Operational Procedures
Core concepts
Operational procedures cover standard operating procedures, checklists, take-off and landing performance, emergency procedures, fire and smoke handling, depressurisation, and the use of the minimum equipment list (MEL). You must know the phases of flight, the purpose of the before-take-off and approach checks, and the principles of crew resource management (CRM) and threat and error management (TEM).
Traps to watch
A common trap is the order of actions in an emergency: aviate, navigate, communicate. Questions may test whether you know that the MEL allows dispatch with certain equipment inoperative under specified conditions, whereas the configuration deviation list (CDL) covers missing external parts. Another trap is the handling of a rejected take-off: the decision must be made before V1, and after V1 the take-off is continued. In depressurisation, don oxygen masks first, then descend. In smoke or fire, the priority is to land as soon as possible.
Worked example
An engine failure after V1: continue the take-off, climb to a safe altitude, then run the checklist. The decision speed V1 is the commitment point - before it you can stop, after it you must fly.
Rule of thumb
Aviate, navigate, communicate - in that order, every time.