Complete Defence Awarding Organisation Vocationally-Related Qualification Motor Vehicle & Transport specification revision resources. Tailored syllabus coverage with topic breakdowns, quizzes, and practice questions.
Specification Topics
- Support Helicopter techniques
- Astronomies and Tidal Theory
- Work safely in a Motor Transport Environment
- Mountains and Maritime operations
- Assist the pilot to fly in undulating, confined and hazardous terrain
- Principles of Flight (POF) Rotary Wing
- Crew resource management (CRM) and Airmanship
- Contemporary Issues for Managers and Leaders
- Helicopter Navigation
- Tactical Formation Flying (Trail)
- Maritime Rotary Wing Crewman (OPTIONAL UNIT for RN)
- Managing Operations in Context
- Dangerous Goods Awareness
- Procedural Instrument Flying (Rotary Wing Aircraft)
- Vehicle Checks, Cab and Controls
- Battlespace Management
- Strategy – an introduction
- Helicopter Operations
- Load an Aircraft (simulated)
- Science and Mathematics
- Fly with loads
- General Navigation and Specialist Navigation Knowledge
- Position and Secure Loads
- Voice Marshalling
- Meteorology for Rotary Wing Aircraft
- Navigation Sensors and Equipment
- Transport Dangerous Goods by Road
- Defence Transport Documentation
- Mission Management
- Pilotage and passage planning
- Drive vehicles on and off roads
- Aircraft Emergencies
- Ship Dynamics and Ship Handling
- Accident and Breakdown Procedures
- Instrument and Night Flying
- Managing Information for Effective Decisions
- Generic Aircraft Systems (Rotary Wing)
Top Exam Board Tips
- For trim questions, always reference the helicopter’s weight and balance manual and explain how fuel consumption, load jettison, and passenger movement affect lateral and longitudinal stability.
- When addressing customs or medical regulations, cite the relevant military or civilian aviation authority publications (e.g., JSP, ICAO) to demonstrate authoritative knowledge.
- In practical assessments of external loads, verbalise your decision-making process—why you chose a particular sling, how you verified the load’s centre of gravity, and what abort criteria you applied.
- When demonstrating sextant use, ensure you articulate each correction step clearly, showing the assessor your methodical approach.
- For tidal calculations, always cross-check using both harmonic prediction and tidal curve to validate your results, as assessors look for error-checking procedures.
- Relate your astronomical navigation to real voyage scenarios, explaining how you would use celestial fixes to verify GPS positions, demonstrating redundancy awareness.
- When answering legislation questions, state the full title of the act and briefly explain its relevance to the driver’s role, not just the name.
- In practical assessments for safe working, narrate your actions as you perform them, explaining the ‘why’ behind each step (e.g., checking vehicle lights to comply with roadworthiness regulations).
- For accident/incident scenarios, remember to prioritise safety of people first, then preserve the scene, and report following the organisation’s procedure; demonstrate this sequence clearly.
- During simulated hoist malfunction, verbalise each step clearly before acting, demonstrating deliberate fault diagnosis and corrective procedure recall.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing customs regulations with security requirements, leading to incomplete documentation for international sorties.
- Misunderstanding the effect of external loads on aircraft centre of gravity, resulting in unsafe trim calculations.
- Applying restraint equipment incorrectly, such as using insufficient tension or attaching to non-designated points, risking load shift.
- Overlooking medical regulation details like temperature control for pharmaceuticals or oxygen cylinder safety during patient transport.
- Assuming trim is a fixed setting rather than continuously adjusted to maintain balanced flight under changing conditions.
- Confusing true and apparent altitude corrections, leading to inaccurate sight reduction.
- Failing to account for the difference between Mean Sea Level and Chart Datum when applying tidal predictions.
- Incorrectly applying the index error of the sextant, leading to systematic errors in all observations.
Key Terminology & Definitions
- Explain the Movements Organisation.Explain customs regulations.Explain Medical regulations.Explain Catering regulations.Explain External Loads.Explain Restraint equipment.Explain Trim in a Rotary Wing Aircraft.
- Be able to prepare a pilotage planBe able to demonstrate execution of pilotageBe able to demonstrate how to precisely plan for periods at anchor / mooringBe able to prepare a passage planBe able to support the execution and conduct of passage plansBe able to demonstrate the ability to navigate using in-depth Astronomical Techniques and Tidal Calculation.
- Understand current legislation and regulations that effect transport operations, Be able to apply safe working practices within the transport organisation, Be able to report an accident/incident, Be able to carry out procedures for vehicle fires
- Conduct Drum Winching to include standard circuits.Conduct Drum Winching to include a standard circuit, an extended cable circuit and the application of Parachute attached techniques.Conduct Drum Winching, to include a Standard and Extended Cable circuit, Parachute attached techniques and a Simulated hoist malfunction.Conduct Dry Double Lifts over level ground.Conduct Dry Double Lifts over level ground controlling errors as required.Conduct Dry Double Lifts over level ground including a Stretcher lift.Conduct lifts over undulating ground, to include Dry Double Lifts and Stretcher lifts whilst controlling multiple and continuous errors.Monitor and assist other Crew Members while operating in a Mountain environment.Navigate while operating in a Mountain environment.Plan, Brief and Control a Maritime and MNTS mission
- Plan a Concealed Approach and Departure (CAD).Know how to fly a Concealed approach and Departure.Know how to direct the Helicopter pilot during a Concealed Approach and Departure.Know how to display airmanship during a Concealed Approach and Departure.Operate as a crewman during a concealed approach and departure to a pre nominated landing site.Know how to carry out a reconnaissance of a confined area.Know how to carry out the procedure required to approach, manoeuvre in and depart from a confined area.Know how to display airmanship when operating in confined spaces.Assist the pilot to land and take off from a confined area.Know the characteristics of landing on sloping ground.Know how to assist the pilot to land and take off from sloping ground.Assist the pilot to land and take off from sloping ground.Know how to carry out flight under High Tension wires.Display airmanship when flying under High Tension wires.Assist the pilot in order to fly under High Tension cables
- Know about lift applied to rotary wing aircraft.Describe Hinges and Controls.Know about the Vector Diagram.Know about Ground Effect.Know about Recirculation.Know about the Vortex Ring.Know how to avoid Curve and Blade Sail.Know about Ground Resonance.Know about Rollover.Explain Flapping to Equality of Lift and Flapback.Know about Yaw control, Tail Rotor Drift and Roll.Explain Translational lift and power required curve.Explain Autorotation and Avoid Curve.Explain limits to Forward Speed.
- Effective communication strategies
- Situational awareness and monitoring
- Decision-making in dynamic environments
- Leadership and followership
- Threat and error management
- Team coordination and cooperation
- Understand the importance of health and safety in organisations.Understand the influence on leaders and managers of ethics and morality.Apply the concepts of equality and diversity in context.Understand specific and bespoke contemporary organisational issues.
- Know how to plan a specified route.Know how to navigate a pre-planned route at low level.Know how to plan a route in response to an airborne re-tasking and navigate a diversion.Know how to display airmanship when providing navigation assistance.Provide navigation assistance to the pilot of a helicopter.
- Formation discipline and spacing