The way from secundary school to the flightdeck!

Hi,

Due to a request for some extra information about the SFA selection tests, I'll explain the compass test a bit more. The rest will follow in a couple of days.

CONTROL

The control test looks like the image below. It is a hand- foot coordination test. The intention is to keep the blue needle in the red square and to keep the blue circle on the red line at the same time. You may want to practise this on your flightsim before you enter the test, which will help you get the feeling of the joystick and the rudder pedals.

SLALOM

In this part you have to keep the blue triangle (below) between the green and red line (Actually these lines are squares). The lines are moving downwards. You have to do this by moving the joystick left and right.

ORIENTATION

With 3 instruments, you have to determine your position etc.

The first instrument shows the direction (measured from your aircraft) to the VOR. By knowing this direction you can trace back your position in relation to the VOR (blue cross).

The second instrument is the attitude indicator. It shows you your pitch and bank angle, which is represented by the green arrow.

The last intrument shows the heading the aircraft is flying.


Let me explain this example. The heading indicator (3rd instrument) shows us that we are flying East, while the ADF (1st instrument) shows us that the VOR is on our right side. The attitude indicator (2nd instrument) tells us that we are climbing a bit (it is not showed very well in here) without turning (look at the green arrow on the acft). If we were turning left as well, the arrow would aim to the left upper corner.


MATHEMATICS

You have 20 minutes to solve 20 questions. I dont think you need much explanation for this part.


MEMORY

There are shown 4 or less datas, which you have to remember. They appear a couple of seconds, and then they disappear. You have to fill them in again afterwards.


TECHNICAL QUESTIONS

After finishing the above standing tests, you get 20 (or 15, don't know for sure) technical questions. For example you have to work with the pythagorean theorem, and you get questions like why an aircraft can stay in the air. They're all multiple choice.


MULTITASK

While you are filling in the A/P, there appear red squares in the left and right upper corner. As soon as you notice these squares, you have to press some button (can't remember which button anymore). The intention is to do this as fast as possible. You only get 3 seconds.


Good luck Rahul with your compass test. :)

Dennis