This blog is getting completely out of sync with the actual time scales of everything but “logically” it’s about right, but is now a few months out of sync with the actual dates things happened…….must try harder!
Challenging the Nav Exam for the most amount of math, Flight Performance and Planning had a lot of scope to go very wrong.
….and it very nearly did.
All the practice papers I’ve ever seen and everything in existing text books do not show any implication of requiring a map.
Clearly none was expected either as the required items on the morning of setting the paper were glanced through by the examiner and it didn’t jump out as required – but three quarters of the way through it:
Using a Chart of Southern England, plot the following route: Cardiff to…..via….
Pardon me? Plot a route, nobody said anything about plotting a route anywhere. In my Navigation exam I’d attempted to bring my own map, but had been told there was a specific map provided for the test, this time I brought no such kit and was clearly in need of a map (and a pen and a ruler and a protractor and….). The aero club lent me all of this and it came as a bit of a surprise to them as well I think.
I guess: be warned.
Having had to scramble for a map/chart and try to remember how to use one 😉 I was really, really doubtful about getting through this. Very pleased (and a little shocked), when the phone rang and verdict was:
Passed: 80%
I’ll take that, on to the next one.