TBAS Information

[Guest emceeT]

Well, I got my TBAS score back last week and was hoping I would do well enough to submit my package for the upcoming UFT active duty board, but am pretty bummed that my PCSM is only a 52 with a 98 Pilot. Am planning to retake it as soon as the 180-day point rolls around. Any of you guys have any words of advice, aside from logging more flying hours and playing FPS with an inverted view?

[thoma015]

Well, I got my TBAS score back last week and was hoping I would do well enough to submit my package for the upcoming UFT active duty board, but am pretty bummed that my PCSM is only a 52 with a 98 Pilot. Am planning to retake it as soon as the 180-day point rolls around. Any of you guys have any words of advice, aside from logging more flying hours and playing FPS with an inverted view?

What did you have trouble with?

[Guest emceeT]

What did you have trouble with?

MULTI-TASKING! I just could not track the moving target with the joystick while also trying to work the rudders. Maybe my hand-eye coordination is just atrocious. I know all TBAS testing locations use the same joystick but dang, the one I used was not very sensitive.

[lazlo]

I focused between the two parts you have to track. Keep "ball" you have to track with the rudder in your peripheral, and let your hands and brain do the rest. I started trying to anticipate its direction change, but quickly realized that didn't work. It probably measures reaction time more than if you can keep it in the container. Good luck next time!

Edited April 21, 2011 by lazlo

[Rivanthe5th]

MULTI-TASKING! I just could not track the moving target with the joystick while also trying to work the rudders. Maybe my hand-eye coordination is just atrocious. I know all TBAS testing locations use the same joystick but dang, the one I used was not very sensitive.

Play twitch based FPS while talking with friends in vent/TS. That's what I did. I got 99 (92 pilot 133 hours). Another big thing that can help is being able to adapt quickly. Fast FPS games help you learn to adapt on the fly, that way, you don't need to worry whether your mouse is inverted or not, and that you're using a joystick and not a mouse.

If you've got nothing else to do, Unreal Tournament 3 is a great one for twitch. Requires purchasing the game though, and not sure how many people play it. Legions: Overdrive is a fairly descent free one.

General Reminder: THIS is all that's allowed to be discussed about the TBAS.

Edited April 22, 2011 by Rivanthe5th

[Guest emceeT]

Play twitch based FPS while talking with friends in vent/TS. That's what I did. I got 99 (92 pilot 133 hours). Another big thing that can help is being able to adapt quickly. Fast FPS games help you learn to adapt on the fly, that way, you don't need to worry whether your mouse is inverted or not, and that you're using a joystick and not a mouse.

If you've got nothing else to do, Unreal Tournament 3 is a great one for twitch. Requires purchasing the game though, and not sure how many people play it. Legions: Overdrive is a fairly descent free one.

General Reminder: THIS is all that's allowed to be discussed about the TBAS.

Thanks for the advice! I remember playing the older UTs a while back, will definitely look into the most recent one.

[thoma015]

Thanks for the advice! I remember playing the older UTs a while back, will definitely look into the most recent one.

If you have the money get a few flight hours in too. I’m getting ready to retake my TBAS in 2 weeks, and I am going to see if I can get in about 5-10 hrs before that. Did you apply for the last AD board? You should put in a application for this upcoming board also, it couldn’t hurt.

[Guest emceeT]

If you have the money get a few flight hours in too. I’m getting ready to retake my TBAS in 2 weeks, and I am going to see if I can get in about 5-10 hrs before that. Did you apply for the last AD board? You should put in a application for this upcoming board also, it couldn’t hurt.

If I apply, this will be the first time. Since I didn't pick RPA as an option, doesn't an application with a PCSM of 52 with no flying hours seems like a wasted effort?

[thoma015]

If I apply, this will be the first time. Since I didn't pick RPA as an option, doesn't an application with a PCSM of 52 with no flying hours seems like a wasted effort?

It's never a wasted effort. So you put in for this board and don't get picked up...Well your phsical is good for 5 more years and you know where you need to improve. Better case, you get picked up...then was it a wasted effort?

I always say...whats the worst that can happen, they say not this time? If you don't get picked up, you are right back where you are now.

[Rivanthe5th]

Another quick tip: Fatigue will destroy your reflexes. A good way to train reflexes is play video games while tired. Then get a ton of sleep before the TBAS.

[HiFlyer]

If you have the money get a few flight hours in too. I’m getting ready to retake my TBAS in 2 weeks, and I am going to see if I can get in about 5-10 hrs before that. Did you apply for the last AD board? You should put in a application for this upcoming board also, it couldn’t hurt.

Be smart about this. The PCSM add for flying hours is in blocks (0-5, 5.1-10, 10.1-20, etc.). If you are only flying to help the PCSM, don't fly 7 if you already have 5.2, etc. Carefully check the PCSM site to verify the blocks. Make sure a point or two is worth the money, and unless you fly enough to get to the next level, it's a total waste of money. Of course, if proficiency or getting to a PPL is the goal, then its a different matter.

[Insubordinate & Churlish]

The Guard unit that I am applying for does not explicitly say "send us TBAS results." Nor do they say anything about a PCSM score.

The only numbers they ask for are GPAs, flight hours, and AFOQT scores.

Do some units just disregard the TBAS and PCSM?

[ChiefSlapahoe]

I think you answered your own question but it comes down to how comfortable did you feel taking it the first time. If you felt you could do better then there's a chance but there's not much room for improvement. If it were me, unless I was 100% certain I could do better and was wiling to accept the consequences, I'd skip retaking it. A 90 is a great score as long as the rest of your package is solid.

[Sasquatch]

For me, retaking the TBAS improved my scores significantly. There was one section of the test (those of you who have taken it can probably guess which one) that I didn't do well on the first time around. Second try, smoked it and had a 98 PCSM score with 0 hours. To echo Slapahoe's thoughts, especially if you can pinpoint a particular part of the test that brought your score down, I'd definitely give it a second try. Just knowing what to expect the 2nd time around can be helpful too.

[ChiefSlapahoe]

Thats the thing though, Im not sure if I did worse in other parts and there is no way to find out right? I feel I did pretty well on it. (obviously some of the first parts that didnt involve multitasking were easier, but overall I felt I did great).

There's no way for you to find out what sections you did well on individually so I'd just bite the bullet if I were you and increase my flying hours and do what I could on the rest of my package to increase my odds. The PCSM is just one component a board looks at so if you really did have better scores than peers that were selected than work on improving those items that will make you a stronger candidate. Whether it be community service projects, improve PT score, fly more hours, etc. there might be more you can do there. My 2c.

[guest_eric]

by any chance can anyone point me in the direction of a website that could potentially help me with my TBAS.  I am enlisted and have zero background with flying but am looking to apply for the new enlisted pilot program.  I understand that a lot of it is testing things like memory and reaction time, however I am nervous about the map reading and cant seem to find a solid source for studying.  Before you tell me to go to my education center, I regret to inform you that I am at an undisclosed location in southwest Asia and have spoken first hand to my bases education office and have been informed that our base has no study guides for this test.  In fact we don't even have the capability to test here.  Im just crossing my fingers that the af gives us deployed members a shot at this amazing new program. cutoff for this program is 14 October so

[guest_eric]

can someone please explain this to me in a bit more detail?

 

“How exactly do you study for the spacial orientation ? Are there any good resources online or anything? Flash cards."

Take one set, and draw up and airplane flying over the four squares at headings of 0, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270, and 315.

Take another sheet, draw about 12 sets of four squares with a N, S, E or W next to them. This is your answer sheet. Mix up the first set of cards and flip through them, marking the North, East, South or West squares as indicated by the N/S/E/W on your answer sheet. Repeat. You’ll notice a pattern.”

[FishBowl]

9 hours ago, guest_eric said:

can someone please explain this to me in a bit more detail?

 

“How exactly do you study for the spacial orientation ? Are there any good resources online or anything? Flash cards."

Take one set, and draw up and airplane flying over the four squares at headings of 0, 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270, and 315.

Take another sheet, draw about 12 sets of four squares with a N, S, E or W next to them. This is your answer sheet. Mix up the first set of cards and flip through them, marking the North, East, South or West squares as indicated by the N/S/E/W on your answer sheet. Repeat. You’ll notice a pattern.”

Just go to this link.

https://www.proprofs.com/flashcards/story.php?title=_36014

[entus]

Can anyone confirm that the hotas and rudder are still the cougar and ch pro?

[DUSTOFFer]

Looking for some help/ advice here in regards to flight hours not logged in a "Log Book". 

Just got off the phone with the TBAS administrator at Robbins AFB. He told me to bring my log book with me the day of the test, explained to him I could bring a CAFRS (system the Army tracks flights in) print out with all of my flights. He seemed a little skeptical as to whether or not that work. 

So my question is, am I over thinking this and just present him with the CAFRS printout, or get a log book and go back and put all my flights in?

Thank you in advance for any assistance. 

[Hopefulflyer389]

Thread bump.

What flight hours are used for the TBAS? Total time or PIC time? Administrator told me PIC time only. Any directions to regulations for an explanation would be greatly appreciated. 

[Hopefulflyer389]

4 hours ago, Gtseth818 said:

Total time. If they only counted PIC time, you wouldn't get credit for flight training time towards your PPL. Your administrator doesn't have a clue.

FML. Thank you. I'll keep digging for back up support on this, so I can present this to the administrator and get it changed.

[Hopefulflyer389]

1 hour ago, Kiloalpha said:

I'd just e-mail AFPC.PCSM@us.af.mil

They responded fairly quickly to my questions, I can't imagine they wouldn't answer yours as well. Then just take it in and show the administrator.

Thank you. I will email them ASAP. 

[Hopefulflyer389]

28 minutes ago, Gtseth818 said:

The candidate information form that you have to fill out prior to taking the test says literally this:

ENTER THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INSTRUCTIONAL AND PILOT IN CHARGE FLYING HOURS YOU HAVE FLOWN AS A LICENSED AND/OR UNLICENSED PILOT. (NOTE TO PILOT/CSO/ABM CANDIDATES: YOU WILL BE ASKED TO SHOW THE TEST EXAMINER YOUR PILOT LOGBOOK BEFORE TAKING THE TBAS TEST.)

Should be all the proof you need 

That's what I thought and then showed that statement. I asked how do people get points for their 1-5 flight hours and then was told that was their PIC time. 

[Hopefulflyer389]

1 minute ago, Gtseth818 said:

I'm sure you'll get it all sorted out, don't stress it.

I'll try my best not to. Just sent an email to the provided email from KILO and will see what happens. Thank you.