ANAC Aerodesport Pilot Theoretical Exam (Piloto Aerodesportivo - CPA) study guide
ANAC Aerodesport Pilot Theoretical Exam (Piloto Aerodesportivo - CPA) · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Piloto Aerodesportivo (CPA) theory examination is the knowledge gate for pilots flying under Brazil's aerodesportivo framework - the category that covers recreational and sport flying outside commercial air transport. It is aimed at candidates who intend to operate light aircraft or sailplanes for sport and leisure, and who must demonstrate ground knowledge before flight training and licensing proceed. The ANAC Aerodesport Pilot Theoretical Exam (Piloto Aerodesportivo - CPA) study guide has 8 sections and about 2,667 words.
01Air Law, Regulations and ATC Procedures for Aerodesport Activity
Candidates must know how Brazilian aviation law is layered. The primary statute is the Código Brasileiro de Aeronáutica (Lei 7.565/1986), which sets the legal framework for aircraft registration, crew licensing and liability.
367 words, about 2 min02Aircraft General Knowledge: Airframe, Systems, Instruments and Powerplants
Know the primary structure - fuselage, wing, empennage, landing gear - and how loads travel through the spar and ribs. Questions test the difference between primary controls (aileron, elevator, rudder) and secondary or auxiliary controls (flaps, trim, spoilers).
346 words, about 2 min03Flight Performance and Planning: Mass, Balance, Performance and Flight Planning
Every performance question begins with mass and centre of gravity. Know empty mass, payload, fuel mass and maximum take-off mass, and how to compute the CG position by the moment method: multiply each mass by its arm, sum the moments, divide by total mass.
338 words, about 2 min04Human Performance and Limitations
Understand the senses used in flight and where they mislead. The vestibular system cannot distinguish acceleration from gravity, producing somatogravic and somatogyral illusions.
325 words, about 2 min05Meteorology
Know the standard atmosphere and how pressure, temperature and density change with altitude. Understand how pressure systems drive wind: air flows from high to low pressure, deflected by Coriolis force, giving geostrophic wind aloft and friction-modified wind at the surface.
334 words, about 2 min06Navigation
Know latitude, longitude, great circles and rhumb lines, and the difference between them: a great circle is the shortest path, a rhumb line keeps a constant track. Understand magnetic variation and deviation, and the sequence true course → true heading → magnetic heading → compass heading.
295 words, about 1 min07Operational Procedures and Aerodrome Operations
Know the sequence of pre-flight actions: documentation, weather, NOTAMs, mass and balance, fuel, and aircraft inspection. Understand the purpose of the checklist and why it is read aloud and verified.
301 words, about 2 min08Principles of Flight
Understand the four forces - lift, weight, thrust and drag - and how they balance in steady flight. Learn the lift equation qualitatively: lift increases with air density, speed squared, wing area and lift coefficient.
361 words, about 2 min