1,001 questions about the ASTB (post your scores & ask your questions here!)

[Trey4383]

Hello all,
I am currently preparing for my 1st ASTB (hopefully only one) and am using the Baron's Military Flight Aptitude Tests Studybook. Does anyone have advice/guidance as to where I should focus my studies, especially within the math, mechanical comprehension, and Aviation and Nautical Information Test?
I am planning on studying the entire book, but are there certain areas within these sections that I should especially focus on that will make my studying much more efficient?
Also, does anyone know of any good video lessons, etc on the web that can help on the math section?
I recently graduated Magna Cum Laude with a 3.7, and held several leadership positions in honor societies, social organizations, scholarships, etc. with much community service and other paid work experience. I was also accepted into Law School, but would much rather join the Navy, hopefully for aviation, but I am also intrested in SWO/Intel. I also have acquired many letters of rec including from two seperate Congressmen.
Does my package sound competitve thus far?
Thanks everyone!

--Trey

 

[B619]

Well, reading your post... your basic English (clarity, vocabulary, punctuation, spelling, etc.) seem fine, so for starters, you have that going for you!
BzB

Thanks! There's so much encouraging comments around this forum.

So I took the Peterson's practice test and I didn't do so well. I scored a 73% on math, 66% on reading, 100% on mechanical. The math part was tough only because I was under time which caused me to forget a few things and panicked a bit. I skipped 7 questions and missed only 1 from what was answered. For reading, I basically rushed it since I found myself out of time on the math part which didn't help at all for reading. I ended up with having about 2 minutes left. The only reason why I got 100% on mechanical was because the Peterson's test has exactly the same questions from the Arco practice test.

With that said, how would my practice test scores calculate for the ASTB? I don't like my scores and I want to come in as confident as I can when I take the OAR portion which is in 2 weeks.

I found the problems in Petersons to be more challenging than the actual test.

That's some sort of a relief because I didn't do so well on the practice test. I still want to improve and come in as confident as possible. I would also like another timed test but I can't find any other timed ones like the Peterson's test

 

[linagirl684]

Not sure if this has been posted before, but here's a link to the Peterson's Master the Officer Candidate Test book. This book along with the Military Flight Aptitude Tests and the gouges from this site really helped me when I took the test a second time around. The first book has a lot of practice problems (approx. 75 per test) to help with the Math & Mechanical sections - I wish I found it earlier cause then I probably could've increased my score by a lot more! It's just a really good aide to make sure that you have the concepts down. My scores increased by 2 straight across the board from 3/4/4 42 to 5/6/6 44. I hope this helps!

http://www.nelnetsolutions.com/pdfsecure/frameNoTop.asp?pdftype=MasterOfficerCandidate

 

[pdt1530]

Hello all! I just took the ASTB and I'm just posting my scores for others to have something with which they can compare. I scored a 6/7/6, 50. Not great but I'm pleased.

THANK YOU to everyone who has taken and continues to take time to help out all of us who are aspiring service members! Happy studying and good luck!

 

[nowhereelsetogo]

Thanks for all the help here, had a few questions come up during my studying that I could use some help on and might help others as well:

What point does plane start creating drag?
Purpose of helicopter tail? (Different than tail rotor)?
What point does pilot experience most G's in a loop?
A rectangular piece of metal is suspended by four cables, one snaps, how is force distributed after?
What are the Vertical (Lateral?) Sections of a ship called ?
Is the conning tower same as control tower ? (tall tower from where ship is controlled)
Thanks again to all who have contributed, feel free to ask me any questions, I took section 3 about 2 weeks ago scored 4/5/5 52. Need to do better.

 

[nowhereelsetogo]

I realize I may have broken a forum rule and "machine gunned" a bunch of questions on my first post, please accept my apologies

 

[WEGL12]

Thanks for all the help here, had a few questions come up during my studying that I could use some help on and might help others as well:

What point does plane start creating drag?
Purpose of helicopter tail? (Different than tail rotor)?
What point does pilot experience most G's in a loop?
A rectangular piece of metal is suspended by four cables, one snaps, how is force distributed after?
What are the Vertical (Lateral?) Sections of a ship called ?
Is the conning tower same as control tower ? (tall tower from where ship is controlled)
Thanks again to all who have contributed, feel free to ask me any questions, I took section 3 about 2 weeks ago scored 4/5/5 52. Need to do better.

I'll try to answer your questions.
1. Anytime there is lift the airplane is producing drag.
2. The tail rotor is used to counteract the torque created by the main rotor spinning.
3. Assuming the velocity isn't constant the most g's are pulled at the bottom of the loop.
4. Not sure about this one. Just a guess would say the cable on the side by itself would carry near half the weight.
5. Assuming you are talking about the "walls" of a ship then they are called bulkheads.
6. Not sure one that one either.

Hope that helps and someone correct me know if I made a mistake.

 

[TheBirdy]

3. Assuming the velocity isn't constant the most g's are pulled at the bottom of the loop.

I thought the max amount of G's would be experienced at the top of the loop. The pilot would experience the force of the aircraft acting on their body, as well as the gravitational force vector acting on their body too. (Someone correct me if I am wrong)

 

[WEGL12]

I thought the max amount of G's would be experienced at the top of the loop. The pilot would experience the force of the aircraft acting on their body, as well as the gravitational force vector acting on their body too. (Someone correct me if I am wrong)

Assuming a circular loop. The normal force at the bottom of the loop is found using n=m*g+(m/r)*v^2; and at the top it is n=(m/r)*v^2-m*g. The sum of the forces at the top is F=m*g +n; and at the bottom is F= n-m*g. The velocity of the aircraft decreases near the top of the loop decreasing the normal force exerted on the pilot. At the bottom of the loop the velocity is higher so you experience a higher centripetal force due to acceleration. This link explains it a little better: http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfadd/1350/06CirMtn/VertCircle.html

 

[TheBirdy]

Assuming a circular loop. The normal force at the bottom of the loop is found using n=m*g+(m/r)*v^2; and at the top it is n=(m/r)*v^2-m*g. The sum of the forces at the top is F=m*g +n; and at the bottom is F= n-m*g. The velocity of the aircraft decreases near the top of the loop decreasing the normal force exerted on the pilot. At the bottom of the loop the velocity is higher so you experience a higher centripetal force due to acceleration. This link explains it a little better: http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfadd/1350/06CirMtn/VertCircle.html

Ah, yes that makes sense now. My answer would only be correct if the velocity was uniform throughout the loop, which it is not.

 

[pdt1530]

A rectangular piece of metal is suspended by four cables, one snaps, how is force distributed after?

The piece of metal would be held up entirealy by the two remaining corner cables. The third cable (opposite corner of the snapped cable) does not support the structure at all. I came across this one studying and that surprised me because I thought the third cable would support the rectangle at least enough to prevent it from tilting but I guess not.

Is the conning tower same as control tower ? (tall tower from where ship is controlled)
.

I might be wrong on this one but I'm pretty sure a control tower is on the ground and the conning tower is only on a ship or submarine. But yes, they are essentially the same thing. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility of the entirety of the ship, ocean conditions and other vessels.

Good luck!

 

[ea6bflyr]

Is the conning tower same as control tower ? (tall tower from where ship is controlled)
.

I might be wrong on this one but I'm pretty sure a control tower is on the ground and the conning tower is only on a ship or submarine. But yes, they are essentially the same thing. It is usually located as high on the ship as practical, to give the conning team good visibility of the entirety of the ship, ocean conditions and other vessels.

Good luck!

On an Aircraft carrier, the "control tower" is at the top of the island. The Conning tower is considered the bridge; two levels below the Tower (aka Primary Flight Control; PRIFLY). Unless you can place this question in context, it's kind of confusing and difficult to answer.

 

[pdt1530]

Thanks for the clarification ea6bflyer!! Indeed, these kinds of questions are confusing for us non-priors. I was under the impression that the conning team works in the PRIFLY. I thought the bridge and PRIFLY were the same. Obviously, I was wrong.

 

[ea6bflyr]

Check out the photo on this page. From top to bottom:
T: Control Tower, aka PriFly
M: Admiral's Bridge (Admiral usually never there)
B: Navigation Bridge containing the Conn (ship's wheel) and Navigation (CO usually found there)

 

[nowhereelsetogo]

Well thank you all for all the assistance.

ea6 - I believe my practice test said something about the place from which the ship was steered and commanded but I don't have it in front of me. I'll see if I can add some more detail at a later time.

Still not sure if the questions about helicopter tail are differentiating the tail from the tail rotor or not, I suspect no.

One other item that's been bugging me are the "3 types of aircraft"? I find different answers everywhere i go, but the choices included Commercial, Military, Utility, Passenger, and Performance.