Studying - what to study? Tips for studying?

[txcheck6]

All,

I recently got picked up for FSXXI in the KW. Anybody got any suggestions on what to start studying before I get out to the flight line? Suggestions on how to study? Any other kinds of recommendations for people that might be helpful? Most of the posts I checked seemed to be about getting a packet together and what aircraft to fly. Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

txcheck6

[Glen Livet]

Dash ten. Chapeters Five and Nine. "Learn it, know it, LIVE it!"

Chapter Eight wouldn't hurt, either.

[flybynight0h58]

besides the basic 5,8,9. Get to know the systems, radios, weapons, and THE SIGHT. Dont try to memorize the pages on the MFD but understand what you are trying to do and and how you affect the component in the cockpit. Your brain is going to explode but try to keep the pieces near by so u can cram it back in. Get a stick buddy who does not mind staying at the sim and going through the systems and not flying around shooting stuff. You will know what I mean once you start the sims in the CST building. Also since you are FS21 PAY ATTENTION to the tactic portion. You are getting robbed not going through BCS and as all these guys will tell ya it aint going to do you any good to know how to call arty with IDM if you are getting your butt shot off cause you dont know how to fly tactical. Hey man I am new to this game I have only been here at the troop for a year but Korea time is full of learning points. I might be just talking out my ass and if anyone else has something better shoot. that is my 2 cents man take it or leave it, Good luck in AQC see ya around. mac:rockon: :shooter:

[Psycho58D]

5,8 & 9 and 5,8 & 9 and oh yeah, 5,8 & 9. Worry about the BCS stuff and systems stuff as it comes up in the CST's or at the flight line/classroom (maybe get a heads up studying just prior to those phases starting). Warnings, cautions and notes! Pay attention at the computers, even though it is very boring. Many students forget basics and can't even edit waypoints, change/insert frequencies etc. Get the class together to study if you can. Different IPs ask questions different ways and its good exposure. Learn your daily questions and don't forget them the next day. They make good study guides. Have a good time and apply yourself. Its not meant to be easy, but it can be!?!?

[Sparky2]

txcheck6,
Prior to actually climbing in the aircraft and flying it for a few training periods, you will likely recognize that studying and memorizing Emergency Procedures and Aircraft Limitations will seem a little silly, or perhaps premature.
After all, without any hands-on experience or Instructor Pilot guidance, you will not be able to attach much meaning to what you are studying, and the learning will be strictly of the rote memorization variety.
It is still VALUABLE rote memorization, and will set you up for success by the time you are able to fully understand and apply what you have memorized. If you show up for Day 1 on the flight line, and you have Chapters 5 and 9 memorized down cold, you will be miles ahead of the game. You will be HUGE, and will have a solid foundation for all the other system knowlege that will fall in around the stuff that you have commited to memory.
As far as how to most effectively memorize the material, I can only suggest that you read and highlight the chapters, and then later pair-up with a partner in order to quiz each other. Oral quizzing is an ultra effective way to learn and memorize the numbers and steps, and sets you up for success for the oral quizzing that your IP's and Checkpilots will later subject you to.
There are a lot of card sets and study guides that you can purchase at the local vendors (book store, Wings, Air Cav Store, Phillips 66 gas station, etc), but in reality you will achieve a broader base of knowlege by actually reading & studying the various pubs (-10, ATM, FTG, Aeromedical, Regs, Pubs, etc) that the flash cards are derived from.
Plus, it'll save you some bucks that you'll need later on to buy beer, or car insurance for that new Corvette that you will no doubt want to buy on the day you pin on your wings.
Good luck, buddy.

[AndyMiller]

txcheck6-
You answered your won question a few posts back, as you probably could have done with all the questions you had here. Read the material you have instead of posting here and expecting a hand-out answer. This site can be a great resource, but while you're in flight school there are other resources. And above all: Study. Study with a partner. Make your own flashcards. Listen and learn from the IPs you have regardless of the phase of flight school you're in.

[wood21]

While your studying your 5,8,9 and getting your systems classes from the always exciting monotone computer guy, write questions that you think may be asked later. I keep mine in a notebook. Keep adding to the questions through each phase of training and you will have an excellent study guide you can use for check rides.

[Kyle]

check 6
I just finished fs21 for the 58's you and your classmates will be replacing me in mustang flt. the best advice i can give you right now is to hand write chapers 5-9 atleast 10 times...that helped a ton for me. Dont forget in ch 9 those warning and cautions and advisories with cds4 software...the bcs and weapons systems will come in time. also pay close attention on pieces and parts. and most of all dont be afraid to ask what something is or does if you dont understand. there thats my 2 cents

sears

[Warriorip]

All new guys,
I am one of the FSXXI flt cdrs. I highly recommend that you all familiarize yourselves with ch 5,8,9. We as your IP's dont expect you to understand them (initially). The first step in the learning process is rote memorization. In other words you can simply recall the information. You in no way understand what all those EP's and limits mean and how they relate to each other. We will teach you the relationship between ch 5 & 9, and in the process you will slowly but surely begin to understand the "WHY" as you achieve correlation. The ultimate goal of the learning process. Your ability to prepare prior to arriving for the course is limited, so dont go crazy reading stuff that you dont understand. You will (I promise) FORGET IT!!!. As a FSXXI IP I want you to arrive ready to learn! Enough said

[gschaefer]

Study aerodynamics and aeromedical. They are P3 the first day and it is a waste of time for the IP to have to go over those items again instead of new information. Besides makes a great/bad first impression based on your retaining what you were already taught.

[Pdub]

I was wondering if anyone had any memory trouble with chapter's 5 & 9 at flight school? You would study, study, study, but had alittle bit of trouble recalling/retaining the information or would get stuck on certain parts of the answers. Does anyone have any ideas/memory tricks on retaining/recalling all of that information? Please all kidding aside, I could really use some advice from someone who has been there and experienced this problem. Thank you! :wall:

[dirtyharry71]

Verbalize out loud each of them (many just read them and think them). Look at the gauges in the cockpit and do the same. Relax, think, then recite. Practice, study, and speak them often.

[Syseng]

Verbalizing helps with memorization. I'd guess doing it in the cockpit, with a visual cue would be even better.

Like harry said.

[Magnum]

Understand ...........WHY you are doing an EP......cause and effect per se....What will fix this problem and why. Rote memorization only works until one more thing goes wrong (a double whammy) and then you piss yourself. lol Also try to categorize eps that have same elements to them ie. you either land or autorotate, or you flip this switch for 12 different things. :D

[lil_wings]

Sit in the cockpit trainers and just do the steps over and over again. Then do what Magnum said... know what is happening to the systems when they fail and you preform the procedures. It's one thing to keep saying it over and over... it's another thing to actually move the controls when you do it. Then, when a real emergency occurs- you react as though it were second nature.

Another thing that might help... don't buy those little yellow books of cards at Hanger and Wings. Do yourself a favor, make your own cards. Writing the procedure, warnings, cautions, limits will help you remember them better. Save yourself the seven or eight bucks and buy a couple of beers on friday night.

Only memorize a few things every night, and then keep practicing them throughout the day, adding a little more every night. You'll remember things better if you take your memorization in smaller bites. That's why cramming the night before a check ride or test is bad... that's an old tip from college.

The other thing that worked for one friend of mine... and this seems silly, but it worked for her. She would get a bag of M and Ms or Skittles or something like that, and everytime you get a step correct while memorizing, you eat one. Yeah, it seems corny, but you learn to associate your correct emergency procedure or limit with something sweet.

The other thing that might work is, before you go to bed, read briefly over your EPs and limits- that way your brain can think about them at night and then you'll remember them a little better for morning flight line.

OK. That's about all that I can think of. You just have to find something that works for you, and stick with it. Best of luck.

[Sparky2]

Great advice, Lil Wings

I would add this;

Use a study partner at least once a week for Chapter 5 & 9 stuff.

Having to respond to oral questioning like that prepares you for the oral grilling you get on the flight line, and things stick in your brain better when you are interacting with another classmate or stick buddy.

Plus, it's less boring that just reading the -10 by yourself. Whenever I was studying by myself, I found that I had a limited attention span, and would get bored or distracted.
Shooting questions back and forth with a buddy can be both entertaining and helpful to retention.

What the other guys said about going thru the drills in the cockpit is right on. When you get to practice them in the cockpit or Cockpit Procedural Trainer with your hands on the controls, you not only learn them at a deeper level, you will also be preparing yourself for immediate and instinctive reaction when the REAL emergency comes along.

Good luck.

:thumbsup:

[MEAT]

Myquestion would be this:
What phase of flight school are you in?
If you are in the first phase, don't sweat it too bad, it will come. (I did'nt get the tail rotor EPs to stick until the day of my primary check ride...they just did'nt make sense before that)
If you are in AQC/FS21. then I have this to say. If you have made it this far in flight school, and you can't figure out how to remember 5&9, you have issues. (probably slipped through a crack)
At any rate I agree with above threads. My roommate and I were stick buddies, and he owned a kegerater. We would sit out in the garage drinking beer and asking each other 5,9, and anything else we could think of. I will tell you this as a fact. If you can remember an EP when your loaded, you won't have any problems when your sober. Good luck, keep your head down, and keep moving forward.

[wdavis]

try flash cards. that will take care of writing it and it will be one small piece of info at a time. Flash cards are easy to carry around and you can stick them in the know/don't know piles.

Verbal with a partner is good also. I had to get up and walk around with the flash cards.

Try flying the chair. Sit in a chair and put pictures of the cockpit around. when you flash a card and go through the EP or limitation look for the right guage or circuit breaker.

verbal/move around,cards,a partner---lots of caffeine!! sp?

The most important piece of advice I have that applys to you right now when you have doubts is.

Thousands of people have done this before you-----we can't all be smarter than you. You can do it. If it ain't working try something different.

good luck/have fun

[lil_wings]

Oh yes, I totally forgot about study groups... and make the most of the learning center. The gentlemen that work at the desk are some of the most dedicated and understanding guys out there. Mr. Woody (I hope he's still there) helped us through countless nights in aerodynamic and especially instruments. Maximize the seasoned experience people while you have them available!

Watch out for that caffeine... discussed under drugs, as part of aeromed... most used drug in the world, low grade anphetimine... causes increases in blood pressure and heart rate as well as increased attention... not to mention, having too much before you go fly can lead to being about ready to burst on that last approach into Cairns

[on8thday]

lil_Wings Mr. Woody is still there. Helping many students through Intruments every day!:rockon: :bravo:

[rangerreece]

Whoa, Mr. Woody is still there! Holy Cow! That guy taught me instruments back in 93. It's amazing how so very little changes at Rucker. It's like being in a time warp. You can see the face of the buildings changing from white washed wood, to red brick but it's like Ground Hog day, or a trip through the twilight zone sometimes.

[nehringer]

I never liked study groups much. It always seemed as if everyone was always smarter than me. I found that the best way to pass any test was simply to know the information. I know that sounds simplistic, but it is applicable to all examinations. This is the trick that got me through the IFE course. I just immersed myself in IFR everything. I read all kinds of civilian books on the subject. BTW, there are civililans who fly helicopters. While these rotor jocks do not get held as closely to the filre as we do in their accedemic endeavors, they do have some insight on how helicopters actually work. I suggest some extra reading on helicopter flight fundamentals, VFR stuff and IFR stuff for instruments. A word of caution on IFR though...today's IFR pilot is filing an IFR flight plan from his departure point directly to his destination and flying to ONE waypoint before taking vectors to his final approach course, if IMC. This is NOT the way we do it in the Army.

So your question was about memorizing 5&9. Well, just learn it. Immerse yourself in what you need to know. When the questions are asked, the answers will flow as easilly as your own name. Don't just study the questions and the answers. Learn WHY!! You have to be able to answer a question with a question. While considered rude in conversation, it should be a regular part of your study habbit. Think about why this action is the automatic response to this situation for every given emergency. What happens at rotor RPMs above 107%? The FV<%!#& thing falls out of the sky!! L=1/2pxSAxV2. Anyway, I think you get my point.

Yeah, spend more time in the books and less here, but I tell ya what...I wish I had this resource when I was in flight school!

[Mcneillp]

Being a somewhat recent graduate from FSXXI ( for 58D's of course) what i did that helped me with my 5&9...and especially the written test. I would ask my wife to type up the headings for the limitation and leave 5or 6 spaces for Example:
Gas Producer:



Mast Torque:




etc... and then I would make copies at Bco. and fill-in the blanks. I would do the first one with the book and then do the rest without the book. I would go until I could complete all the pages doing about one a night...and then when I had any kinda down time I had flashcards ( you know the ones that everyone is telling you not to buy, you can make your own if you want ...whatever) for example: riding in the car just flip through or waiting in line or on break in class...you'd be suprised...I'm not the brightest of the bunch so I had to pound it in my head...and well it worked so far...everyone learns differently you are going to have to find your own technique. The guys in my class got together every Friday and we had round robin drills that helped alot too...

[GOB]

A way to learn for me was to put a graphic, (picture, or TNG aid) of the aircraft cockpit up. Scan the instrument displays from left to right, (or MPD), learn to announce all limits across the cockpit as you scan. after you've got that down, EP's associated with all instruments and flt controls. I think you'll find visualization helps. It also becomes great habit transfer for "seeing" those limits in your mind while in the seat. EP's will come the same way.

A friend of mine had his wife read 5 & 9 questions into a recorder, then played that cassete whenever he was driving or had time. He'd answer the questions over and over. Good rote memorization, which is where you are in learning anyway.

Hey, I was a rock in flight school, I applaud every IP I had, cuz' when they got me as a student they were issued a block and tackle to get the answers.

[dirtyharry71]

Originally posted by GOB
A way to learn for me was to put a graphic, (picture, or TNG aid) of the aircraft cockpit up. Scan the instrument displays from left to right, (or MPD), learn to announce all limits across the cockpit as you scan. after you've got that down, EP's associated with all instruments and flt controls. I think you'll find visualization helps. It also becomes great habit transfer for "seeing" those limits in your mind while in the seat. EP's will come the same way.

A friend of mine had his wife read 5 & 9 questions into a recorder, then played that cassete whenever he was driving or had time. He'd answer the questions over and over. Good rote memorization, which is where you are in learning anyway.

Hey, I was a rock in flight school, I applaud every IP I had, cuz' when they got me as a student they were issued a block and tackle to get the answers. But, if you have been married a while, you may want to have someone else read them. We all know when your wife talks, your mind starts to wander.