Kuwait DGCA CPL Theory flashcards

Kuwait DGCA CPL Theory · Build recall with a focused review session.

41 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Semicircular cruising levels: Above the transition altitude, aircraft flying magnetic tracks 000 to 179 degrees use odd flight levels (FL090, FL110) while tracks 180 to 359 use even flight levels (FL100, FL120).
Transition altitude: The altitude at or below which the altimeter is set to QNH and above which it is set to standard 1013.25 hPa; it is fixed per aerodrome in Kuwait.
Read-back requirement: Pilots must repeat back to ATC clearances and instructions that affect safety, including runway, altitude, heading, frequency and transponder codes, and must query any ambiguity.
Right-of-way head-on: When two aircraft converge head-on at the same level, both must alter heading to the right so they pass port side to port side with safe separation.
Fail-safe structure: A design principle where a single structural failure does not lead to loss of the aircraft; cracks are arrested by structural stops and multiple load paths share the load.
Hydraulic reservoir pressurisation: The reservoir is kept under positive pressure by bleed air or nitrogen to prevent pump cavitation and fluid foaming at high altitude where ambient pressure is low.
NiCd thermal runaway: A self-accelerating overheating of a nickel-cadmium battery cell that can spread to the whole battery; the battery must be immediately disconnected from the bus.
Carburettor icing range: Carburettor icing can occur with outside air temperatures between about minus 10 and plus 25 degrees Celsius, especially in high humidity, and requires carburettor heat.
Hung start: A turbine start in which the engine accelerates too slowly while EGT rises rapidly; fuel and ignition must be cut off immediately to prevent turbine damage.
Altimeter temperature error: In air colder than ISA, the altimeter over-reads, so the aircraft is lower than indicated and a cold-temperature correction must be added on approach.
Turn coordinator: A rate gyro instrument referenced to the aircraft that shows rate of turn and slip or skid, and is electrically driven so it survives loss of the vacuum system.
Machmeter operation: The machmeter compares pitot and static pressures to display the ratio of true airspeed to local speed of sound, and may use a separate capsule to correct for altitude.
Compass deviation: Deviation is the error caused by the aircraft's own magnetic fields, shown on a compass correction card, and is applied to the compass heading to obtain magnetic heading.
Dry operating mass: Basic empty mass plus crew, crew baggage, catering and other operational items, excluding traffic load and fuel, used as the starting point of the load sheet.
Centre of gravity formula: Centre of gravity position is the total moment divided by total mass, where each moment is the item mass multiplied by its arm from the reference datum.
Aft centre of gravity effect: An aft centre of gravity reduces longitudinal stability, reduces stick force, shortens take-off run but increases the risk of pitch-up and difficult spin recovery.
Maximum zero fuel mass: The maximum mass of the aircraft and its contents excluding usable fuel; it limits the payload and must be checked before fuel is added.
Density altitude: Pressure altitude corrected for non-standard temperature; it equals pressure altitude plus 120 times the difference between actual and ISA temperature in degrees Celsius.
V1 decision speed: The speed by which a failure must be recognised to continue the take-off; below V1 a rejected take-off is made, above V1 the take-off is continued.
Balanced field length: The runway length at which the accelerate-stop distance equals the take-off distance to 35 feet; it represents the minimum runway for a given mass and condition.
Stall speed in a turn: Stall speed increases with the square root of the load factor, so a 60 degree bank with load factor 2 raises the stall speed by about 41 percent.
Final reserve fuel: Fuel required to hold for 30 minutes at 1,500 feet above the alternate aerodrome, which must remain on board when landing at the destination.
Equal time point: The point along the route from which it takes the same time to return to departure as to continue to destination, accounting for wind on both legs.
Specific range: The distance flown per unit of fuel, calculated as true airspeed divided by fuel flow; it is maximised at the optimum cruise altitude and speed.
Time of useful consciousness: The period after loss of oxygen during which a person can still take corrective action; it is about 30 to 60 seconds at FL350 and drops rapidly above that.
Somatogravic illusion: A false sensation of pitching up during acceleration or pitching down during deceleration, caused by the vestibular system responding to linear acceleration rather than gravity alone.
Off-centre viewing: At night, looking slightly to one side of an object allows the more light-sensitive rods in the peripheral retina to detect it, improving night vision.
QNH versus QFE: QNH is the pressure reduced to mean sea level so the altimeter reads altitude above sea level; QFE is the pressure at the aerodrome so the altimeter reads height above the aerodrome.
Clear ice formation: Clear ice forms when large supercooled water droplets strike the airframe and spread before freezing, typically in cumuliform clouds at temperatures between 0 and minus 10 degrees Celsius.
Cold front characteristics: A cold front has a steep slope, fast movement, a narrow band of heavy showers and thunderstorms, and a sharp wind veer and temperature fall after passage.
Great circle: The shortest path between two points on the Earth's surface, formed by the intersection of the surface with a plane through the Earth's centre.
Mercator projection: A chart projection on which rhumb lines plot as straight lines and scale increases with latitude, making great circles curve towards the pole.
Magnetic variation: The angle between true north and magnetic north at a location; east variation is subtracted from true to obtain magnetic, and west variation is added.
ILS decision altitude: The altitude at which a missed approach must be initiated if the required visual reference is not established; it depends on the ILS category and aircraft equipment.
Transponder emergency codes: Squawk 7700 for a general emergency, 7600 for radio communication failure and 7500 for unlawful interference, as standardised for SSR operations.
VOR TO/FROM indication: The TO or FROM flag shows whether the selected course, when followed, leads towards or away from the VOR station, independent of the aircraft heading.
Stabilised approach: An approach in which the aircraft is on the correct track, speed, configuration and descent rate by a defined gate, typically 1,000 feet above the aerodrome.
Wake turbulence separation: A following aircraft must wait at least two minutes after a heavy aircraft takes off or lands on the same runway, and stay above its flight path to avoid the wake vortices.
Induced drag: Drag caused by lift generation, largest at low speed and high angle of attack, and reduced as speed increases; it is part of the total drag curve.
Load factor in a turn: The ratio of lift to weight; in a level turn it equals one divided by the cosine of the bank angle, so a 60 degree bank gives a load factor of two.
Critical angle of attack: The angle of attack at which the wing stalls, typically about 15 degrees, regardless of speed, weight or altitude; exceeding it causes loss of lift.