KCAA Flight Engineer cheat sheet

Hydraulic systems: a pressurized reservoir keeps fluid above pump inlets; relief valves limit system pressure, and check valves prevent reverse flow between subsystems.

Pneumatic bleed air is tapped from the HP compressor stages; a precooler and pressure-regulating valve deliver cool, stable air to packs and anti-ice.

Electrical: AC generators are paralleled through generator control units that trip on over/under-voltage and under-frequency; the battery bus stays live on essential DC.

Fuel: boost pumps supply the engine at low altitude; at high altitude the engine-driven pump alone can draw fuel, so minimum tank pressure limits apply.

Pressurization: cabin differential pressure is limited by outflow and safety valves (typically about 8-9 psi on airliners); cabin altitude climbs at a controlled rate.

Flight controls: irreversible power controls need artificial feel; a rudder ratio changer reduces rudder authority as airspeed increases.

Ice protection: thermal anti-ice uses bleed air on leading edges; de-ice boots inflate cyclically; fluid systems are limited by holdover time.

Fire protection: engine fire loops trigger warning and squibs; bottle discharge is a one-shot action, so confirm the correct engine before firing.

Turbofan thrust equals mass flow times velocity change; bypass ratio is bypass mass flow divided by core mass flow, and high bypass improves propulsive efficiency.

EGT limits are the primary turbine life indicator; exceedance requires an engine trend check and may require borescope inspection.

Compressor surge is corrected by reducing fuel or increasing bleed; stall margin shrinks at high altitude and during rapid throttle changes.

Airworthiness: an annual inspection or an approved progressive inspection is required, and all ADs must be complied with before return to service.

Maintenance records must be retained and made available; a maintenance release certifies that the work was performed and the aircraft is airworthy.

Engine oil consumption trends flag internal wear; a sudden rise may indicate seal or bearing distress and warrants an early inspection.

Propeller/engine limits: takeoff power is time-limited (typically 5 minutes); exceeding it requires entry in the engine log and an inspection.

Weight and balance of the powerplant: engine changes alter the empty-weight CG, so a new weight and balance report is required after replacement.

V1 is the decision speed: a failure before V1 means abort; after V1 the takeoff must continue. Vr rotates, V2 is the takeoff safety speed.

Takeoff minima depend on runway length, obstacle clearance, climb gradient, and brake energy; the most limiting of these governs.

Stabilized approach criteria: by 500 ft AGL (IMC) or 1000 ft (VMC) the aircraft must be on speed, on path, and in landing configuration.

Fuel planning: taxi, trip, contingency, alternate, final reserve, and any additional fuel; the final reserve is not usable for diversion.

ETOPS: diversion time is set by the approved certification; dispatch requires adequate alternate airports along the route.

Crew duty and rest limits are set by the operator's approved scheme; fatigue risk management supplements the flight time limitations.

Emergency descent: use maximum descent speed with spoilers, and set the cabin altitude warning; oxygen masks deploy automatically on some types.

Communication failure: squawk 7600, continue per the last clearance or the filed route, and land at the first suitable aerodrome.

Lift equals half rho V squared S CL; induced drag falls with speed while parasite drag rises, so total drag is minimum at L/D max.

Density altitude raises true airspeed and takeoff distance; pressure altitude corrected for temperature gives density altitude.

Takeoff distance increases roughly 10 percent per 10 degrees C above standard temperature at high density altitude.

CG forward of the limit increases stability and elevator forces; aft of the limit reduces stability and can cause a pitch upset.

Balance formula: distance of CG from datum equals total moment divided by total weight; shift equals added weight times arm divided by new weight.

MTOW, MLW, and MZFW each limit the load; the most restrictive governs the allowable payload.

Landing distance is factored by 1.67 for a dry runway (1.92 for wet) over the demonstrated distance in certification.

Climb gradient in percent equals (thrust minus drag) divided by weight times 100; required gradients vary by engine count.

Chicago Convention Annex 1 covers licensing, Annex 2 rules of the air, Annex 6 operations, and Annex 8 airworthiness.

The 1944 Chicago Convention governs sovereignty: each state has complete and exclusive sovereignty over its airspace.

The 1929 Warsaw Convention and 1999 Montreal Convention govern carrier liability for passenger and cargo claims.

Tokyo Convention 1963 covers offences on board and the powers of the aircraft commander; Hague 1970 and Montreal 1971 cover unlawful seizure and sabotage.

Rules of the air: right of way goes to the aircraft in distress, then balloons, gliders, and aircraft towing; converging traffic gives way to the right.

An aircraft must be registered in one state; registration transfers jurisdiction, and a certificate of registration is carried on board.

Documents carried: certificate of registration, certificate of airworthiness, crew licences, journey log, and the operations manual as applicable.

Accident and incident definitions come from Annex 13; the state of occurrence investigates, and the state of registry and operator participate.

The Kenya Civil Aviation Act and the KCAA Civil Aviation Regulations (Civil Aviation Regulations 2018, as amended) implement ICAO Annexes.

KCAA issues licences under the Civil Aviation (Licensing of Air Personnel) Regulations; a CPL requires 200 hours total time, including 100 hours PIC.

An ATPL requires 1500 hours total time, including 250 hours PIC and 200 hours cross-country, plus the type rating and ATPL examinations.

A Flight Engineer licence requires the applicable type rating, knowledge examinations, and the experience specified in the licensing regulations.

Class 1 medical certificates are required for commercial pilots and flight engineers; validity shortens with age (12 months, or 6 months after age 40 for single-pilot operations).

A certificate of airworthiness is issued by KCAA after conformity with the approved type design; renewals require continuing airworthiness compliance.

An AOC is required for commercial air transport; it specifies the types, areas of operation, and the operator's approved maintenance arrangements.

KCAA enforces through notices, suspension, or revocation; holders must report accidents and serious incidents to the Authority without delay.

Great circle is the shortest path between two points; the initial great-circle bearing differs from the final bearing.

Mercator charts show rhumb lines as straight lines but distort scale with latitude; Lambert conformal conic preserves shape and is used for route charts.

VOR gives magnetic bearing (radial) from the station; a CDI centered with a TO indication means tracking toward the station.

ILS: localizer gives lateral guidance, glideslope gives vertical guidance; a localizer frequency is in the 108-112 MHz band.

RNAV/GNSS: RAIM checks integrity; without RAIM prediction, the approach cannot be planned for the required integrity.

Compass: variation is the angle between true and magnetic north; deviation is the error from the aircraft's own magnetic fields.

Time to station: turn 90 degrees, time until the bearing changes by the same amount, then T = time elapsed divided by degrees of bearing change.

Altimetry: set QNH for altitude above mean sea level, QFE for height above the aerodrome, and standard 1013.25 hPa above the transition altitude.

ISA: sea level 15 degrees C and 1013.25 hPa, with a lapse rate of 1.98 degrees C per 1000 ft up to the tropopause.

QNH is the pressure reduced to sea level; QFE is the pressure at the aerodrome; the transition layer separates QNH and standard settings.

METAR reports current conditions; TAF forecasts; SPECI is issued when conditions change significantly.

Thunderstorms require moisture, instability, and a lifting mechanism; embedded CBs in a front are the most hazardous to flight.

Icing: clear ice forms in large supercooled droplets, rime ice in small droplets; both require flight into visible moisture below freezing.

Wind shear: a microburst causes a sudden headwind then downdraft then tailwind; apply maximum thrust and do not change configuration until clear.

Low-level jets and mountain waves cause severe turbulence; lenticular clouds mark wave activity and rotor zones downwind.

Fog forms by radiation cooling (clear, calm nights) or advection (warm moist air over a cold surface); radiation fog usually clears after sunrise.

VHF airband is 118-136.975 MHz, with 25 kHz or 8.33 kHz channel spacing; line-of-sight range increases with antenna height.

The phonetic alphabet and standard phraseology reduce readback errors; read back runway, altitude, and heading clearances.

Squawk codes: 7500 unlawful interference, 7600 radio failure, 7700 emergency.

Distress is MAYDAY (repeated three times); urgency is PAN-PAN; both are followed by callsign and nature of the problem.

HF is used for oceanic and polar communications; SELCAL alerts the crew without continuous monitoring.

ACARS and CPDLC provide data link; CPDLC clearances must be read back and logged like voice clearances.

Emergency frequency is 121.5 MHz; ELTs transmit on 121.5 and 406 MHz, and the 406 MHz signal carries identification.

Transponder: Mode C reports pressure altitude; Mode S provides a unique 24-bit address and supports TCAS coordination.

Hypoxia symptoms: euphoria, impaired judgement, and cyanosis; time of useful consciousness at FL350 is about 30-60 seconds.

Cabin altitude above 10,000 ft requires oxygen for crew; above 14,000 ft, oxygen is required for all occupants.

Spatial disorientation: the somatogravic illusion causes a false nose-up sensation during acceleration; trust the instruments.

Crew resource management: assertiveness, briefings, and cross-checking reduce error; a challenge to the captain must be clear and repeated if unresolved.

Fatigue degrades vigilance more than skill; duty limits and controlled rest on the flight deck are mitigation tools.

Decision making: the DECIDE model (detect, estimate, choose, identify, do, evaluate) structures in-flight problem solving.

Fire: identify the source, discharge the correct bottle, and land as soon as practicable; do not delay for a visual confirmation if the warning persists.

Depressurization: don oxygen masks first, then descend to 10,000 ft or the minimum safe altitude, whichever is higher.

Ditching: prepare the cabin, brief the crew, and plan the approach into wind along the swell; the aircraft floats only briefly.

Evacuation: assess the exits and fire before opening; the 90-second certification standard assumes half the exits are usable.

Engine failure in cruise: identify the failed engine, secure it, and drift down to the single-engine ceiling.

Emergency descent: use speedbrakes and maximum allowable speed; ATC notified with MAYDAY and the intended level.

Trip fuel covers taxi-out to landing; contingency is typically 5 percent of trip fuel; alternate fuel covers the diversion.

Final reserve for turbine aircraft is 30 minutes holding at 1500 ft above the alternate; for piston aircraft, 45 minutes.

Point of no return: the point where fuel to continue equals fuel to return, accounting for wind on each leg.

Equal time point: the point where time to destination equals time back to base; it depends on wind and true airspeed.

Fuel density varies with temperature; uplift is verified by density-corrected volume, not by volume alone.

A fuel emergency is declared when the final reserve is likely to be breached; declare MAYDAY FUEL and request priority.

ILS categories: CAT I decision height 200 ft, CAT II 100 ft, CAT III no decision height with varying RVR minima.

NDB/ADF gives a relative bearing; the ADF needle points to the station, and the magnetic bearing equals heading plus relative bearing.

DME gives slant range; the indicated distance exceeds the ground distance at high altitude and close range.

RNAV approach minima depend on the RNP value; LNAV, LNAV/VNAV, and LPV give progressively lower minima.

Missed approach: climb to the specified altitude on the specified track, then proceed to the holding fix or as instructed.

Precision approach: the glide path is typically 3 degrees; a false glideslope may appear above the true path.

Vertical separation is 1000 ft below FL290 and 2000 ft above, unless RVSM is approved (1000 ft up to FL410).

RVSM requires approved equipment, height monitoring, and pilot training; a 300 ft deviation must be reported.

Wake turbulence separation depends on weight categories: heavy, medium, and light; a light aircraft behind a heavy needs more spacing.

Holding: standard turns are right; the inbound leg is timed at 1 minute below 14,000 ft and 1.5 minutes above.

Clearance readback: altitude, heading, and runway must be read back; a clearance is not effective until read back correctly.

Position reporting on oceanic routes uses the standard format: callsign, position, time, flight level, next position, ETA.

Dangerous goods are classified into nine classes; lithium batteries are Class 9 and are restricted in carry-on and checked baggage.

The shipper prepares the dangerous goods declaration; the operator verifies the packing, marking, and labelling before loading.

Load sheet: the zero-fuel weight and takeoff weight are checked against limits; the CG is verified inside the envelope.

Securing cargo: ULDs and pallets must be restrained to the approved load limits; a shift in flight can move the CG out of limits.

Hazardous cargo must be separated from incompatible goods and from crew and passenger areas as required.

Emergency response: the fire service must be informed of the dangerous goods on board; the NOTOC lists them.

Pitot-static: the airspeed indicator uses dynamic pressure, the altimeter static pressure, and the VSI the rate of static pressure change.

Blocked pitot: the airspeed reads like an altimeter; blocked static: the airspeed over-reads as altitude increases.

Gyroscopic instruments: the attitude indicator is Earth-referenced, the heading indicator is not, so it must be reset to the magnetic compass.

EFIS displays replace electromechanical instruments; a display failure requires reversion to the standby instruments.

TCAS II issues resolution advisories; the crew must follow the RA even if it conflicts with an ATC clearance.

EGPWS alerts on excessive closure rate and terrain; a pull-up command must be followed immediately.

Runway designators are magnetic headings divided by 10; parallel runways use L, C, and R suffixes.

Declared distances: TORA, TODA, ASDA, and LDA; each limits a different phase of the takeoff or landing.

Aerodrome elevation is the highest point of the landing area; the reference temperature determines the performance data.

Runway markings: threshold stripes, touchdown zone markings, and aiming point markings; displaced thresholds reduce LDA.

Wind limits are set by the operator; crosswind and tailwind limits are stated in the operations manual.

Bird strike risk increases at low altitude and near water; report strikes to ATC and record them.

METAR format: wind, visibility, weather, cloud, temperature/dewpoint, QNH, and trend.

TAF validity is typically 24-30 hours; the change groups BECMG and TEMPO indicate temporary or gradual changes.

SIGMET warns of severe turbulence, icing, volcanic ash, and tropical cyclones; AIRMET covers less severe conditions.

Wind shear and microburst alerts are reported in METAR as WS; a pilot report (PIREP) supplements the official reports.

Volcanic ash: avoid the ash cloud, report the sighting, and follow the operator's ash encounter procedure.

TAF verification: the probability groups PROB30 and PROB40 indicate a 30 or 40 percent chance of the condition.

A type rating is required for aircraft over 5700 kg or turbojet aircraft; the rating is entered on the licence.

Recency: three takeoffs and landings in 90 days for passenger-carrying; instrument currency requires six approaches in six months.

Flight engineer duties include pre-flight inspection, fuel management, systems monitoring, and assisting the pilots in emergencies.

Training records must be retained; simulator sessions count toward recurrent training if the device is approved.

Line checks and proficiency checks are required annually for commercial operators.

A licence is not valid without a current medical certificate of the required class.