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Tips On How To Pass Pilot Theory Exams

Tips On How To Pass Pilot Theory Exams Expand

Tips On How To Pass Pilot Theory Exams

Founder of PilotPracticeExams.com shares 9 years experience on his top tips on how to pass pilot theory exams including RPL, PPL and CPL.

The first and most powerful tip is that you have to learn how to study. The CASA RPL, PPL, CPL and ATPL licence exams and the rating exams like Command Instrument Rating or Flight Instructor Rating are extremely difficult exams. PilotPracticeExams.com founder has been a teacher and educator for over 20 years and has put together a great video series teaching you how to study. Go to the main menu of the site and look for the link.

This difficulty is compounded by ambiguity and wording. If you ask anyone who has been through these exams they will exclaim something about CASA’s use of trick wording. It’s so vital that you prepare for the trick wording and the best way to do that is by practicing exam questions that include ambiguity and trick wording.

The third aspect is spending the time required for learning the material. Some of these exams have a lot of content covering the seven subject areas of:

Basic Aeronautical Knowledge
Basic Aerodynamics
Flight Instruments
Human Factors
Navigation and Flight Planning
Meteorology
Air Law

Then you have to study so much to answer potentially 55-60 questions from a question bank of around 1400 possible questions. In trying to learn so much content one of the issues is you tend to cover so much information superficially that you start forgetting faster than you can commit the information to memory. This is why we developed the pilot practice exam super cycles.

The exams will only cover things included in the Part 61 Manual of Standards aka the theory syllabus. However sometimes the question can have 2, 3 or even 4 right answers. You should choose the answer that sounds most correct or in some cases the one that is least incorrect.

That might sound weird or bad, but CASA is deliberately trying to trip up candidates who are trying to pass just by recalling information from memory. It’s super important that a pilot actually understands the theory and can apply all of concepts to new or challenging situations.

While the exams can at times be frustrating, the mental games and skills played in having to pass your exams will ultimately make you a much better decision maker and safer pilot once you have passed.

Being a pilot of a small aircraft can be inherently dangerous and so CASA isn’t wanting to hand out licences to those that are not willing to learn the required information to be safe.

Recreational Pilot Licence (RPL) Theory Exam

The RPL stands for Recreational Pilot Licence and is a bit easier than a PPL and has more limitations. Some people skip RPL and go straight for a PPL. However if you intend to sit your CPL and ATPL exams the more exam practice you get the better.

Most pilots in a flight school will begin their career by studying for the RPL theory exam which costs around $170 per attempt and covers:

Basic Aeronautical Knowledge
Basic Aerodynamics
Flight Instruments
Human Factors
Local Navigation and Flight Planning
Meteorology
Flight Rules and Air Law

Some subjects are much harder than others, which is why effective and efficient study is so very important. Most people find Aerodynamics, Navigation and Flight Planning the hardest areas. In particular the fuel calculations, law around requirements for an alternate aerodrome, performance and loading charts and aerodynamic graphs, trip a lot of people up.

The exam is predominantly multiple choice, with 4 options and is completed online. Some questions will be type in a number. You have 2 hours, and a pass mark of 70% is required. Expect around 55-60 questions.

The study commitment required to pass an RPL exam is around 50-100 hours minimum for most people. If you struggle with any topics repeatedly it’s time to ask someone like your instructor, a tutor or in a the Pilot Practice Exams Facebook group. You should also be completing many repeated cycles of study and practice exams beforehand so you get a really good idea of the exam format, your strengths and weaknesses and even the types of silly mistakes you might make.

The exam will only cover topics listed in the Part 61 Manual Of Standards Volume 3 listed under units covered for RPL (all categories) and RPLA (for aeroplane) or RPLH (for helicopter).

You should order a physical copy of the VFRG and the Part 91 Manual Of Standards and use them in preparation and in the exam. You also need to be come very familiar with the content of the RPL PPL CPL workbook. We have also put together some free courses you can find from the home page of pilotpracticeexams.com. You should also try some of our free practice exams on the website.

Private Pilot Licence (PPL) Theory Exam

The PPL stands for Private Pilot Licence and is a bit harder than a RPL and has more privileges and recognition. A PPL is recognised by most other countries where as an RPL is not. A PPL also has the advantage of carrying more passengers, flying bigger aircraft and being able to add a night rating.

If you intend to sit your CPL and ATPL exams the more exam practice you get the better, so we recommend doing your RPL first.

The PPL theory exam costs around $170 per attempt and covers:

Aeronautical Knowledge
Basic Aerodynamics
Flight Instruments
Human Factors
Operations, Performance and Flight Planning
Navigation
Meteorology
Flight Rules and Air Law

Some subjects are much harder than others, which is why effective and efficient study is so very important. Most people find Meteorology, Aerodynamics, Navigation and Flight Planning the hardest areas. In particular the fuel calculations, law around requirements for an alternate aerodrome, performance and loading charts and aerodynamic graphs, trip a lot of people up. CASA likes to add some hard weather and turbo or supercharger questions in to the mix for a PPL exam.

The exam is predominantly multiple choice, with 4 options and is completed online. Some questions will be type in a numbers, particularly for the performance and loading charts or fuel calculations. You have 2 hours, and a pass mark of 70% is required. Expect around 55-60 questions.

The study commitment required to pass an PPL exam is around 50-100 hours minimum for most people. However if you have sat and passed an RPL exam recently, a PPL will require around an additional 20-30 hours study. If you struggle with any topics repeatedly its time to ask someone like your instructor, a tutor or in a the Pilot Practice Exams Facebook group. You should also be completing many repeated cycles of study and practice exams beforehand so you get a really good idea of the exam format, your strengths and weaknesses and even the types of silly mistakes you might make.

The exam will only cover topics listed in the Part 61 Manual Of Standards Volume 3 listed under units covered for PPL (all categories) and PPLA (for aeroplane) or PPLH (for helicopter).

You should also try some of our free practice exams on the website.

Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL) Theory Exams

The CPL stands for Commercial Pilot Licence and the questions are on similar topics but a lot harder than an RPL or PPL exam. The topics are broken up into 7 exams which can make studying easier for the CPL than the RPL or PPL, but the level of depth into each topic is very significant.

So when you go to sit your CPL exams the more exam practice you get the better, so we recommend you do lots of study combined with literally thousands of practice questions. Identify your weak topics and problem areas and study those areas relentlessly.

The CPL theory exams cost around $170 per subject, per attempt and covers the 7 CPL subjects of:

Aeronautical General Knowledge* 1.5 hours 70% pass mark
Aerodynamics* 1.5 hours 70% pass mark
Navigation 1.75 hours 70% pass mark
Human Factors 1.25 hours 70% pass mark
Performance and Flight Planning* 2.5 hours 70% pass mark
Meteorology 1.5 hours 70% pass mark
Air Law* 2 hours 80% pass mark

3 of these subjects are common for CPLA (aeroplane) and CPLH (helicopter). These are Navigation, Meteorology, Human Factors and Navigation. Aeroplane and helicopter candidates sit different exams for Aeronautical General Knowledge, Aerodynamics, Air Law and Performance and Flight Planning.

Some subjects are much harder than others, which is why effective and efficient study is so very important. Most people find Performance and Flight Planning in a league of its own in terms of difficulty. Aerodynamics is most likely the 2nd most difficult and then Air Law because it has a pass mark of 80%.

The exams are predominantly multiple choice, with 4 options and are completed online. Some questions will be type in a numbers, particularly for the performance and loading charts or fuel calculations. CASA is trending towards more type in answers.

The study commitment required to pass an CPL exam is around 50-100 hours minimum per subject for most people. A CPL candidate studying full time can pass in as little as 7 weeks, however most candidates take around 4-5 months when full time. Candidates working jobs tend to take around 12-18 months. CASA has a window requiring you to pass all exams within 2 years of your first exam. If you take 2 years and 4 months, you would have to resit those exams you sat in the first four months and any exams that also fall out of the window.

For the above reasons we say never leave the Performance Exam until last. Some candidate may experience 3 fails for an exam and get locked out of resitting that exam for 3 months. If you fail a 4th or more time, you must get retraining and prove to CASA you are fit to resit the exam.

Candidates wanting to do both CPLA and CPLH, should consider sitting the same subjects for Aeroplane and Helicopter in close proximity to each other, as the content has a lot of overlap. One candidate actually sat them on the same day as each other. We don’t recommend this, but we would prefer that over doing them 6 months later.

The exam will only cover topics listed in the Part 61 Manual Of Standards Volume 3 listed under units covered for CPL (all categories) and CPLA (for aeroplane) or CPLH (for helicopter).

You should also try some of our free practice exams on the website.

Conclusion

All exam success relies on effective, efficient and sound study techniques. Research consistently proves practice exams and study cycles are one of the most effective study techniques, which is why most textbooks have theory and then questions. However research also shows that the number of cycles needs to be 10 or greater. This is where practice exams really allow a candidate to accelerate learning and memory.

Be prepared to put in the time and effort like your life depends on it. There are no second chances when flying aircraft and making serious errors of judgement, so candidates must be prepared to study a lot, learn the content properly and put what they have learned into training and flying safely.

If you ever doubt anything, always ask an instructor.

Try Some Free Practice Exams

Go to the main home page and select the exams that interest you. Once on the exams page look for the dark blue buttons saying “Free Practice Exam”. Once on the exam page if you need instructions hover your mouse or press the blue question mark circles below the exams to see tips on how to do things.

My Training Starts In A Few Months?

What can I do to prepare in the mean time? Expand

The logical step is to go to the homepage of this site or the main menu and go to courses.

These are FREE courses we have to help with both RA-Aus and RPL.

Note even though the site looks similar, it is actually a separate website to this one. Because its free we do not offer any support for it.

Set up a free account and go for it. Work your way through the lessons.

Once you know what your first exam will be, feel free to purchase the practice exams for that package on the join page of this site.

If you are unsure , purchase the combo or RAA RPL and PPL and make a start.

Joining & Purchase Questions

How do I join? Expand

Hey, just head to this link and select the best option: https://www.pilotpracticeexams.com/membership-join/

What do you mean by up to 3 months or 12 months? Expand

We allow users extra time because everyone’s work and study schedule is different and we do not want to punish those who take longer.

As a result we allow you up to 3 months to pass RAA or RPL etc.

CPL & ATPL is up to 12 months and can be renewed for a further period.

If however you pass and you purchase the next level of membership, we require you relinquish the previous membership level.

Why do we do this?

Having access to a prior membership is nothing but a distraction for the candidate. We want our members 100% focused on the exams in front of them. We make no apology for that, it’s part of why we get the results we do.
It costs a lot and we always try to keep our prices as low as we can to benefit as many people as possible. Many of our costs are on a per membership basis. So having people holding memberships they do not need, drives up costs.
It speeds up the server for everyone. More members than necessary means the server has to dig through far bigger tables every time something is accessed. This slows down the servers for everyone.

What licence do I do first? Expand

Almost everyone starts by training for either an RA-Aus issued “Pilot Certificate” (called RAA or RPC) or a CASA issued “Recreational Pilots Licence” (called RPL).

Some people can start with a PPL or even a CPL, however there are drawbacks in doing so. Particularly in a lack of exam and flight test experience and in your knowledge of the RPL syllabus which is sometimes questioned in higher level exams.

Those people flying just for fun on a budget in 2 seater aircraft, tend to go RA-Aus. Those looking to progress sooner rather than later tend to go straight for an RPL. Some start training and skip the RPC and RPL and go straight to a Private Pilots Licence (PPL).

Note: you cannot earn money or charge more than the other occupants share of costs on RAA, RPL, PPL. E.g if the aircraft costs $200 to fly and its a 2 seat aircraft, the most you can charge a friend is $100 and it is strictly forbidden to advertise or publicly post for occupants.

You can charge money with a CPL, or ATPL, but you generally cannot start on these licences.

Hours to attain a licence are approximately:

RAA = 20 – 30 hours + 10 hours navigation
RPL = 25 – 30 hours + 10 hours navigation
PPL = 40 – 55 hours includes navigation
CPL = 150 – 200 hours includes navigation
ATPL = 1500+ hours includes navigation

In 95% plus cases you will be looking to start with RAA or RPL.

https://www.pilotpracticeexams.com/membership-join/

What level membership do I buy? Expand

Take a look at the following page:

https://www.pilotpracticeexams.com/membership-join/

Buy the membership for the exam you are going to do.

If starting out, you will want RPL or RAA.

RAA is for people flying in recreational aircraft under Recreational Aviation Australia. These aircraft tend to be aircraft like Foxbats Jabirus etc. They are in the 600 kg or less category. The rego numbers start with 24 – #### or 23-####.

RPL is for people learning in CASA approved General Aviation (GA) flight schools. The aircraft are generally Cessna or Piper aircraft and the rego numbers start with VH-###.

If you are sitting CPL, buy the 7 subject CPL package. It gives incredible flexibility to move between subjects as required and very significant savings, over buying the subjects individually.

If you are sitting ATPL, buy the 7 subject ATPL package. It gives incredible flexibility to move between subjects as required and very significant savings, over buying the subjects individually.

If converting from an overseas CPL(A) purchase either CLWA & IREX & CHUF, or the 7 subject CPL and IREX.

If converting from an overseas CPL(H) purchase either CLWA & CHUF, or the 7 subject CPL.

Instructors rating for CASA purchase the PIRC aka FIRC.

If doing an IFR rating do either PIFR or IREX. We have a video on the youtube channel explaining the difference here.

Can I pay with credit card or debit card or bank deposit? Yes. Expand

Yes, you can pay via credit card.

The preferred, fastest and easiest method is PayPal, but if you do not have a PayPal account you can use credit card.

To do so click join now on the PPE Join Page. Then when the PayPal screen pops up select pay with credit card, as shown below.

We do accept bank deposits in rare circumstances. Use the contact us page to ask and note it does cause a delay waiting for money to clear.

Can I pay with direct bank deposit? Yes. Expand

Yes, you can pay via direct bank deposit, but there is a small delay of around 24 hours.

Please contact us via the contact form. When paying ensure you pay the exact correct amount using your surname as a payment reference or message and then contact us via the contact form after paying.

https://www.pilotpracticeexams.com/contact/

Please allow 24-48 hours before the money is cleared, we will then provide access.

Do you have helicopter exams? Yes. Expand

Yes. You may notice some of our content uses more aeroplane focused language, that is because initially we were aeroplane only. In early 2019 we have contracted a helicopter instructor to write helicopter specific content.

Can I get a discount? No. Expand

No sorry we do not discount. The value of our product is extremely high and our members constantly tell us it is the best money they ever spent.

Do you offer refunds? No. Expand

No. These are a digital product and some people buy the day prior to their exam. As a result refunds cannot be given.

Where is the Facebook Group? Expand

The Facebook group is for Australian pilots only, or persons from overseas, converting to an Australian licence. This is so the group can be very focused on the Australian rules and exams.

Please ensure you answer the 3 simple questions when applying to join the group or your application will be delayed significantly.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/ppexams/

I’m from overseas, can I join the Facebook group? Expand

Only if you have already purchased the practice exams. You will need to let us know when you apply to join the group, in your response to one of the questions. As we do reject all overseas applicants unless they have already purchased a membership.

Can flight schools get a special rate or group buy? Expand

Since we already price our exams as low as we can, setting up flight schools for discounts creates more work than it is worth in most cases.

If you require a group bill, please contact us.

Most flight schools get students to purchase directly.

Some have it built into the cost. They purchase by using this link https://www.paypal.me/mcoweb with the exact amount for the number of students. They then send us an email like below

E.g.

Hi Matt, we have just paid for the following exams

Firstname: John

Lastname: Smith

Email: sampleemail@gmail.com

Practice Exams Required: PPL

Firstname: Jenny

Lastname: Hill

Email: sampleemail@gmail.com

Practice Exams Required: PIRC

Allow 1-24 hours for setup to occur.

Candidates will receive emails as soon as setup occurs.

What browsers and devices are compatible? Expand

Chrome, Safari and Edge work well.

Firefox does not play nicely with our site.

The site is best used on desktop, but will also work well on phone and tablet.

Some older iPads or iPads with out of date software may have minor glitches.

Newer and up to date iPads are fine.

Do I get a refund or discount if I swap levels inside the dates? No Expand

It is extremely common for people to swap membership levels before the expiry date.

The reason we provide long memberships is to try and allow you all to pass in your own time.

Some people have 2 jobs and families, others get busy.

The value is in using the product to pass and you get the exact same value whether that takes a week or 3 months.

When you choose to begin studying your next level, you must relinquish the current level.

This helps us keep costs low for you and helps keep the website running fast for everyone.

Membership Swaps, Upgrades, Add-Ons

Can I upgrade from one membership to another? Sort of. Expand

YES you can buy a higher level. It is at the same price that every other person would pay.

Why? Because, our prices are already as low as we can possibly have them, so we can help as many people as possible.

Please go to the join page and purchase the membership you wish to change to.

If swapping from RAA to RPL or PPL, or from RPL to PPL, or from any to CPL, or from any to ATPL, you must relinquish your current membership.

Simply purchase your new membership and it will over-write your current membership.

I have one membership. Can I purchase another subject or level? Expand

You can buy SOME** other levels or subjects, but in most cases, doing so will apply the new membership level over the top and delete your old membership level. Important – Our membership software currently only supports one membership level per email address.

When moving from one licence level to the next simply purchase the new package and it will over-write your existing membership.

To get an additional membership level for an endorsement like IREX or PIRC:

If you need to keep access to your existing membership for example if you are not finished CPL, but want to start studying IREX, then purchase using this link.

When you arrive at this page, please pay the correct amount.

https://paypal.me/mcoweb/

Important – Our membership software currently only supports one membership level per email address.

Please send us a second email address and we will set up your new account manually.

Note we no longer allow memberships of RAA & RPL or RPL & PPL or PPL & CPL or CPL & ATPL to occur simultaneously. Doing so is a distraction for candidates who need to be exam focused on one subject, there is no need and it exposes our site to too much fraud.

How can I purchase another level and keep access to my current level? Expand

To get an additional membership level

If you must keep access to your existing membership, due only to an extenuating circumstance, please use this link to pay and then contact us to manually set up the 2nd account.

When you arrive at this page, please pay the correct amount.

https://paypal.me/mcoweb/

Important – Our membership software currently only supports one membership level per email address.

Please send us a second email address and we will set up your new account manually.

I don’t have a 2nd email address. What can I do to access a new level? Expand

Use gmail, hotmail, yahoo mail or similar and set one up. It literally takes 2 minutes to do.

Then, if you wish, in the new email setup email forwarding to your main email address.

Just google how to do these.

I purchased a 2nd membership. How can I access my original membership level? Expand

When buying a 2nd membership level, the system will apply the new membership level over the top and delete your old membership level.

Rest easy, we can fix it if you made a mistake.

But please note we require prior membership levels to be relinquished when purchasing the next licence level. Why? Because it drives up costs and slows the server down, having more members than necessary.

E.g. if you have a membership for RPL and you then purchased PPL the system would swap your membership level from RPL to PPL and apply a new end date for your PPL. You could no longer access RPL

In extenuating circumstances only, to fix an the original membership level:

Please contact us via the contact form and tell us what happened.

We will need to know:

your username or registered email
what are the extenuating circumstances and what time frame will that be resolved in
what your original membership level was and what date you purchased it
what your new membership level is and when you purchased it
your PayPal email address if it is different to the email supplied above. Note in lots of cases it is.

I just upgraded to CPL and cant see PPL anymore, what can I do? Expand

The software only supports one membership per email address, to keep the database and server fast we require people to relinquish lower licence levels when upgrading their accounts to higher levels.

Remember: the primary reason we allow 3 months is to let people pass in their time without punishing slower progression.

A person who uses our exams and passes then goes on to study at a higher level actually gets just as good, if not better value than someone who uses them for 3 months of study to pass the same exam.

The value of PPE is in the exam pass, not in how long you take to do it.

What if I purchased a membership level, used it for a week, passed my exam and now want to buy the next level? Expand

Sometimes we get the odd person contacts us asking for a discount or to swap to the next level because they only used it for a week and then passed the exam.

That’s exactly what we aim to do. So if you used it quicker than the period we provide and passed you actually got tremendous value. Well done!

It’s like going to a dentist who has trained for years to learn how to pull your tooth without damaging the nerves or adjoining tooth. You are paying for the result.

The dentist can pull your tooth in 5 minutes and charge for that skill $400 or they can take 2 hours and the result is the same and they still charge $400. Which would you prefer? The quick painless result or the long drawn out result? Let’s get this done!

Please head to the join page and purchase your next level. However, if you want to keep existing access to the current level, please see the questions above this on how to do that.

Login Or Tech Issues

How can I reset or change my password? Expand

Go to https://www.pilotpracticeexams.com/membership-login/password-reset/

The password reset link will be sent to the email linked to your account. Generally that will be your PayPal email address unless you have changed it.

In cases where you have provided an alternate email it will go to that email address.

I can’t login, what can I do? Expand

You cannot setup or have a user account unless you have joined. Go to “Join Now” above.

If you have joined 99.99% of login problems are caused by your device, browser, modem or network serving you cache.

Please try these steps in this order:

Try clearing cache for the last hour. Google how to do that for your device and browser.
Try a device restart.
Try an incognito or private browsing window.
Check your software is up to date, particularly on iPads.

If these steps still do not fix it, please contact us via https://www.pilotpracticeexams.com/contact/

Where can I find when my membership expires? Expand

To find your membership expiry date go to https://www.pilotpracticeexams.com/membership-login/membership-profile/

I just upgraded and cant see my old membership level? Expand

We only allow you to have one level at a time. Any new purchase overwrites your current membership.

If you want to join say IREX while still studying CPL, or PIRC while doing CPL or ATPL, then please purchase using this link.

http://paypal.me/mcoweb/

Pay the exact correct amount as not doing so causes a lot of work.

Then send us a message and 2nd email via the contact form and we will set up your new level manually.

Why can I login to the exams section, but not the course section? Expand

The exams section and the course section, are actually separate websites.

The course website uses a separate login and password which you need to purchase separately.

Why can I login to the course section, but not the exam section? Expand

The exams section and the course section, are actually separate websites.

The course website uses a separate login and password which you need to purchase separately.

I’m logged in, why is it saying to join? Expand

Check your membership has not expired at Account > Profile
Is it telling you to login for all exams on the page or just a couple? If it is only doing this for one or a few exams, that we forgot to tick a box.
If its for most or all on a page, then you need to do a device restart and if that doesn’t work clear your cache. Aslo make sure all your device updates are done, especially for apple products.

If these steps do not work please take a screenshot and email us the details of exactly what is and what is not working.

Firefox won’t work. Can you fix it? Expand

Firefox is problematic for us and very few people use it. When we did support it only 1.3% of our users, used Firefox. The time and effort required to keep Firefox working just isn’t worth it for us.

What Textbooks Should I Get?

What books do you recommend for RA-Aus? Expand

Ground Training Manual – BAK – by Dyson-Holland

You should also refer to the VFRG website. This will not help you much with your exam compared but it will give you a better picture of the General Aviation world RAAus operates within.

If you intent to add the navigation to your RAAus RPC you will need navigation equipment. At the minimum you need a clear sharp edge ruler, mechanical pencil, protractor, map rulers (scaled to maps) and map protractor (square 360° type), plus a CR or E6B flight computer.

Ask your instructor which flight computer they will want you to have.

What books do you recommend for RPL and PPL? Expand

PPE has just released our awesome new online courses as we have been frustrated with the lack of change in the text book providers since the Dec 2021 changes.

Keep your eye out for our courses to be released via the announcement at the top of the site.

What About Maps & AIP’s CAO’s CASR etc?

What maps should I get? Expand

Definitely get the Air Services maps not the Jeppesen Maps.

Most people who buy the Jeppesen maps seem to end up wanting to change because they have to span over two maps for too many questions.

How soon do maps expire? Expand

The maps are releases twice per year in May and Nov. You really dont want to be having to buy new maps in from mid March or from mid September. Ask around in the group and buy some second hand for around half price.

One Map won’t matter, but if you are buying a whole set it adds up quickly. .

Each map is available on the Air Services website and has the expiry dates printed on it as shown below.

Google search “air services AIP”, then look for charts.

Who said erasable Texta’s? Expand

These are absolutely brilliant for map work. You want at least a few colours that will stand out on maps. Red, black and dark blue work well.

A strong warning: these do not like to be left in the aircraft on hot summers days. The Texta on the map will go soft and smudge.

So in summer, pencil may be best.

The colours need to stand out on a map like this:

What about CAR CASR CAO’s etc? Expand

Firstly you need to google CASA permitted materials and check exactly what you are allowed to self print and how it has to be bound and tagged.

Many students who are cash strapped, go to office works and self print as much as they can.

You can save yourself hundreds of dollars self printing these over purchasing them in folder.

You can also save yourself a huge amount of printing if you use our extracts instead. The extracts are smaller versions, with just the necessary parts.

All you do is, as you are studying, if you find yourself needing anything else, print off the relevant section and add it to the extract.

You will find CASA and Air-Services sell most supplies significantly cheaper than stores located near major flight schools.

Highlighting in the AIP? Expand

We have a fantastic highlighting guide for the AIP.

It is in the file section of the Facebook group and on the website on the RPL , PPL and many CPL or ATPL pages.

A word of caution, doing too much can be counter productive and once it’s done, there is no undoing it unless you use erasable Texta’s.

Should I Start In RA-Aus or GA?

What is RAAus and GA? Expand

RA-Aus or RAA stands for Recreational Aviation Australia. At the time of writing it is limited to aircraft with a take of weight under 600kg, including fuel, the aircraft and passengers. You can spot RAA aircraft by their distinct modern looks and rego numbers which generally start with 24 for factory built and 19 for home built.

GA is short for general aviation. These aircraft fall under the regulatory umbrella of CASA and include your typical Cessna’s and Pipers all the way up to your airline aircraft.

What are the advantages of RA-Aus over GA? Expand

The two most obvious advantages are lower costs and less stringent medical requirements. RAA aircraft are maintained by maintainers with far lower qualifications who charge around $45 per hour compared to GA aircraft maintained at a charge of around $160 per hour.

To fly an RAAus aircraft you must be fit to drive a car and it is a self assessment process. Many older GA pilots who have difficulty passing aviation medicals move to RAA for this reason.

A third advantage is RAA aircraft are light weight, so the pilot learning in them is challenged by low inertia (momentum) and the aircraft is affected by winds a lot more than larger heavier aircraft. As a result the stick and rudder skills you develop in an RAA aircraft can help you a lot when it comes to flying other aircraft.

Many a GA pilot has been shocked by how hard RAA aircraft can be to get used to after many years flying heavier aircraft.

A fourth advantage is typically RAA aircraft are much newer and have a lot of much nicer features int he cockpit. GA is constrained by certification which makes aircraft much slower to change and much more expensive to change.

RAAus says these are the advantages we have flying RAAus;

I can get a full Pilot Certificate at 15 years of age, not 16 as with CASA
I don’t need a $400 medical every 2-4 years
I can fly/train the $150/$190 rental aircraft from my local school vs the $250/$300 Warrior/Cessna
I don’t need to pay or renew an ASIC security card
I can do basic maintenance myself and don’t need to use a LAME if my aircraft is just used privately
I get automatic access to the RAAus scholarship program for financial support if I’m under 25.
My fuel costs are roughly 40 percent of GA aircraft
Discounted Third Party Insurance included with your membership.
I get a first class free online aviation magazine every four weeks
I can deal with a member focused organisation with easy to use online resources at my disposal.

So should I start in GA over RA-Aus? Expand

The decision is ultimately yours.

If you are self funding and money is tight, undoubtedly you will get a lot more flying done on a smaller budget, starting in RAAus. I’t’s also a very affordable way to get a good taste, to see if you like it, before you commit your $100,000K plus govt loan to a long career.

If however you are getting a govt loan for the training, you will almost certainly go straight into Ga aircraft and just get it done as sequentially and fast as possible in a GA aircraft.

It should be noted, some of the very large GA flight schools, have now purchased RAA aircraft, registered them as GA aircraft and are using them for initial flight training for the cost savings.

We asked the PPE crew what they would do if they started the CPL all over again. Here is what they voted:

Can I try before I buy? Expand

Sure, go and book a TIFF with a local GA flight school and do the same with a local RA-Aus flight school or club.

Where can I get more info on licences? Expand

The CASA Flight Crew Licencing Manual is a brilliant starting point.

Flight crew licensing manual (PDF 1.34 MB)

Preface
Table of Contents
Revision history
1 Overview of Licensing: 1.1 Foreword; 1.2 What is Flight Crew Licencing; 1.3 Types of Flight Crew Qualifications; 1.4 Overview of Client Services Centre
2 Legislation Governing Flight Crew Licensing: 2.1 Legislation that empowers CASA to regulate Flight Crew Licensing; 2.2 Instruments of Delegation and Approval
3 Issuing Licence’s and their Associated Aircraft Category Rating: 3.1 Overview of suite of Flight Crew Licencing Regulations; 3.2 The Licencing Process; 3.3 Table 1: History of Licence Styles; 3.4 Issuing Flight Crew Licences; 3.5 Testing English Guidelines; 3.6 Aviation Security Status Checks; 3.7 Flight Reviews and Other Recent Requirements; 3.8 Schedule of Fees; 3.9 Expired Licenses; 3.10 Refusal to Issue Flight Crew Licences
4 Issuing Aircraft Category Class and Type Ratings: 4.1 Overview; 4.2 Aircraft Category Qualification Structure
5 Recreational Pilot Licence: 5.1 General Overview; 5.2 General Reference Tables for Issuance of Recreational Pilot Licence; 5.3 Grant of Recreational Pilot Licence in recognition of a pilot certificates granted by certain organisations; 5.4 Grant of Recreational Pilot Licence endorsements in recognition of other qualifications
6 Private Pilot Licence: 6.1 General Overview; 6.2 Relevant History; 6.3 General Reference Table for Issuance of a Private Pilot Licence
7 Commercial Pilot Licence: 7.1 General Overview; 7.2 General Reference Table for Issuance of Commercial Pilot Licence
8 Air Transport Pilot Licence: 8.1 General Overview; 8.2 General Reference Table for Issuance of an Air Transport Pilot Licence
9 Multi-Crew Pilot Licence: 9.1 General Overview; 9.2 General Reference Table for Issuance of a Multi-Crew Pilot Licence
10 Operational Ratings: 10.1 General; 10.2 Relevant History; 10.3 Specific Requirements for the Issue of an Operational Rating
11 Certificate of Validation: 11.1 Introduction of Types of Authorisations Available to Overseas Pilots; 11.2 Verification of Overseas Licenses and Ratings; 11.3 Right of Entry into Australia and Work Permits; 11.4 Privileges of a CoV; 11.5 Types of CoV’s; 11.6 Currency of a CoV; 11.7 Prerequisites for Issue of a CoV; 11.8 Flight Reviews/Recency; 11.9 Restrictions Imposed on the Overseas Licence/Medical Certificate; 11.10 Aircraft Type ratings on a CoV; 11.11 Flight Crew Ratings on a CoV; 11.12 Application Requirements for a CoV; 11.13 CoV Reference Table
12 Issuing Australian Licences on the Basis of Overseas Qualifications: 12.1 Requirements for the Recognition of Overseas Flight Crew Authorisations
13 Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act (TTMRA): 13.1 Applicant Requirements
14 Australian Defence Force: 14.1 Introduction; 14.2 Courses Recognised by CASA; 14.3 Qualifications; 14.4 Aeronautical Experience; 14.4.1 CPL, PPL & ATPL; 14.4.2 Adjustment of Flight Time for ADF Pilots; 14.5 Definition of Pilot Non-Graduates; 14.6 Screening Training at BFTS, Tamworth; 14.7 Qualifications; 14.8 Aeronautical Experience; 14.9 Flight Engineers; 14.10 Qualifications of Other Non-pilot Graduates; 14.11 Foreign Military Qualifications; 14.12 Table of Conversion of Australian ADF Qualifications; 14.13 Requirements for the Issue of Operational Ratings; 14.14 Method of Application for a CASR Part 61 Qualification; 14.15 Verification of Aeronautical Experience; 14.16 Medical Certificates; 14.17 Recording of Civilian Aeronautical Experience; 14.18 Table of Recognised Aircraft Ratings – Aeroplanes; 14.19 Table of Recognised Aircraft Endorsements Helicopters
15 Flight Crew Examinations: 15.1 Examinations Set by Approved Flying Schools; 15.2 Examinations Set by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Australia; 15.3 PEXO Exam Locations; 15.4 How Long are Examination Credits Valid?; 15.5 Examination Prerequisites; 15.6 Overseas Licence Conversion – Examination Requirements; 15.7 Application Process; 15.8 Change of Category Examinations – Aeroplane to Helicopter or vice versa; 15.9 CASA Examination Policy – CASR 141 & 142 Operators; 15.10 Conduct of Examinations Overseas; 15.11 History of FCL Examinations
16 Form Index for CASR Part 61: 16.1 Table of CASR Part 61 Forms
17 Part 61 Licence Entry Guidance (Issue and Revalidation)
17.1 Introduction: 17.2 Personnel authorised to enter qualifications in the CASR Part 61 licence; 17.3 General instructions for issuing qualifications; 17.4 General information for revalidation of qualifications; 17.5 Entries showing the initial issue of qualifications; 17.6 Entries for revalidation of qualifications
18 Table of Licence Entry Abbreviations:
19 Summary Table of Flight Review and Proficiency Check Requirements

Last modified: 26 May 2020

What About Headset & Knee Boards & iPads?

Do I need an ANR headset? Expand

Yes. ANR is automatic noise reduction or noise cancelling.

A 5 minute walk around any busy flying club and you will see almost every elder pilot is wearing hearing aids.

Your ears are important and you will suffer hearing damage without ANR in the long term.

What is best headset? Expand

In my opinion without a doubt the Bose A20 are the best on the market.

They are highly adjustable and super comfy.

The only downside is the super comfy ear pads wear out about every 250-350 hours of flying. They cost $40 to replace.

These are a very long term purchase, so do not skimp. Get what you want the first time and make sure they have noise cancelling of some sort.

When someone asked in our group, the answer was pretty obvious within one hour the Bose A20 was by far the most popular first choice.

Do I need a knee board and flight bag? Expand

You will only want a knee board around the time you begin your navigation training. I suggest waiting until you talk to others.

I have both a big flash knee board that has all the bells and whistles and a plain metal clipboard with an elastic strap.

I generally use the plain type because it fits nicely away for takeoff and landing.

What Tablet Should I Buy? Expand

I have used several types and sizes of iPad for hundreds of hours flying.

Without a doubt you want cellular.

If you are 40+ you will undoubtedly want a full size iPad.

Young eyes may be able to get away with an iPad mini.

Do not buy any tablet other than an iPad.

What EFB Should I Buy? Expand

There are two big players in the Australian market, OzRunways and AvPlan.

They are both excellent products, with great people behind them.

I have used both extensively and have concluded AvPlan is a more comprehensive product, especially for those going on to higher licences and bigger aircraft.

My first choice is AvPlan.

How Do I Write KDR’s?

What do I need to do immediately after the exam for KDR’s? Expand

The instructor assessing your KDR’s does not know your exam questions. They do have access to the MOS. Go to the MOS Bullet points.

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2018C00657/Html/Volume_3

Step 1: IMMEDIATELY do a full brain dump as fast and accurately as you can after your exam on the topics mentioned on your KDR’s. Voice memo on the phone or Facebook messenger yourself. Try to get down every question and answer , plus what you chose word for word.
Step 2. Have a discussion with other candidates about the exam or a brief read of the syllabus to jot memories and repeat step 1.
Step 3. Go do your research and find the correct answers addressing the syllabus pints in the MOS Vol 3.
Step 4. Now work out why you chose what you did. If you got tricked identify exactly why and HOW you will recognise that trick next time (SO YOU DON’T CARRY THESE ERRORS FORWARD).
Step 5: Sit down and write your KDR’s in the 1-24 hours after the exam, while your knowledge and memory are high.

Each flight school will have different ways they want them presented or formatted, what is important is that you get the info on paper. You can easily change the format or pad it out if necessary later.

Ask your instructor exactly what they want, in what format and how much detail per question.

How will the Flight Examiner ask about KDR’s? Expand

A Knowledge Deficiency Report (KDR) provides a candidate who has undertaken an aeronautical knowledge examination, and their training provider, with information about any topic areas where their knowledge was deficient.

Under Part 61, a flight examiner has to make sure an applicant has sufficient knowledge in the topics on their KDR. One option is to rely on a KDR assessment that has been made by the holder of an instructor rating with a Grade 1 or Grade 2 training endorsement.

Most flight examiners will happily accept your KDR’s if signed off by an instructor or two (the higher the level of instructor the better). You don’t want to bother your examiner with it if they are willing to accept a signed copy from your instructors. Most examiners will sign off the KDRs on the flight test report if the KDRs have been signed off already by your instructors. The less theory questions the examiner has for you, the better.

Otherwise, the examiner needs to conduct the KDR assessment. This is rarely done this way. In this case the flight examiner will look at your list of KDR’s and ask oral questions on each. These oral questions may come from anywhere to do with the KDR syllabus point, not necessarily the question you got wrong for that KDR. Candidates should prepare by following our procedures in the previous box above and by studying more broadly for each KDR.

Generally your flight school will be well aware of the way each examiner operates, so ring and ask your instructors.

How and when should I prepare for my KDR oral assessment? Expand

Your Knowledge Deficiency Report (KDR) study notes should be done the afternoon or night after your exam and in the following days, while your knowledge and memory is at its peak.

Leaving it later will play havoc with your ability to remember the topics, questions and locations of the information you will need.

Here is an example of a completed KDR Expand

This is an example of one KDR for one question. First refer to the MOS bullet point, then type up something like this for the KDR. After all are done have your instructors sign off on them.

You’ve just got to show that you’ve acknowledged and studied the areas you lacked the appropriate level of knowledge in.

What Do I Do If I Fail?

What do I do before pressing the submit button? Expand

“If” you have spare time, prepare yourself mentally for a possible failure.

When sitting the test and when reviewing your answers, BEFORE you press submit, mark for review, any questions which you find worrying or difficult.

Once you have done this work through each and recheck them, always stay with your first choice unless you have a positive risk reason to change. When the answer is unknown, the probability of the first choice being correct is higher.

Now try to remember the entire test as word for word as you can. Why? So that if you fail, you can do a brain dump to help you study. The KDR’s you get are very generic, so doing a brain dump after a fail, becomes critical to knowing where you went wrong.

What to do if you fail? Expand If ever the Swiss cheese model of exam failure lines up against you (as shown below) and you fail an exam, follow these steps.
Step 1: IMMEDIATELY do a full brain dump as fast and accurately as you can. Voice memo on the phone or Facebook messenger yourself. Try to get down every question and answer , plus what you chose word for word. Continue to do this over the next 24-48 hours.
Step 2. Then have a discussion with other candidates about the exam or a brief read of the syllabus to jot memories and repeat step 1.
Step 3. Now use the “what, why, how” method in any order to get to the bottom of what it was about each question that you got wrong, why you fell for ti and how you can recognise and avoid it in the future. (SO YOU DON’T CARRY THESE ERRORS FORWARD)
Step 4. Reset yourself mentally. Do NOT beat yourself up about it, CASA uses lots of trick wording and they make it bloody hard to pass. Keep it in perspective, it’s just a hurdle, or a road bump on the way to your dream. Accept it happened and use it as motivation to prove them wrong, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back on the horse.
Step 5. Go do your research and find the correct answers.
Step 6. Massively over-study for round 2, expect about a 40-60% overlap.
Step 7. Use the practice exams to continually drill down to your exact problem issues.
Step 8 . If a week out from your next attempt, you still have struggles or issues find a tutor (instructor or recent candidate who passed that exam) and pay them for tutoring on the exact topics you identified from the practice exams. Paying say $35 per session, for two one hour sessions, on your exact problem topics, can be a game changer. But make sure you identify the problem areas and stick to them, over and over and over in the tutoring session. Do not stray to other non problem areas and create confusion!

Swiss Cheese Model Of Pilot Exam Failure

How do I cope with CASA’s use of ambiguous questions? Expand

Why does CASA use ambiguity and how can I cope with it?

CASA uses ambiguity for one of a few reasons, either they are deliberately looking to see if:

You can make decisions on the basis of the information you have, even if that isn’t the whole picture
You can cope with uncertainty and risk
You can adapt to change
You have great problem-solving skills

It’s accidental poor exam writing skills (from people with aviation knowledge but little education knowledge) that discriminates against people with different backgrounds than the exam writers.

Either way, they seem to way over use ambiguity and it is largely assessing, very different skills, than what the rote learner or textbook reader, will be prepared for.

As we know a large part of preparing for a CASA exam is practice:

Preparing for questions that have two or more correct answers with the slightest of variations, making one the “most correct” for some tiny and obscure reason in the answer
Preparing for questions that have two or more correct answers with the slightest of variations, making one the “most correct” for some tiny hidden and obscure reason buried in a long worded question
Preparing for questions that have two or more correct answers with the slightest of variations, making one the “most correct” because CASA tricks you into thinking they are asking one thing, with distracting information and yet is actually asking you something slightly different

In fairness to CASA this competency is deliberately sought by many employers when recruiting and is particularly important in complex, fast-changing environments e.g. aviation.

In fact many role play team activities and scenarios used during the pilot intake and selection process are done with groups of people placed into ambiguous situations to see how they cope, communicate and adapt. Exercises such as being stranded on an island and as a group, having to decide and reason on the 5 items from a list of 25 items that you can take or keep. These exercises deliberately use ambiguity by having 10 or so items that could all be the most important 5 items. No clear winners and few clear losers makes for an interesting exercise in the justification of the 5 ambiguous 5 best items to take.

What they are really testing in these group scenarios, is communication and decision making skills for when something goes wrong in a 787 and the best course of action is not available to the crew. Can the crew arrive at a justified and agreeable outcome based on only the limited ambiguous information available. Much like Qantas flight 32, when the A380 suffered an uncontained failure enroute London to Sydney.

Pilot’s who can manage ambiguity well, are well placed to work effectively in complex organisations, complex aircraft that are subject to change, defects and abnormal situations, as well as the organisations they work for with constant route, fleet, personnel changes and reform, making this a valuable sought after skill for the aviation sector and for pilot safety.

So how can you develop your ability to better cope with ambiguity in CASA’s pilot exam questions?

You must WANT to learn how to cope with ambiguity and VALUE it as a key skill to develop
Actively look for examples of ambiguity all around you. Look for how a sign or instruction could be read with 2 completely different meanings, simply because of someone’s background or the double meaning of a word or pause in reading it
Look for ambiguity in practice exam questions and learn to LOVE the fact you can begin to identify, the use of ambiguity
Work out how you could turn a question into a trick question, by using the most subtle of changes
Practice writing some ambiguous trick questions using the most subtle of tricks
Understand that the question writer ALWAYS has a different background TO YOU, and OFTEN may mean something slightly different to what you originally thought.
ALWAYS question the question if it’s ambiguous “What are the actually asking here?”. This automatically places your brain in a position, to think the question may have multiple meanings. It’s a great way to approach all questions.
Know that you can see what you think is the same question, but a subtle change in the available responses can alter the correct response, especially where an answer has two correct responses, where one is most correct.
Know that in many cases, the use of one word, can completely change the “context” of a question or response
Use PPE’s IDEAL method for ambiguous questions and answers:
- Identify all those options they could be asking
- Decide what they are actually asking
- Eliminate your two worst options
- Analyze your two best options against the REAL question and pick one
- Look over it later to make sure you are correct

During the actual exam, for ambiguous questions, keep very brief notes about your IDEAL method use, so when you come back to check, you can remember what they actually asked and which two options are best, or why you eliminated the other options.

So our best advice, is start to view ambiguity as a positive skill set and something you love and want to learn yourself, rather than an evil thing you don’t understand.

Start actively looking to develop skills in finding ambiguity on a daily basis until you start seeing ambiguity everywhere.

Learn to love the fact, you can cope with ambiguity and have a new found skill set employers seek and love.

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Table of contents

What About Headset & Knee Boards & iPads?

How Do I Write KDR’s?

What Do I Do If I Fail?

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