CPL Flight Planning study guide
CPL Flight Planning · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The CPL Flight Planning examination is one of the knowledge tests a candidate must pass to hold a Commercial Pilot Licence. It is aimed at pilots who already understand basic navigation and meteorology and are ready to apply that knowledge the way a working commercial pilot does: building a complete, defensible flight plan from forecast to fuel stop. The CPL Flight Planning study guide has 9 sections and about 2,908 words.
01Pre-flight Planning and Weather Assessment
Pre-flight planning is a decision process, not a paperwork ritual. Work through it in a fixed order so nothing is skipped: route and airspace, then weather, then aircraft serviceability and performance, then fuel and mass, then ATS filing.
341 words, about 2 min02Flight Plan Preparation and ATS Filing
An ATS flight plan exists so that search and rescue, air traffic services and adjacent units know who you are, where you intend to go and when. It is a legal declaration of intent, so accuracy matters more than speed.
362 words, about 2 min03Fuel Planning and In-Flight Fuel Management
Commercial and private operations differ in detail, but the logic is the same: a stack of allowances, each with a purpose. Taxi fuel covers ground movement.
333 words, about 2 min04Performance Planning: Take-off, Climb, Cruise and Landing
Performance planning answers four questions: can I take off and stop or continue safely, can I climb clear of obstacles, can I cruise at the chosen level, and can I land and stop within the available distance. Each phase has limiting masses and limiting conditions, and the lowest of them governs the flight.
327 words, about 2 min05Weight and Balance and Loading
Weight and balance is arithmetic with consequences. You need the empty mass and empty moment from the aircraft documents, then add crew, passengers, baggage, fuel and cargo, each with its own arm or moment.
338 words, about 2 min06Navigation Planning, Tracks and Time Calculations
Navigation planning is the wind triangle made practical. True track and true airspeed are known; wind velocity is forecast; you derive heading and groundspeed.
310 words, about 2 min07Flight Plan Content, ATS Messages and Forms
Beyond the flight plan itself, you must understand the family of ATS messages and their purposes: the filed plan, the delay message, the departure message, the arrival message, the change message and the cancellation. Each has a defined trigger and a defined recipient.
302 words, about 2 min08In-Flight Replanning and Diversions
Replanning begins when an assumption fails: weather below minima, a closed runway, an unserviceable aid, a fuel burn higher than planned, a passenger or technical issue, or a change in the operational requirements. The decision to divert should be made against pre-briefed criteria, not improvised under pressure.
279 words, about 1 min09Operational Documentation, Charts and NOTAM Interpretation
Operational documentation includes the operations manual, the aircraft flight manual, performance data, mass and balance data, route and aerodrome charts, and the notices that keep them current. You must know which document is authoritative for which question and how amendments and revisions are controlled.
316 words, about 2 min