Airline Transport Pilot briefing[PDF]
Contents
Introduction
This briefing is created to help candidates understand the purpose of this exam. This briefing is also applicable for training sessions.
Requirements
- You shall have your Commercial Pilot rating (CP) since more than 3 months and
- You have at least 750 hours of logged time on IVAN as a Pilot (ATC hours are not taken into account)
Applying for the exam
The theoretical and practical exam can be requested by directly accessing your exam status page. The exam has 3 parts which shall be successfully validated in this order:
- Theoretical exam: complete successfully the ATP online test
- Practical exam part 1: assessment of aircraft theoretical knowledge and English test
- Practical exam part 2: IFR test flight (including decision making assessment and full briefing) under the guidance of a nominated examiner
Once your exam has been registered, the examiner will contact you via your e-mail address given on your personal details page. Before requesting for the exam, check that this e-mail address is valid since it is the only way for the examiner to get in touch with you.
Theoretical ATP Exam
- Each question includes 3 to 5 proposed answers among which only one is correct.
- You have a maximum of 45 minutes to fill in the examination paper, and should you exceed this limit, the exam will be automatically recorded as failed (default failed score = 0/100).
- These MCQ exams are automatically corrected (each question will be marked 0 for a wrong answer or 5 for a right answer).
- The pass-mark for the exam is 75/100 (corresponding to at least 15 correct answers or a maximum of 5 false answers)
Practical 1 ATP Exam
After your successful theoretical exam, you can apply for Part 1 of the ATP exam. In case of success of Part 1, you can apply for Part 2. These 2 parts will be conducted in sequence in 2 consecutive sessions.
Interview
- History on the IVAO network and personal flight experience,
- Previous pilot exams history,
- Training experience (as staff or non-staff trainer) and/or real flight background, if any,
- Any other subject you and/or examiner would like to discuss.
Your examiner should log on to the IVAO network using his staff call sign and create a private channel on the TeamSpeak community server (cc.ts.ivao.aero).
Aircraft Theoretical knowledge
- Boeing 737 series aircraft
- Airbus A320 series aircraft (A318/A319/A320/A321)
- Boeing 777/200-300 LR/ER series aircraft
- Bombardier Dash-8 Q400
Make sure you choose an aircraft you know well and are comfortable with. You will also have to inform your examiner of the aircraft you will use for the exam beforehand.
The examiner may ask you a few questions and/or request you to perform some calculations regarding the following items:
- General aircraft dimensions,
- Basic weights: operating empty weight (OEW), maximum design take-off weight (MTOW), maximum landing weight (MLW), usable fuel capacity and weight, calculation of current take-off and expected landing weights for a given flight,
- Use of Payload/Range charts,
- Standard take-off parameters (power and flaps settings, V1/Vr/V2 speeds, speeds and flaps retraction sequence during initial climb), take-off runway length requirements (field length charts),
- Climb performance data,
- Usual operating cruise speed(s) and fuel consumption,
- Approach/landing configuration sequence (power settings, flap configuration(s), approach speed) in relation to an approach procedure,
- Landing runway length requirements in standard conditions according to landing configuration and operational landing weight,
- Limitations: maximum demonstrated crosswind component, service ceiling, maximum operating airspeed (VMO) and mach number (MMO), maximum gear extension and retraction speeds, maximum flaps operating speeds, ACN/PCN calculations, aircraft landing capabilities, low visibility ops requirements.
Training material
The training material is available on the IVAO website following the links below:
General aviation resources:
Weather resources:
Aircraft technical data:
Charts and flight plan resources:
English proficiency
Your aviation and conversational English capabilities will be assessed based on proper English understanding and answering at the time of interview and aircraft knowledge questioning. Evaluation criteria will be inspired by the ICAO rating scale.
Practical 2 ATP Exam
IVAO software, connection and communication modes
Your examiner should log on to the IVAO network using:
- His staff call sign and create a private channel on the TeamSpeak community server (cc.ts.ivao.aero)
- An active position on the IVAO network using _EXA_ suffix on position (example XXXX_EXA_APP)
Your examiner will check your ability to correctly use the main functions of the software, mainly:
- establish a text and/or voice communication with active ATC positions,
- retrieve and interpret the ATIS of a controller,
- use the different transponder modes,
- be able to transmit by text on the current ATC frequency and privately,
- retrieve a distant station ATIS, METAR and TAF
Practical performance during the exam
General requirements
- The same aircraft as the one chosen in Part 1(Bombardier Dash-8 Q400, Boeing 737, Boeing 777 or Airbus A320 series) must be used for the test flight.
- Full use of the autopilot, FMC and/or GPS is permitted on the exam. However be aware that autopilot and/or advanced navigation systems might not be able to fulfill some manœuvres exceeding their capabilities.
- Use of IVAO approved software is required with active weather
- Your examiner will advise you of the departure and destination airports 24 hours prior to the exam. As a general rule, you will be requested to fly between two airports located in 2 distinct neighbour countries and at least 300 nm apart under Instrument Flight Rules.
- You will be expected to find the necessary IFR charts yourself (check country AIS for online charts availability). This includes departure, arrival, en-route and all possible diversion airport charts along the planned route. If needed, your examiner will provide you the links for retrieving the necessary material.
- You will have to plan and check the intended route and make the necessary preparation of the test flight, including departing/arrival foreseeable procedures, assessment of weather conditions, fuel requirements, applicable minima for the flight to take place and expected aircraft parameters on departure/arrival. Note that current departing/arrival weather conditions must be above applicable minima for the flight to take place. We encourage you to make use of this preparation sheet. When starting the exam, you will have to decide if the current weather is acceptable for the intended IFR flight.
- You should connect at your departure airfield after the examiner asked you to do so, using the following call sign: EXM#### where #### are the last 4 digits of the exam number or TRN#### where #### are the last 4 digits of the training number. Your radio telephony call sign will be “Exam ####” for exam session or "Training ####" for training session. Your exam or training number can be found on the exam status page.
- The examiner may either be connected as an observer and “simulate” an active ATC position or may connect as an active ATC or collaborate with another ATC in charge of the airspace where the exam takes place. In all cases, comply with all instructions normally.
- Unless you are disconnected from the network, we require you submit your flight plan only once on examiner's request while connected and starting the test flight. You should not change any item and/or resubmit your flight plan thereafter.
Flight Briefing
He may also ask you some questions related to the departing, arrival and/or en-route procedures relevant to the intended flight.
These situations could be unexpected meteorological conditions (e.g. weather conditions at destination airport getting below minima), ground based radio-equipment failures, in particular temporary airport limitations, emergency situations (e.g. flaps or single engine disfunctions, low fuel condition at a certain point of the flight, instrument systems malfunction, electrical issues, medical emergencies, etc).
IFR flight
- IFR departure procedure (as published or prescribed by examiner),
- En-route IFR navigation (accuracy of navigation),
- Capability to properly divert to a prescribed airport, complying with all known restrictions,
- Standard IFR arrival procedure via a prescribed or published route,
- Hold over a fix (using the adequate entry procedure for a published or unpublished holding pattern),
- VOR, NDB or localizer-only non-precision approaches,
- Missed approach.
- English proficiency
- Adequate aircraft knowledge
- IFR theoretical knowledge
- Mastering of Radio-Communications
- Accuracy and validity of the flight plan
- Proper execution of non-precision approaches and holding patterns
- Compliance with all clearances
Flight Debriefing
After the exam has ended, you will be requested to make a full analysis of the sequence of events, of the mistakes you identified and the way you managed them.
Evaluation and marking method
Each score will reflect the exactness and range of your knowledge (for theoretical data) and your ability to accurately execute the exercises (and your performance in doing so).
The maximum score is 100 points. The pass mark is 75/100. In all cases, your examiner will give you the detailed results during the debriefing, so as you can identify your errors and correct them in case the exam is failed.
- English proficiency
- Adequate aircraft knowledge
- IFR theoretical knowledge
- Mastering of Radio-Communications
- Accuracy and validity of the flight plan
- Proper execution of non-precision approaches and holding patterns
- Compliance with all clearances
- Performing the exam with an unauthorized aircraft type
- Radio Communication proficiency failure
- English Communication proficiency failure
- Insufficient theoretical knowledge
- Poor theoretical knowledge
- No charts
- Connection on the runway
- Entering the runway without adequate clearance
- Taking off without clearance
- Initiating approach without clearance
- Landing without clearance
- Landing outside the runway
- 2 tasks marked “0”
- Use of pause mode in the simulator
- Flying inside a prohibited area (P)
- Descend below IFR minimum altitudes
- Descend below VFR minimum altitudes
- Crash due to terrain collision
- Crash due to loss of control
- Crash due to aircraft overstress
- Examinee has extremely poor theoretical knowledge (score shall be at or below 10/100)
- Examinee violates against IVAO Rules and Regulation (score shall be 1/100 or 0/100 depending of examiner)
- Examinee does not turn up for the exam and a valid reason is not given within 48 hours. This will cause the exam to be considered as failed (score shall be 1/100 or 0/100 depending of examiner)
- In case you decide to stop the exam at any time after it has begun (score shall be 1/100 or 0/100 depending of examiner)
- In case of any provable cheating during a practical exam, regardless if during the theoretical or the practical part, the result will be 0/100 and a blocking of 6 months for exams will be appointed to the examinee.
Validation of the exam
The validator will verify the marking based on the comments and marking sheet of the examiner.
Consequently, we strongly advise candidates to train and prepare carefully before going for it.
After achieving this rating
Nonetheless, remember that we learn everyday and it is especially true in the aviation domain, virtual or not!
Therefore, we expect you to be a good representative of your ATP rating at all times on the network.
Continue flying on the network with the same degree of accuracy, mastering your aircraft, complying with regulations and participating to events, trainings and exams.
The TD/TAD reserve the right to downgrade the user to CP rating.
See also
- None
Reference
- None
Author
- VID 150259 - Wiki integration
- VID 200696 - Update May 2019
- VID 150259 - Update September 2019
- VID 200696 - Update December 2019
- VID 200696 - Update June 2020
DATE OF SUBMISSION
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COPYRIGHT
- This documentation is copyrighted as part of the intellectual property of the International Virtual Aviation Organisation.
DISCLAIMER
- The content of this documentation is intended for aviation simulation only and must not be used for real aviation operations.