RA-Aus Radio exam - tips?

[ayavner]

Hi all,

 

Since the lessons have slowed down a bit due to weather and finances, I have been working more on the theory part. Have already passed the pre-solo Air Law exam, and thought I would tackle the Radio exam next. I have read the blue ATC book, though it seems a bit more than is called for on the RAA syllabus; information overload!!

 

To make matters worse, it does seem that when i try to use google etc to just try and get a straightforward idea of what is involved, it doesn't appear that any 2 sources agree. Am i going for a full-blown radio operator's license? Is there a written? Oral? I am using this as my guide: http://www.auf.asn.au/opsmanual/3-08.pdf - so I thought it was pretty cut and dried, and hence don't really understand the difficulty of getting info on it.

 

The few times i have mentioned it to my instructor, i get the sense that its the elephant in the room.

 

Tips? Am I just asking the wrong questions? I didn't get this feeling when i was studying for Air Law, and it seems like the BAK is pretty well established... does it vary by school?

 

Thanks and wish me luck, I'll be watching this thread with interest!

 

cheers,

 

adam

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

I would wish you luck Adam but seriously you won't need any. It is a real easy multiple choice test which takes maybe 10 minutes. Just relax and do it! Do the human factors test at the same time if you like, it's even easier. I didn't have time to study for it and still passed fine, just a few common sense questions. Plenty of good information in the excellent John Brandon tutorials on this website if you are not sure.

 

 

[.Evan.]

....it does seem that when i try to use google etc to just try and get a straightforward idea of what is involved, it doesn't appear that any 2 sources agree. Am i going for a full-blown radio operator's license? Is there a written? Oral? I am using this as my guide: http://www.auf.asn.au/opsmanual/3-08.pdf - so I thought it was pretty cut and dried, and hence don't really understand the difficulty of getting info on it.

Hey Adam, I've been wondering the same thing. Still confused.

 

 

[Powerin]

Hi Adam,

 

The radio exam is not hard...20 multiple choice questions. I found it a lot easier than I was expecting. As the Good Gnu said above the John Brandon tutorial is quite useful, both for passing the exam and useful stuff to know in the air. The syllabus is a reasonable summary of the questions asked....there are no tricks to it as far as I remember.

 

 

[Piet Fil]

I used the Dyson-Holland books for my theory study (along with the John Brandon Tutorials) The first D-H book covers BAK-Air Leg and Radio, there is an option to get the Human Factors book thrown in for a discount as well. I have just finished working through the X-Country endo book and passed.

 

Both sets come with revision questions at the end of each chapter and also trial multiple choice exams for each section. I found them really easy to use and being RA-Aus specific I felt they were less confusing as they are targeted at the syllabus. Approx $70 each on the web I felt was a good buy when you think about how much we are investing in ourselves to learn to fly.

 

I hope this made sense and helps in some way, Good luck and enjoy

 

Phil

 

 

[Powerin]

I used the Dyson-Holland books for my theory study (along with the John Brandon Tutorials)

Should have said...I used the DH books too. The sample exams are great for seeing if you know your stuff and are very similar to the real exam. The DH book left a few questions in my mind and the JB tutorials filled in the blanks.

 

 

[Tomo]

Am i going for a full-blown radio operator's license? Is there a written? Oral?

G'day ayavner!

 

Don't quote me on this, but if you do the RAA radio exam, that is pretty much just an authorisation for you to operate a radio, and is not an actual license as such. It's an operators certificate. Which is sufficient for RAA flying.

 

A FROL (Flight RadioTelephone Operators License) I think they call it is the CASA radio license, and it's an actual license required for GA flying.

 

The RAA radio certificate exam is pretty simple as the others have stated, and mostly common sense thankfully. I didn't actually do anything other than pay 50 bucks to CASA for my FROL... as I think they just took my passed experience, and the RAA radio certificate into consideration.

 

Hope that's not to confusing.

 

Things they'll probably be asking is -

 

Give examples between a distress and urgency message, how to differentiate the two, when to use one or other. Do you know how to extract frequencies from the ERSA, radio failure procedures (which are listed in the ERSA generally). Legal requirements of radio calls - from memory that's something to do with the lingo used (i.e. swearing, offensive stuff), non essential chit chat, incorrect us of call signs etc.... Know the communication coverage, and limitations - distance on the ground vs in the air. Understand class G airspace, as that's what an RAA pilot operates in, so things like CTAF operations (registered or non reg airports).

 

Those are just some of the things I can think of from the top of my head, I'm no instructor though, so don't quote me or kill me if it's not all there!

 

 

[ayavner]

wow good stuff, thanks guys. Don't worry Tomo, I'd have to find you first! :peepwall:

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

I don't know much about the RAA radio exam, but a long time ago someone said to me you need the following things in a radio call:

 

Who you are

 

Where you are

 

Where you are going

 

and how you intend to get there!

 

Has served me well.

 

 

[coljones]

I don't know much about the RAA radio exam, but a long time ago someone said to me you need the following things in a radio call:Who you are

 

Where you are

 

Where you are going

 

and how you intend to get there!

 

Has served me well.

The first one is - who are you talking to?

 

 

[Guest Howard Hughes]

Good point point Col!

 

 

[Scooby]

Hi all,Since the lessons have slowed down a bit due to weather and finances, I have been working more on the theory part. Have already passed the pre-solo Air Law exam, and thought I would tackle the Radio exam next. I have read the blue ATC book, though it seems a bit more than is called for on the RAA syllabus; information overload!!

 

To make matters worse, it does seem that when i try to use google etc to just try and get a straightforward idea of what is involved, it doesn't appear that any 2 sources agree. Am i going for a full-blown radio operator's license? Is there a written? Oral? I am using this as my guide: http://www.auf.asn.au/opsmanual/3-08.pdf - so I thought it was pretty cut and dried, and hence don't really understand the difficulty of getting info on it.

 

The few times i have mentioned it to my instructor, i get the sense that its the elephant in the room.

 

Tips? Am I just asking the wrong questions? I didn't get this feeling when i was studying for Air Law, and it seems like the BAK is pretty well established... does it vary by school?

 

Thanks and wish me luck, I'll be watching this thread with interest!

 

cheers,

 

adam

Hey Adam, The multiple choice is pretty simple and you will probably have to do the oral test too. The best bet is to read up on the radio operations section in the Visual flight rules guide. http://www.casa.gov.au/scripts/nc.dll?WCMS:STANDARD::pc=PC_90008. If you take your time to read through the relevent sections, everything you need to know is there. When i did my radio endo, for example, in the oral part i had to demonstrate a radio procedure if i got lost, or request airfield information ect. Good luck with it all mate!

[coljones]

And/or try this

 

http://www.recreationalflying.com/tutorials/comms/index.html

 

Col

 

 

[ayavner]

Well guys, done and dusted - aced it with a 95%... it was challenging, and there were a couple of questions that could have been worded less ambiguously, but not complaining! Gonna try Human Factors next, but I hear that's pretty much common sense.

 

Thanks again for all the tips and encouragement and resources!

 

 

[sseeker]

The HF exam isn't all common sense, there are a few things you will need to learn but it's nothing tricky. Make sure you have a good read over your HF book or sit a course. Congratulations on your excellent pass :)

 

Cheers,

 

Andrew

 

 

[nathan_c]

I rocked up one day to the flight school and we had to wait for the weather so I gave the pre solo and the radio exam a go out of the blue, no studying for it at all. Got a couple of questions wrong from ambiguously worded questions, but passed both first go. If anything they could have been a bit harder for my liking :P Not looking forward to HF though.

 

 

[Piet Fil]

Well done on the Radio Test Ayavner.

 

Whilst the HF is mostly common sense there are the standard ambiguously worded questions which can catch you out so a little study is well worth it. I used the Dyson Holland Text which I liked and was not too long a read.

 

Phil

 

 

[Powerin]

I wouldn't call the HF exam all common sense either. Some of it is useful and may keep pilots safer, but other parts are just obtuse nonsense IMHO. Here's a sample question (not from the actual exam):

 

• The adverse affects on a pilot's concentration due to a very noisy or hot cockpit are examples of the:
  (a) 'pilot to liveware' interface of the SHELL model.
  (b) 'pilot to hardware' interface of the SHELL model.
  © 'pilot (liveware) to environment' interface of the SHELL model.
  (d) 'pilot to software' interface of the SHELL model.
   
  

 

 

I'm sorry, but the whole SHELL model served no useful purpose to me and was just a confusing way to present some simple concepts. Then you were forced to take simple concepts such as a hot cockpit and try and relate it to the stupid model. For what purpose?

 

 

[DoubleB]

Beats the shell outa me

 

 

[speed_racer]

So you guys did the air law n radio without reading anything? i was told its easy but.. wasnt sure it was that easy.. Human Factors was meant to be easy but I was told the course was compulsory to do before the exam, and the course i did was s h i t!! conflicting answers to whats in contrast of the exam (missed out by one question). Anyway I found there is a torrent seed for the 'practice exam' and what do you know, 100% pass the second time :D

 

 

[ayavner]

no..... I read the books from the ATC ppl kit and lots of research in the RAA Ops manual and ERSA, AIP, etc. Wasn't aware of a course, but that would definitely be frustrating if it were counter to what's on the exam!

 

Welcome to the forum s_r! :)

 

 

[Wayneo]

so do you have the link to the torrent seed for the 'practice exam'thanks