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Ra Aus cross country study guide


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Lots of free stuff right here on RecFly - try Resources for various helpful apps and Tutorials (John Brandon's) - scroll down to the Contents and click on Navigation, Radio etc.

Yeah but the exam is pretty much written to that study guide so I wanna get it to make sure there's nothing I miss. And I won't be doing my Nav endorsement for a while so I wanna slowly work my way through it

 

 

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I used the D-H RAAus X-country manual and found it very good. Between that, the VFR flight guide and the online Brandon tutorials you'll have all the info you need. The D-H manual gives a good logical learning structure and supplement each topic with info from the VFRFG and on-line tutorials.

 

Also google earth is your friend when planning your pracs.

 

 

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Let me know what you think of it...I might have to pick it up myself down the track.

I can highly recommend the D-H XC manual, I just passed my XC with it. Word of advice though, give yourself plenty of time to study the material before you commence your training, there is a lot for you to get your head around.Also, prepare yourself financially for the training, each nav ex is between 2 and 3 hours, I did 7 navs, about 20 hours to complete mine. I have to say though, it is a hell of a lot of fun getting through it.

 

Tony.

 

 

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Word of advice though, give yourself plenty of time to study the material before you commence your training, there is a lot for you to get your head around.

Yeah that's why I want to get the study material now, I won't be doing the practical stuff until next year due to a lack of finances (more babies)

I do a lot of flight simming and try to do all the cross country planning and navigating as realistically as possible so I feel like I already have a pretty good grasp on it. But I'm sure there's still a ton to learn for the exams :)

 

 

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Yeah that's why I want to get the study material now, I won't be doing the practical stuff until next year due to a lack of finances (more babies)I do a lot of flight simming and try to do all the cross country planning and navigating as realistically as possible so I feel like I already have a pretty good grasp on it. But I'm sure there's still a ton to learn for the exams :)

In my opinion you have an excellent plan of attack Parkway. You will love the study, it's a fascinating subject, it will push your mind. The flight sim.... yes, you can effectively test your xc skills by using it, I did. One memorable occasion was when I had to plan for a flight from Coominya(YBCM) to Millmeran(YMMN). I thought I'd practice some XC skills on the sim, the day before. I thought, Damn! this sim is no good, there's no good landmarks on the way, the river that is on the map, isn't there. oh well, just stay on the bearing, keep the time markers up to date, then a large lake came into view right on queue, and I knew where I was. When I did the flight for real, I was impressed just how void of landmarks that stretch was, the rivers that were supposed to be there, were hidden by foliage or dry and unrecognizable, and like the sim, I just held the bearing and just like the sim, the lake came into view, right on time.

 

The study material has some very good practice exams that prepares you well for the RAAus XC exam. When you get the Study material, make sure you invest in a flight computer (Kane MK6B is used in the study material, I inherited my fathers 6B who purchased it in the 1960's, it is still good and relevant) and aviation rulers and protractor. The study refers to them often and you will not understand some of the concepts unless you have one in your hands. Also get yourself a copy of ERSA, VFRG and up to date charts of the area around where you are going to fly(VTC, VNC and WAC), closer to when you are planning to start your training. A PCA helps you interpret weather reports. Your instructor will advise you, before you start, of other gear you may need.

 

There are a lot of concepts to get your head around, but for me, it all came together when my instructor said, "You just have to follow the snake" The snake being the series of pinpoints you make along the path to your destination.

 

As I said, you will love it!

 

Tony

 

 

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Dinga- Not really other than the PPL flight notification and SARTIME lodgment and cancellation is covered better.

Thanks mate, as I transferred across to HGFA WM from PPL I was just trying to get a feel if all disciplines go through the same Nav exercises and theory as PPL.

 

 

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Thanks mate, as I transferred across to HGFA WM from PPL I was just trying to get a feel if all disciplines go through the same Nav exercises and theory as PPL.

Yep navigation is largely the same except the PPL covers the paper side of lodgements much better..I haven't done it fully yet, but I have done RAA and my son has done both RAA and GFPT+ a fair bit of nav... I also have some close contacts that are instructors in GA

To the best of my knowledge its very very similar except SARTIME, Flight plans, and communications with air services... PPL tends to prepare you to more fully to rely on and use air services, whereas RAA tends to be more independent. But 80% of the content is the same. The PPL also has more comprehensive study of weather and aircraft loading.

 

 

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Yep navigation is largely the same except the PPL covers the paper side of lodgements much better..I haven't done it fully yet, but I have done RAA and my son has done both RAA and GFPT+ a fair bit of nav... I also have some close contacts that are instructors in GATo the best of my knowledge its very very similar except SARTIME, Flight plans, and communications with air services... PPL tends to prepare you to more fully to rely on and use air services, whereas RAA tends to be more independent. But 80% of the content is the same. The PPL also has more comprehensive study of weather and aircraft loading.

Great info. The reason I was thinking about this was that in doing a PPL I remember getting the map out mid flight and using a flight omputer and map to do the whole track made good etc calculations. In an open cockpit my guess is that they do not go through that scenario as it could get really messy :-)

 

Also its a different outlook when you are doing 40-60kts instead of 110-130kts.

 

 

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Great info. The reason I was thinking about this was that in doing a PPL I remember getting the map out mid flight and using a flight omputer and map to do the whole track made good etc calculations. In an open cockpit my guess is that they do not go through that scenario as it could get really messy :-)Also its a different outlook when you are doing 40-60kts instead of 110-130kts.

I guess that depends on your aircraft, i did navs in my aircraft which cruises 120kt

In both PPL and RAA navs they strongly encourage 1 in 60 so you can keep scanning , but they do have to ensure you can also use a flight computer. I practice these on the ground which makes it pretty quick in flight.

 

For those wondering what 1 in 60 is

 

1 in 60 rule - Wikipedia

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

To recap on the getting ready for your Cross-Country Endorsement:

 

1. Learn how to really use your 'whiz-wheel', be it a slider or a circular. You should be able to convert ARFORs into flight plans, do 1/60 calcs, work out x/winds for any location, work out groundspeeds, work out fuel burn,range,endurance, and, multiply and divide. When you can do this one-handed.....you're ready to go fly. PS: I still have the Jeppy CR-3 that I purchased in 1963, and used in every exam since then. You should be able to make that thing brew your cuppa en route! Ever noticed a circular object in an old RPT Captains' pocket - it's probably his original Jeppy CR2!

 

2. I also encourage students to have their own iPad and a subscription to OzRunways or Avplan. Cheaper than paper in the end. When you can run up a flightplan in 10 mins, you're getting there. You should also be able to source airfield info, radar info, diversion info all using one hand in a bouncing aircraft.

 

3. If the aircraft has an in panel or mounted GPS in it - students should be able to transfer a flight plan into this and cross-check back to (1) and (2). They should study the POH for the unit, and be able to use the most important functions in flight. If it's in the aircraft - you should know how to use it.

 

When you are really 'on top' of the navigation 'aids' I've listed above, then you'll be ahead of the learning curve for x/c endo. Most students are pushing things uphill with their cross-country learning - because they underestimate the value of equipment familiarity/dexterity.

 

happy learning,

 

 

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And practice practice practice on the ground......80% plus of the CC skills used in flight can be simulated on the ground.

Yep I'm doing as much on the sim as I can in preparation for when I actually have the time/money for my x-country endorsement

 

 

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We discussed this on another thread - but I would appreciate anyone else's feedback/opinion.

 

I passed both RPL with Radio, Controlled Aerodrome and Controlled airspace ratings and RAAus with HF, NW and R endorsements.

 

The question was/is - do I need to complete XC Navs in both classes or can I just complete them in one and they will transfer across (either way)?

 

 

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We discussed this on another thread - but I would appreciate anyone else's feedback/opinion.I passed both RPL with Radio, Controlled Aerodrome and Controlled airspace ratings and RAAus with HF, NW and R endorsements.

 

The question was/is - do I need to complete XC Navs in both classes or can I just complete them in one and they will transfer across (either way)?

I would suggest you contact CASA about that, or your flying school. But I seem to recall reading somewhere the list of what you need to do to upgrade to RPL from RPC. All you needed was the RPC XC plus a few more hours XC, plus other stuff such as medical and a flight review in the bigger aircraft. To me that may mean that the training may be one and the same.

 

 

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Note RPL here stands for Recognised Prior Learning

 

They do not necessarily transfer, however if it is done through a registered RTO, they must consider RPL by legislation as an RTO. If they don't they may be in breach of the Aust Quality Framework (AQF) and The Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA).

 

http://www.aqf.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/RPL-Explanation.pdf

 

"RTOs must develop and implement strategies for training and assessment that consider the characteristics, skill and experiences of each individual learner. The Standards for Registered Training Organisations 2015 require RTOs to offer RPL to learners. RPL is an assessment-only process that assesses the competency of an individual—competency which may have been acquired through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning. This assessment seeks to determine the extent to which an individual meets the requirements specified in training packages or VET accredited courses."

 

FAQs | Australian Skills Quality Authority

 

Under the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2015, your RTO must offer recognition of prior learning (RPL) to individual learners—unless the requirements of the training package or licensing requirements prevent this.

 

 

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