New Tower Reflector

[K7LXC at aol.com]

Greetings, one and all --

     This post is to announce a new reflector, Towertalk, devoted to tower,
antenna and system concerns, issues and questions.  There's a lot of tower
building mistakes being made out there so if you have any questions, or have
some of the answers, please subscribe.  It really pays to do things right.
 There is a wide range of subscribers from first tower builders to tower
riggers and PE's so lots of valuable information is available.

     To subscribe send a message to towertalk-request at akorn.net with the word
"subscribe" in the message.  You'll get registered automatically.  Hope to
see you there!

73,  Steve  K7LXC

PS -- This group is available to EVERYONE.  Please spread the word and tell
anyone else that may be interested to join.  No question is too dumb -- we
all had to start somewhere.



>From aa4lr at radio.org (Bill Coleman AA4LR)  Thu Jun  6 22:33:52 1996
From: aa4lr at radio.org (Bill Coleman AA4LR) (Bill Coleman AA4LR)
Date: Thu, 6 Jun 1996 17:33:52 -0400
Subject: testing Q&A
Message-ID: <v01540b03addcfc7bb2d0@[198.242.115.141]>

>[ Dick Bash ]...
>eventually had the exact wording of every question and all the multiple
>choice answers for virtually every question the FCC used.  His reasoning was
>that the FAA published a Q & A  book for private pilots that gave actual
>questions and answers so why isn't this system good enough for the FCC?
>There is a major difference, of course, and that is that to get a private
>pilot's license you actually have to demonstrate that you can fly a plane.

Many differences. To *TAKE* the written test requires a sign-off from an
instructor indicating you've either received instruction or studied the
material.

And even if you managed to bribe someone into taking the test for you (not
likely, since two forms of ID are required....), when you go for your
practical exam, you start out with an ORAL examination on the same
material!

>There is at least 8 hours of one-on-one time with an instructor during which
>time he simulates emergencies and asks you to prove you can navigate and
>recover from stalls.

20 hours of Dual instruction are required. And of that 20 hours, there's a
lot of stuff that has to happen. Plus 20 hours of solo flight (including 10
hours of solo cross-country).

>It might be a very different world on our bands if
>each new ham had to spend at least 8 hours under the close supervision of a
>qualified instructor operating a working station.  If the instructor did not
>think the would-be ham was using good sense, he would not allow him to take
>the final test and become licensed.

However, unlike hams, flight instructors hold commercial certificates and
are permitted to CHARGE for their instruction services. I'm sure that would
go over like a lead balloon.

>If the license tests are too simple, I believe the answer is in expanding
>the question pool so you have to do a LOT more memorizing, expanding the
>number of questions on the test, raising the number of correct answers
>required for a passing grade, and making correct answers to certain key
>questions mandatory for a passing grade.

Frankly, despite the "easiness" of the tests with all the questions known,
etc, I still see a lot of applicants fail ham written tests.

PS - I got a 95% on my FAA Private Pilot Written (just missed 3 questions).
I've got nearly 90 hours flight time and am getting ready for my practical
exam. Just got 4-5 hours of dual to go.

Bill Coleman, AA4LR, AA96LR      Mail: aa4lr at radio.org
Quote: "Not in a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901