PPL Navigation & Communication Theory study guide
PPL Navigation & Communication Theory · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The PPL Navigation and Communication Theory examination is the ground-school paper that checks whether a private pilot candidate can plan a flight, find their way, and talk to the right people on the right frequency. It sits alongside the other PPL theory subjects and is normally taken before the flight test, because the skills it tests are used on every cross-country. The PPL Navigation & Communication Theory study guide has 7 sections and about 2,071 words.
01Basic Navigation Principles and the Earth
The Basic Navigation Principles and the Earth domain tests the foundation for every later calculation: the Earth’s shape, coordinate systems, direction, magnetism and time. Treat the Earth as an oblate spheroid.
330 words, about 2 min02Charts, Publications and Flight Planning
The Charts, Publications and Flight Planning domain tests whether you can extract information from a chart, apply its scale, use current publications and build a safe plan. A representative fraction such as 1:500,000 means one unit on the chart equals 500,000 of the same units on the ground.
296 words, about 1 min03Dead Reckoning, Plotting and the Navigation Computer
Dead Reckoning, Plotting and the Navigation Computer tests your ability to turn heading, time, wind and distance into a position and an ETA. Heading is where the aircraft nose points; track is the path over the ground.
335 words, about 2 min04Radio Navigation Aids and Global Navigation Satellite Systems
The Radio Navigation Aids and GNSS domain tests how you use VOR, DME, NDB/ADF, ILS and satellite navigation. A VOR radial is a line extending FROM the station; the CDI shows whether you are left or right of the selected radial.
279 words, about 1 min05Radio Communication Principles and Procedures
The Radio Communication Principles and Procedures domain tests clear, standard radio use. VHF airband communications are line-of-sight, so terrain and range matter.
262 words, about 1 min06Meteorology for Navigation
The Meteorology for Navigation domain tests how weather changes aircraft performance, heading and altitude. QNH is the altimeter setting that makes the altimeter read elevation at the aerodrome; QFE makes it read height above the reference point.
288 words, about 1 min07Navigation in Controlled and Uncontrolled Airspace
Navigation in Controlled and Uncontrolled Airspace tests whether you can plan a flight through different airspace types without breaking rules. Under ICAO, controlled airspace includes Classes A to E; Class G is uncontrolled.
281 words, about 1 min