BMFA "A" Test. Problems, Questions, Requirements.

I was flying power models 30 odd years ago & in those days the requirements of most clubs were simply that you could take off and not crash into the pits.
Many clubs now insist on members passing the BMFA "A" test before they are allowed to fly without the assistance of an instructor.

I had my wings clipped when I married my first "model restraint" so I never bothered taking any tests.
I came to my senses & returned to the hobby about 4 years ago but I've only been flying slope soarers & still haven't taken the test..... I've noticed that many of us older modellers are in a similar position.

Well the day has come & I've joined a power flying club. Until I prove myself, I'm officially back to being a "beginner."

I'll cover my experience of the test here, so if you are a passing visitor to the forum & have any questions, worries or experiences of your own then please sign up and let us know.

If you've already completed the test then please share your experience with us.... I'm particularly interested in what questions you were asked.

If you are facing the test then please don't let this thread worry you. I'm assured that it is a simple test of your ability to control the model & a few theory questions about safety & regulations.

At least one of our regular relics is an instructor so we should be in good hands. :woohoo:

Wish me luck.

Polyphilla.

I stole this from a site I found on Google, did you get any harder questions & can you answer all of these?

‘A’ TEST SAFETY QUESTIONS.
The following are typical of the kind of questions that can be asked by a BMFA Examiner and should not be considered exhaustive, nor are they in any order of importance. You should read the relevant sections of the 2007 BMFA Handbook thoroughly before taking the test.
1) Which 35 MHz frequency control peg system is used at your Club?
2) Describe the limits of the ‘Flying Area’ on a normal flying day.
3) What does Article 74 of the Air Navigation Order state?
4) What does Article 73 of the Air Navigation Order state?
5) Complete the following phrase (as written in the BMFA Handbook).
“ Model flying must not only BE safe - it must be ______ to be safe.”
6) Why is it not recommended that you fly alone?
7) Why is it recommended that ‘welded rechargeable airborne battery packs’ only
be used?
If you use PCM radio equipment, what should be checked prior to each flight?
9) On arrival at the field, before even thinking of fuelling your model, what are the
“Pre-Flying Session” checks” that should be should be carried out?
10) Models should be checked thoroughly prior to each flying session, but also
after - what?
11) When flying your model, what should you do if you suddenly realise that it is
not responding to your Tx control?
12) Which propellers must NOT be used at any time?
13) What is the biggest source of vibration on an IC powered model aircraft?
14) Why should the on-board battery/receiver be well protected and fixed to the
airframe?
15) What should you ensure when starting an engine?
16) When setting a ‘Fail-safe’ system, what should be the minimum requirement?
17) Flyers, when operating on adjacent channels, should carry out an ‘ Adjacent
Channel Check’ before flying. Describe how the BMFA recommend this is
done.
18) How often do the BMFA recommend this is done.
19) The BMFA recommend you are ‘S’ ‘M’ ‘A’ ‘R’ ‘T’ when using your
transmitter. What do these prompts stand for?
20) What are the recommended checks before each flight?
21) What are the recommended checks after each flight?
22) Your IC engine has stopped and you are coming in to land when the approach
path is blocked by a crowd of running children. You know you cannot turn in
time, nor can you climb over them. What should you do?
23) Is it permissible to TAXI directly towards the flight line? Give reasons.
24) Is it permissible to TAXI directly out from the PITS to the flight line? Give
reasons.
25) Bearing in mind that many of the public, as well as club members, are keen
to watch an aircraft being started up, what should you always be aware of and
what should you do about it?
26) How should you check that a control surface hinge is secure and operating
properly?
27) Why do we do the nose-up power test? How and where should this be done?
28) When going out to the flight line to take off or retrieve a landed model, what
must you do?
29) How and why should you clean your transmitter aerial and what should you
never do to it, apart from bending or breaking it?
30) Under the rules of your club, is it permissible to fly an aircraft on the 27MHz
band in the area? (Give reasons for your answer).
31) Under the local by-laws/regulations, is it permissible to fly an I/C powered free-
flight model in the Field?
32) At what height is it safe to fly over the ‘pits’ area?
33) Apart from the ‘peg’ perhaps, what should you have on your Tx aerial when
flying within the 35 MHz frequency band.
Describe in detail.
34) What colour pennant should you have on your aerial when flying with the
2.4 GHz Spread Spectrum R/C equipment?

Polyphilla.

Shimples,most of our examiners dont know the answers.is there an excuse when you only fly 2.4 the pennant should be black for 2.4 try and find one I cant.Answer to question 11,panic.I can answer quite a few,but I think that common sense is the important thing.

I could be wrong but haven't the BMFA scrapped the idea of a black pennant for 2.4? ... must find out because nobody bothers with them.

Regarding question 11.... "When flying your model, what should you do if you suddenly realise that it is not responding to your Tx control?"

A lot of people might think that all you can do is shout out & warn everyone, would an examiner accept this as an answer?
I'd also try giving the TX a smack & quickly switching it off & on just in case it was a dirty battery connection.
It works with the TV remote.

Polyphilla.

Question 11 is a difficult one. If you have a "fail safe" installed, ( Iwould never fly without one), then the throttle should go to idle, wwhich should give you a few seconds to warn anyone the model is heading for. If the model is flying away from anyone, then it should loose height and land/crash . At all times keep othe fliers informed with a running comentary, so they dont have to take their eyes off their own model

Here's the flying requirements for the "A" test. I'm sure most people will agree that it's fairly basic.

THE ‘A’ CERTIFICATE
(FIXED-WING)
The examination for an ‘A’ Certificate may be taken
on application to any Registered Club Examiner or
Chief Examiner. The candidate must successfully
carry out the following flying test and reference to
the Guidance Notes is very strongly recommended:
(a) Carry out pre-flight checks as required by the
BMFA Safety Codes.
(b) Take off and complete a left (or right) hand
circuit and overfly the take-off area.
(c) Fly a ‘figure of eight’ course with the cross-over
point in front of the pilot, height to be constant.
(d) Fly a rectangular circuit and approach with
appropriate use of the throttle and perform a landing
on the designated landing area.
If the engine stops during the landing the model
may be retrieved and the engine restarted to enable
the remaining parts of the test to be completed.
(e) Take off and complete a left (or right) hand
circuit and overfly the take-off area
(f) Fly a rectangular circuit at a constant height in
the opposite direction to the landing circuit flown in
(d).

Pol.

For anyone who hasn't got a copy of the BMFA handbook, here's the on-line version.

www.bmfa.org/handbook/HandbookFull2010.pdf

Pol.

Like anything else, when you are sat at home, it is easy. When you atempt it , it is a different matter. The flying on the A is easy if you do it on your own, infront of someone it is not as easy. Just read and reread the handbook and you should be fine.

Garry

From a chat room conversation, it would appear that not a lot of members have seen this thread, to be honest, i was going to start a questions on the A test thread, and i was astonished to see this one already in existence, it was clear last night, that there is not much of a clue about the A/B certs, time to fire this one up again, any questions to an examiner, fire away

how critical are the maneuvers.
do they have to be spot on all the time.

My test seemed to be simpler.What I will say is I was as nervous before my examination than at any other time,but when told I had passed felt extremely elated.It gave me loads of confidence and its one of the best things Ive done in recent years

From my experience Tony the manouvres are to show you have full control of the model.The most precise is your expected to take off safely and land safely on the landing strip.You also need to land a deadstick on the strip.Not like the guy after me.He was flying electric and as he whooshed past the landing strip about 30 feet up ,he gave it power and said "Ill do that again",He failed.

its not an aerobatic comp, i always give some latitude, control ability is what i am looking for, i like to see a near enough cross over point on the 8, and a reasonable attempt at getting the corners square on the square circuits, i look on a square landing circuit as going down a flight of stairs, fly past the pilot, call landing, turn onto crosswind leg, then turn onto downwind leg, reduce throttle, start decent, your going down the stairs, turn onto base leg, then onto finals, at this point, you should be setting up for landing, i would not be using a set square for the square corner bit, using the throttle to control the rate of descent and the elevator to control the speed. when the model sinks sufficiently , start to reduce the throttle, gentle pulling the elevator to flare onto the deck with minimal bounce,, simples, there can be no better instruction than this,

www.modelairplanenews.com/blog/2011/07/10/land-like-a-pro/

the candidate that did the fly by, and failed, should not have, he realised he had made an error, had control, and elected t go round again, this shows good attitude, if he managed it on the 2nd atempt, then he should have passed, i always give the candidate a chance to right a wrong on the A test,

a deadstick landing is no longer necessary, a candidate can go for the emergency landing with throttle back, but must not touch the throttle once into the manouvere, i elect when it starts, not the candidate