Page 22 - Failure to Triumph - Journey of A Student

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Pilot Aptitude Battery Test (PABT)

All candidates aspiring to become pilots are put through a battery of tests to check if they have the
aptitude to be pilots. This is a mandatory test for all candidates wanting to be pilots irrespective of
their choice of service. PABT is conducted only at Air Force Selection Boards (AFSB), and even if

the candidate wants to join the Army/Navy he will be sent to one of the AFSBs for PABT as only the
Air Force has this facility.

Earlier, candidates were not put through any such tests. However, during World War II the NATO
forces realized that not all pilots were successful on the job and that there were many accidents and
crashes. Resultant research suggested that to be a successful military pilot the person should have
certain innate attributes like agility, good reflexes, judgment, presence of mind and nerve to withstand
severe mental and physical strains. This resulted in the development of PABT. It is believed that if a

candidate does not have the aptitude naturally he cannot be trained on these and hence, a candidate
who fails in these tests once is permanently rejected to be a pilot and no second chance is given to
him/her. It is in the interest of both the candidate and the service not to take chances with such a high
risk profession. Hence, across the country there is no coaching available for this test.

Even though one cannot be trained for PABT, it could be of some use to know the procedure and the
various tests that are done so that the candidate is prepared mentally to approach the test. PABT
includes the following:-

Written test based on instrument reading

Light control test based on sensory motor apparatus

Drum test to check control of velocity

Instrument Reading Test

Aircrafts have several instruments which indicate various parameters which the pilot is required to
monitor. This test is to see if the candidate can read the instruments and make mental calculations.
Each instrument used in the test is described briefly in the subsequent paragraphs.

Magnetic Compass (Gyroscope). This gauge indicates the direction of the flight. It has a
suspended needle which always points towards true North and with respect to the true
North one can read the direction in which the aircraft is flying.