Powerplant exam

donnybrook · Post by **donnybrook** » Thu Feb 17, 2005 7:00 pm

All right everybody,

I've been out of the AME game for a couple of years now and have decided to get off my butt and write my exams. I'm going to write the TC powerplant exam next week. Any tips, tricks, or info on where to concentrate my efforts, and what to bring to the exam would be greatly appreciated. I've talked to TC and the only info I got was from their website. It's extremely vague, as you probably already know. Do I need to study outside of the A&P book or is most of the stuff there?

Also, do any publishing companies make guides with practice exams so us apprentices know what we're getting into? Thanks in advance....!

planeguy · Post by **planeguy** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 8:33 pm

The powerplant is pretty much 50% recips and 50% turbies. Know everything about each because they'll ask you everything and anything.

donnybrook · Post by **donnybrook** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 9:49 am

did you just use the A&P text or did you have more reference material? what about the overhaul stuff? the TC guide doesn't mention overhaul, but it's in the book....thanks!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 10:06 pm

Hey donnybrook

Have you written the Airframe exam, and if so, what was your reference material?

I've locked myself away for the last few weeks with the Transport study guide and a copy of the Jeppeson A&P Technician Airframe book. I'm hoping to sit the exam in a week, but after going through some Jar 66 (CAA) questions I found on a website, I'm now not feeling so prepared.

Thanks

planeguy · Post by **planeguy** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 10:27 pm

If you guys haven't completed an exam yet, i recommend doing the airframe first to see how out-of-wack it is. Having done the airframe first, it allowed me to see how abstract the exams can be and how there is a need to study everything and anything. The airframe exam asked questions from unimportant aerodynamics, to helicopter rotor bearings, to flushing skydrol systems, to cleaning rim beads. I learned that everything and anything had to be studied and in detail. I actually took the standard practices exam with no intention of passing just to get an idea of what might be on it due to the vagueness of transport canada's guidelines. The exam that I had was missing 8 out of 20 topics which were recommended for review by the study guide. No advice can be given for these exams other than not to expect to pass the first time around. These exams are more to make money rather than to test your knowledge. You'll see what I mean.

donnybrook · Post by **donnybrook** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 9:06 am

Mark,

Haven't done any exams yet. Like you, I been hammering away with the Jeppeson book but I seem to drift in and out of consciousness. Pretty boring. Does the site where you got the sample Airframe questions have any sample Powerplant ones?

planeguy,

TC basically told me the same thing. Write the exam, then you'll know what to study. Seems like a pretty sh***y system to me. Did you study anything other than the A&P book?

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 11:02 am

donnybrook,

The site is http://club66.co.uk The european JAR 66 license is broken down into 17 modules... module 14 is propulsion, module 15 is Gas Turbine engines, module 16 is Piston engines, and module 17 is Propellers. The only problem is, you have to pay £11.50 (pounds not dollars) for each module of questions that you want, giving you access for one month.

I paid for the Aeroplane Aerodynamics, Structures and Systems module (module 11), giving me access to 1521 questions. I found a lot of questions referenced to the Jeppeson A&P text books. There's a demo for each module you can try out as well... I think it gives you 10 free questions per module.

planeguy,

I wrote the standard practices exam last year... well I wrote it twice. The first time, like you say, was to try it out. The second time i studied full time for a few weeks and only scrapped a pass. It's not so much the cost of the exams but the fact you have to wait a month to re-sit, with the added pressure that if you fail again, you'll be waiting 6 months... a little harsh I thought.

donnybrook · Post by **donnybrook** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 8:15 pm

thanks Mark....

planeguy · Post by **planeguy** » Mon Feb 21, 2005 11:35 pm

Mark, i fully agree. The pressure of might having to wait 6 months is so unnecessary. Failing a 2nd time shouldn't mean that you'll need 6 months to study. School semesters aren't even that long. And who's to say six months and not 4 or 8, since everyone's different. Gives you a little added negative incentive to study rigorously. I passed them with just jeppesen text but i had to read every word in the books and study tuffely.

donnybrook · Post by **donnybrook** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 2:56 pm

planeguy,

are there questions referring specifically to a certain brand of engine/component? (ie. on the RSA system vs Teledyne Continental system...) also, is the information on overhaul a tested item? it does not say that it is in the TC guide, but i don't want to avoid studying it if it's on the test! thanks!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Tue Feb 22, 2005 6:49 pm

donnybrook,

Found another site for you to have a look at http://myairplane.com/faa_test

It's free to register and has several tests based on the Jeppeson books, including powerplants, for the FAA license.

donnybrook · Post by **donnybrook** » Wed Feb 23, 2005 8:47 am

great stuff, Mark. thanks a lot!

donnybrook · Post by **donnybrook** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 6:01 pm

passed, no probs. thanks for the help. any gen on the airframe one??!!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 8:36 pm

Passed the Airframe exam on Monday.

I followed the TC study guide, using the Jeppesen Airframe and Jeppesen Helicopter Maintenance textbooks. I only briefly went over wood structures and fabric covering, which paid off as I wasn't asked any questions on those subjects.

A large percentage of questions were based on topics 11.0 through 13.0 on the study guide with the last 30 questions all helicopter related (topics 14.0 through 15.0). Unless you're pretty clued up on helicopters, the Jeppesen Airframe textbook won't prepare you for the helicopter questions.

I wasn't asked any questions on topics 16.0, 17.0, 18.0, 19.0, 20.0, 21.0, 26.0, and just a couple of questions on topics 27.0 through 30.0. It was a bit disappointing to put all the time into studying topics that I wasn't asked on the exam, but that's just the way it goes I suppose.

I don't know if you found it on the Powerplant exam, but some of the questions were worded in a way that seemed to be misleading or ambiguous. Initially, on reading certain questions it seemed that more than one answer was correct, or the question wasn't as specific as it could have been. Interpretation plays a big part in these exams.

Follow the study guide using the Jeppesen Airframe textbook, make sure you have a good understanding of topics 11.0 through 15.0 and all the systems (hydraulic/pneumatic, landing gear, fuel, electrical systems etc.) and you should be good to go. Also, a couple of questions appeared that were similar/identical to questions posted on the http://myairplane.com/faa_test Spending some time on that site may be time well spent.

So, did you just use the Jeppesen Powerplant textbook to prep you? I dusted the cobwebs off mine yesterday.

donnybrook · Post by **donnybrook** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 8:58 pm

Mark

that site has some good stuff, i'm definitely gonna keep using it. a few of the questions were ver batum. for the powerplant stuff i found there were a number of questions where, if you actually looked at the options provided, it was easy to exclude at least 2 of the 4 options. are you looking to write the powerplant or have you done it already?

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Wed Mar 02, 2005 11:03 pm

No I haven't done it yet. Just started studying... I'm hoping to get it out of the way by the end of the month.

donnybrook · Post by **donnybrook** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 9:49 am

well i got the airframe done! thanks for all the help Mark and planeguy. saved me a few hours of useless study time for sure. might as well ask now if anyone here has done the Standard Practices and if they have any good tips.....

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 1:52 pm

I used the Jeppesen General textbook mainly, and the Airframe textbook for a couple of topics on the TC study guide.

The first page or so of questions were fairly straight forward, consisting of physics and mathematics, and just applying the various formulas. I made a list of all the formulas in the textbook and memorized them. Know how to calculate gear ratios for planetary gear reduction and how to calculate torque wrench torque when using an adapter.

There were a number of questions on aircraft hardware. You'll need to be able to decode the various hardware part numbers i.e. lengths, diameters, materials etc.

Electricity and electronics is a big topic in the study guide. That doesn't reflect how many questions I was asked on the exam however, as I was only asked a few.

I would suggest reading the Jeppesen Airframe textbook for topic 10.0 in the study guide (sheet metal materials and rivet layout pattern designs and installation) as the General textbook doesn't go into enough detail.

If you follow the TC study guide, topic by topic, you should be well prepared... there's pretty much questions on every topic from the TC study guide.

So, any advise/good tips on the powerplant exam??... taking it this Monday...

planeguy · Post by **planeguy** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 11:57 pm

powerplant is either a "you know how engines work or you don't" exam. they ask you questions from fuel types, to orange paint on a cylinder, to carburetor operation, to highest pressures, temps, or velocities in a turb, to the difference between a hung and a hot start... it's kind of all over the place but can be the easiest exam because of many similarities between turbs and recips... there could be a lot of prop stuff like operation and control... as mentioned, it's either you know it or not... i studied everything and before the exam, asked myself if there was anything i didn't know as far as engine operation, principles and the groups of fuel, oil, air, ignition, starting, electrical, and props... i wasn't able to really puzzle myself on anything and figured that 70% should be attainable... if you're confident with engines you shouldn't have much of a problem passing... it could have been the easiest exam out of the 3 techs in my opinion...

donnybrook · Post by **donnybrook** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 10:03 am

i agree with planeguy on this one. there isn't really any topics you can just breeze over but the questions aren't too hard to figure out if you know the stuff. it's mostly common sense. there seemed to be quite a few prop questions. also a few on fuel injection and ign systems. remember carb heat is not on during takeoff...PM me if you're stuck on something. isn't monday a holiday?

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 2:09 pm

Thanks fellas

Good call on the Easter Monday... better make it tuesday then!!

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Tue Mar 29, 2005 8:29 pm

Feels pretty damn good to get those technical exams out of the way... my Jeppesen books have been banished, never to see the light of day!!!

Thanks for the help donnybrook and planeguy.

donnybrook · Post by **donnybrook** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 8:39 am

did you guys have to use that little red standard practices book or just the General and Airframe books??

Mark · Post by **Mark** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 11:01 am

I just used the Jepessen books as I didn't have that little red standard practices book. I suppose it won't do you any harm to read it as I can remember various questions that were 'standard practice' related i.e. rivet layout (land, pitch, rivet size etc.), routing of tubing (lay lines, clamping distances, bend radius etc.), fluid line identification (hydraulic, pneumatic, lubricant, oxygen etc.), hazard zones/distances around aircraft... you'll need to be able to quote figures for most of those I've mentioned. Also, make sure you understand all the various corrosion terminology.

Give me a shout if you need anything else.

donnybrook · Post by **donnybrook** » Wed Mar 30, 2005 7:49 pm

good stuff, thanks Mark....