ATPL 022 Instrumentation study plan
ATPL 022 Instrumentation · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Pressure Instruments and Air Data & Sensors and Measurement Fundamentals
Explain how static pressure, total pressure and impact pressure combine to produce altitude, airspeed and vertical speed indications, and state which pressures each instrument actually senses.
Derive the relationships between IAS, CAS, EAS and TAS and describe how position error, compressibility and density each enter the correction chain.
Describe the construction and failure modes of pitot-static heads, static ports, alternate static sources and pitot heat, including the indication errors produced by a blocked pitot tube and a blocked static port.
Convert between pressure units used in aviation (hPa, inHg, psi) and interpret the standard atmosphere table at sea level, 10 000 ft and the tropopause.
Distinguish the operating principles of the main pressure sensors (capsule, aneroid, differential bellows, solid-state transducer) and state one advantage of each.
Your checkpoint
A one-page pitot-static fault matrix listing at least eight failure scenarios (blocked pitot, blocked static, leaking static, pitot heat failure, etc.) with the resulting ASI, ALT and VSI indications for climb, descent and level flight.
Gyroscopic Instruments and Heading Systems & Magnetic Compasses and Heading References
Explain rigidity in space and precession, and apply both to the attitude indicator, directional gyro and rate gyro.
Compare the erection mechanisms (pendulous vanes, mercury switches, accelerometer-based) and state the errors each one fails to correct during sustained acceleration and turning.
Describe how a slaved gyrocompass uses a flux valve to determine magnetic heading, and explain the purpose of the latitude nut, the heading synchronisation and the slaving rate control.
Explain real and apparent drift of a free gyro, including the effect of earth rotation and transport wander, and calculate the apparent drift rate for a given latitude.
Interpret the turning and acceleration errors of a direct-reading magnetic compass and explain the role of the compass correction card.
Your checkpoint
A worked error table for the attitude indicator, directional gyro and magnetic compass covering acceleration error, turn error, real drift and apparent drift, with the sign and approximate magnitude of each error for a stated flight profile.
Inertial and Satellite Navigation Systems & Data Buses, Computers and Power
Describe the mechanisation of a ring laser gyro and a MEMS accelerometer, and explain how an INS computes velocity and position from measured acceleration.
Explain Schuler tuning, the 84-minute period, and why an unaided INS position error grows with time; state typical drift figures and the role of aiding sources.
Compare GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou at system level (constellation, orbit type, augmentation) and explain the sources of GPS position error and the purpose of RAIM.
Describe the architecture of ARINC 429, ARINC 629 and AFDX data buses, including word format, speed, directionality and how a receiver identifies a parameter.
Explain how redundancy, voting and integrity monitoring work in a multi-sensor navigation architecture, and what happens when one source is rejected.
Your checkpoint
A block diagram of a GNSS-aided inertial navigation chain from accelerometer/gyro through the Kalman filter to the FMS position output, annotated with at least six failure or degradation points and the crew-visible consequence of each.
Temperature and Ice Detection & Engine and System Monitoring
Explain the operating principles of resistance, thermocouple and vibrating-element temperature probes, and state which is used for total air temperature, outside air temperature and engine gas temperature.
Explain why TAT differs from SAT and calculate the ram rise for a given Mach number and static temperature.
Describe ice detection methods (visual, vibrating probe, magnetostrictive, thermal) and the logic that arms and activates airframe and engine anti-ice systems.
Interpret the indications of N1, N2, EPR, EGT, fuel flow and oil pressure in terms of sensor type, expected range and typical failure signature.
Explain how engine vibration monitoring and trend monitoring are used to detect deterioration before a limit is exceeded.
Your checkpoint
A sensor-selection sheet for ten named parameters (TAT, SAT, EGT, N1, N2, EPR, fuel flow, oil pressure, ice detection, vibration) giving sensor type, signal output, typical failure mode and the associated cockpit warning.
Flight Director, Autopilot and Autothrust & Electronic Displays and Alerting Systems
Describe the signal flow from flight director mode selection through the autopilot servo to the control surface, and explain the role of the inner and outer loops.
Distinguish the autopilot modes (heading, track, altitude hold, vertical speed, IAS/Mach, approach, go-around) and state the engagement conditions and interlocks for each.
Explain autothrust modes (speed, thrust, retard, takeoff go-around) and how autothrust interacts with autopilot pitch modes.
Compare the main electronic display architectures (EFIS, EICAS, ECAM) and explain how display units are driven, reverted and re-configured after a display failure.
Explain the alerting hierarchy (warning, caution, advisory) and how colour, aural and master warning/caution systems are prioritised and inhibited.
Your checkpoint
A mode-annunciation chart for the flight director, autopilot and autothrust showing at least twelve modes with their armed, engaged and disengaged conditions and the interlock that prevents each illegal transition.
Instrument Failure, Degradation and Warnings & Pressure Instruments and Air Data
Apply the pitot-static fault matrix from week 1 to multi-failure scenarios and state the crew action for each.
Explain the failure modes of air data computers and how the system detects and isolates a faulty source through comparison and voting.
Describe the philosophy of redundant instrument architecture (fail-passive, fail-operational) and give one example of each from the flight deck.
Explain what happens to the flight director, autopilot and autothrust when air data, attitude or heading sources disagree, and how the crew recovers.
Interpret the meaning of a comparator warning, an ADR disagree message and a loss of an inertial reference, and state the resulting dispatch or continuation decision.
Your checkpoint
A written response to three failure scenarios (blocked static with autopilot engaged, single ADR failure in cruise, loss of attitude reference in IMC), each with recognition cues, immediate actions and the governing limitation.
Sensors and Measurement Fundamentals & Gyroscopic Instruments and Heading Systems & Magnetic Compasses and Heading References & Inertial and Satellite Navigation Systems
Re-derive the key formulas from memory: ram rise, apparent drift, turning error, pressure altitude, and INS position drift.
Explain the measurement chain from physical quantity to cockpit indication for pressure, temperature, gyroscopic and inertial parameters without notes.
Identify and correct the weakest two domains from the week 4 milestone using targeted practice questions.
Produce a condensed formula and definition sheet covering all four revisited domains.
Your checkpoint
A closed-book, timed 40-question mixed set across domains 1, 4, 5 and 6, scored and reviewed, with every wrong answer traced to a specific knowledge gap.
Flight Director, Autopilot and Autothrust & Electronic Displays and Alerting Systems & Engine and System Monitoring & Data Buses, Computers and Power & Instrument Failure, Degradation and Warnings
Consolidate the display, alerting and automation domains into a single mental model of the flight deck.
Practise interpreting failure and degradation scenarios under time pressure across all eleven domains.
Review the full formula sheet, the fault matrix and the mode-annunciation chart from weeks 1 to 7.
Complete two full-length mock exams and analyse errors by domain rather than by question.
Your checkpoint
Two completed full-length mock exams with a domain-by-domain score breakdown and a prioritised list of the five remaining weak areas with a revision action for each.
Milestones
Week 2: Explain, without notes, the cause and sign of acceleration error and turning error in the magnetic compass, and the apparent drift rate of a free gyro at 45 degrees latitude.
Week 4: Score at least 75 percent on a 30-question set drawn from domains 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 and 10, with no more than two errors in the pressure and gyroscopic domains.
Week 6: Correctly answer, in writing, all three week-6 failure scenarios including the immediate crew action and the applicable limitation.
Week 7: Score at least 80 percent on the closed-book 40-question mixed set across domains 1, 4, 5 and 6.
Week 8: Score at least 80 percent overall on both full-length mock exams, with no single domain below 70 percent.