Aircraft Performance and Flight Planning
Core concepts
This domain integrates performance with planning: fuel and time calculations, wind effect on groundspeed and endurance, alternate and reserve planning, takeoff and landing distance margins, and the use of the flight manual. Know how to compute leg time, fuel burn and required fuel from groundspeed and consumption, and how to apply the 1-in-60 rule for track error.
Traps
Common errors: mixing true and magnetic headings, forgetting reserve fuel, and using still-air figures with wind. Questions test whether you check arrival mass and CG, not just departure. Watch for unit traps (litres versus gallons, pounds versus kilograms) and for time-zone conversions.
Worked example
Leg distance 120 nm, groundspeed 90 kt, fuel burn 30 litres per hour. Rule of thumb: time = distance/groundspeed = 120/90 = 1.33 h, about 1 h 20 min. Fuel = 30 x 1.33 = 40 litres, plus reserve. If track error is 6 degrees after 30 nm, the 1-in-60 rule gives an offset of about 3 nm, so correct toward track by the appropriate closing angle.
Exam technique
Build a leg table: distance, groundspeed, time, fuel. Check reserves and arrival mass last, and confirm units before selecting an answer.