Using only the Bob Tait book and self-study, I completed the AGK exam with 90% result this morning... happy enough with that! 90 minutes are provided for the exam and this is oodles and oodles of time. Took me about 20 mins to do the first run-through, then 10 mins spent pondering a few questions and doing a review. I probably should have spent more time pondering, but I was confident of a reasonable pass and had a few other things to do this morning.

Exam was quite predictable and contained a good mix of questions covering everything in the BT book (excl autopilot). Some observations:

(1) There was one question about why you should run a turbine engine at low power before shutdown. I narrowed it down to two options and in the end selected something to do with ensuring proper lubrication/something about oil. My KDRs related to other things, so I assume I got the question right. Didn't know turbine operation was a part of AGK!

(2) In a multi-eng (feathering), oil pressure pushes the blades fine so with an oil pressure failure they'll go coarse. In a single-eng (non-feathering), oil pressure pushes the blades coarse so on pressure failure they'll go fine. See p43 of the current BT book. Previously I've been thrown by questions that don't specify either single or multi-engine. However take note of "propellers" as opposed to "propeller" and answer accordingly. I used plural/singular as the multi/single indicator and nothing came up in my KDR so I assume I answered correctly. For what it's worth, here's my simple mnemonic to help me recall what's what: Single OPEC! In a Single engine, Oil Pushes Everything Coarse. OPEC is the oil cartel that operates as a SINGLE entity for various Middle East countries.

(3) There was a question about power conversion. I use another handy mnemonic here: Electricity is RAD (this will work if you fondly remember the 90s). Rectify AC to DC (thus Invert for DC to AC).

(4) I only recall one fuel question and I got it wrong. It was something to do with adding a fuel (say 100/130) and then taking a sample and getting green. This means you've got ____ fuel? I think I answered "100/130 AVGAS", but am guessing one of the other options provided a better answer. Maybe "100/130 AVGAS or AVTUR". Doesn't AVTUR dissolve into AVGAS? A bit annoyed I got this wrong.

Anyway, hope this is helpful. If you're right across the BT AGK book, you can be sure of doing well.

Well done, that man.

why you should run a turbine engine at low power before shutdown

Without the exam answer options, it is only practicable to observe that most SOPs for turbines require a period of low power operations prior to shutdown to stabilise temperatures, especially in the turbine blades and disc.

Similar requirements exist for motor vehicles with turbo supercharged engines, especially on higher power engines such as truck diesels.

So far as oil considerations, the following report makes interesting reading www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviat...14Q0068/A14Q0068.asp

.. taking a sample and getting green

This is a curly one as the resulting colour is going to be heavily dependent on quantities. The following CASA AWB makes useful reading www.casa.gov.au/sites/g/files/net351/f/_...worth/awb/28/003.pdf. The following Shell information may also be useful www.shell.com/business-customers/aviatio...tion-fuel/avgas.html.

There used to be a multiplicity of fuel grades and colour was a useful marker for correct fuel grade. Nowadays, Australia only supplies 100/130 (green) and 100LL (blue). A good read for those interested en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avgas

Maybe "100/130 AVGAS or AVTUR".

100/130 green, AVTUR varies from pretty well colourless through to a straw colour. Having said that I can't ever recall seeing any colour in AVTUR.

Doesn't AVTUR dissolve into AVGAS

That's something I've never given a thought to. I would be interested in the answer as well ..

Although way beyond a civil pilot's routine needs, the following paper provides a lot of information for anyone who might be interested www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a132106.pdf

Thanks for the feedback and extra information.

Re the turbine, I was looking for an option relating too cooling down, but no such luck. As mentioned, unless they were testing something I missed completely (thus my error showed up in an unexpected KDR), I got the Q correct.

Re fuel colour, I also thought the amount of 100/130 compared to AVTUR would be relevant, thus my conclusion that if the sample was "green" it was the green of 100/130, not some "light green" that may be a blended colour of the two fuels.

It's a pity the KDR doesn't provide the question, answer and distractors plus an explanation. As it stands, the KDR is just too general to address the learning gap in a practical way.

It's a pity the KDR doesn't provide the question, answer and distractors plus an explanation. As it stands, the KDR is just too general to address the learning gap in a practical way.

I couldn't agree more. However, I guess that's what the system provides and it's probably better than no feedback at all. Still, especially for the self study folks, it can't make life easy when one is pedalling as hard as possible to keep up with the flow and a down and dirty critique can raise more questions than it might answer.

It's 30-plus years since I was directly involved with pilot theory training ... back then there were occasional briefing sessions by the examiner for the handful of instructors out in Industry and the examiner usually was reasonably available at the end of the phone to discuss specific students and questions. Indeed, I can recall one occasion where a few of us were invited to come in and review the exam bank and provide commentary/critique .. I couldn't see that happening these days.

Main thing is you got the pass .. one more thing ticked off along the way.

Yes John. They were the days of the 'Post Examination Review Panel' (PERP) meetings. We met in Melbourne originally then, when CASA moved to Canberra, we met in Canberra. Theory providers could meet with examiners face-to-face - and even have a beer at the pub later!! How things have changed. I suspect there's more than one question in CASA's data base that could be up for review.

Bob

Post Examination Review Panel

I'd quite forgotten that .. takes me back a way to see it in print.

I suspect there's more than one question in CASA's data base that could be up for review.

The old story that one needs independent checks to pick up all the problems .. otherwise the writer just keeps scanning over his errors without seeing ..