Master the Military Flight Aptitude Tests

By Peterson's

Admission to a U.S. military flight training program is highly competitive, and Peterson's Master the Military Flight Aptitude Tests offers exactly what a candidate needs to ace the military flight aptitude tests. In addition to in-depth subject reviews-covering everything from Instrument Comprehension and Cyclic Orientation to Scale Reading and Complex Movements-this eBook also boasts expert test-taking tips and strategies and essential information on test structure, scoring, and passing requirements. Three full-length practice tests cover all subject and question types that you will encounter on the offical exams. You can also find detailed descriptions of flight training programs for the Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Army, and Navy, plus data on career opportunities as a military pilot, flight officer, airplane navigator, and helicopter pilot.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Peterson's
• Release date: Jul 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9780768937022

Book preview

Peterson’s

Master the

Military Flight

Aptitude Tests

8th Edition

Scott A. Ostrow

Lt. Col., USAF (Ret.)

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About Peterson’s Publishing

Peterson’s Publishing provides the accurate, dependable, high-quality education content and guidance you need to succeed. No matter where you are on your academic or professional path, you can rely on Peterson’s print and digital publications for the most up-to-date education exploration data, expert test-prep tools, and top-notch career success resources—everything you need to achieve your goals.

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© 2012 Peterson’s, a Nelnet company

Previous editions © 1989, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2002; © 2005 Solomon Wiener

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution, or information storage and retrieval systems—without the prior written permission of the publisher.

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ISBN 13: 978-0-7689-3702-2

ISBN 10: 0-7689-3702-7

Eighth Edition

Publishing Updates

Check out our Web site at www.petersonspublishing.com/publishingupdates to see if there is any new information regarding the test and any revisions or corrections to the content of this book. We’ve made sure the information in this book is accurate and up-to-date; however, the test format or content may have changed since the time of publication.

OUR PROMISE

SCORE HIGHER. GUARANTEED.

Peterson’s Publishing, a Nelnet company, focuses on providing individuals and schools with the best test-prep products—books and electronic components that are complete, accurate, and up-to-date. In fact, we’re so sure this book will help you improve your score on this test that we’re guaranteeing you’ll get a higher score. If you feel your score hasn’t improved as a result of using this book, we’ll refund the price you paid.

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Contents

Before You Begin

How to Use This Book

Special Study Features

You’re Well on Your Way to Success

Give Us Your Feedback

PART I: Military Flight Basics

Chapter 1:From Officer to Aviator: What You Need to Know

General Information About Military Aviation

So You Want to Become a Commissioned Officer

Pay and Benefits for Military Flight Officers

Officer Rank Structure

General Commissioning Requirements

The Path to Becoming an Officer

Summing It Up

PART II: Military Flight Aptitude Tests

Chapter 2:Military Flight Training Programs

General Requirements for Pilot Training

Flight Training: It Isn’t for Everyone!

Air Force Pilot and Navigator Training

Army Commissioned and Warrant Officer Pilot Training

Navy Pilot and Navigator Training

Marine Corps Flight Training

Coast Guard Aviator Training

Summing It Up

Chapter 3: Introduction to Military Flight Aptitude Tests

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT)

Alternate Flight Aptitude Selection Test (AFAST)

Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB)

Summing It Up

PART III: Question Types in Military Flight Aptitude Tests

Chapter 4: Preparing to Take a Military Flight Aptitude Test

About Multiple-Choice Tests

Tips for Taking Computer-Adaptive Tests

Seven Strategies for Taking a Military Flight Aptitude Test

Preparing for Test Day

Summing It Up

Chapter 5: The Kind of Questions You Can Expect

Synonyms

Verbal Analogies

Reading/Paragraph Comprehension

Arithmetic Reasoning

Math Knowledge

Mechanical Comprehension

Instrument Comprehension

Block Counting

Table Reading

Aviation Information

Nautical Information

Rotated Blocks

General Science

Hidden Figures

Complex Movements

Cyclic Orientation

Spatial Apperception

Background Information Questions and Self-Description Subtests

Answer Key and Explanations

Summing It Up

PART IV: Three Practice Tests

Practice Test 1:

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT)

Practice Test 2:

Army Alternate Flight Aptitude Selection Test (AFAST)

Practice Test 3:

Navy and Marine Corps Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB)

Before You Begin

Congratulations! You have in your hands a powerful tool to ensure your best chances of getting a great score on one of the military flight aptitude tests. By taking time to work on the sample exercises in this book, studying the strategies and techniques for tackling each question type, and taking the full-length Practice Test and reviewing the answers and explanations, you will gain experience in answering real test questions and give yourself a significant advantage in achieving a top-notch score on your military flight aptitude test.

This book contains information on:

• careers in military aviation, including how to qualify, pay and benefits, and specific job descriptions

• flight training in the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard

• strategies for tackling multiple-choice test questions

• the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test (AFOQT) and its subtests

• the Army Flight Aptitude Selection Test (AFAST) and its subtests

• the Navy and Marine Corps Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB) and its subtests

How to Use This Book

The book is designed as a self-training course, complete with test-taking tips and strategies, exercises, and three full-length Practice Tests. Every answer in the book comes with a detailed explanation. You learn immediately why a correct answer is correct and why a wrong answer is wrong. Studying the answer explanations for all the questions in your test—even those you answer correctly—will serve as a course in itself.

• Part I provides an overview of the opportunities and benefits available to military pilots, navigators, and flight officers. Officer rank structure, pay and benefits, and general commissioning requirements are covered in detail. You’ll also find thorough information about how to get on the path to a career in military aviation, including available training and programs, for each branch of the Armed Forces.

• Part II explains three different military flight aptitude tests: the AFOQT, AFAST, and ASTB. You’ll find comprehensive information about each subtest, including the number of questions you’ll encounter and the length of every subtest, with special strategies for answering multiple-choice questions and top-notch tips on how to prepare for test day.

• Part III explains the kinds of questions you can expect on the AFOQT, AFAST, and ASTB. We include plenty of examples of every question type you are likely to encounter. This section also contains sample questions and practice exercises with detailed answer explanations.

• Part IV offers full-length AFOQT, AFAST, and ASTB Practice Tests. Each Practice Test is followed by an answer key with detailed explanations. For the AFOQT, you’ll also find 110 sample Self-Description Inventory questions; we’ve provided sample questions for the Background Information and Self Description sections of the AFAST as well. To accurately measure your performance on these Practice Tests, be sure to adhere strictly to the stated time limits for each subtest.

Special Study Features

Master the Military Flight Aptitude Tests is designed to be as user-friendly as it is complete. To this end, it includes these features to make your preparation more efficient.

Overview

Each chapter begins with a bulleted overview listing the topics covered in the chapter. This allows you to quickly target the areas in which you are most interested.

Summing It Up

Each chapter ends with a point-by-point summary that captures the most important points in the chapter. The summaries offer a convenient way to review key points.

You're Well on Your Way to Success

You’ve made the decision to seek a career in military aviation and have taken a very important step in the process. Master the Military Flight Aptitude Tests will help you get on the path you need to take to achieve your goal—from scoring high on your exam to becoming a military pilot, navigator, or flight officer in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Give Us Your Feedback

Peterson’s publishes a full line of resources to help guide you through the career search process. Peterson’s publications can be found at your local bookstore, library, and high school or college guidance office. You can also access us online at www.petersonspublishing.com.

We welcome any comments or suggestions you may have about this publication.

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Your feedback will help us make your education dreams possible.

Part I

Military Flight Basics

CHAPTER 1: From Officer to Aviator: What You Need to Know

Chapter 1

From Officer to

Aviator: What You

Need to Know

Overview

• General information about military aviation

• So you want to become a commissioned officer

• Pay and benefits for military flight officers

• Officer rank structure

• General commissioning requirements

• The path to becoming an officer

• Summing it up

Thousands of the individuals who apply for commissioning programs in the U.S. military each year dream of a career in aviation. If you are reading this book, you are probably one of those hoping to join this elite group. This book will help you prepare for the various flight aptitude tests used by the military in part to determine your eligibility for a military flight training program. In addition to being a study guide, this book will also provide useful information to help you choose the commissioning path that’s right for you.

As a commissioned officer, you will join the ranks of thousands who have come before you and will participate in a rich history and heritage that comes with serving your country.

General Information About Military Aviation

The U.S. military flies the most technologically advanced aircraft in the world. From supersonic fighters and bombers to giant cargo planes, from surveillance aircraft to weather-observation planes, from search-and-rescue helicopters to close-combat support planes and helicopters, U.S. military aircraft and the men and women who fly them serve in a wide variety of missions.

All military branches use airplanes and helicopters and therefore need pilots. With the exception of the Army, the military branches also need airplane navigators.

Airplane Pilots

In the movies, military airplane pilots simply hop into their aircraft and fly off. A real pilot’s job begins long before he or she ever climbs into the aircraft cockpit. The day usually starts with planning the mission and developing flight plans, routes, and timelines. Mission planning also includes checking weather conditions throughout the entire mission area.

Aircraft commanders are responsible for running through pre-flight checks to ensure that the aircraft used for the mission is flight-ready. Once in the air, pilots are responsible not only for flying the aircraft but also for continuously monitoring its systems.

Pilots, especially those who fly fighter jets, may perform breathtaking maneuvers. These maneuvers require pilots in top physical form; they must also have 20/20 vision or better and excellent eye-hand coordination.

Training for Airplane Pilots

As with any other military officer occupation, airplane pilots undergo extensive training and preparation—but pilot training is perhaps the longest and most intense instruction of all military officer training programs. Depending on the service branch and type of aircraft, pilot training can take two years or longer.

Initial training involves classroom instruction and flight simulator training and typically includes instruction on:

• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations

• Aircraft aerodynamics

• Aircraft propulsion (operation of aircraft engines)

• Aircraft navigation systems

Pilot training not only requires people who are intelligent and in excellent physical condition, but it also requires individuals who can perform several tasks at once, who can remain calm in extremely stressful situations, and—most important—who can master the art of flying. For these reasons, many individuals who begin their pilot training do not complete it. For those who do and who earn their pilot wings, the next step is advanced training. This prepares newly minted pilots to fly particular types of aircraft.

Helicopter Pilots

Just like airplane pilots, military helicopter pilots must meet demanding physical and mental requirements, and they must train to fly several models of helicopters, designed for different types of missions.

Like airplane pilots, helicopter pilots begin their days with mission planning, perform pre-flight checks, and, once in the air, continuously monitor the status of their aircraft. Helicopter flight, however, tends to be more up close and personal than airplane flight. These pilots fly against enemy targets, transport military troops and cargo, and perform search-and-rescue missions.

They must take off and land in a range of situations and environments, many of which require them to maneuver safely in very close quarters. Helicopters are well-suited for reaching areas that are inaccessible to fixed-winged aircraft because they can move vertically and horizontally.

Except for the Army, which permits Warrant Officers to become helicopter pilots, every military branch requires its helicopter pilots to be commissioned officers. We will cover Army Warrant Officers in the next chapter.

Training for Helicopter Pilots

Depending on the type of aircraft one pilots, helicopter training may take up to two years, including classroom instruction and flight training. Flight training typically consists of learning:

• Helicopter operation

• Flying techniques

• Emergency procedures

• Combat skills and tactics

Airplane Navigators

It is an airplane navigator’s responsibility to keep the aircraft on course and, depending on the aircraft type, to act as another set of eyes for the pilot during demanding flying missions. Airplane navigators may also perform bombing duties. To perform their jobs well, they rely on radar, radio, and a variety of other navigation equipment. Just like pilots, navigators must assist in planning missions, plotting courses, checking weather, and gathering target intelligence.

Navigators must be in top physical condition and are subjected to many of the same physical requirements as pilots. Although excellent vision is required, navigators are not required to have 20/20 vision, so individuals who have a strong desire to fly but do not meet the pilot vision standards often opt to apply for a position as an airplane navigator.

Training for Navigators

Navigators spend many hours training in flight simulators and under actual flight conditions, as well as logging hours in the classroom. A typical course curriculum includes:

• Principles of navigation, including combat bombing procedures

• Operation of communication, weapon, and radar systems

Navigators in the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps undergo similar training and perform similar functions. Naval flight officers receive advanced training to take up specific positions such as radar intercept officers, bombardier/navigators, tactical coordinators, and airborne electronic warfare specialists. Marine Corps flight officers receive advanced training as radar intercept officers, tactical navigators, electronic countermeasure officers, and weapons and sensors officers.

So You Want to Become a Commissioned Officer

Serving as a commissioned officer in the U.S. military has many benefits, including:

• Competitive pay

• Life insurance coverage of $400,000 at a very low cost (as well as life insurance for one’s family)

• Thirty days of vacation each year

• Retirement eligibility after twenty years

• Education benefits for earning an advanced degree

• Thrift savings plan (for additional retirement funds)

• Responsibility and leadership positions at an early age

• Tax-free shopping at base stores and commissaries

A career in the military is not without its drawbacks, however. Keep in mind that it comes with certain disadvantages, just like any other career:

• Inconsistent work hours

• Hazardous working conditions and locations

• Family separations due to assignments and/or deployments

• Frequent family moves

• Undesirable job locations

Pay and Benefits for Military Flight Officers

Military officers’ pay once greatly lagged behind that of their civilian counterparts. Today, however, that is not the case. In addition to basic pay, officers may receive additional pay that is often tax-exempt—thereby increasing an officer’s pay scale so that it surpasses that of comparable civilian positions. In addition to pay raises based on promotion, military members receive longevity pay raises based on the number of years they have served. They typically also receive annual cost-of-living pay increases.

Incentive Pay and Allowances

Military aviators receive monthly flight pay. The amount of flight pay varies, depending on several factors that include flight status and experience level.

Military officers receive some pay in the form of allowances, which are usually tax-exempt. For instance, officers living off-base receive a tax-exempt monthly housing allowance based on marital status, rank, and location. In 2008, monthly housing allowances for officers ranged from approximately $500 to $4,000. Officers also receive a monthly allowance for food, called Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS), which was $223.04 as of January 1, 2009.

Most military officers begin their careers as an 0–1 (Second Lieutenant in the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, and Ensign in the Navy and Coast Guard). For up-to-date and detailed information about military pay and allowances, visit the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) Web site: www.dfas.mil. This site is an excellent tool, not only as you research military aviator opportunities, but also in the future for managing and keeping track of your pay and allowances.

Many other benefits are available to military officers in addition to base pay: retirement benefits, education benefits, and guaranteed home loans.

Retirement Benefits

Military members are eligible for retirement after serving twenty years. Active-duty retirees receive 50 percent of their base pay at the time of their retirement; National Guard and Reserve retirees receive a percentage of their base pay based on the number of points they have accumulated. They may not start receiving retirement pay (pension) until they have reached age 60 (although there are bills now being considered that would lower that age restriction). The major drawback of a military pension is that after a veteran dies, his or her pension cannot be passed on to surviving family members unless the veteran enrolled in an insurance program called the Survivors Benefit Plan.

Many military officers choose to remain in the service longer than twenty years. For these officers, active duty retirement pay is increased at 2.5 percent of their base pay for every year past twenty, usually up to a total of thirty years, depending on pay grade. Therefore, an active-duty member retiring after thirty years will receive a pension of 75 percent of his or her base pay. In recent years, many military members have begun participating in the Thrift Savings Plan. Previously available only to civil servants, this plan allows military members to contribute to their savings using pre-tax dollars.

Retirees from the military are also eligible for continuation of health-care benefits at little or no cost to them, depending on the level of insurance they selected. Base store and facilities privileges are continued as well.

Education Benefits

Numerous education benefits are available for military officers who wish to further their education, including the Montgomery GI Bill–Active Duty, the Montgomery GI Bill–Selected Reserve, the Post–9/11 GI Bill, the Tuition Assistance Program, and the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program (DEA).

Montgomery GI Bill–Active Duty

The Montgomery GI Bill–Active Duty (MGIB–AD) provides up to thirty-six months of education benefits to eligible veterans for:

• two-year or four-year college-degree programs

• technical or vocational courses

• correspondence courses

• apprenticeship/job training

• flight training

• high-tech industry training

• licensing and certification tests

• entrepreneurship training

• certain entrance examinations

In general, to be eligible for the MGIB–AD (also known as Chapter 30), you must meet these requirements:

• entered active duty after June 30, 1985

• paid the $1,200 contribution (deducted from pay, with the option to add $600 for enhanced benefits)

• served on active duty for a period equal to or greater than the initial enlistment period

The monthly benefit is based on the type of training, length of your service, category, and whether the Department of Defense contributed extra money (called kickers) in your MGIB Fund. You can use the MGIB–AD benefit while on active duty after you serve a minimum of twenty-four months or after you’ve completed your service duty. You usually have ten years to use your MGIB benefits, but this time limit can vary depending on individual circumstances. Currently, the Army is the only branch of the military that permits MGIB benefits to be transferred to dependents. Additional details about eligibility and benefits can be found at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Web site: www.gibill.va.gov, or call 888-GI-BILL-1 (888-442-4551) toll-free.

Montgomery GI Bill–Selected Reserve

The Montgomery GI Bill–Selected Reserve (MGIB–SR) program may be available if you are a member of the Selected Reserve, which includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Reserves and the Army and Air National Guards. You may be entitled to receive up to thirty-six months of education benefits for:

• degree and certificate programs

• flight training

• apprenticeship training

• on-the-job training

• correspondence courses

• remedial, deficiency, and refresher courses (approved in certain situations)

For eligibility requirements and benefit details, check out the VA’s Web site at www.gibill.va.gov.

The Post–9/11 GI Bill

In 2008, Congress approved the Post–9/11 Veteran’s Educational Assistance Act, sometimes referred to as the New GI Bill. This program provides thirty-six months of education benefits to individuals who have served at least ninety days of active duty on or after September 11, 2001, or those discharged with a service-related disability after thirty days of service. This bill became effective for training on or after August 1, 2009.

For those who are eligible, the Post–9/11 GI Bill will pay:

• tuition and fees, not exceeding the maximum in-state costs at a public college or university

• a monthly housing allowance at the location of the school, based on the Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents

• an annual stipend of $1,000 for books and supplies, paid proportionately based on enrollment

• a one-time rural benefit payment for eligible individuals

Funded by the Department of Defense, the Post–9/11 GI Bill does not require service members to contribute to the program. Benefits must be used within fifteen years of service completion. In addition, learning must take place at a traditional educational institution, so service members who are enrolled solely in online training or are still in the