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Old 10-04-2007, 07:22 PM
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mistarose
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Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Furloughed
Posts: 275
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Originally Posted by sigtauenus View Post
I have an ATP written test prep software and have been going through the questions preparing for it.

I'm actually pleasantly suprised at just how many I already know, but am down right scared at the ones that I don't.

For example, all of the questions regarding charts asking you to calculate CG, if the CG limit was exceeded, CG shift if you move passengers, etc, how much is that actually used? In flight planning for the Hornet we have a software program that does that for us, and I don't even recall having to learn how to do manual calculations in training. While we don't have to worry about moving passengers or exceeding the floor loading for a pallet, we do make sure we know if we drop a piece of ordnance of a rack closer to centerline the ordnance left on the outboard rack may put us out of asymetric weight limits or if an external fuel tank doesn't transfer, etc.

Obviously the question isn't if you check your CG before flight, but if you actually do manual calculations. In prepping for the test questions like this, is this something where I can just memorize the answer for the test knowing I'll use software on the line, or should I go ahead and learn how to do it the old school way?
Just take the extra time to learn how to attack and solve the questions you don't understand. Unless you need to take the test ASAP. If you can "do it the old school way" then you will understand what you are doing when you "do it the new school way."
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