CPL AGK / Systems study plan
CPL AGK / Systems · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Airframe and structural systems: fuselage, wings, empennage, flight controls and their actuation & Hydraulic systems: reservoirs, pumps, accumulators, valves, actuators and system monitoring
Trace the primary and secondary flight-control load paths from cockpit input to surface, naming each actuator, bellcrank and stop involved
Sketch a generic hydraulic system from reservoir to actuator and label pump, filter, relief valve, accumulator and selector
Explain how accumulator precharge supports transient demand and how a check valve isolates a failed pump
Describe the monitoring cues (pressure, quantity, temperature) that reveal a hydraulic leak or pump failure
Your checkpoint
One hand-drawn schematic of a hydraulic system with flight-control actuators, plus a 1-page written fault-analysis of a slow pressure loss
Airframe and structural systems: fuselage, wings, empennage, flight controls and their actuation & Hydraulic systems: reservoirs, pumps, accumulators, valves, actuators and system monitoring
Compare the structural roles of spar, rib, stringer and skin in carrying bending, shear and torsion
Identify the failure modes and inspection points for pressurised fuselage structure around doors and windows
Explain the purpose of a hydraulic fuse and where it is fitted
Describe how control-surface flutter is prevented through mass balance and stiffness
Your checkpoint
A labelled structural diagram of wing and fuselage showing load paths, with a 10-item list of inspection hotspots and the reason for each
Electrical systems: DC/AC generation and distribution, batteries, generators, alternators, circuit protection & Fuel systems: storage, feed, transfer, refuelling, gauging and fuel management
Trace DC generation from battery master through bus bar, generator and voltage regulator to a consumer
Explain the difference between a generator and an alternator and how reverse-current protection is achieved
Describe the role of circuit breakers versus fuses and the reason for keeping essential services on a separate bus
Map a fuel system from tank to engine, naming boost pump, selector, filter, strainer and shut-off valve
Explain how fuel quantity is gauged and why unusable fuel exists
Your checkpoint
A combined electrical and fuel system schematic with a written note on what happens during a single-generator failure and a fuel-transfer failure
Powerplant and propeller systems: engine installation, lubrication, ignition, starting, propeller control and indication & Pneumatic and air-conditioning systems: bleed air, pressurisation, cabin environment
Describe the lubrication path through an engine and the significance of oil pressure and temperature indications
Explain the ignition and starting sequence for a piston and a turbine engine
Outline how bleed air is taken, cooled and delivered to the cabin, and how cabin pressure is regulated by the outflow valve
Explain propeller pitch control and how a constant-speed unit responds to RPM change
Your checkpoint
A written 2-page engine and pressurisation summary with a simple block diagram of bleed-air routing and a labelled propeller pitch diagram
Instruments and indicating systems: pitot/static, gyroscopic, engine and system indications, warning systems & Powerplant and propeller systems: engine installation, lubrication, ignition, starting, propeller control and indication
Explain how pitot and static pressure produce airspeed, altitude and vertical-speed indications, and the failure symptoms of each blocked source
Describe the erection and apparent-drift behaviour of a gyroscope and the difference between attitude and heading gyros
Interpret engine indications and identify which parameter first reveals a developing fault
Explain the purpose of a master caution and warning system and how it prioritises alerts
Your checkpoint
A pitot-static fault matrix table listing each blockage or leak, the affected instruments and the resulting reading errors
Landing gear, wheels, brakes and tyres: extension/retraction, braking systems, antiskid & Ice, rain and environmental protection: anti-icing, de-icing, windscreen and pitot/static protection
Trace landing-gear extension and retraction, naming the actuator, uplocks, downlocks and squat switch logic
Explain how hydraulic braking pressure is generated and how antiskid modulates it
Describe tyre construction, wear indicators and the causes of hydroplaning
Explain the difference between anti-icing and de-icing and where each is used on wing, tail, prop and windscreen
Describe pitot heat, static-port protection and the checks that confirm they work
Your checkpoint
A gear-and-brake system diagram plus a one-page ice-protection table matching each protected surface to its method and a pre-flight check
Oxygen, fire detection and protection, and emergency equipment systems & Automatic flight control, avionics and communication/navigation system architecture
Explain how a fire-detection loop works and the difference between a warning and a caution in the cockpit
Describe the operation of a fixed fire-extinguisher bottle and the sequence for discharging it
Explain oxygen system storage, regulation and the difference between diluter-demand and pressure-demand masks
Outline the architecture of an automatic flight control system, including servos, autopilot modes and disconnect logic
Describe how avionics and navigation units are connected and how a failure is isolated
Your checkpoint
A one-page emergency-systems quick-reference card covering fire, oxygen and autopilot disconnect, plus a short written answer on avionics failure isolation
Airframe and structural systems: fuselage, wings, empennage, flight controls and their actuation & Hydraulic systems: reservoirs, pumps, accumulators, valves, actuators and system monitoring & Electrical systems: DC/AC generation and distribution, batteries, generators, alternators, circuit protection & Fuel systems: storage, feed, transfer, refuelling, gauging and fuel management & Powerplant and propeller systems: engine installation, lubrication, ignition, starting, propeller control and indication & Instruments and indicating systems: pitot/static, gyroscopic, engine and system indications, warning systems
Re-derive from memory the key schematics for hydraulic, electrical, fuel and pitot-static systems
Answer timed mixed-domain questions and review every error against the source system
Explain how a single fault propagates across two or more systems
Identify the three weakest domains from practice results and close each gap
Your checkpoint
A timed 60-question mixed mock with a written error log showing the corrected reasoning for every missed item
Milestones
Week 2: Can draw the hydraulic and flight-control schematics unaided and explain each component's function without notes
Week 4: Can trace electrical, fuel and bleed-air paths end to end and state the first cockpit indication of a failure in each
Week 6: Scores at least 75 percent on a self-set 40-question test covering domains 1 to 9
Week 8: Scores at least 85 percent on the timed 60-question mock with every error logged and corrected