ATPL Performance (EASA) study guide
ATPL Performance · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
ATPL Performance is one of the fourteen theoretical knowledge subjects that must be passed before a candidate can hold an Airline Transport Pilot Licence. In the UK it is administered within the CAA's ATPL examination system, and it is aimed at aspiring commercial flight crew - typically pilots who already hold or are working towards a Commercial Pilot Licence and are building the theoretical knowledge required for the higher licence. The subject is examined by multiple-choice questions and tests whether a candidate can extract and apply aircraft performance data rather than simply recall formulae: take-off field length and obstacle clearance, climb gradients and segment requirements, cruise and en-route planning including fuel and drift-down considerations, and landing distance and dispatch requirements. Preparation normally combines a structured ground-school course with sustained practice on performance charts and tabulated data, since the exam rewards fast, accurate reading of graphs and tables under time pressure. The ATPL Performance study guide has 4 sections and about 1,813 words.
01Take-off
Take-off is the most chart-intensive Performance domain. The exam asks you to convert declared distances and AFM data into a legal take-off, and to explain how mass, pressure altitude, temperature, wind, slope and runway condition move the limiting speed and distance.
500 words, about 3 min02Climb
Climb questions test whether you can turn a required obstacle gradient into a gross gradient, then into a rate of climb, and whether you know which segment and configuration apply. The exam distinguishes take-off segments from en-route climb and gross from net flight path.
429 words, about 2 min03Cruise and en-route
Cruise and en-route performance is about range, altitude and the one-engine-inoperative path. The exam tests specific range, optimum altitude, wind effects, step climb, drift-down and the en-route obstacle gradient.
444 words, about 2 min04Landing
Landing performance questions test the legal landing distance, the 50 ft screen, runway condition and the landing climb limits. The exam expects you to apply the certification factors correctly and to recognise when a runway is legally unusable at the planned mass.
440 words, about 2 min