GCAA ATPL Theory study plan

GCAA ATPL Theory · Give each week a clear focus.

8 weeks · About 6 hours per week

Week 1

Aircraft General Knowledge - Airframe, Systems, Electrics, Powerplant and Emergency Equipment & Principles of Flight

Map every airframe, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical and fuel system to its function and failure consequences
Explain the four forces and how lift, drag and thrust vary with angle of attack and speed
Draw from memory the pressure and electrical distribution schematics for a typical transport aircraft
List the emergency equipment carried and state the operational trigger for each item

One-page hand-drawn systems schematic plus a 20-item self-quiz scored at 80% or better

Week 2

Describe gas-turbine and piston powerplant operation, including starting, ignition and fire protection
Derive and apply the lift formula to predict changes in stall speed with mass and configuration
Explain stability, control and the effect of CG position on handling
Identify the causes and recovery actions for stall, spin and high-speed buffet

Written comparison of two engine types with failure modes, plus 15 solved numerical lift/stall problems

Week 3

Interpret station model and synoptic charts to locate fronts, troughs and pressure systems
Explain the formation and hazards of icing, turbulence, thunderstorms and wind shear
Apply the ISA to compute pressure altitude, density altitude and temperature deviations
Relate climb, cruise and landing performance to atmospheric variables

Three decoded weather charts with a written forecast rationale for a chosen route and date

Week 4

Convert between QNH, QFE and QNE and state the altimeter error each introduces
Compute take-off, climb, cruise and landing performance from given tables and graphs
Explain the effects of mass, wind, slope, temperature and pressure on each performance segment
Identify the regulatory performance requirements for the planned operation

Full performance calculation for a sample sector, cross-checked against a second method, with all assumptions stated

Week 5

Compute mass, centre of gravity and moment for a loaded aircraft and check against limits
Construct and interpret a loading envelope and trim sheet
Build a complete flight plan including fuel policy, reserves and alternates
Compute fuel, time and distance for climb, cruise and descent legs

Completed load sheet and flight plan for a 500 nm sector, both within limits and signed off

Week 6

Solve great-circle and rhumb-line problems for distance, track and vertex
Apply the 1-in-60 rule and mental dead-reckoning techniques to in-flight navigation
Explain the principles of VOR, DME, ILS, GNSS and radar and their indications and errors
Interpret instrument approach charts and identify the missed-approach triggers

Ten solved navigation problems plus an annotated approach plate explaining each frequency, course and minimum

Week 7

Explain hypoxia, hyperventilation, decompression and spatial disorientation with their countermeasures
Describe the sensory systems and the illusions they create in flight
Interpret pitot-static and gyroscopic instrument indications and failures
State the human factors affecting decision-making, fatigue and crew coordination

One-page cause-and-countermeasure table covering ten human-performance threats, plus 15 instrument-reading questions

Week 8

State the rules of the air, clearance requirements and ATC separation responsibilities
Explain aircraft certification, maintenance and licensing requirements
Apply operational procedures for emergencies, fuel dumping, RVSM and altimetry
Sit two full-length mock exams and review every error to a stated root cause

Two completed mock exams with an error log showing root cause and corrective action per missed item

Week 4: Score at least 75% on a mixed mock covering domains 2, 5, 8 and 12

Week 6: Score at least 75% on a mixed mock covering domains 4, 6, 9 and 10

Week 8: Score at least 80% on two full-length mocks with no domain below 70%