Ground School weather and Airspace??

Wade

Wade

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Maxcat
So I think I can pass my ground school exam as I have been getting high 80's on the practice quizzes but I would like to get better. I miss mainly airspace questions and the surface to 700 ft and 1200ft in the different classes just doesnt seem to stick.

The weather questions on the ADDS Metar always seems to throw me for a loop.


Also I suck at Zulu time and remembering compass deviation.

I would like to see any good or UNIQUE(I know how to look it up) ideas or ways to remember this stuff that worked for you
 
Good ways to remember, not sure, fltplan.com has a nice meter decoder.


But out of what you said, the big issues for real world ops, Zulu time and metars.
 
Wade said:
So I think I can pass my ground school exam as I have been getting high 80's on the practice quizzes but I would like to get better. I miss mainly airspace questions and the surface to 700 ft and 1200ft in the different classes just doesnt seem to stick.

The weather questions on the ADDS Metar always seems to throw me for a loop.


Also I suck at Zulu time and remembering compass deviation.

I would like to see any good or UNIQUE(I know how to look it up) ideas or ways to remember this stuff that worked for you
Click to expand...
I am all for memory aids, but honestly the things you mentioned are really things you should just learn. If you are weak at them just keep practicing and it will get easier with time.
 
The trick for Zulu time and it's not really a trick, but if you know Army time, just take that and add the appropriate time for your time zone.
Ex. I'm in the Eastern Time Zone so I would just take Army time 18:00 local +4 hours = 22:00 Zulu. Hopefully that helps a little.

As far as the questions you're missing, I'd go over that section of the material with your CFI. 1 on 1 instruction is usually the most helpful.
 
Almost all the written questions are written the other way. The AF/D and just about everything else lists the time difference FROM zulu. If it says an airport is -5, it means you subtract 5 hours from Zulu to get the local time (or conversely, you add 5 hours to local to get zulu).

Reminds me of Henry Blake on MASH.

Everything is fine until after lunch and then you start this hundred hours stuff. Why can't the Army tell time like everybody else.
 
Wade said:
So I think I can pass my ground school exam as I have been getting high 80's on the practice quizzes but I would like to get better. I miss mainly airspace questions and the surface to 700 ft and 1200ft in the different classes just doesnt seem to stick.

The weather questions on the ADDS Metar always seems to throw me for a loop.


Also I suck at Zulu time and remembering compass deviation.

I would like to see any good or UNIQUE(I know how to look it up) ideas or ways to remember this stuff that worked for you
Click to expand...
The airspace thing that to me wasn't obvious and took a while to get was that class G is everywhere(well not exactly), its just under everything(in most places). Its hard to visualize that because it isn't drawn on the sectional. The sectional is showing you where class E or some other space is modified from the default(of E to 1200). The shaded magenta, shows where E is lower than normal around airports. The shaded blue(getting rare) where E is higher than normal. Imagine that the shaded magenta circles you see on the sectional are like craters in the class G that is below 1200. Well, I've either helped or confused you and me both. Here is an article about 'The Logic behind Class E': http://www.boldmethod.com/learn-to-fly/airspace/class-e/
 
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"Reminds me of Henry Blake on MASH.

Everything is fine until after lunch and then you start this hundred hours stuff. Why can't the Army tell time like everybody else."

haha thats funny! I reallydont carewhat time it is in Greenwhich Londonbut I have to know to subtract 6 hours from their time unless its not daylight savings then you add one or is it subtract one more. urgghhhh!!




On the airspace I think I get what your saying someone also told me to think of it like a funnel into the airport and that seemed to make some sense.
 
Wade said:
...............I miss mainly airspace questions and the surface to 700 ft and 1200ft in the different classes just doesnt seem to stick............
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If it is questions that have you look at the sectional and then answer a question about it try this. May or may not help. Visualize it from the top down. Start with all airspace 14,500 MSL and above is controlled airspace, Class E up to but not including 18,000 MSL, then Class A above. EXCEPT that airspace less than 1,500 AGL is not, that is G. Now look to see where it's taken lower. Those blue staggered lines with a number MSL take it down to that altitude. Shaded Blue takes it down to 1200 AGL on the shaded side. Shaded Magenta takes it down to 700 AGL. And of course Surface Areas take it to the surface.
Try this. Skyvector, ForeFlight or whatever you have, plug in KNYL BZA KBWC. You'll go from Class D Surface to Class E Surface to Class E 1200 AGL floor to Class E 2500 MSL floor to Class E 4000 MSL floor to Class G to Class E 1200 AGL floor to Class E 700 AGL floor.
 
luvflyin said:
...Try this. Skyvector, ForeFlight or whatever you have, plug in KNYL BZA KBWC. You'll go from Class D Surface to Class E Surface to Class E 1200 AGL floor to Class E 2500 MSL floor to Class E 4000 MSL floor to Class G to Class E 1200 AGL floor to Class E 700 AGL floor.
Click to expand...
Right, makes you wonder what the point of keeping the class G to 14500 is. You gonna climb up to 14000 in 1mile vis and clear of clouds then dive back down to duck under the class E? I don't think there is any on the East coast, its kinda like seeing a unicorn. Maybe it(class G to 14500) is useful to someone, not sure who.
 
exncsurfer said:
Right, makes you wonder what the point of keeping the class G to 14500 is. You gonna climb up to 14000 in 1mile vis and clear of clouds then dive back down to duck under the class E? I don't think there is any on the East coast, its kinda like seeing a unicorn. Maybe it(class G to 14500) is useful to someone, not sure who.
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Yeah. G is on the endangered species list.
 
I got a cool trick from the guy at the testing office for remembering vfr requirements in class E.

Imagine 3 152's flying under 10,000.

3sm vis 1k ft above 500 ft below 2000ft flat

Then

5 F111's flyin over 10k feet for 5sm vis 1k ft above 1k feet below 1sm flat.
 
Wade said:
I got a cool trick from the guy at the testing office for remembering vfr requirements in class E.

Imagine 3 152's flying under 10,000.

3sm vis 1k ft above 500 ft below 2000ft flat

Then

5 F111's flyin over 10k feet for 5sm vis 1k ft above 1k feet below 1sm flat.
Click to expand...

That one has been around a looooong time. Problem is, most younger folks don't know what an F-111 is and definitely never saw one fly! Hahaha! :)
 
Because their stuck in their safe space looking for pokemans instead of learning about the real world . Sad!
 
Quad 37 MM AA GUNS SHOOTING TRACERS AT THOSE BOYS!

How many 20 year olds could handle that today?


 
Class E:
700 ft agl in magenta
1200 ft agl elsewhere
surface is the dotted magenta
18000ft msl is the top

This part you just have to memorize. For the 1200 and 700 just think, 700 is in more controlled space so those have the shaded magenta around them.

As for VFR in class E...
Below 10,000:
- 500 below clouds
- 1000 above clouds
- 2000 horizontal
- 3 miles visibility
Memorize: 5123

Above 10,000:
- 1000 below clouds
- 1000 above clouds
- 1 mile horizontal
- 5 miles visibility
1115

I actually memorized these mostly be reviewing them every few days, or saying it aloud before each flight.
 
forseth11 said:
Class E:
700 ft agl in magenta
1200 ft agl elsewhere
surface is the dotted magenta
18000ft msl is the top

This part you just have to memorize. For the 1200 and 700 just think, 700 is in more controlled space so those have the shaded magenta around them.

As for VFR in class E...
Below 10,000:
- 500 below clouds
- 1000 above clouds
- 2000 horizontal
- 3 miles visibility
Memorize: 5123

Above 10,000:
- 1000 below clouds
- 1000 above clouds
- 1 mile horizontal
- 5 miles visibility
1115

I actually memorized these mostly be reviewing them every few days, or saying it aloud before each flight.
Click to expand...

You've forgotten at least two. ;)
 
forseth11 said:
I thought I did... what did I forget exactly?
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Cloud clearances in Class Echo.

SVFR - a favorite of examiners as a gotcha. ;)

I'd have to go get my cheat sheet but I think that's it.

Well there's always the trick question of what they are above Class Alpha, too... and where does Alpha stop... heheh.
 
denverpilot said:
Cloud clearances in Class Echo.

SVFR - a favorite of examiners as a gotcha. ;)

I'd have to go get my cheat sheet but I think that's it.

Well there's always the trick question of what they are above Class Alpha, too... and where does Alpha stop... heheh.
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Oh, I thought you meant that my separation and visibility values were wrong.
My examiner tested me on MVFR. He never mentioned SVFR and all I remember is that it is some clearance you can get to take off or land with clear of cloud and 1 mile visibility, and they require IR for night.
Also class A ends at FL600 and that is where class e begins again.
 
forseth11 said:
Oh, I thought you meant that my separation and visibility values were wrong.
My examiner tested me on MVFR. He never mentioned SVFR and all I remember is that it is some clearance you can get to take off or land with clear of cloud and 1 mile visibility, and they require IR for night.
Also class A ends at FL600 and that is where class e begins again.
Click to expand...

Heh you got em.

Mile and clear of clouds in SVFR, and SVFR is only available at towered fields, can be charted as not available with "No SVFR", and must always be requested by the pilot. And you got the IFR rated (and current!) part about night also.

This isn't my cheat sheet, but it'll do.

Also missed Bravo airspace, (three miles and clear of clouds), and the changes for night for Golf airspace.

https://www.faasafety.gov/files/gslac/courses/content/25/185/VFR Weather Minimums.pdf
 
I made flash cards out of index cards and used colors that matched sectional colors for airspace. I just memorized them.

Also, one online video that helped me on class E and G was Jason Shappert's vid on mZeroA.

For Zulu time, go get a $15 watch from Walmart that has dual time and can go to 24hr display. Set your time zone and Zulu time. After a few days or a week, you'll figure it out like second nature (whatever that means).

METARS - Put ADDSMetars as a favorite in your phone with your airport. Look at the untranslated version exclusively. Try to figure it out, then load the translated version. You'll figure it out.
 
luvflyin said:
SVFR does not require there be a Tower or that the Tower be open if there is one.
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Bah. Sorry. Too much crap in my head right now. LOL. But it does "require" controlled airspace. ;)

And then there's Contact approaches... :)
 
455 Bravo Uniform said:
For Zulu time, go get a $15 watch from Walmart that has dual time and can go to 24hr display. Set your time zone and Zulu time. After a few days or a week, you'll figure it out like second nature (whatever that means).
.
Click to expand...


I like the watch idea Im going to do that tomorrow.
 
For remembering the airspace whether minimums I found the triangle graph worked best for me.

And when remembering the
3 miles
1000 above
500 below
2000 horizontally.
I just went with the "3 Cessna 152s" and added the old NES Contra code (up-up-dwn-dwn-left-right-left-right) 1000 up, 500 down, 2000 left and right.

Adding to 455s idea about flash cards there is an app called Anki that you can use to make flashcards for you phone and also download card decks that others have made. There are a couple decent ones for the private pilots license, but I found it helped me the most when I started makinh my own cards.
 
luvflyin said:
SVFR does not require there be a Tower or that the Tower be open if there is one.
Click to expand...
But it does require controlled airspace, for an airport. Those usually become Class G when the tower closes. Class E surface areas are fairly rare.
 
MAKG1 said:
But it does require controlled airspace, for an airport. Those usually become Class G when the tower closes. Class E surface areas are fairly rare.
Click to expand...

Yeah. It does seem rare. I would have thought there would be more. It surprised me that Hawthorne's(HHR) D reverted to G when the Tower closed because it is so close to runways at LAX.
 
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