ATPL 070 Operational Procedures study guide
ATPL 070 Operational Procedures · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
ATPL 070 Operational Procedures is one of the fourteen subject examinations that make up the EASA Airline Transport Pilot Licence theoretical knowledge syllabus, and it is usually studied late in a modular or integrated course because it assumes working knowledge of air law, performance, flight planning and human factors. It is written for pilots aiming at a professional licence, and for holders of a frozen ATPL who must keep the knowledge current for type ratings and operator checks. The ATPL 070 Operational Procedures study guide has 10 sections and about 4,961 words.
01General Operational Requirements, Definitions and Documentation
This domain tests the legal skeleton of commercial air transport: which regulation applies, what the Annex I definitions mean in practice, who is in command, and which documents must be on board. Items are usually short scenarios and definition matching rather than calculations.
494 words, about 2 min02Operator Certification, Operational Control and Management Systems
This domain asks how an AOC holder is built and supervised: the certificate itself, the management system behind it, the nominated persons, and where operational control sits. Expect questions about who is accountable for what, and about leases and contracted services.
455 words, about 2 min03Crew Composition, Flight and Duty Time Limitations and Rest Requirements
This domain tests Part-ORO Subpart FTL: the definitions, the maximum flight duty period, cumulative flight and duty limits, rest, standby and positioning. Most items are exact definitions or simple arithmetic on rest and duty.
466 words, about 2 min04Flight Preparation
Flight preparation questions test whether you can decide that a flight can legally and safely be started: aerodrome suitability, weather and NOTAM study, alternate selection, planning minima, performance, mass and balance, fuel, and the ATS flight plan. Expect scenario items with a weather table and a list of alternates.
442 words, about 2 min05Aerodrome Operating Minima and Instrument Approach Procedures
This domain tests how minima are built and applied: approach categories, DH/MDH and RVR, precision, APV, non-precision and circling approaches, low-visibility take-off, and the approach ban. Items often give a reported RVR group and ask whether the approach may be started or continued.
463 words, about 2 min06Mass and Balance, Performance Planning and Loading Limitations
This domain combines loading and performance: mass definitions, structural and CG limits, load sheets and standard masses, then take-off and landing performance against declared distances and obstacles. Items are usually numeric and hinge on applying a factor in the correct direction.
451 words, about 2 min07Fuel Policy, In-Flight Fuel Management and Contingency Planning
Fuel questions test the composition of the fuel plan and the in-flight decisions that follow from it: what each block of fuel is for, how contingency is calculated, what happens when the checks show a shortfall, and what the standard calls mean. Taxi fuel, trip fuel to the destination, contingency fuel (typically 5% of trip fuel, or a reduced figure only where approved methods and, where required, an en-route alternate are used), alternate fuel, final reserve, additional fuel and discretionary fuel.
424 words, about 2 min08Operational Flight Plan, ATS Flight Plan and Re-dispatch/Decision Point Procedures
This domain separates two documents students often merge: the operator's operational flight plan (OFP) and the ATS flight plan. It also covers decision point or re-dispatch planning with two plans and the fuel logic that supports it.
468 words, about 2 min09Dangerous Goods, Security and Carriage of Special Categories of Passengers and Cargo
This domain covers the rules for what may be carried, how it is accepted and how the crew is informed: ICAO Annex 18 and the Technical Instructions for dangerous goods, Annex 17 and Regulation (EC) 300/2008 for security, and the special categories of passengers and cargo. Nine classes: explosives, gases, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidisers, toxic, radioactive, corrosive, miscellaneous (including lithium batteries).
461 words, about 2 min10Emergency Procedures, Abnormal Operations and Emergency Equipment
This domain tests what happens when things go wrong: immediate-action drills, emergency authority, distress and urgency communications, and the equipment carried on board. Items often describe an abnormal situation and ask for the correct first action or the correct call.
837 words, about 4 min