Studying and memorizing airspace maps

M

maxshuty

Well-Known Member
Well I'm happy to say that I passed the entrance exam into MCTC ATC program. I am signed up and ready to start classes in a little over a week. I just received a packet in the mail with ZMP Sector 26 - it's kind of overwhelming for me since I've never really had to memorize anything like this before. Apparently we are going to be tested in a few weeks on ZMP Sector 26 and we must score 73% or better on it or we can get dropped from the program.

I have been studying it quite a bit today, but I'm wondering if anyone has any good tips on how to memorize all of the stuff on these? I've just been memorizing Vortac's, VOR/DME's right now, after I get those memorized I plan to go at the airways and what not. Is this a good strategy for getting this stuff stuck in my head?

Also not sure how many of you actually went to an actual school like MCTC or something similar, but does anyone have any estimates of how many people end up failing out of the programs? I've worked pretty hard to get at this point where I am now and would hate for something to go wrong. Does this schooling help out quite a bit and put me in better position over someone who (for example) gets picked up off the street? I realize it really depends on the persons personal abilities, etc, but generally have you seen that it helps quite a bit? My dream is to get into a lvl10 facility.
 
Drawing the maps always helped me the most. Get a copy of the map. White out sections you'll need to know. Laminate it. Then fill it in over and over and over again with dry-erase marker. You'll have the whole thing memorized in a few days tops.
 
Well I have two maps - one is an "empty" map that needs to be filled in while the other is the complete one.

I definitely think the lamination part would work great - does anyone know where I can get these laminated though? Does staples do that kind of stuff or where should I go about getting them laminated? They seem pretty darn serious about me getting to know this stuff! :rolleyes:
 
maxshuty said:
Well I have two maps - one is an "empty" map that needs to be filled in while the other is the complete one.

I definitely think the lamination part would work great - does anyone know where I can get these laminated though? Does staples do that kind of stuff or where should I go about getting them laminated? They seem pretty darn serious about me getting to know this stuff! :rolleyes:
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Kinko's. They can also put the image on a whiteboard if you'd rather have that, or have that in addition to a laminated paper copy.
 
What I did was get a clear transparency sheet and colored dry erase markers. Just keep labeling the blank sheet using the transparency. Eventually you will get a system going.
 
maxshuty said:
Does this schooling help out quite a bit and put me in better position over someone who (for example) gets picked up off the street? I realize it really depends on the persons personal abilities, etc, but generally have you seen that it helps quite a bit? My dream is to get into a lvl10 facility.
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Eh, sorta. You get to skip the three week Basics class when you start and apply via a different application than off the street people, although those'll probably still be gone by the time you graduate anyways.

But in terms of being in a "better position", CTI and OTS applicants have similar success/failure rates. Study hard and don't worry about how you compare to others. Nobody's going to care about what you did before you got there, just how you're doing once you've got the job.
 
maxshuty said:
Well I'm happy to say that I passed the entrance exam into MCTC ATC program. I am signed up and ready to start classes in a little over a week. I just received a packet in the mail with ZMP Sector 26 - it's kind of overwhelming for me since I've never really had to memorize anything like this before. Apparently we are going to be tested in a few weeks on ZMP Sector 26 and we must score 73% or better on it or we can get dropped from the program.

I have been studying it quite a bit today, but I'm wondering if anyone has any good tips on how to memorize all of the stuff on these? I've just been memorizing Vortac's, VOR/DME's right now, after I get those memorized I plan to go at the airways and what not. Is this a good strategy for getting this stuff stuck in my head?

Also not sure how many of you actually went to an actual school like MCTC or something similar, but does anyone have any estimates of how many people end up failing out of the programs? I've worked pretty hard to get at this point where I am now and would hate for something to go wrong. Does this schooling help out quite a bit and put me in better position over someone who (for example) gets picked up off the street? I realize it really depends on the persons personal abilities, etc, but generally have you seen that it helps quite a bit? My dream is to get into a lvl10 facility.
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Heh... I talk to ZMP 26 every day. :D
 
I broke my map down into pieces. I started by learning the VOR's, then the radials off the VOR, then the airways and so forth.
This was the easiest way for me to learn instead of trying to learn a quadrant at a time. Everyone has a way for them to learn. Try out different ways and just do what is easiest for you.
 
I always thought breaking the maps into sections helped me the most. Use a few airways to divide the map up, work clockwise and by the third time around I had it down every time.
 
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