EASA ATPL 033 Flight Planning flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

ICAO ATS flight plan

The standard form filed with ATS before departure, containing aircraft identification, rules, type, route, levels, EET, alternates and endurance, used to activate SAR and coordinate traffic.

EOBT

Estimated off-block time, the UTC time at which the aircraft is expected to leave the stand; it is the reference for FPL activation and for the 30-minute delay amendment rule.

CHG message

An ATS message amending specific fields of an active flight plan, such as speed, level, route or EET, without cancelling and refiling the whole plan.

Contingency fuel

Fuel added to trip fuel to cover unforeseen factors; typically 5% of trip fuel, or 3% with a suitable en-route alternate, or an approved statistical equivalent.

Final reserve fuel

Fuel that must remain at landing, typically 30 minutes holding at 1500 ft above the alternate in ISA conditions for turbine aircraft; it must never be planned for use.

Alternate fuel

Fuel required from the destination go-around to landing at the destination alternate, including approach, missed approach and climb, based on forecast conditions.

Taxi fuel

Fuel consumed before take-off and after landing, covering APU, engine start, taxi-out and taxi-in; it is separate from trip fuel and excluded from fuel-to-destination calculations.

Semicircular rule

Cruising level rule based on magnetic track: tracks 000-179 use odd thousands, tracks 180-359 use even thousands, with RVSM applying between FL290 and FL410.

MORA

Minimum off-route altitude providing 1000 ft obstacle clearance (2000 ft in mountainous terrain) within a 10 NM grid, used to verify safe terrain clearance along a route.

RVSM airspace

Reduced vertical separation minima airspace between FL290 and FL410 where 1000 ft separation applies to approved aircraft with height-keeping performance and pilot training.

Wind triangle

The vector relationship between true airspeed and heading, wind velocity, and resulting track and groundspeed, used to compute drift and ground speed for each leg.

Drift angle

The angular difference between track and heading caused by crosswind; computed as arcsin(crosswind divided by TAS) and applied opposite to the wind direction.

Ground speed

The speed of the aircraft over the ground, equal to TAS plus the wind component along track; leg time equals distance divided by ground speed.

Equal time point

The point on a route where the time to fly to either of two alternates is equal; computed from distance and the groundspeeds in the two directions.

Second segment climb

The take-off climb segment from gear retraction to 400 ft, with minimum gradients of 2.4% (two-engine), 2.7% (three-engine) and 3.0% (four-engine) under CS-25.

TODA

Take-off distance available, the length of the take-off run available plus any clearway; the take-off distance required must not exceed it.

LDA

Landing distance available, the length of runway declared suitable for landing; the landing distance required, with the required factor, must not exceed it.

Brake energy limit

The maximum kinetic energy the wheel brakes can absorb, limiting landing mass at high gross mass and high approach speed, especially at high altitude.

MZFM

Maximum zero-fuel mass, the maximum mass of the aircraft without usable fuel; it protects the wing structure when fuel is low and payload is high.

Centre of gravity envelope

The certified forward and aft CG limits for take-off and landing; the loaded CG, computed from moments about a datum, must lie inside this envelope.

Load sheet

The document showing dry operating mass, traffic load, fuel, take-off and landing masses, and CG position, signed by the commander or load controller before departure.

MINIMUM FUEL

A declaration to ATS that the aircraft's fuel is such that landing at the destination would leave less than final reserve, requiring priority but not yet an emergency.

MAYDAY FUEL

A distress declaration used when the predicted landing fuel is below final reserve, requiring immediate assistance and priority handling from ATS.

Position report

A radio or data-link report giving aircraft identification, position, time, flight level, next position and ETA, used by ATS to maintain separation and SAR readiness.

Revised estimate

An updated ETA for the next reporting point, transmitted to ATS when it differs from the filed estimate by the State-prescribed margin, typically two to three minutes.

Point of no return

The point beyond which the aircraft can no longer return to the departure aerodrome with the fuel remaining; computed with actual winds and fuel flow.

Operational flight plan

The operator's document containing route, levels, winds, temperatures, fuel figures, mass data and alternates, signed by the commander before departure.

SIGMET

A meteorological warning of significant en-route weather such as thunderstorms, severe turbulence, icing or volcanic ash, issued for a specified airspace and validity period.

NOTAM

A notice distributed by means of telecommunication containing information on the establishment, condition or change of any facility, service or procedure important to flight operations.

ETOPS/EDTO

Extended-range operations for twin-engine aircraft beyond 60 minutes from a suitable alternate at the one-engine-inoperative cruise speed, requiring approved diversion time and alternates.

Critical fuel scenario

The fuel required from the ETP to the alternate with one engine inoperative, decompression and icing, plus reserves, used to verify EDTO capability.

EDTO entry point

The point on the route where the aircraft enters the EDTO segment, beyond which the approved diversion time to a suitable alternate applies.