MCAA CPL Theory Exam flashcards

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

QNH

Altimeter setting that makes the altimeter read aerodrome elevation when on the ground; used below transition altitude to give altitude above mean sea level.

QFE

Altimeter setting that makes the altimeter read zero at the reference point, giving height above that point; used for circuit and approach work.

Transition altitude

Altitude at or below which the altimeter is set to QNH; above it, standard pressure 1013.25 hPa is used and altitudes become flight levels.

Squawk 7700

Transponder code selected to indicate a general emergency; it alerts ATC to give priority and initiate emergency procedures.

Squawk 7600

Transponder code indicating radio communication failure; ATC uses it to identify aircraft that cannot transmit or receive and to provide separation.

MAYDAY

International distress signal transmitted three times, followed by callsign, nature of distress, position, altitude and intentions; indicates grave and imminent danger.

PAN-PAN

International urgency signal transmitted three times, used when safety is concerned but no immediate danger of loss of life exists.

VMC minima

Minimum flight visibility and cloud distance required for visual flight; below 900 m AMSL typically 5 km visibility and 1500 m horizontal, 300 m vertical cloud clearance.

Critical angle of attack

Angle of attack at which airflow separates from the wing and lift drops sharply; the stall occurs at this angle regardless of speed, weight or altitude.

Load factor

Ratio of lift to weight; stall speed increases with the square root of load factor, so a 4 g load doubles the stall speed.

Induced drag

Drag caused by lift generation, greatest at high angle of attack and low speed; it decreases as speed increases, unlike parasite drag.

Best glide speed

Speed at which the aircraft covers the greatest horizontal distance per unit of altitude lost; used for engine failure and forced landing planning.

Density altitude

Pressure altitude corrected for temperature; high temperature, high elevation and humidity increase it and degrade take-off, climb and landing performance.

Centre of gravity

Point where the aircraft mass acts; must stay within limits, with forward CG increasing stability and aft CG reducing stability and pitch authority.

Headwind component

Component of wind along the runway direction, calculated as wind speed multiplied by the cosine of the angle between wind and runway.

Crosswind component

Component of wind perpendicular to the runway, calculated as wind speed multiplied by the sine of the angle between wind and runway.

Final reserve fuel

Fuel required to hold for 30 minutes at 1500 ft above the alternate for VFR; it must remain after the planned flight and is not usable for planning.

1 in 60 rule

A one-degree heading error produces one nautical mile of track error over 60 nautical miles; used to calculate corrections to regain track.

Magnetic variation

Angle between true north and magnetic north at a given position; east variation is subtracted from true to obtain magnetic, west is added.

Drift angle

Difference between the aircraft heading and the track made good over the ground, caused by wind; positive when the aircraft is blown right of heading.

VOR radial

Magnetic bearing from a VOR station, displayed by the CDI when the OBS is set; the TO/FROM flag indicates the aircraft's side of the station.

DME slant range

Distance measured from the aircraft to the ground station along the line of sight; it reads greater than the ground distance, especially at close range and high altitude.

ILS glideslope

Vertical guidance beam, typically 3 degrees, transmitted at UHF; it provides the descent path to the runway threshold during an instrument approach.

RAIM

Receiver autonomous integrity monitoring in GNSS; it checks satellite signals for consistency and determines whether the required navigation performance can be met.

Carburettor icing

Ice formation in the carburettor venturi, most likely at 0 to 15 degrees Celsius with high humidity; it causes power loss and is treated with carburettor heat.

Constant-speed propeller

Propeller whose blade angle is adjusted by a governor to maintain a selected RPM; loss of oil pressure typically drives blades to fine pitch.

Magneto

Engine-driven ignition magneto that generates its own high voltage; because it is independent of the electrical system, the engine keeps running with the master switch off.

Hypoxia

Insufficient oxygen reaching body tissues; symptoms include euphoria, impaired judgement, tingling and cyanosis, and onset accelerates with altitude.

Somatogravic illusion

False sensation of climbing during acceleration, or of pitching down during deceleration; it can cause a pilot to push or pull the wrong way after take-off.

Time of useful consciousness

Period after loss of oxygen during which a person can still take corrective action; roughly 3 to 5 minutes at 25 000 feet without supplemental oxygen.

Cold front

Boundary where cold air advances under warm air, producing a narrow band of heavy showers, thunderstorms, gusty winds and a sharp veer after passage.

Advection fog

Fog formed when warm moist air moves over a colder surface and cools to its dewpoint; common over sea and coastal areas and can persist in wind.