PPAER common mistakes
PPAER · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Treating a taxi instruction as unrestricted runway permission
A route and a runway authorization have different meanings.
What to do instead
Identify the holding position and clarify the required clearance before entering or crossing.
Importing foreign procedures without checking Canada-specific requirements
Similar terminology can conceal different rules.
What to do instead
Locate the applicable Canadian rule and current local published procedure.
Using airspeed instead of groundspeed for route time
Wind changes progress over the earth.
What to do instead
Use the calculated or observed groundspeed for time between ground points.
Mixing minutes and hours in a fuel calculation
A consumption rate requires time in matching units.
What to do instead
Convert minutes to a fraction of an hour before multiplying by hourly fuel flow.
Using a favourable report outside its time or location
Weather information applies to a defined observation or forecast context.
What to do instead
Check location, timing and route coverage before using the details.
Assuming no heavy rain means no thunderstorm hazard
Outflow, shear and turbulence can occur outside the rain core.
What to do instead
Plan appropriate avoidance using current information and conservative margins.
Memorizing stall speed without understanding angle of attack
Load factor and configuration change the associated stall speed.
What to do instead
Explain the physical stall mechanism and apply the aircraft-specific recovery procedure.
Checking total weight but ignoring balance
An acceptable total can still have an unacceptable centre of gravity.
What to do instead
Compute total moment and centre of gravity using actual loading and approved data.
Letting a minor system problem replace aircraft control
Task fixation can allow a second, more serious hazard to develop.
What to do instead
Maintain attitude, speed and safe flight path while managing secondary tasks.