Flight Training - August 2022 - 39

3. Don't skip the information section. It may be
tempting to skip the learning section of the chapter and
go straight to drilling sample questions. Don't do it.
Although the topics aren't covered in depth, they are
logically organized and provide a good flow that builds
in order to gain a better understanding and help with
learning and retention. Context is vitally important
to learning, and that's impossible to gather from the
test questions alone. You can find countless examples
of this in your own life. Things such as investments,
home buying, learning a new skill, or even cooking
require broader context before we can understand the
basics. So, read about light gun signals and cloud types
and pilot in command authority, even if it seems like
you could just memorize the information through the
questions and answers.
4. Read and understand the questions. Once
you've read the information section, take an initial
pass through all the questions in that chapter. Don't go
straight online and start taking practice tests. Simply
read through all the questions and correct answers,
and make sure you understand why the most correct
answer is the right choice. Even better, check for close
answers and understand why they are wrong. Do this
one time through the whole book.
5. Take an initial practice test. Take one, or at
the most, two practice tests, focusing less on the score
and more on your weak areas. There will be topics
that you nailed and those where you failed miserably.
For me, it was meteorology. Since my private pilot
days, I've struggled to give rote answers to questions
such as which clouds types exist at which altitudes, in
part because I failed to properly commit it to memory
during my initial training. It's no surprise then that
when I tried to learn some of the same topics in Spanish
it was a disaster. Don't get discouraged. This is only
an interim step.
6. Reexamine all the questions in your weak
areas. Now go back and drill yourself on all the questions
in your weakest chapters, and drill down on your
problem areas. Maybe you understand cloud types, but
not fronts, for example. Identify all those weak areas.
7. Re-read the information. Once you've identified
the weakest areas, re-read those sections of the
chapters. Most likely you'll discover immediately why
you got the questions wrong. Take the time to read
and better understand the topic, re-reading it as many
times as necessary. If you're still struggling, ask your
instructor. You can seek out other training materials,
but sometimes broadening the search for information
turns into a rabbit hole that can be difficult to extract
yourself from. And it can quickly become confusing.
Remember that we're going for basic knowledge here.
8. Drill the tests. Now you can graduate to the
step where so many people improperly start. Go
online and find a free site that drills knowledge test
questions, and take practice tests. Your instructor will
tell you when you are ready to take the test for real,
but most are happy to give the endorsement when
their students are routinely scoring in the 90s on
practice tests.
LOST IN TRANSLATION
Think learning aviation vernacular
in English is hard? Try it in Spanish.
Here are some key vocabulary words
and their meanings in English-I think.
Ala - wing
Borde de ataque - Looks like it could
be angle of attack, but is actually the
leading edge of the wing. Angle of
attack is Angulo de ataque.
Sustentacion - Lift
Empuje - Thrust
Alabeo - Roll, as in a turn
Picado y encabritado - Pitch down
(literally chop) and pitch up
Guiñada - Yaw
Timon de profundidad - Elevator
Timon de direccion - Rudder
Barrenas - Spins
9. Plan ahead. Give yourself some time. There are
good weekend courses intended to shove the information
into your brain with the expectation that you will
shove it back out onto a test immediately after. And
they work. But assuming you're studying on your own,
this process will take a few weeks. I studied sporadically
for a week, and then more intensively for about
two weeks in the time leading up to my test.
10. Set a goal. Schedule your test, even if you're
not ready. Like many people, I'm externally motivated,
and for me that meant having a goal and a deadline. I
didn't feel ready to take the test when I scheduled it,
and you may not be either. That's OK. Use the date as a
motivator and a way to organize your study schedule.
And when someone suggests pushing it back because
you're not ready, ignore them and focus.
I didn't feel completely ready for my test. I was
getting in the 90s on some of the sections and in the
70s on others (I'm looking at you, stupid weather
questions). Prior to the test I put my chances of passing
at about 60 percent.
Imagine my surprise when the score came up on
the screen at the end: 98.
¡Eso! FT
ian.twombly@aopa.org
FLIGHT TRAINING AUGUST 2022
39
Flight Training - August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Flight Training - August 2022
