Preparation Tips for the Dreaded FAA Written

By Dave Hensley

FAA WrittenFor many students, passing the FAA written test is a major nail biter!  Jitters over the prospect of failing a multiple choice test cause some students to postpone or delay the test and what should be a relatively easy step ends up being a stumbling point and source of frustration.   Passing the written test is a necessary part of the pilot certification process but unfortunately, many of us do not use successful preparation strategies.  Use this rehearsal tip to boost your score and reduce anxiety.  Practice like you test!

The best way to get rid of “classic” test anxiety is to be prepared.  That means taking the time to complete a reasonable study plan using a methodical approach. An all night cram session is definitely not a good idea because retention suffers when you don’t allow enough time to consolidate new information.   Likewise, when developing a study plan for a written, more frequent or “distributed” sessions are more effective than “massed” periods. Shorter periods with frequent breaks are better than extended sessions accomplished less frequently.  We all have friends who seem to breeze through tests with very little preparation.  Unfortunately, most of us need enough time to thoroughly review the training material and study.  Another way to boost your performance is to practice in a place and way that you expect to encounter on test day.  Taking practice tests over the same material is great.  Doing this type of practice in a place that is similar to the actual test center is even better. There are several very good commercial test books available that both organize the content and provide sample tests for rehearsal. Making up your own tests will give you added confidence. As a nice gesture, the FAA provides access to some of the test question data bases that the actual written tests draw upon.  A quick visit to www.faa.gov and a few mouse clicks will take you to the specific test banks.  The commercial test guides offer the advantage of narrowing the question field and organizing the material in a more logical sequence.  If you prefer to do it yourself, use your computer to access the test banks and cut and paste your own practice test.  This will allow you to practice using the actual questions you will see again on test day.

Testing is a part of certification.  Very few enjoyed being tested but taking multiple choice tests definitely does not have to be stress event it seems to be.  Take the time to prepare and practice like the real test.  Your FAA written should be a breeze.

Piloting Adventures – the Vintage Airways DC3

by Scott Patton

Piloting adventures - the Vintage Airways DC3 - vintage advertisement Piloting adventures - the Vintage Airways DC3 - advertisement Piloting adventures - the Vintage Airways DC3 Piloting adventures - the Vintage Airways DC3 - Vintage NoseartMy greatest thrill as an airline pilot was not at thirty five thousand feet on autopilot, but rather at the controls of the legendary DC-3 at  eight hundred feet flying out of the west at sunset in a two ship formation and peeling off overhead Key West on a champagne sunset flight as WWII era music played in the cabin.

I had the honor of flying tine DC-3 for a WWII themed tour operator from Orlando to Key West, with fly bys of the Kennedy Space Center and champagne sunset flights over Key West. The theme celebrated VE Day, May 8, 1945, complete with period uniforms, actual Life Magazines and fabulous “Big Band” music set to each leg of the flight.

I will admit, with every takeoff, as those huge 1350 horse power radial engines roared into the sky, and the sound of Benny Goodman music played in the background, there  was a smile on my face every time!

Now as an instructor for AeroStar, I get to introduce people to this fantastic career opportunity. You may get to fly a DC3. You may be flying spacecraft in the future!  We never know what adventures await our students in the future.

What we do know for sure is that your future is much brighter when you prepare and invest in your skills and abilities to do what you love.

We look forward to seeing you in class, and helping your aviation career dreams take flight!

 

Stories from Our Students and Graduates – First Officer Kenian Jabbour

As the Admissions Director of AeroStar, I learn a lot about our students and their careers.

Stories from our students and graduatesThe career path for pilots has changed in the last few years.  The career path used to be something like this:

  1. Get your multi-engine and commercial license
  2. Become a CFI
  3. Build time as an instructor
  4. Work for a Regional Airline or 121 to build more time
  5. Apply to a major airline or for a corporate flight department

Airlines were also willing to pay for type rating training for new hires.

A more typical (and better!) career path for today’s pilots goes like this:

  1. Get your multi-engine and commercial license
  2. Get your A320 or b737 type rating from AeroStar
  3. Get hired by an overseas airline (many of whom are hiring our graduates!)
  4. Get paid while you build time
  5. Apply for a major U.S. airline (if you like.)

Many of our students do exactly this.

It is good to see people who are so excited about their success.

A few months ago, Kenian Jabbour had had his doubts about our program.   His crew partner was getting his flight training at a competing academy (PanAm) and had been quoted a lower price than AeroStar was offering.   But Keenan toured our facility, compared the quality of the program, and started with us.

Kenian spent 10 days on site with us getting his a320 type rating.   He was hired as a first officer for an airline, and recently stopped by our office while his aircraft was being fueled. They had just returned from France and were planning a trip to Casablanca.

Since then, his crew partner has actually spent MORE money on additional training and was still working on his type rating.

Why do AeroStar students get hired?

  1. Our students stand out from the pack by showing that they’ve made a smart investment in their career.
  2. Our students save time for the airlines because they are already fluent and proficient and no additional training is needed.

A big thank you to Sunrise Aviation for helping students like Kenian get started and referring them to AeroStar for advanced flight training. Together we help aviation career dreams take flight!

Press Release – AeroStar Provides Answers and Solutions to Students Seeking Advanced Flight Training

AeroStar provides answers and solutions to students seeking advanced flight training.

September 13, 2011 – AeroStar Training Services LLC today announced new services for students with aspirations to be an airline captain or first officer.

advanced flight training by AeroStar“The career path for aviation students has changed,” indicated Deidra Toye, the Admissions Director at Aerostar. “Aspiring airline captains used to work for years as flight instructors or charter services to build up time. Airlines worldwide are looking for qualified pilots with type ratings. With this new approach, you might as well get paid while you build time in type.”

 

“We know our students are better positioned than anybody to weather the recession and to have great careers for many years to come, doing something that many of them have been passionate about since they were small children.” Said Scott Patton, AeroStar Director of Sales.

 

To assist students with their career decisions, AeroStar is offering a free ebook – Five Tough Questions You Should Ask Before Investing in Flight Training. The book is available for download from their website, www.AeroStarTypeRatings.com/FreeBook. Their newly renovated website includes a blog and social media presences. Visitors are welcome to ask questions about flight training, careers and related topics.

 

AeroStar Training Services is an FAA approved Part 142 Training Center specializing in pilot and flight attendant training while using the latest advances in aviation training technology.
Interviews and high-resolution photos are available on request.

Will There Be Jobs for Pilots?

It seems not a day goes by that we hear about rising unemployment rates and huge problems with the world economy.

How is that impacting us here at AeroStar?

Sure, we’re facing the high cost of gas on our daily commute, and prices of our lunches have gone up in our cafeteria.  We all have friends, neighbors and relatives who may be out of work.

With all that going on, it may seem somewhat “out of touch” or “out of fashion” to be as happy and optimistic as our students, instructors, and business partners are.

We have to wipe the smiles off our faces before we leave the building.

Why is that?

We know that our students are better positioned than anybody to weather the recession and to have great careers for many years to come, doing something that many of them have been passionate about since they were small children.

Our instructors are passionate about flying. We love what we do.  But since we really care about our students, we also need to be able to go home at night feeling like we’re doing something that is good for them as well.

We know these same students that are in our classrooms and simulators today are the same people that will be sending us letters and postcards from all over the world  for years to come, telling us about their careers, their jobs, their promotions, and the locations they’re visiting.

After nearly a four-year drought of job openings, the airline industry is on the brink of what’s predicted to be the biggest surge in pilot hiring in history. Aircraft maker Boeing has forecast a need for 466,650 more commercial pilots by 2029 — an average of 23,300 new pilots a year. Nearly 40% of the openings will be to meet the soaring travel market in the Asia-Pacific region, Boeing predicts, but more than 97,000 will be in North America.

“It is a dramatic turnaround,” says Louis Smith, president of FltOps.com, a website that provides career and financial planning for pilots. “Pilot hiring was severely depressed in the last three years. The next 10 years will be the exact opposite, with the longest and largest pilot hiring boom in the history of the industry.”

The demand for pilots will be so great that the industry could ultimately face a shortage, sparking fierce competition among airlines across the globe vying for candidates qualified to fill their cockpits.

Demand for airline pilots set to soar – Charisse Jones, USA TODAY 6/2011

 

Pilots for airlines, regional flight services, and corporate flight departments have a very bright future.

Here are some of the facts that add up to make this the ideal scenario for today’s flight students:

  • In 2007, President George Bush signed a bill that raised the retirement age for commercial pilots from 60 to 65, allowing more pilots to stay on the job longer.  A number of pilots that were allowed to stay on because of that rule will be retiring before 2012.
  • Emerging markets such as China, Asia/Pacific, Latin America and the Middle East are seeing huge growth in the aviation industry.
  • The economy has kept many potential flight students from pursuing their training. ATP issuances last year were at a 10 year low and 60% less than in 2000.

This all adds up to an unprecedented opportunity that I would wholeheartedly recommend to my own family and friends.  And it’s yet another reason I can’t stop smiling, even if it’s out of fashion these days.