German Aerospace Center Aviation and Space Psychology Hamburg, Germany
Basic Knowledge
Introduction All around the world people starting their careers as pilots or pilot trainees meet certain requirements regarding basic knowledge in various subjects. Only persons with a minimum proficiency in English language and certain knowledge of scientific basics will be able to complete their training successfully within reasonable time. Lacking those basics will not only lead to delay, but also to an unreliable and superficial understanding of essential aeronautical principles. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist with a university degree and an Oxford accent to have success in flight school or in the cockpit of an aircraft, but a solid High School level in the mentioned subjects is a must to meet the DLR standard. For each of the relevant subjects we have outlined requirements and recommendations for an effective training as preparation not only for the DLR test, but also for flight training or type rating. Science Everybody engaging in pilot training encounters phenomena and aspects that have a scientific background. Especially physics and mathematics but even a good share of geography, chemistry and biology are therefore the basis for a full comprehension of all principles in aerodynamics, navigation, weather, aircraft systems, weight and balance, physiology, etc. If you have not had these subjects in school it is recommended to brush up your skills before attending the DLR assessment, but even more important: before you enter the flight school! If you have not been interested in natural science until today, please ask yourself seriously whether working as a pilot really suites your talents and interests most. From a licence holder we expect an even more profound knowledge and understanding not only of the aeronautical basics but also of the underlying scientific laws and phenomena – regardless of the time period since his/her High School days or flight training. Physics When preparing for flight training (as an Ab Initio) or for a job as a pilot (as a Ready Entry), make sure you understand the keywords listed below.
Inertia, motion Force Velocity Acceleration Weight Mass Newton’s Laws Energy Work ‘Systéme International d’Unités’ (also known as ‘SI units’) Torque, lever arm, pivot
QMH-DLR-ME-HH- DLR_-_Basic_Knowledge
friction, traction Angular velocity Fluids (liquids & gases) Atoms, molecules Pressure, suction, vacuum, density Temperature, Kelvin, Celsius, Fahrenheit Atmosphere, air pressure Buoyancy Pumps, Hydraulic systems Bernoulli’s law Viscosity Laminar / turbulent flow, vortex Page 1/5
20.02.2009 (Rh)
Thermal energy, thermal conduction, convection Phases (solid, liquid, gaseous), phase transition humidity (absolute, relative) electromagnetic radiation (visible) light, colours laws of Thermodynamics Pendulums, harmonic oscillators
Waves (travelling, standing, electromagnetic), sound, resonance Electricity, electrostatic forces, Coulomb, voltage, electric polarization, conductors, insulators, electric current, electromagnetic induction, Ohm’s law, current (AC, DC), power, transformers, generators Magnetism
Understanding physics (or any science) means being able to give precise definitions. to explain by using descriptions or examples. to apply your knowledge to other processes or phenomena in everyday life and/or aviation. Training Physics You can study your old school books to brush up your knowledge or go to a public library and ask for books aiming at ‘high school physics’, ‘basic physics’, ‘physics of everyday life’, or ‘simple science’. If you would like to refer to the internet, try www.wikipedia.org as a comprehensive source of information (not only about physics), www.howstuffworks.com, or www.fearofphysics.com. Familiarize yourself with examples for the application of simple physical phenomena, e. g. spring scale, falling object, thrown object, bouncing ball, wheel, carousel, roller coaster, bumper car, ramp, seesaw, lever, wheel barrow, bicycle, car, train, aeroplane, spacecraft, weather, air pressure, balloon, fog, rain, water pump, refrigerator, air condition, generator, steam engine, internal combustion engine, Diesel engine, multi-cylinder engine, jet engine, to name just a few… Look around in your environment to discover more! Train explaining the physics behind those things to other people. Your knowledge and understanding of basic physics will be checked with a computerized test and additionally during the interview. Mathematics Here is an outline of what we expect you to be proficient in:
Basic arithmetic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
Fractional arithmetic operations: Adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing fractions; reducing, expanding fractions; finding a common denominator for two or more fractions.
Square function, cubic function, square root, cubic root
Basic geometrical concepts: triangles, rectangles, squares, circles, simple threedimensional objects, surface area, circumference, volume
Basic trigonometry, calculating with angles, Pythagoras’ theorem
Basic algebra: solving equations for the unknown; rule of three, percentage calculations, time/speed/distance problems, etc.
Conversion of units: meters into kilometres and vice versa, kilograms into tons, meters per second into kilometres per hour, gallons into litres, etc.
QMH-DLR-ME-HH- DLR_-_Basic_Knowledge
Page 2/5
20.02.2009 (Rh)
Training Mathematics During the DLR assessment you are not allowed to use a calculator. Therefore make sure you are able to perform basic mathematical operations by using pen and paper or – even better – mentally! Train basic arithmetic operations with our Mental Arithmetic – CBT. For your training record: each 20 minutes of intensive training with this CBT count as one run. That is for example five minutes for each, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. If you would like to refer to the Internet for training options, try www.thatquiz.org. The simplest and at the same time surest way to train mental arithmetic is implementing it in your daily life: In the supermarket calculate the price per kilo if you buy an item that weighs less or more. Keep updating the value of your shopping cart with every item you put in. Try to quickly first add, then multiply the digits of the licence plates of the cars in front of you when waiting at a traffic light. Calculate what proportion of a task you have already accomplished (as a fraction and as a percentage), etc. Being proficient in basic mental calculations is one important prerequisite to perform well in our Mathematics test and later in the cockpit. The other prerequisite is being able to recognize the logical/mathematical approach to text problems. The Mathematics – CBT gives you an impression of the difficulty level of your Mathematics test. You may use pen and paper but no calculator to train the testing situation. The CBT is not time limited in order to give you the chance to see all items. Contrary to the CBT the actual test is time limited. Therefore, thoroughly familiarize yourself with these sorts of problems and how to approach them in order to save time in the actual test. Additionally, be prepared to encounter similar mathematical problems during the interview, too. Aeronautical Knowledge From a licence holder your future employers just as the DLR expect you to have the knowledge and comprehension that are adequate for the respective licence. Regardless of the type of flight school, regardless of the time that has passed since you have acquired your licence - there are basics a pilot has to be proficient in. So, make sure you are up to your licence level - be it PPL, CPL, IR or ATPL. Do not expect your future employer to teach you things you should know already! Additionally to the unsurprising expectation that a pilot has to have a pilot’s knowledge, aeronautical competence also touches the aspect of vocational motivation. Airlines as well as the DLR are looking for individuals with a genuine interest and thus long term motivation in aviation. These persons will have no problem facing the life long learning process and the prospect of being continuously under assessment (checks) that are typical for a professional pilot’s career. A genuine interest however is not something you just have to repeatedly claim, it is something you have to prove. Having fully understood the basic aeronautical principles will help you to quickly refresh all details. Furthermore, only if you understand the basics of aviation you will be able to quickly transfer your knowledge to aeronautical problems that are yet unfamiliar to you. So, make sure you know more than just question-answer combinations from preparing the written exams for the authority. Going through your books from flight school is always a good idea. Additionally consider discussing aeronautical issues with your fellows. Ask them to challenge your knowledge, train to articulately explain what you know. Another approach is to teach an interested layperson QMH-DLR-ME-HH- DLR_-_Basic_Knowledge
Page 3/5
20.02.2009 (Rh)
some basic aeronautical facts. From his or her feedback you will learn whether you are able to logically present your knowledge. Aeronautical knowledge for non-licence holders (‘ab initio’ candidates) The above mentioned ‘vocational motivation’ is also an aspect of the Ab Initio selection process. You claim to be interested in aviation? Prove it! Acquire an idea of the subject, read books and magazines about aviation, search the internet, try to meet pilots for a chat about their daily duties and experience. Do you know what kind of job you are applying for? Are you aware of the advantages and disadvantages? English English is the language in commercial aviation all over the world. Therefore your English language skills (understanding, reading, speaking, and writing) have to be quite good, even before you start your flight training. Here is what the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has to say about the importance of a minimum proficiency level in English language: ‘In three accidents (one collision on the ground, one accident involving fuel exhaustion and one controlled flight into terrain), over 800 people lost their lives. What these seemingly different types of accidents had in common was that, in each one, accident investigators found that insufficient English language proficiency on the part of the flight crew or a controller had played a contributing role in the chain of events leading to the accident. In addition to these high-profile accidents, multiple incidents and near misses as a result of language problems are reported annually, instigating a review of communication procedures and standards worldwide.’ […] ‘To meet the language proficiency requirements contained in Chapter 1, Section 1.2.9 (Annex 1), an applicant for a licence or a licence holder shall demonstrate, in a manner acceptable to the licensing authority, compliance with the holistic descriptors at Section 2 and with the ICAO Operational Level (Level 4) of the ICAO Language Proficiency Rating Scale. Proficient speakers shall: a) communicate effectively in voice-only (telephone/radiotelephone) and in face-to face situations; b) communicate on common, concrete and work-related topics with accuracy and clarity; c) use appropriate communicative strategies to exchange messages and to recognize and resolve misunderstandings (e.g. to check, confirm, or clarify information) in a general or workrelated context; d) handle successfully and with relative ease the linguistic challenges presented by a complication or unexpected turn of events that occurs within the context of a routine work situation or communicative task with which they are otherwise familiar; and e) use a dialect or accent which is intelligible to the aeronautical community.’
QMH-DLR-ME-HH- DLR_-_Basic_Knowledge
Page 4/5
20.02.2009 (Rh)
English checks during the DLR assessment Your proficiency will be checked with a computer based English test aiming at vocabulary, grammar and phrases. The free ‘English Language CBT’ gives you an impression of the difficulty level you can expect in the test. The quality of your written English will be estimated by inspecting your answers in the Biographical Data Sheet. Your English communication skills will be checked during the interview. If your English skills are too poor to enable a clear, accurate, and efficient communication, the interview will be stopped. Whether or not the completion of the interview will be postponed depends to a large extend on the question whether or not the necessary improvements in your English proficiency level can be expected within reasonable time. Training English Please check yourself before you attend a DLR assessment:
You are able to follow movies, news broadcast and documentaries in English language. Additionally you are able to summarize clearly and accurately what you have heard, both in your native language and in English.
You are able to and actually do read English newspapers, magazines, and books (fictional or non fictional). You are able to summarize the contents clearly and accurately, both in your native language and in English.
You are able to discuss fluently everyday issues with other people in English. Do they understand everything you mean? If you have a strong accent, train your pronunciation!
Other people are able to read and comprehend texts you have (hand-) written. Even an expert in English rarely finds any spelling or grammar mistakes in your texts.
If you hold a commercial pilot licence you know the English translation of all terms and key words relevant in aviation. Your pronunciation over the microphone is especially good and you easily understand oral and written information from instructors, ATC, passengers, or other crew members – just as easily as they understand you.
There are many ways to improve your English language skills. The best results in a short period of time are probably achieved if you attend a course in an English speaking country. Having to speak English not only inside but also outside the classroom and solving everyday problems by communicating in English will have a huge effect on your English language proficiency! Another idea is to check for institutes and schools who offer English classes in your home town. The fewer students there are in a class the better for you. Prefer courses with English native speakers as teachers. Try to meet native speakers in your vicinity for a regular chat. Watch English movies and documentaries. Read English books, newspapers and magazines. Consider subscribing to an English newspaper or magazine. When buying or borrowing books choose titles and subjects that you would also like to deal with in your own language; if you enjoy the contents you will learn much faster. If you are a licence holder and suspect that your English language proficiency might not be sufficient, consider attending an English course specific for pilots. Such courses have been numerously developed with respect to the implementation of the ICAO English Language Proficiency Requirements by March 2008.
QMH-DLR-ME-HH- DLR_-_Basic_Knowledge
Page 5/5
20.02.2009 (Rh)
