It's a real kick in the......

[Guest Brett Campany]

...guts when you fail an exam, especially when it's your first out of 7 exams.

 

I've studied pretty solidly for the last 5 weeks only to have the wind knocked from me. I knew I was in strife from looking at the first 5 questions in my first CPL(H) exam.

 

The way CA$A word their exams is pretty ordinary and the study material given to complete the exams doesn't always contain what will be in the actual exams.

 

But it's a new day and time to move on, got 3 more weeks before I can do the exam again.

 

 

[dazza 38]

Hang in their Brett. It is a lot more difficult to self studing, than learning in a classroom enviroment/theory course.

 

 

[Tomo]

Treat the exam as training material... a pretty painful and discouraging way sometimes (not to mention the cost!), but I tend to learn a lot when that happens, - you know what you do know, and know what you don't know -

 

You'll be right mate :thumb_up:

 

 

[pudestcon]

GO FOR IT BRETT,

 

Crash through this small set back:rotary:

 

All the best next time.

 

Pud

 

 

[Guest mike_perth]

Ah spewing man I thought you'd nail em - all I can say is I know your pain! Nothing beats doing it a second time and passing - my only comfort was in knowing that failing the test showed I didnt have a good enough understanding and it made me study properly my other suggestion book 2 or 3 hours ground time with your instructor and get some tutoring time helped me out alot.

 

Mike

 

 

[Thalass]

Bummer, man.

 

At least when you get your results CASA tell you where you were deficient, so you can concentrate on those sections a bit more for next time.

 

 

[Thx1137]

Sorry to hear about that Brett.

 

Would the online practice exams be useful? Anyone tried em?

 

 

[slartibartfast]

Bit of set-back Brett. Better luck next time.

 

CASA sent me for a drug test. Hope I haven't failed that one. How do you study for that?

 

Haven't got the result back yet. Is it 80% for a pass?

 

 

[facthunter]

Pass percentage.

 

100% in fuel management as well as weight and balance. Dope can be fuel and can upset your balance. Hope this helps. N

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

Bit of set-back Brett. Better luck next time.CASA sent me for a drug test. Hope I haven't failed that one. How do you study for that?

Haven't got the result back yet. Is it 80% for a pass?

Now that's the funniest thing I've heard in ages...errr good luck with your exam Slarti!!

 

Cheers for the words fella's, my re-sit ex booked for the 29th of Jan which is a fair way off but it gives me time to sort out where I went wrong.

 

It's a new day today, had a great flight lesson and a good chat with the instructors, fingers crossed for the next attempt!

 

 

[dunlopdangler]

Brett, most of us have experienced the same thing at some stage so don't feel too bad...CASA have those questions designed to really put the pressure on..After I failed one, my instructor re-interated to me to RTFQ and RTFQ again....at least one answer will be stupid and two will be fairly close and that is where you will go wrong especially when you have the exam jitters don't try to rush through and do the practice exams...above all...stay calm and good luck..

 

 

[Benjamin Pitt]

Don't worry, you aren't the first and certainly will not be the last.

 

Post up some questions you struggled with if you want, I sat the exams around 18 months ago so they should be fairly similar to what I sat.

 

I know that jumping into the heli and going for a flight is hard to resist, but I do hope you heed my advice and hold of racking up the hours before finishing the exams.

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

Very good advice, cheers guys.

 

I've already logged 17hrs but I'll be reducing the hours to about 3 a week until I get ahead with the exams. There's not going to be much flying happening during winter so that'll slow it down as well.

 

Just sux that I now have to wait until the 29th of jan to re-sit the exam.

 

 

[BecM]

Was sorry to read about the exam Brett,

 

I am considering doing GA but the exams seem killer.

 

Good luck for the 29th and blitz it

 

Bec

 

 

[Tomo]

Hang in there

Quite appropriate for a Heli pilot :thumb_up: ;)

 

 

[Benjamin Pitt]

Hope things went well this time Brett :thumb_up:

 

 

[pudestcon]

Come on Brett,

 

Let us know how you went.

 

Cheers,

 

Pud

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

Come on Brett,Let us know how you went.

 

Cheers,

 

Pud

Been a while but here it goes.

 

Went well Pud, passed that first exam and currently studying CPL(H) Human Performance and Limitations which is actually quite enjoyable. I've just done my pre-solo exams and check flight, just waiting on the weather to sort itself out before I can do a few solo circuits in the R-22.

 

The most challenging lessons to date have been autorotations. They are not as much difficult as they are challenging. At 1000ft this is what happens

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPEJ07ecJvY"

 

There's so much involved so you don't over speed the rotor.

 

The Rotor RPM limits are critical, we operate in the green zone which is 101% to 104%, it redlines at 110% (can be very bad if you redline it for to long), low RPM horn comes on at 97% and if the rotor RPM gets to 80% it's unrecoverable.

 

Having said that, once you get the attitude and speeds correct, she glides just as well as a fixed wing and you can put it down in someone's back yard if need be.

 

So I should be solo in the next couple of weeks but at this stage, my fulltime job has been really busy and I've taken on a couple of more casual jobs as ground crew of a scenic helicopter operation so things have been pretty flat out. Plus they pay pretty damn well so the pocket money is great!

 

The study is coming along well and I would recommend to anyone that if you have the option and the time to do the CPL studies by correspondence then do it, it'll save you cash and you'll learn a lot more!

 

That's all for now anyway.

 

 

[MrH]

:clap:G'day Brett, great video, great to see you pop in to let us know how your going & terrific to hear things are going well for you - keep it up. I like a bloke who says I'm going to do something & does just that.:thumb_up:

 

Cheers

 

H

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

Cheers H!!

 

There's plenty more big things on the horizon at the moment, all involving helicopter aviation so it's going to be huge!

 

This first solo is going to be awesome, looking forward to kicking on into it!

 

 

[dazza 38]

Hi Brett, Well done with your training so far, it looks busy in the cockpit when doing your auto-rotation practise.Nice Video Mate.Its good to hear from you again Cheers

 

 

[Benjamin Pitt]

Great to hear that you have got a job as a groundie Brett, it will be more helpful to getting a job out of training than anything else.

 

Funny those americans and their auto's to the centre of runways, safer for sure, but still looks odd to me.

 

You should enjoy this video that popped up recently.

 

 

 

[Tomo]

Thats a cool video Ben, thanks for that.

 

 

[pudestcon]

Been a while but here it goes.Went well Pud, passed that first exam and currently studying CPL(H) Human Performance and Limitations which is actually quite enjoyable. I've just done my pre-solo exams and check flight, just waiting on the weather to sort itself out before I can do a few solo circuits in the R-22.

 

The most challenging lessons to date have been autorotations. They are not as much difficult as they are challenging. At 1000ft this is what happens

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPEJ07ecJvY"

 

There's so much involved so you don't over speed the rotor.

 

The Rotor RPM limits are critical, we operate in the green zone which is 101% to 104%, it redlines at 110% (can be very bad if you redline it for to long), low RPM horn comes on at 97% and if the rotor RPM gets to 80% it's unrecoverable.

 

Having said that, once you get the attitude and speeds correct, she glides just as well as a fixed wing and you can put it down in someone's back yard if need be.

 

So I should be solo in the next couple of weeks but at this stage, my fulltime job has been really busy and I've taken on a couple of more casual jobs as ground crew of a scenic helicopter operation so things have been pretty flat out. Plus they pay pretty damn well so the pocket money is great!

 

The study is coming along well and I would recommend to anyone that if you have the option and the time to do the CPL studies by correspondence then do it, it'll save you cash and you'll learn a lot more!

 

That's all for now anyway.

Great stuff brett and its great to have you back,

 

Your experiences as related in your posts are very interesting and enjoyable. Thank you. I can appreciate the skill in flying helicopters but will probably never learn how. I'll content myself with reading your trials and tribulations along your journey.

 

Thanks mate,

 

Pud

 

 

[Guest Brett Campany]

Not a problem mate, I've got a very good feeling that Northam will be a nav point for one of my many navs during training, I'll send you a PM when that eventually comes up!