Oral exam place and questions

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

Luke Skywalker writes:

In your hypothetical if I gave you a question like the one you possed
and you gave me the "ball park" answer my next question "might" be,
"if you wanted a more precise one how would you figure it out?" and
then that would go to the "computing" device...I would probably feel
it necessary (grin) to show you how to use an E6B if all you have is
an electronic one (kind of a whiz bang thing)...

I don't think that would be a problem. The ASA E6-B I bought is
inexpensively made, though, and it's really hard to turn the wheels;
it would be a pain to actually have to fumble with it in a cockpit.


How would you know, moron? You've never been in a cockpit.



A nice Pickett steel or bamboo circular slide rule would be ideal--one
of the rare situations in which a slide rule is probably superior to a
calculator (no electricity, extremely fast and easy to use, more than
accurate enough for its purpose, good at simplifying specific
problems). Alas! Nobody seems to make slide rules any more. I saw a
few other circular slide rules at the pilot store, but they all looked
like the same thing in different materials, although I didn't look
that closely.

I"ve done "part" of the oral in and around an airplane before...but I
dont like to. The environment is not controlled etc... It usually
doesnt do what I am trying to do and that is put the applicant at
"ease"...

The only time I'm at ease during an exam is if I don't care if I pass.

Nobody else cares, that's for sure.



Bertie

On Apr 10, 6:50 am, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote :

Luke Skywalker writes:

In your hypothetical if I gave you a question like the one you possed
and you gave me the "ball park" answer my next question "might" be,
"if you wanted a more precise one how would you figure it out?" and
then that would go to the "computing" device...I would probably feel
it necessary (grin) to show you how to use an E6B if all you have is
an electronic one (kind of a whiz bang thing)...

I don't think that would be a problem. The ASA E6-B I bought is
inexpensively made, though, and it's really hard to turn the wheels;
it would be a pain to actually have to fumble with it in a cockpit.

How would you know, moron? You've never been in a cockpit.







A nice Pickett steel or bamboo circular slide rule would be ideal--one
of the rare situations in which a slide rule is probably superior to a
calculator (no electricity, extremely fast and easy to use, more than
accurate enough for its purpose, good at simplifying specific
problems). Alas! Nobody seems to make slide rules any more. I saw a
few other circular slide rules at the pilot store, but they all looked
like the same thing in different materials, although I didn't look
that closely.

I"ve done "part" of the oral in and around an airplane before...but I
dont like to. The environment is not controlled etc... It usually
doesnt do what I am trying to do and that is put the applicant at
"ease"...

The only time I'm at ease during an exam is if I don't care if I pass.

Nobody else cares, that's for sure.

Bertie- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

LOL. Thats what I tell people everytime I sign off the white paper...

LOL

Robert

"Luke Skywalker" wrote in
ups.com:

On Apr 10, 6:50 am, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Mxsmanic wrote
:

Luke Skywalker writes:

In your hypothetical if I gave you a question like the one you
possed and you gave me the "ball park" answer my next question
"might" be, "if you wanted a more precise one how would you figure
it out?" and then that would go to the "computing" device...I
would probably feel it necessary (grin) to show you how to use an
E6B if all you have is an electronic one (kind of a whiz bang
thing)...

I don't think that would be a problem. The ASA E6-B I bought is
inexpensively made, though, and it's really hard to turn the
wheels; it would be a pain to actually have to fumble with it in a
cockpit.

How would you know, moron? You've never been in a cockpit.







A nice Pickett steel or bamboo circular slide rule would be
ideal--one of the rare situations in which a slide rule is probably
superior to a calculator (no electricity, extremely fast and easy
to use, more than accurate enough for its purpose, good at
simplifying specific problems). Alas! Nobody seems to make slide
rules any more. I saw a few other circular slide rules at the
pilot store, but they all looked like the same thing in different
materials, although I didn't look that closely.

I"ve done "part" of the oral in and around an airplane
before...but I dont like to. The environment is not controlled
etc... It usually doesnt do what I am trying to do and that is
put the applicant at "ease"...

The only time I'm at ease during an exam is if I don't care if I
pass.

Nobody else cares, that's for sure.

Bertie- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

LOL. Thats what I tell people everytime I sign off the white paper...


Kay...


Berti e

Mxsmanic wrote:
Where does this exam take place?

My exam took place in the flight school building, in one of the
ready-room alcoves. We also took a brief walk outside, and spent some
time with the aircraft before preflight.

When you are asked math-type questions, are you expected to answer with just a
ballpark figure or an exact answer? In the latter case, can you use a
calculator, or pencil and paper, or must you do it in your head?

Precise. And yes, calculators are allowed, but you must demonstrate your
ability using any method. Generally, though, math questions aren't
asked; it's a lot more theory, rules, specifications, that sort of
thing. The "math" portions are taken care of in the flight plan you're
asked to develop.

If I'm asked how long it will take to go 84 nm at 120 kts, I know that it's
about 40 minutes, but if an exact answer is required I don't see how I could
practically provide that without a calculator.

I could be quite cruel here, seeing as you're just a name on the screen.
However, I will be benevolent.

Long division is your answer. Alternately, it pays to invest in a book
on pilot math.

120 kts is 2 nm/min (120/60), so the precise answer is 42 minutes
(84/2). Decimal minutes are also acceptable in remainders (assuming you
can deal with converting them back to HMS format, to read on clocks).

TheSmokingGnu

Edit: crossposted, corrected.

TheSmokingGnu writes:

120 kts is 2 nm/min (120/60), so the precise answer is 42 minutes
(84/2).

I had not thought of that, although I suppose I would with some reflection.
I'm sure I would not during an exam.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

TheSmokingGnu writes:

120 kts is 2 nm/min (120/60), so the precise answer is 42 minutes
(84/2).

I had not thought of that, although I suppose I would with some
reflection. I'm sure I would not during an exam.


Not enough fingers, eh genius?


bertie

Mxsmanic wrote in
:

I've been reading about oral exams for a private pilot license (in the
U.S.), and two questions have come to mind.

Where does this exam take place?

What does it matter to you? You'll never fly.


Bertie

"Mxsmanic" wrote in message
...

snip
If I'm asked how long it will take to go 84 nm at 120 kts, I know that
it's
about 40 minutes, but if an exact answer is required I don't see how I
could
practically provide that without a calculator.

your kidding! 120 kts = 2 nm /min exactly 84 nm = 42 min exactly

and even if it wasnt a nice round number , didnt you ever learn long
devision in primary school?

Personally I do most of my flight planning in Excel. but if I havent got a
computer with me, I always have a calculator in my flight bag.
For doing calculations in the copckpit , I do it all mentally. In all my
flying ( 200 hrs) I have never used a calculator or whizwheel in the air.
If say I have to do a diversion , I estimate distance off the map using the
old rule of thumb and I know my TAS in nm/min. I might use a protractor to
measure the
track, if I am not particularly busy, but normally I can estimate the track
with 10 degrees off the map which is usually accurate enough, when you have
adequate landmarks. I carry a GPS with me but only for "just in case"
terry

d&tm writes:

your kidding! 120 kts = 2 nm /min exactly 84 nm = 42 min exactly

That probably would not occur to me during the stress of an exam.

and even if it wasnt a nice round number , didnt you ever learn long
devision in primary school?

Yes, long ago. I never liked it, and I did it with pencil and paper, not in
my head.

Personally I do most of my flight planning in Excel. but if I havent got a
computer with me, I always have a calculator in my flight bag.

I guess nobody uses slide rules any more.

--
Transpose mxsmanic and gmail to reach me by e-mail.

On Apr 10, 3:55 pm, Mxsmanic wrote:
d&tm writes:
Personally I do most of my flight planning in Excel. but if I havent got a
computer with me, I always have a calculator in my flight bag.

I guess nobody uses slide rules any more.

There are still plenty of slide rules made for pilots, printers,
doctors, and so forth. Dozens of makers of them, including:

http://www.concise.co.jp/eng0731/slide.html
http://iwa-slidecharts.com/en/
http://www.perrygraf.com/products.html
etc..

And a whole bunch of us active slide rule users live at:

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/sliderule/

I, for example, design manual flight computers as a hobby for myself,
using SVG to generate the graphics. I also researched and posted the
E-6B's history on Wikipedia, and have written a couple hundred pages
towards a book on the history of all flight whizwheels.

Kev