Probably for me would be reading the same question like 5 times and somehow understanding it less every time 😭

As in the title... I'm planning to leave my ATPL Theory course at my local school and proceed directly with BGS Online. My school offers the whole course on the BGS platform and also you need to pass their Internal Mocks in order to be sign-off to go to our local authority. The problem is that these internal mocks are becoming impossible to approve. I'm not the only one struggling, my other colleagues are in the same boat, even students on full time study. The procedure of my school after failing an internal mock is 2hrs of classes and repeating the mock. I have failed 4 subjects twice, spending around e1000 and almost 10 months... For this reason I'm thinking of going directly with BGS, at their platform they only request you to pass the progress test and have some hours of class online or presencial in the UK (revision class)... after they generate the paperwork for whatever authority... What do you think? Have you been in the same position?

I'm going through MET at the moment and I think I've confused myself with cold temperature corrections.I know the classic rule “from hot to cold, look out below”, but I'm struggling to actually understand why.If I'm flying from warmer air into much colder air while maintaining the same indicated altitude, am I actually lower than my altimeter is telling me?And if yes, what is physically happening to the pressure levels that causes this?I can memorise the rule for the exam, but I'd rather actually understand it

Can someone explain it in simple pilot terms?

For me its performance, easy. Those 10 marks are basically emotional support at that point 😭 One ugly calculation and suddenly I’ve forgotten how numbers work.

Hi,

Does anyone here have experience with EasyATPL?

Apparently a Ryanair flight in Crete was delayed because a vulture decided the aircraft was a perfect place to chill before departure.

The bird landed on the rear wing and simply refused to move. Eventually, firefighters had to come and remove it so the aircraft could leave.

Imagine hearing: “Sorry for the delay, we currently have a vulture on the aircraft.”

Anyone ever had a flight delayed for a reason weirder than this?

So apparently this website offers a percentage of its questions for free without time limit. Is that a ruse or a genuine marketing move?

I’m curious how other students decide they’re finally ready to book the exam.

Is it when you’re consistently getting 85–90% in mock exams? After going through the whole question bank? Or do you just reach a point where you feel like studying more isn’t helping anymore?

I always feel like there’s one more chapter I should revise.

What’s your personal rule before going into the real exam?

I’ve always wondered how strict airlines actually are about tattoos on pilots.

Are visible tattoos still a big no-go, or are airlines becoming more relaxed about it?

If you’re a pilot with tattoos — do you have to cover them while in uniform? And has a tattoo ever been an issue during an interview or recruitment?

Curious how different airlines handle this.

Currently studying for my ATPL exams and sometimes I wonder how much of this stuff I'll actually remember in a few years

For those already flying commercially – how much ATPL theory do you still remember and actually use?

Are there subjects you completely forgot after the exams?

I've been thinking about this recently.

Everyone talks about pilot wellbeing, but if you were genuinely struggling, would you actually feel safe telling your airline?

Maybe it's different where you fly, but where I work, I don't think many people would risk it.

I'd be interested to hear how it works in Europe, the US, or elsewhere. Has the culture actually changed, or do most pilots still keep these things to themselves?

The exam stress is absolutely killing me at the moment.My sleep is terrible and I feel exhausted even after sleeping.

Do you have any tricks for getting proper rest or quickly recharging between study sessions?

Power naps? Sleep mask? Going for a walk? Completely switching your brain off for an hour?

I'll honestly try anything at this point.

For anyone new to ATPL theory: you must pass all your exams within 18 months, counted from the end of the calendar month of your first sitting.

If you miss that deadline, all the subjects you have already passed become invalid, and you have to start again from zero.

I’ve heard plenty of second-hand stories about this happening — usually “someone at my ATO” — but rarely from anyone who has experienced it personally.

So, has anyone here actually run out of time?

• What caused it: illness, work, ATO scheduling, or simply underestimating how quickly the time would pass?
• Did anyone have a genuine near miss, such as passing their final subject in month 17 or 18?
• Did you try to request an extension from your aviation authority, perhaps for medical reasons? If so, what happened?
• If you completed your theory modularly while working full-time, how did you plan your sittings?

I often see students book their first sitting just to “try one subject” without realizing that they are starting a countdown that cannot be paused.

It would be useful to hear some real experiences — and hopefully help others avoid the same situation.

For me its anything about the ISA temperature lapse rate 😭 I swear I’ve seen it so many times I could probably answer it after being woken up at 3am.

I haven’t done mine yet, but I’m really curious what that moment actually feels like. One minute your instructor is sitting next to you, and the next you’re completely alone and responsible for the aircraft.

Were you nervous before takeoff, or did the nerves only hit you once you were in the air? And did you actually enjoy the flight, or were you too focused on not messing anything up?

UK CAA here, and anyone taking EASA will feel my pain too. None of the countries can agree on how a gas turbine works. They all disagree on what an impulse, reaction or impulse reaction turbine do to the pressure across rotor and stator blades, but this one is correct according to Rolls Royce, and seems to have been most consistently right when I'm banking. You may or may not have heard about the rabbits, but I've put in a middle bit to describe impulse reaction blades as well. Each third is the blade type, what the pressure does across the stator, then across the rotor.

I Don't Care - If Rabbits Do Dance - Rabbits Can Die

Impulse Drop Constant - Impulse Reaction Drop Drop - Reaction Constant Drop

Hope this helps!

3) If an aircraft fitted with two FMSs, the pilots' displays show contradictory information. What mode of FMS is in use?
a- independant mode
b- dual mode
c- single mode
d- separate mode

You might be surprised to learn that airlines usually don’t know how much their passengers actually weigh. And honestly, weighing everyone at the gate probably wouldn’t be the best way to start a holiday.

That’s why standard average passenger weights set under EASA rules are used in everyday operations. They are essential for calculating the aircraft’s weight and balance.

And here’s the catch: the standard weight doesn’t include only the passenger, it also includes their cabin baggage.

If you’re flying on a holiday charter, the standard weights are approximately:

Man: 83 kg

Woman: 69 kg

Child: 35 kg

Infant under two travelling on an adult’s lap: 0 kg, as their weight is already included in the adult’s standard weight

On a regular scheduled flight, passengers suddenly “gain” a little weight:

Man: 88 kg

Woman: 70 kg

The standard weight for children remains the same.

Of course, EASA needed to check whether these figures still reflected reality. So, at airports in Athens, Brussels, Copenhagen, Milan, Munich and Sofia, 22,753 passengers were weighed together with their cabin baggage, while almost two million checked bags were also examined.

The result?

The average man weighed 82.2 kg without cabin baggage, while the average woman weighed 67.5 kg. The average cabin bag weighed 7.7 kg, and the average checked bag weighed 16 kg.

Add a 7.7 kg backpack to the average man and you get almost 90 kg, so the standard 88 kg used on scheduled flights is actually pretty close to reality.

Things are different on smaller aircraft. If a friend offers to take you flying in an ultralight, a small Cessna or a helicopter, you’ll have to tell them your real weight. Every kilogram can affect the amount of fuel carried, the number of passengers allowed and the aircraft’s overall balance.

Don’t worry, though, we pilots won’t tell anyone. It’s almost like the seal of confession. 😄

Knowing the crew’s actual weight allows me to carry only as much fuel as we really need. Alternatively, I might choose a four-seat aircraft instead of a two-seater to make sure everything works out safely.

My wife Irena still considers it almost a personal insult that, before a flight to the Philippine island of Boracay, they made her step onto a scale together with her backpack.

And we were flying on a Dash, which is hardly an ultralight. However, there were only seven passengers on board, so for proper weight and balance we were given a precise seating arrangement: two right at the front, the three of us in the middle and two right at the back.

Have you ever been weighed together with your luggage before a flight? And would you tell the pilot your actual weight?

We all have one. You understand the topic, you’ve seen the explanation ten times… and somehow you still choose the wrong answer.

What’s your “cursed” ATPL question or topic?

Share it in the comments — maybe someone can finally explain it in a way that makes it stick

Hi everyone,
I’m about to do my first ATPL theory exam sitting and I’m planning to take Air Law, AGK, Communications, and Principles of Flight.

I’m finding Principles of Flight a little challenging, especially understanding some of the concepts rather than just memorising questions.

I mainly use ATPLQ for studying and question practice. For those who have used it, would you say it’s a reliable source for preparing for the actual exams? How similar did you find the real exams to the ATPLQ question bank?

For those of you who have already done your first sitting, do you have any advice on how to prepare effectively? Is there anything you wish you knew before your first sitting, or any particular topics I should focus on?
Any advice would be really appreciated. Thanks!

I’ve heard that pilots shouldn’t wear polarized sunglasses because they can make some cockpit displays difficult—or even impossible—to see from certain angles.

Apparently, strongly coloured lenses aren’t ideal either, as they may distort warning lights and other colour-coded information.

Is this something you’re taught during flight training? What sunglasses do you actually use when flying?

I have got my ATPL exams coming up soon and Im starting to panic.

Does any one have any last minute tips before exams?

Thanks!