Hi,
two days ago I was at the screening SPHAIR in Dübendorf and would like to tell about it, hoping that one or the other but the Swiss lost here and can benefit from it; -)
So just a brief guide to what you are talking about:
SPHAIR is the training platform of the Swiss Air Force. Will it be a military pilot in Switzerland, you have to complete the program mandatory. But even as a civilian pilot has one advantage: the existence of the screening process eliminates the selectivity of the first example SWISS Stage (ie one must still down, but may also fail and will automatically Sufe II), and also at Edelweiss Air or Hello will be given preference.
first to register on www.sphair.ch and must then complete a biographical questionnaire, where the basis of some questions on education, health, leisure activities, etc. to determine whether it is suitable in principle. If it is, you can register for a screening appointment. The whole thing is a one-day test, which takes place in the Aeromedical Institute in Dübendorf (near Zurich). If there is one that, you can register for a two-week Pilot training. During this training you fly eg Piper Cadets with an instructor and will be monitored and evaluated all the time. At the end of the training is also a "test flight" took place in the instructor engages only in emergencies. Based on his performance then you get a certificate of completion, the one certified, whether you are a military pilot or commercial pilot suitable. The Pilot training can I do because of my stay abroad until next year, but would nevertheless now been covered by my experience of screening.
I could sleep with my mother in St. Gallen, which meant for me, even the 06:44 Zug morgens nehmen zu müssen. Aufgrund der schlechten Zugverbindungen kam ich dann allerdings auch schon eine Stunde zu früh in Dübendorf an. Das Fliegerärztliche Institut hatte zum Glück schon geöffnet, und so konnte ich noch gemütlich in den Aviatik-Magazinen blättern, die im Empfang auslagen.
Nach ca. einer halben Stunde trudelten dann langsam die anderen Kandidaten ein und man konnte sich gegenseitig noch etwas die Angst nehmen. Nachdem der letzte eingetroffen war (wir waren insgesamt nur zu fünft) ging es auch schon etwas früher als geplant in das zweite OG zum Testraum. Unsere Rucksäcke mussten wir draussen lassen, durften nur unsere Materialien mit rein nehmen, die man abgeben musste (unterschriebener Biographischer Fragebogen, Medizinischer Fragebogen, Zeugnis und Brillenpass). Der Raum selbst war hell, klimatisiert und ausgestattet mit 12 PC-Plätzen samt Touchscreen, Joystick, Headset und Ruderpedalen.
Nachdem jeder seinen Platz gefunden hatte, musste man nur noch unterschreiben, dass man gesund ist und fit für den Test und dann gings auch schon fast los.
Der Testleiter erklärte noch den Ablauf und startete dann das erste Modul.
Vor jedem Test gab es auf dem Bildschirm eine Instruktion. Wenn jeder fertig war mit der Instruktion startete der eigentliche Test.
Zu jedem Test werde ich nun meine Mediate and give tips on how to best prepare it.
English
English was the first test. The exact number of questions I do not remember, but there were few. Within the test could skip certain questions again and later access it, or change individual replies later. It was a multiple-choice test with 4 possible answers. In English, I almost did not prepare because I have a pretty good feel for language and therefore the grammatical questions not answered simply by feel. Who therefore more difficult added, should look at the best work in general grammar rules again (times, If rates etc). Many synonyms were on it and also some phrases of which I have never heard. However: Works carefully the English module of the SPHAIR page and the English module by Lufthansa! Some issues were unchanged tuned ;-)
mental arithmetic
The second test was mental arithmetic. Here 12 questions were visually put the other 12 questions audibly through headphones. The time to answer a single question was about 15 seconds. 5 seconds before the end came a beep. What can I recommend here? Learn the squares to 30, the cubes to 5 to 10 and hoch4 It was their turn also "hidden" squares tasks, such as 15% from 1500 -> this is nothing more than 15 high-2, a confusing but in the short time anyway. It was the turn of some simple multiplications and additions / subtractions with three / four-digit numbers. The acoustic part, I felt as difficult as I had forgotten in an addition of two four-digit figures again the first than the second read was ... ;-) Overall, the test was fair and feasible.
RED
The third test was the cube rotation test (spatial orientation). For the first understanding of the test, you take the best idea is a real cube and makes clear to you how it has to tilt right. After that exercise program with Lufthansa! The Lufthansa program is much better than the SPHAIR program because the program Lufthansa, the instructions are also given acoustically, as in screening. In the test, it starts very slowly and then gradually faster. The fastest stage was about as fast as in the Level 2 program on Lufthansa So if you can with the 90 to 100%, you are perfectly prepared to it!
letter memory test
After a ten minute break we continued with the letter memory test. Comes at the Lufthansa BU's not more to it, but corresponds fairly closely to the exercise program on the SPHAIR page. The time to remember the letter I felt was quite short, in my opinion, it does not reach, a story etc. imagine. I have, therefore, the sequence of letters inside recited again and again very quickly and I drove it quite well.
SKT
The next test was the triangle test. The master should also be without their great exercise. Makes him a few times with the Lufthansa program and when you have since over 90 percent, are you well prepared. Important: it all depends on speed. Works during the test, so the best with the "C-technique." Ie with the thumb and index finger of the left hand forms a C and thus select the button above and below the triangle. With your right hand you can press the "neutral" button.
TVT
Well the test came to the technical understanding. This was again the same structure as the English test, ie you could see previous tasks and improve even more later.
Auch hier sehr wichtig: Arbeitet das SPHAIR Modul sowie das Lufthansa Modul sorgfältig durch (!) ;-) Einige Aufgaben werden euch sehr bekannt vorkommen.
OWT
Eigentlich wäre nun Mittagessen angesagt gewesen, allerdings waren wir schon recht früh fertig, sodass unser Testleiter uns gefragt hat, ob wir den Optischen Wahrnehmungstest noch vor dem Mittagessen machen wollte, was wir alle bejahten.
Was kann ich euch hier raten? Übt mit dem Lufthansa CBT! Ich hatte damit auf Level 3 immer zwischen 90 und 100% und hatte beim Screening absolut keine Probleme, because the display of the instruments is identical. I had no special technique, but was simply an instrument recorded after the other. This test is purely a matter of practice. But do not go to doggedly ran to the cause, it shall exercise every day just two or three times and you will automatically be better.
math Pen & Paper
After the (very tasty) lunch in the canteen at the airport in Dübendorf came the math Pen & Paper turn test. This was again the same structure as English and physics, but with one difference: There was no predetermined multiple-choice answers, but you had to enter the numerical values themselves. Here it is important that you master three sets (proportional and inversely proportional), speeds can convert and the theorem of Pythagoras, you should not be a stranger. I know I am repeating myself, but again: exercises with the Sphair and Lufthansa module! (For some tasks, not even the numerical values have been changed ;-))
MIC
After a short break we continued with the MIC. Wait a minute ... the MIC? On the side is SPHAIR something from tracking? The tracking test is probably not very mature yet and, according to statements made by the test supervisor until Autumn used. Therefore, the foot pedals remained without function. Until then, not been tested at the DLR-Mic. Who is not an absolute joystick dyslexic should have no problems with this test. There are extensive training phases, which are longer than the actual test. Here I can really advise you one thing: the speed you can ignore the most part, you focus on track, height and acoustic task. The power you need to set only at the very beginning of each round, then you can just leave it at rest (increase for the climb and descent in the lower).
This test has all the participants had fun :-)
personality conditions
After the MIC was it a re-break and then it went to the personality test. Here you have to answer 146 questions as honestly. In part, this is really difficult ;-)
If you are unsure about a question you are, you tried to imagine how you would act at work or in the cockpit. Even if you do it at home as a cozy place when everything is a bit messy, but it estimates an open cockpit, right? ;-)
Memorization
Sun .. as you have noticed, they were all so far come DLR test tasks as seen with Lufthansa tuned / come. After the personality test but there were three new SPHAIR's own tests. This required that all PCs are shut down and restarted. So we had a longer break we have to get used to again in the local supermarket drinks and food for the nerves.
was when we came back our seats in curiously different. The test administrator explained the lay of the system and he could not change ... Well, we did not care and we were ready for the last three tests. The first was called "Memorization" and was the letter memory Test is very similar. First of all, you have to remember also a group of letters, and then click each of the four letters contained. The test is the same as on the SPHAIR page, but with the difference that up to 10 letters / numbers occurred in the amount of memory. I found it relatively difficult task because each one only 15 seconds had time to remember the amount of memory. I had no technique here, but I've been saying how the letter memory test, the letter inside quickly.
Ordering Information
This test is just like the SPHAIR page (there are still negative numbers to it, and even two-digit). Otherwise, try here just as quickly as possible to be.
Selective Attention
This we are already arrived at the last test. Here one must note between 1 and 3 letters trios, and recognize them later (acoustic). This task, I again felt to be quite simple, just the terrible computer-generated voice and the air conditioning have annoyed ;-)
Shortly before four o'clock we were finished with all the tests. Very nice, we found the fact that we have received a form with which wir uns die Fahrtkosten zurückerstatten lassen konnten ;-)
Nachdem wir ein Feedbackblatt ausfüllten, wurden wir auch schon entlassen :-) Angekündigt war, dass es etwa 1-2 Tage dauert, bis wir das Ergebnis erhielten, in Einzelfällen sogar bis zu 2 Wochen, wenn das Ergebnis in Hamburg beim DLR überprüft werden muss.
Wir hatten allerdings die Mail schon am gleichen Abend in unserem virtuellen Postfach :-)
Zwei (inkl. mir) haben bestanden, zwei haben es leider nicht gepackt, und von einem wissen wir es leider nicht, da er den Zug erwischen musste und es für das E-Mail Adressen austauschen nicht mehr gelangt hat...^^
Insgesamt war der Tag recht anstrengend, hat aber dennoch viel Spass gemacht.
Ich hoffe ich konnte zukünftigen SPHAIR Teilnehmern etwas die Angst nehmen. Der Test ist mit Vorbereitung echt zu schaffen. Wenn ihr meine Tipps beherzigt, sollte eigentlich nichts mehr schief gehen ;-) Für weitere Fragen stehe ich natürlich immer noch zur Verfügung.
Viele Grüsse (noch) aus St. Gallen!
