EASA ATPL 081 Principles of Flight

It is a multiple-choice examination delivered at an approved examination centre, with four options per question and one correct answer. Questions are drawn from the EASA subject learning objectives for Principles of Flight. The number of questions and the time allowed are set by the authority, so confirm the current figures on the official EASA or your national authority's website before you book.

Most students find it conceptually demanding rather than arithmetically heavy. There is little mathematics beyond simple force resolution, but the questions test causal chains - why a swept wing behaves as it does, why trim changes when flap is lowered. Candidates who memorise without understanding the mechanism tend to plateau around the pass mark.

Retake rules, the number of permitted attempts and any waiting period between sittings are set by the authority and vary by state. They are not fixed by this page. Check the current regulations on the official EASA website or with your national authority, and confirm with your flight training organisation before relying on any figure you have heard second-hand.

The time allowance is published by the authority, not here. As a working method, divide the total time by the question count to get your average per question, then bank surplus time on short definitional items so you can spend it on multi-step questions about load factor, turning or Mach effects. Flag and return rather than stalling on one item.

Start with atmosphere, continuity and Bernoulli, because every later topic borrows that vocabulary. Then aerofoils, lift and drag, boundary layers and stall. Move to wings and high-lift devices, then forces and load factor, then stability and control, which is the heaviest area. Finish with controls, spinning, high-speed flight, propellers and limitations.

Three recur: confusing static with dynamic stability, muddling longitudinal with lateral-directional effects, and reversing cause and effect - for example thinking a stall is caused by low airspeed rather than by exceeding the critical angle of attack. Another frequent error is mixing up which control surface produces which moment, especially rudder versus aileron in roll.

You need a small number: lift equals half rho V squared S times CL, load factor equals one over cosine of bank angle in a level turn, and the relationship between indicated stall speed and the square root of load factor. Beyond those, understanding proportionality - lift with V squared, induced drag with one over V squared - matters more than quoting constants.

Use them as diagnostics, not as a scoreboard. After each block, write a one-line reason why every incorrect option is wrong. If you cannot, you have found a gap in the underlying mechanism and should return to the textbook for that topic. Rotate topics so you are not simply memorising the sequence of a single question set.

No. This is independent study material written for candidates searching this exam. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by EASA or any authority, and it does not reproduce official questions. Always work from the current EASA learning objectives for the subject and the regulations published by the authority that will administer your examination.