Module 1: Mission Complete (hopefully!)

Feeling very guilty this weekend for not question banking!

Well, this has been one massively long week - EXAM WEEK! The Module 1 exams started on Tuesday, where I did Principles of Flight and Aircraft General Knowledge; Wednesday was Instrumentation, Thursday Meteorology, then yesterday was Air Law and then VFR and IFR Communications. I should hopefully find out my results in a few week's time, although by then I will be snugly into Module 2 (I begin General Navigation on Tuesday). Instead of going to Gatwick to take the exams we do them at the CTC Nursling Training Centre, where a CAA invigilator runs the exams for both Mod 1 and 2 in the same week. As expected the exams were, you guessed it, in exam conditions, meaning lots of single well spaced out desks, see-through pencil cases and water bottles and a big ticking clock at the front of the room. They are all multiple choice (A, B, C or D), so thankfully no monster essays to write! Each exam is different in its number of questions and how much time you have to complete it:







Principles of Flight; 44 questions; 60 mins
Aircraft General Knowledge; 80 questions; 120 mins
Instrumentation; 60 questions; 90 mins
Meteorology; 84 questions; 120 mins
Air Law; 44 questions; 60 mins
VFR Comms; 24 questions; 30 mins
IFR Comms; 24 questions; 30 mins

Knowing that I am halfway there already has made me realise just how little time it will be until I'm out in New Zealand, as it feels like only a few weeks ago I was on my APD! 

Nearly there

My desk! All this paperwork makes it feel like a real flight deck...

Well, with Meteorology finished I have just started Air Law. This is a subject where it is just a case of learning everything, even though the syllabus is constantly changing. I am going to be doing this topic for the rest of this week before moving onto Communications next week... and then it is the mocks (yes, already!). Although a very scary thought I think that they will be good to give me a rough idea of just where I am and where my strengths/weaknesses are, so I can scratch up on certain subjects before the actual exams in the beginning of May.

CP104 started their Mod 1 exams today and it is very scary to think that we are the next to spend a week slaving over "A, B, C and D". After the mocks what happens is we have between 1 1/2 to 2 weeks to revise like crazy to make sure we are totally ready for whatever the CAA throw at us. During this time the instructors are fantastic, in that should we need any extra help on something, they are more than willing to give us the support we need to get the best pass possible.

Some of the best tools of the trade

I had hoped by now to have been to Bournemouth on a CBT day in order to shadow a cadet doing their IR (instrument rating), although I'm pretty sure I'll wait now until the Mod 1 exams are over and go towards the beginning of Mod 2, when I won't feel as guilty about going! It was mentioned by Nic (one of the ground school instructors) that it is possible to backseat in the full motion sims in the evenings whilst some cadets are doing their AQC (Airline Qualification Course), so I might try to do this at some point in the next couple of weeks. Expect more updates soon!

The motivation. 

Halfway through Module 1

Well here I am, three subjects down, four to go in my first set of exams. The workload is still mad and I am amazed at how much I have learnt in the past month and a bit (and also how much you learn from playing too much FSX and watching far too many episodes of Air Crash Investigation). So far I have done Aircraft General Knowledge, Principles of Flight, Instruments and am a few days into Meteorology. My life revolves around question bank and reading - feels like I have had to do it forever!

See... the middle of nowhere (aka 'home')

We are no longer the newest CP - CP106 began their training last Monday and we are struggling to believe just how long ago it was that we actually started. There is a great atmosphere here in Ashurst (or as some have lovingly named it, 'Harry Potter's Forest', seeing as we live in the middle of nowhere), and we are still having fun. I am still struggling to make the whole experience feel real, although I am sure it will settle in the week of our mock exams! We are hopefully in for another sim ride soon, so there'll possibly be another update in the next few weeks with lots more pictures of us playing the oversized video game. Until next time!