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Weak Knowledge Areas

This analysis covered the 12 months from January 2010 to January 2011.

This document was produced to inform flight instructors, pilots and student pilots of the weak knowledge areas on written examinations for flight crew licences and permits.

Exam topics, in which a mark below 50% was obtained, were considered to be weak knowledge areas.

The analysis is presented where there are sufficient examinations completed to provide useful results.

Pilot Permit Ultra-Light - Aeroplane – (ULTRA)

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • General MF reporting requirements

Flight Instruments

  • Airspeed indicator – principles of operation
  • Turn and bank indicator / turn coordinator – principles of operation

Meteorology – Theory

  • Frontal weather
  • Lapse rate and stability

Meteorology – Practical

  • Aerodrome forecasts (TAF)

Aeronautics Act & Air Regulations/General Provisions Definitions

  • Aerodrome and airport terminology

Navigation General and Flight Planning

  • Decode a NOTAM

Flight Operations

  • Load adjustment, calculating landing weight based on fuel burn

Recreational Pilot Permit – Aeroplane (RPPAE)

Personnel Licensing and Training

  • Recency requirements 

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • Forest fire flight restrictions
  • Airspace dimensions, classification and use

Aircraft Engine & Airframes

  • Fuel/air mixture, leaning the mixture

Theory of Flight

  • Stalling angle, level flight, climbing/descending, turns, spins
  • Forces in a turn, angle of attack

Aircraft Operations

  • Effects of air density on indicated approach speeds (IAS)

Navigation General & Flight Planning

  • Return to departure point (reciprocal track)

Meteorology – Theory

  • Frontal weather – cold front, TROWAL and upper fronts

Meteorology – Practical

  • Aviation weather reports – PIREPS, CAVOK
  • Measurement of cloud heights in GFAs vs TAFs

Human Factors

  • Illusion caused by rain on the windscreen and sloping runways

Glider Pilot Licence – (GLIDE)

Meteorology –Theory

  • Height of cloud bases
  • Inversions (moisture and temperature)

Meteorology –Practical

  • Aviation weather reports (types, time of issue, validity period)

Aircraft Operations

  • Gliding distance/gliding for range (adjustment for headwind/tailwind)
  • Drift illusions

Theory of Flight

  • Relationship between angle of attack and airspeed

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • Classification of airspace
  • Special use Advisory Airspace
  • Oxygen use

Aerodromes

  • Prohibitions

Human Factors

  • Visual scanning techniques

Personnel Licensing

  • Issue and validity period of Medical Certificate

Navigation - General

  • Map projections and their characteristic

Private Pilot Licence – Aeroplane (PPAER)

Aerodromes and Airports

  • Canadian Runway Friction Index (CRFI)

Aircraft Engine & Airframes

  • Reciprocating engines – induction icing

Theory of Flight

  • Stalling angle, level flight, climbing/descending turns, spins

Radio Navigation

  • GPS – principles of operation

Meteorology – Theory

  • Evaporation cooling – Virga

Flight Operations

  • Gliding distance – gliding for range/airspeed adjustment for headwind or tailwind

Private Pilot Licence – Helicopter (PPHEL)

Personnel Licensing and Training

  • Recency requirements

Airspace – Requirements and Procedures

  • Control Zone

Aerodromes and Airports

  • Prohibitions

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • IFR or VFR flight in Class F airspace
  • Fuel requirements
  • Cruising altitudes and cruising flight levels
  • Fitness of flight crew members
  • Alcohol or drugs - crew members

Aircraft Operations

  • Effects of aerofoil contamination by ice/snow/frost
  • Lift/thrust versus air density/humidity (density altitude)
  • Wake turbulence - effects
  • Pressure altitude

Meteorology – Practical

  • Aviation weather reports (types, time of issue)
  • Decoding & interpretation
  • Aerodrome forecasts (TAF)

Navigation General & Flight Planning

  • Magnetic heading, magnetic track and ground speed
  • Aeronautical information and symbols
  • Indicated, calibrated and true airspeed
  • Time, ground speed, distance, ETE, ETA and revisions
  • Air and ground positions
  • Topographical symbols – obstructions, elevation, etc.

Radio Navigation

  • (ADF) Interpretation, orientation, homing, relative bearing, interception pre-determined tracks and tracking

Commercial Pilot Licence – Aeroplane (CPAER)

Aerodromes and Airports

  • Pre-threshold areas – markings and use

Engines & Airframes

  • Turbine engines – turbine and stator blades
  • Turboprops – Beta Range principles

Flight Instruments

  • Altimeter – procedures during abnormally high-pressure conditions
  • Slaved gyro magnetic compass – principles of operation

Theory of Flight

  • Balance of forces in flight – level cruise, climbing, descending and in turn
  • Dynamic balancing of flight controls
  • Effects of sweepback
  • Purpose and function of the tailplane

Navigation – General and Flight Planning

  • Dead reckoning – air position, DR position, fix
  • Sunrise, sunset, twilight charts
  • True altitude computations

Radio Navigation

  • DME – principles of operation, VOR pairing
  • Transponders – altitude encoding information

Meteorology – Theory

  • Cloud formation processes
  • Effect of airmass stability on clouds and weather
  • Frontal cross-section
  • Upper fronts – associated weather

Flight Operations

  • Deicing methods on the ground

Human Factors

  • Visual illusions

Commercial Pilot Licence – Helicopter (CPHEL)

Commercial Air Services

  • Personnel requirements - validity periods

Meteorology – Theory

  • Pressure levels & their variations in height/standard pressure levels

Navigation General & Flight Planning

  • Sunrise, sunset, twilight charts
  • NOTAM – decoding, validity

Aircraft Engines & Airframes

  • Carburetor icing – cause & remedial action

Flight Instruments – Altimeter

  • Errors, effects of temperature on indicated or true altitude

Airline Transport Pilot Licence - Aeroplane (SARON)

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • Fuel requirements
  • Speed limitations

Aircraft Systems

  • Fire detection systems (principles of operation)

Aircraft Operations – Use of Aeroplane Performance Charts

  • Buffet boundary
  • Stall speed based on weight and flaps
  • Take-off field limits
  • Take-off climb performance

Airline Transport Pilot Licence - Aeroplane (SAMRA)

Meteorology –Theory

  • Wind, friction effect
  • Surface charts
  • Atmospheric pressure contours, upper level charts
  • Tropopause
  • Cloud type and recognition
  • Cloud formation and structure
  • Amount of supercooled water in a cloud

Meteorology –Practical

  • Significant weather prognostic charts
  • Weather maps, movement of weather systems

Radio Navigation

  • Radio theory, LF HF VHF

Airline Transport Pilot Licence – Helicopter  (HARON)

Aircraft Operation

  • Autorotation speeds, rate of descent, procedures
  • Hovering / ground cushion effect / effects of induced drag and profile drag

Theory of Flight

  • Vortex ring state

Airline Transport Pilot Licence – Helicopter (HAMRA)

Meteorology - Theory

  • Air masses affecting North America and associated weather conditions
  • Fog formation and types

Meteorology – Practical

  • Times issued and validity periods
  • Determining movement of weather systems from reports
  • Significant Weather Prognostics Chart ( Upper Air 700-400 mb)

Instrument Rating – Aeroplane (INRAT)

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • IFR departures from uncontrolled airports - Flight Plans
  • Descent out of controlled airspace
  • Contact and visual approaches, including missed approach
  • Procedures to be followed should a primary approach facility or instruments fail while conducting an approach

Instrument Rating – Helicopter (INRAT)

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • Descent out of controlled airspace
  • Contact and visual approaches, including missed approach
  • Procedures to be followed should a primary approach facility or instruments fail while conducting an approach

Aircraft Operations

  • Thunderstorm avoidance – rules of thumb

Type Rating – Aeroplane (IATRA)

Airworthiness

  • Airworthiness Directives

Meteorology –Theory

  • Jet streams –composition, altitude, seasonal variations

Radio Navigation

  • Weather Radar - Principles of operation

Navigation and Flight Planning

  • Calculation of indicated, calibrated and true airspeed

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • Minimum IFR altitudes - Designated Mountain Regions
  • Life rafts and survival equipment –flights over water
  • TCAS advisory
  • IFR departures from uncontrolled airports

Aircraft Engines and Airframes

  • Reversing propeller
  • Reverse thrust operation

Aircraft Operations

  • Hydroplaning
  • Weight and balance/aircraft loading
  • Wind shear – effects, avoidance, recovery
  • Fuel flow calculations

Flight Instructor Rating Class 4 – Aeroplane (AIRAF)

Flight Crew Permits, Licences and Rating

  • Requirements for letters of recommendation

Theory of flight

  • Static and dynamic balancing of controls

Flight Instruments

  • Airspeed indicator – errors

Human Factors

  • Positive and negative ‘G’

Flight Instructor Rating Class 2 & 1 – Aeroplane (AIRAT)

Flight Crew Permits, Licences and Rating

  • Requirements for letters of recommendation

Flight Crew Permits, Licences and Rating

  • Requirements for night training

Flight Operation

  • Hydroplaning
  • Taxiing in strong wind
  • Wheelbarrowing
Date modified:
2012-02-07