BDCA PPL Knowledge Exam study guide
BDCA PPL Knowledge Exam · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The BDCA Private Pilot Licence Knowledge Examination is the theoretical ground examination a candidate must pass before, or alongside, practical flight training toward a private pilot licence. It is aimed at student pilots beginning ab initio training, and at licence holders or enthusiasts who need to demonstrate current theoretical knowledge. The BDCA PPL Knowledge Exam study guide has 9 sections and about 2,867 words.
01Air Law and ATC Procedures
A candidate must know the hierarchy of rules: the ICAO Annexes set the international standard, the state's implementing regulation (for example an EU regulation or a national aviation act) gives it legal force, and the operations manual translates it into company procedure. Know the difference between standards (binding) and recommended practices (aspirational).
346 words, about 2 min02Aircraft General Knowledge: Airframe, Systems, Powerplant, Electrics
Know the primary structure and how loads travel: spar, ribs, skin, stringers, and the difference between a semi-monocoque and a truss structure. Understand the control chain from cockpit to surface, the purpose of mass balance and hinge moment, and why control locks and gust locks matter.
339 words, about 2 min03Flight Performance and Planning: Mass, Balance, Performance, Flight Planning
Understand the terms: basic empty mass, dry operating mass, take-off mass, landing mass, zero-fuel mass, and maximum values for each. Learn how to compute the centre of gravity using the moment arm method and how to read a loading envelope.
312 words, about 2 min04Human Performance and Limitations
Understand the sensory, cognitive and motor components of pilot performance: vision (rods versus cones, night adaptation, empty-field myopia, the black-hole approach), hearing and the effects of noise, and the vestibular system, including somatogravic and somatogyral illusions. Learn the difference between spatial disorientation and visual illusion, and the standard response: trust the instruments.
294 words, about 1 min05Meteorology
Understand the standard atmosphere, the lapse rate, pressure and density altitude, and how temperature and humidity affect aircraft performance. Learn the difference between QNH, QFE and QNE and when each is used.
312 words, about 2 min06Navigation: General and Radio Navigation
Understand the shape of the Earth and the meaning of great circle versus rhumb line. Learn latitude and longitude, the nautical mile, and how to convert between distance, speed and time.
327 words, about 2 min07Operational Procedures
Understand the purpose and structure of standard operating procedures and checklists: normal, abnormal and emergency. Learn the phases of flight and the associated checks, and the meaning of a challenge-and-response checklist.
294 words, about 1 min08Principles of Flight
Understand the four forces and their balance in straight and level flight. Learn the production of lift: angle of attack, circulation, pressure distribution, and the effect of camber, area, speed and density.
338 words, about 2 min09Communications: VFR and IFR
Understand the radio equipment, frequency bands, and the use of the correct frequency for the service. Learn standard phraseology: call signs, read-back requirements, and the structure of a position report.
305 words, about 2 min