ATPL Flight Performance and Planning case studies
ATPL Flight Performance and Planning · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Flight Performance and Planning is the ATPL subject that turns aircraft data into decisions: whether a runway is long enough, whether the aeroplane will clear the obstacle off the end, how much fuel must be on board, and whether the load sheet puts the centre of gravity inside the certified envelope. It is aimed at candidates working towards a commercial pilot licence or an airline transport pilot licence under an EASA-style theoretical knowledge syllabus, and it rewards students who are comfortable with graphs, tables and the flight computer rather than pure memorisation. The ATPL Flight Performance and Planning case studies are 5 cases and about 2,754 words.
1Wet-runway take-off with a tailwind and obstacle
A twin-engine turbofan with MTOW 78,000 kg is departing runway 27 from an airport at 1,100 ft elevation. OAT is 31°C, QNH 1002 hPa, and the ATIS gives wind 260/12 kt; the tower reports 255/08 kt.
628 words, about 3 min2Engine failure at cruise: drift-down and destination decision
A twin-jet is cruising at FL360, 640 nm from destination, with gross weight 62,000 kg and 8,400 kg of fuel. One engine fails and the crew drifts down to FL240, the single-engine cruise altitude for the current weight and temperature.
545 words, about 3 min3Wet landing distance and a tight diversion fuel margin
A twin-jet is planned to land at a destination with LDA 2,350 m, elevation 400 ft, QNH 1010 hPa, OAT 24°C, runway 24. The forecast is wet with braking action medium and wind 240/18 gusting 30 kt.
514 words, about 3 min4Load-sheet last-minute change and fuel density
A twin-jet has DOW 42,300 kg at arm 17.90 m. MZFW is 62,700 kg, MTOW 79,000 kg, MLW 68,000 kg, and the certified CG range is 16.60 m to 18.20 m.
539 words, about 3 min5In-flight fuel monitoring with deteriorating destination weather
A twin-jet is 2 hours into a 4.5-hour flight. Planned fuel at destination was 3,600 kg.
528 words, about 3 min