ATPL General Navigation (061) study plan

Define the shape and dimensions of the Earth (equatorial and polar radii, flattening, geoid vs ellipsoid) and explain how each affects navigation calculations.

Convert between latitude/longitude, decimal degrees and degrees-minutes-seconds, and plot positions on a graticule without reference aids.

Compute great-circle distance and initial/final course between two positions using the spherical formulas, showing each step.

Distinguish great-circle and rhumb-line properties (convergence, constant track, shortest path) and state which is used for a given flight scenario.

Sketch a great circle on a Mercator chart and explain why it appears curved and how to transfer it to a practical route.

Calculate intermediate points along a great circle and determine vertex position and latitude for a trans-oceanic route.

Determine whether a given great-circle route crosses a defined latitude or meridian and identify the crossing point.

Apply rhumb-line course and distance formulas and compare results against great-circle values for the same city pair.

Solve composite great-circle problems constrained by a limiting latitude.

Explain the relationship between convergence, chart scale and route plotting when transferring great-circle tracks to a chart.

Describe the Earth's magnetic elements (declination/variation, dip/inclination, horizontal and vertical components) and explain the cause of the magnetic poles' movement.

Convert between true, magnetic and compass headings using variation and deviation, including east-is-least/west-is-best bookkeeping in both directions.

Interpret a deviation table and complete a swing scenario, distinguishing direct-reading and indirect-reading compasses and their failure modes.

Compare chart projections (Mercator, Lambert conformal conic, polar stereographic, transverse Mercator) by their properties, distortions and typical aviation use.

Compute scale conversions between representative fraction, verbal scale and graphic scale, and measure distances and tracks on charts of different scales.

Interpret chart relief, spot heights, contours, maximum elevation figures and obstacle symbology to identify the highest terrain within a given grid square.

Read aeronautical chart legends and extract airspace, navaid, aerodrome and reporting-point information needed for a planned leg.

Explain the principles of RNAV, waypoint types, and the difference between RNAV and conventional point-to-point navigation.

Describe basic GNSS architecture (space, control, user segments), the sources of position error, and the meaning of RAIM and integrity monitoring.

Identify GNSS limitations relevant to navigation (jamming, spoofing, ionospheric effects, geometry) and state how a pilot detects degraded performance.

Construct and solve the triangle of velocities graphically and by calculation for at least five wind scenarios, deriving heading and ground speed from track and TAS.

Solve the inverse case: given heading, TAS and observed track/ground speed, derive wind velocity.

Distinguish track made good, required track, drift, heading and wind correction angle, and calculate drift for crosswind components.

Explain the effect of wind on flight time, and compute along-track and cross-track wind components for a given wind direction and speed.

Apply the 1-in-60 rule to estimate drift and track error and check the plausibility of calculated answers.

Compute leg time, fuel burn and fuel required for multi-leg flights using TAS, wind, ground speed and consumption rates.

Calculate fuel to destination, reserve and contingency, and determine the point of no return and the critical point for a given route.

Perform in-flight replanning: recalculate ETA, fuel remaining and diversion requirement after a changed wind or a diversion decision.

Determine the effect of a change in altitude or routing on fuel and time, and justify the selected cruise level numerically.

Build a leg-by-leg navigation log and verify arithmetic consistency across legs.

Plan and execute a visual navigation leg using map reading, timing and heading corrections, identifying features by size, shape, spacing and position relative to the track.

Construct and use position lines from visual features and from radio aids (VOR radial, NDB bearing, DME range), and fix position from two or three position lines.

Explain the causes and corrections of track error and the use of the double-track-error and closing-angle techniques.

Convert between UTC, LMT and standard time for given positions and dates, and calculate time-zone offsets for a multi-zone route.

Solve navigation time problems: ETA in local time, sunrise/sunset implications for departure and arrival, and the effect of crossing the date line.

Consolidate weak areas by re-solving every previously incorrect problem and logging the underlying concept for each error.

Complete a timed mixed-topic practice set covering all nine domains and analyse errors by domain.

Re-derive from memory the key formulas (great circle, rhumb line, triangle of velocities, time conversion, fuel) and verify each against one worked example.

Explain aloud the decision logic for choosing a projection, a compass conversion method and a navigation technique for a given scenario.

Verify readiness by scoring at or above the target threshold on the mixed set and identifying any remaining domain below threshold for final review.