Mozambique IACM Commercial Pilot (CPL-A) cheat sheet

Mozambique civil aviation is administered by IACM (Instituto de Aviação Civil de Moçambique); it issues licences, certificates and air operator authorisations under the national Civil Aviation Act.

CPL-A privileges: act as PIC or co-pilot of aircraft engaged in non-scheduled commercial operations; may not act as PIC of scheduled commercial flights without an ATPL and type/class qualification.

A CPL is valid for 5 years; the associated Class 1 medical certificate is valid 12 months (6 months for holders aged 60 and over).

Recency: 3 take-offs and 3 landings in the preceding 90 days to carry passengers; night recency requires the same by night.

Aircraft categories for licences: aeroplane, helicopter, glider, balloon; class/type ratings are endorsed on the licence and must be revalidated per IACM requirements.

Rules of the air: VFR minima in controlled airspace - 5 km flight visibility and 300 m (1000 ft) vertical / 1500 m horizontal distance from cloud at and above 3050 m AMSL.

Documents to be carried: certificate of registration, certificate of airworthiness, crew licences, journey log, and, where required, the operations manual and noise certificate.

An accident must be notified to IACM and the accident investigation authority without delay; a serious incident is reported by the fastest available means.

Reciprocating engine four-stroke cycle: induction, compression, combustion (power), exhaust - two crankshaft revolutions per complete cycle.

Detonation is uncontrolled explosive combustion after normal ignition; pre-ignition is ignition before the spark - both raise CHT and can damage pistons.

Mixture: lean for altitude in cruise (EGT peak minus 50–100 °F rich of peak for best power), full rich for take-off and go-around below 5000 ft unless leaned per POH.

Constant-speed propeller: governor regulates oil pressure to the hub to hold selected RPM; loss of oil pressure drives the blades to fine pitch (high RPM).

Electrical: battery supplies starting and emergency power; alternator/generator supplies the bus in flight; ammeter/loadmeter shows charge or load, not battery state.

Pitot-static: pitot provides dynamic pressure for ASI; static provides altitude, VSI and ASI reference. Blocked pitot with open drain causes ASI to read as altimeter.

Hydraulic and landing gear: gear-down locks and warning horn operate on throttle position and gear selector; emergency extension is usually gravity or nitrogen.

Airframe: semi-monocoque structure uses skin, stringers and frames; corrosion protection depends on inspection of drain holes and treatment of lap joints.

Density altitude = pressure altitude + 120 × (OAT − ISA temperature at that level); performance tables are entered with pressure altitude and temperature.

Take-off distance required must not exceed TODA; landing distance available must exceed the landing distance required by the applicable factor (typically 1.43 for dry, 1.67 for wet runways).

Mass and balance: CG must lie within forward and aft limits for all phases; forward CG raises stall speed and stick force, aft CG reduces stability.

Fuel planning: trip fuel + contingency (typically 5% of trip fuel) + alternate fuel + final reserve (30 min holding at 1500 ft for turbine, or per operator for piston).

Climb gradient % = (altitude gained / horizontal distance) × 100; required gradients for obstacle clearance are published on departure charts (e.g. 3.3%).

Crosswind component = wind speed × sin(angle between wind and runway); headwind component = wind speed × cos(angle).

True airspeed increases about 2% per 1000 ft for a given IAS at constant temperature; groundspeed = TAS ± wind component along track.

Load factor in a level turn = 1 / cos(bank angle); at 60° bank load factor is 2.0 and stall speed rises by the square root of the load factor.

Hypoxia: symptoms include euphoria, impaired judgement and cyanosis; time of useful consciousness at FL350 is about 30–60 seconds without supplemental oxygen.

Hyperventilation produces dizziness and tingling; treatment is controlled breathing and, if suspected, oxygen - do not assume hypoxia without checking.

Spatial disorientation: the somatogravic illusion causes a false climb sensation during acceleration; the leans occur after a slow roll below perception threshold.

Night vision uses rods (peripheral, low acuity, slow adaptation); avoid white light and smoking, and use off-centre viewing to detect dim objects.

Carbon monoxide from cabin heat causes headache, drowsiness and cherry-red lips; it reduces oxygen carriage and is treated with 100% oxygen.

Crew resource management: authority gradient, assertiveness, situational awareness and closed-loop communication reduce error chains.

Alcohol: no flight within 8 hours of consuming alcohol and blood alcohol below 0.02% (or stricter operator limit); fatigue and dehydration amplify impairment.

Decompression sickness (bends) occurs after rapid decompression; treatment is descent, 100% oxygen and ground recompression therapy.

ISA: sea level temperature 15 °C, pressure 1013.25 hPa, lapse rate 1.98 °C per 1000 ft up to 36,090 ft (tropopause).

QNH set on the altimeter gives elevation above mean sea level; QFE gives height above the reference datum; QNE (1013.25) is used above the transition level.

Cloud types: cumulonimbus (unstable, thunderstorms), stratocumulus, altostratus, cirrus (ice, high); bases and tops determine icing and turbulence risk.

Icing: clear ice forms in large supercooled droplets (0 to −10 °C), rime in small droplets; carburettor icing can occur at 0–20 °C with high humidity.

Thunderstorm lifecycle: cumulus, mature (updrafts and downdrafts, hail, lightning), dissipating; avoid by at least 20 km and do not fly under the anvil.

Wind: veers with height in the northern hemisphere; surface friction reduces wind speed and backs direction near the ground.

Fronts: cold front - steep slope, rapid passage, squall lines; warm front - shallow slope, extended stratiform cloud and drizzle.

Mountain waves form on the lee of ridges with strong stable wind; expect severe turbulence, downdrafts and lenticular cloud.

Great circle is the shortest path between two points; rhumb line is a constant-track line used on Mercator charts.

Heading = track ± wind correction angle; drift = difference between heading and track caused by wind.

1 in 60 rule: a 1° error over 60 NM produces a 1 NM offset; use it to correct track after a fix.

Magnetic variation east is subtracted from true to obtain magnetic; deviation is the compass error specific to the aircraft.

VOR: radial is measured from the station; CDI centres when the OBS is set to the desired radial and TO/FROM indicates direction.

NDB/ADF: the needle points to the station relative to the aircraft heading; relative bearing + heading = magnetic bearing to the station.

GNSS: RAIM integrity monitoring, waypoint sequencing and the requirement for an alternate means of navigation where mandated.

Time and fuel: ETA = distance / groundspeed; fuel required = (distance / groundspeed) × hourly consumption plus reserves.

Take-off briefing covers engine failure before/after V1, rejected take-off, emergency return and the actions for each; V1 is decision speed, VR rotation, V2 take-off safety speed.

Emergency descent: rapid descent to 10,000 ft or MSA, oxygen masks on, transponder 7700, broadcast MAYDAY and notify ATC.

Fire: engine fire - shut off fuel, mixture and electrics, discharge extinguisher, land as soon as possible; cabin fire - use extinguisher and land immediately.

Checklists: use the challenge-and-response format; memory items only for time-critical emergencies, followed by the written checklist.

Runway incursion prevention: read back clearances, hold short of the holding point, and check the runway is clear before entering.

Ditching and forced landing: brief passengers, secure loose items, transmit position, and land into wind with flaps as recommended by the POH.

Minimum fuel and emergency fuel: declare minimum fuel when landing may be below reserve; declare MAYDAY FUEL when fuel is critical.

Ground operations: marshalling signals, taxi clearance, and the requirement to stop at holding points unless cleared to cross.

Lift = ½ ρ V² S CL; induced drag falls with speed and rises with load factor; parasite drag rises with the square of speed.

Stall occurs at the critical angle of attack, independent of speed, weight or bank; stall speed rises with the square root of the load factor.

Bernoulli and Newton together explain lift: pressure difference plus downward momentum change of the airflow.

Four forces in steady level flight: lift = weight, thrust = drag; in a climb, thrust balances drag plus the weight component.

Stability: positive static stability returns the aircraft to equilibrium; dihedral provides lateral stability, the fin provides directional stability.

Flaps increase lift and drag and lower stall speed; slats delay the stall by energising the boundary layer over the leading edge.

Mach effects: critical Mach number is reached when airflow over the wing becomes sonic; shock waves cause buffet and Mach tuck.

Load factor limit: manoeuvring speed VA is the maximum speed at which full control deflection will not overstress the aircraft.

Phonetic alphabet and standard phraseology are mandatory; read back clearances, runway and hold-short instructions, and altitude assignments.

Distress call MAYDAY (three times) on 121.5 MHz; urgency call PAN PAN; emergency squawk 7700, radio failure 7600, unlawful interference 7500.

VFR position report: station called, callsign, position, altitude, next position and ETA.

IFR clearances contain: clearance limit, route, altitude, and any speed or time restrictions; read back the full clearance.

Altimeter setting is read back; QNH and QFE values must be confirmed before descent below the transition level.

Lost communication: squawk 7600, continue per the last clearance or the published lost-communication procedure, and land at the destination or alternate.

VHF range is roughly line of sight; use the correct frequency and keep transmissions short and standard.

Emergency frequency 121.5 MHz is monitored by ATC and aircraft; transmit the nature of the emergency, position, altitude and intentions.