Kuwait DGCA IR Theory flashcards

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

Kuwait DGCA role

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation regulates Kuwaiti civil aviation, issues pilot licences and operator approvals, and publishes the AIP containing routes and aerodrome data.

Instrument rating validity

The rating is exercisable only while the licence and the Class 1 medical remain valid and the instrument competency and recency requirements are met.

IFR flight plan requirement

Under ICAO Annex 2 an IFR flight must file a flight plan and obtain a clearance before entering controlled airspace, and must report changes in level or route.

PIC emergency authority

The pilot in command may deviate from rules only to the extent necessary in an emergency, and must report the deviation to the authority when requested.

RVSM airspace requirement

Between FL290 and FL410 aircraft must carry approved altimetry and height-keeping equipment, an operable transponder, and be flown by qualified crew.

Altimeter QNH versus QFE

QNH is pressure reduced to sea level so the altimeter shows aerodrome elevation on the ground; QFE is set to read zero at the aerodrome reference point.

High to low hazard

Flying from high pressure to low pressure, or high to low temperature, without resetting the subscale leaves the aircraft lower than the altimeter indicates.

Turn coordinator purpose

The turn coordinator shows rate of turn and roll, and its slip ball indicates whether the turn is coordinated or the aircraft is slipping or skidding.

Machmeter principle

The Machmeter computes the ratio of pitot pressure to static pressure, showing Mach number; maximum operating Mach is a separate limit from VNE.

Standby instrument requirement

IFR aircraft carry standby attitude, altitude, and airspeed instruments so that failure of the primary display leaves the pilot with essential flight information.

IFR fuel planning components

Fuel comprises taxi, trip, contingency, alternate, final reserve of 30 minutes holding, and additional fuel where required by the operation.

Top of descent rule

A 3-degree descent needs about 300 ft per nautical mile, so the descent distance is roughly three times the altitude to lose in thousands of feet.

TAS and altitude rule

True airspeed increases about 1 percent per 600 ft of altitude for a given indicated airspeed, and groundspeed is TAS adjusted for the wind component.

Weight and balance in flight

The centre of gravity must stay within certified limits throughout the flight, and fuel burn from different tanks changes the CG as the flight progresses.

Hypoxia onset altitude

Above 10,000 ft without oxygen, judgement and night vision degrade first; above 14,000 ft useful consciousness falls to minutes, so descend and use 100 percent oxygen.

Somatogravic illusion

Acceleration during take-off or go-around can feel like a pitch-up, prompting a nose-down input; the remedy is to cross-check and trust the attitude indicator.

Rapid decompression actions

Masks on and oxygen 100 percent, emergency descent to 10,000 ft or minimum safe altitude, and a broadcast to ATC describing the descent and intentions.

Crew resource management

Briefings, assertiveness, and closed-loop communication reduce error; a concern must be stated clearly and acknowledged explicitly by the other pilot.

Dark adaptation time

Dark adaptation takes about 30 minutes and is degraded by bright light and by hypoxia, so night vision suffers first when oxygen is insufficient.

ISA reference values

Sea level temperature is 15 degrees C, pressure 1013.25 hPa, with a lapse rate of 1.98 degrees C per 1000 ft up to the tropopause near 36,090 ft.

Freezing rain hazard

Freezing rain below a warm layer produces the most severe airframe icing; escape requires an immediate climb or descent out of the supercooled water.

Microburst recovery

A microburst gives headwind, downdraft, then tailwind; on approach go around, and in flight pitch for the flight director and apply maximum thrust.

CAVOK meaning

CAVOK reports visibility 10 km or more, no cloud below 5000 ft or below the highest minimum sector altitude, and no significant weather.

Kuwait shamal wind

Northwesterly shamal winds raise dust and haze, reducing visibility and producing low-level turbulence, most common in summer over Kuwait and the Gulf.

Great circle versus rhumb

A great circle is the shortest path between two points; a rhumb line keeps a constant track but is longer except along a meridian or the equator.

Variation and deviation

Variation is the angle between true and magnetic north; deviation is the aircraft-specific compass error; the order is true, variation, magnetic, deviation, compass.

One-in-sixty rule

A 1-degree track error over 60 nautical miles produces 1 nautical mile of cross-track error, enabling quick in-flight correction calculations.

Departure formula

Departure in nautical miles equals change in longitude in minutes multiplied by the cosine of the latitude, since meridians converge towards the poles.

RAIM check

Receiver autonomous integrity monitoring must be available before a GNSS approach; a RAIM warning means integrity cannot be assured and the approach must not start.

ILS category minima

CAT I uses a 200 ft decision height and 550 m RVR; CAT II uses 100 ft and 300 m; CAT III requires approved automatic landing capability.

Communication failure code

Select squawk 7600, continue on the cleared route and last assigned level, follow the published lost-communication procedure, and land as prescribed.

Emergency SSR codes

7700 indicates distress, 7600 radio failure, and 7500 unlawful interference; code changes and ident are actioned only when directed by ATC.