Pilot Test Simulators

[DannyO]

Hello all,

I am currently involved in a selection procedure for aircrew for an airline. One of the stages is a test, like the Basic Attributes Test for the USAF, which is a very basic computer simulation where hand and foot to eye coordination is measured. It consists of 3 sections. One section is a series of dashes falling down the screen in different positions and you have to keep a crosshair positioned over them. Another is using the joystick and pedals to keep a small moving circle inside a large circle. The third is an instrument test. I was wondering if anyone knew of any software available on the net or anywhere else I could use to practice these tests.

Thanks.

[Hagar]

Hi DannyO. Things have probably changed a lot since these tests were originally introduced. I would think that any computer game using a joystick would do the job. If you have one of the M$ sims I imagine this would be far more difficult than the test. You mention foot coordination as well so I suspect you would need yoke & pedals to do the job properly.

The hardware seems the most important thing to me. Unless you know what will be used it would probably be quite different to what you're given to do the test. In the old days you had to balance a steel ball in the centre of a plate with a crude "joystick". You might just as well use one of those kiddies puzzles to practice that. The whole idea is to test your natural reactions & coordination. To be frank I'm not sure practice would be much help & it might just have the opposite effect. Either your reactions are up to scratch or they're not.

[Craig.]

basically the same as what hagar said, you either have the ability or you dont, its very limited as to how much you can practise. Besides its not that difficult a test, having seen many like the one you describe. What type of aircrew are you talking about cockpit or cabin?? if its cockpit, the tests will be a little harder, cabin i have read a blind rat should at least be able to score well:)

[DannyO]

Thanks for that guys. It's a cockpit position. It was more just to get used to the 'feel'  of a joystick and pedals. I'll take up your advice on the FS thing, should help me.

Thanks a lot.

[Craig.]

well good luck with the test:)

[Mr. Bones]

when i was undergoing selection for Royal Dutch Airlines, i had to do what was called a "grading". it consisted of flights in a Frasca simulator. i was sitting in a cockpit but had no exterior views. all i had to do was following a flight plan using my instruments (blind flying). i had a yoke, pedals, instruments (the basic six), throttle levellers, flaps, radio's,...
i used FS to train my instrument cross chekcs but that was about it. if you don't have a yoke nor pedals, it's hard to practice it on your pc.