passed and said he couldn't believe I hadn't taught the student the mnemonic!

The DPE is in prison now.
 
I've always disliked the mnemonics, too. To me, it's a way to pretend to remember something by remembering something else, not being quite sure of any of it. But maybe they help some people pass tests, or maybe even remember checklists. Maybe just how I learn. It's double work for less benefit for me.

My CFI asked me what "GUMPS" stood for. I said that one is easy. "Gear down. Undercarriage (gear) is down. Make sure the gear is down. Put the gear down. and finally Be SURE the gear is down." Because you can always run the other stuff off a checklist; you need to have your speeds right at multiple points anyway; and the items covered by the mnemonic happen at different times in most aircraft.
 
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