NCAA Flight Engineer Licence cheat sheet

Minimum age for a Flight Engineer Licence is 18 years; applicant must hold at least a valid Class 2 medical certificate issued under Nig. CARs Part 2.

Knowledge requirements: pass NCAA written examinations in Air Law, Aircraft General Knowledge, Flight Performance and Planning, Human Performance, Meteorology, Navigation, Operational Procedures, and Principles of Flight (as applicable to flight engineer).

Experience: applicant must have completed at least 100 hours of flight time as a flight engineer, or 200 hours of flight time in a relevant role (e.g., mechanic, flight dispatcher) acceptable to the Authority, including at least 50 hours on the type.

Skill test: demonstrate to an authorized examiner the ability to perform flight engineer duties, including pre-flight inspection, systems operation, performance calculations, and emergency procedures, in a simulator or aircraft approved for the purpose.

Licence validity: 5 years from date of issue; renewal requires evidence of recent experience (e.g., 6 months within preceding 24 months) and a valid medical certificate.

Privileges: exercise flight engineer duties on aircraft for which the licence is endorsed, provided the holder meets recent experience and medical requirements.

Type rating endorsement: requires completion of an approved type-specific course and a skill test on the type; the endorsement is valid as long as the licence remains valid.

Syllabus topics include: aircraft systems (hydraulic, electrical, pneumatic, fuel, pressurization), performance (takeoff, landing, cruise), weight and balance, emergency procedures, and crew resource management.

NCAA-AC-PEL 018 specifies that all examinations are valid for 12 months from the date of passing; applicants must complete all requirements within that period.

Nig. CARs Part 2 (Personnel Licensing) sets forth requirements for flight crew licences, including flight engineer; Part 5 (Airworthiness) covers maintenance and inspection; Part 8 (Operations) covers flight operations.

Licence holders must comply with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Act 2006 (as amended) and associated regulations; violations may lead to suspension or revocation.

Medical standards: Class 1 for commercial pilots, Class 2 for flight engineers; medical examinations must be conducted by an NCAA-approved medical examiner.

Record-keeping: licensees must maintain a personal logbook recording flight time, simulator sessions, and training; entries must be certified by the pilot-in-command or instructor.

Recent experience: within the preceding 90 days, a flight engineer must have completed at least 3 takeoffs and landings, or 3 simulator sessions, to carry passengers.

NCAA may impose additional requirements for specific aircraft types or operations (e.g., extended-range operations) as published in advisory circulars.

Penalties for non-compliance: fines, licence suspension, or revocation, as stipulated in Nig. CARs Part 2 and the Civil Aviation Act.

All licences must be carried during flight and produced for inspection upon request by an authorized NCAA inspector or law enforcement officer.

Airworthiness directives (ADs) issued by NCAA or the state of design are mandatory; compliance must be recorded in the aircraft maintenance records.

Maintenance programmes must be approved by NCAA and include scheduled inspections, component overhauls, and airworthiness limitations.

Minimum equipment list (MEL) allows operation with certain inoperative items; flight engineer must verify MEL compliance before dispatch.

Weight and balance: compute using approved loading schedule; ensure center of gravity remains within limits for all phases of flight; use standard formulas: %MAC = (CG - LE MAC) / MAC × 100.

Fuel calculations: include taxi, trip, reserve, alternate, and contingency fuel; verify fuel quantity and distribution; know specific gravity conversion (e.g., 1 kg = 1.234 L for Jet A-1 at 15°C).

Pre-flight inspection: check hydraulic fluid levels, tire pressure, oxygen pressure, and emergency equipment; record discrepancies and ensure rectification before flight.

Maintenance release: aircraft must have a valid certificate of airworthiness and a maintenance release signed by an approved engineer before flight.

Flight engineer must monitor engine parameters (EGT, N1, N2, fuel flow) and ensure they remain within limits; exceedances require immediate action and reporting.

Takeoff performance: calculate V1, VR, V2, and required runway length using approved performance charts; consider pressure altitude, temperature, wind, and runway slope.

Landing performance: compute landing distance required and ensure it does not exceed available landing distance (including wet/contaminated runway factors).

Cruise performance: determine optimum altitude and speed for fuel efficiency; monitor fuel consumption against flight plan; recalculate if deviation exceeds 5%.

Emergency procedures: for engine fire, execute checklist: shut off fuel, activate fire extinguisher, divert if necessary; for pressurization failure, don oxygen masks and descend to 10,000 ft or MSA.

Weight and balance: ensure zero fuel weight, takeoff weight, and landing weight are within limits; compute CG and verify within envelope.

Flight planning: consider weather, NOTAMs, ATC requirements, and alternates; file flight plan with ATC; update as necessary.

Crew resource management: flight engineer must communicate effectively with pilots, especially during abnormal situations; use standard callouts and cross-check.

Post-flight: record flight time, fuel used, and discrepancies; ensure aircraft is secured and maintenance notified of issues.

Human factors: fatigue, stress, and workload can impair performance; flight engineer must recognize symptoms and apply mitigation (e.g., rest, task sharing).

Situational awareness: maintain awareness of aircraft systems, flight path, and crew actions; use monitoring and cross-check to detect deviations.

Error management: use checklists, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and challenge-and-response to prevent errors; report errors through safety reporting system.

Safety management system (SMS): NCAA requires operators to implement SMS; flight engineer participates in hazard identification and risk mitigation.

Just culture: encourages reporting of errors without fear of punitive action, except for gross negligence or willful violations.

Crew resource management (CRM): training includes communication, leadership, decision-making, and teamwork; flight engineer must assertively speak up if safety is compromised.

Hypoxia: recognize symptoms (euphoria, headache, confusion); use oxygen above 10,000 ft; be aware of time of useful consciousness (e.g., at FL350, ~30-60 seconds).

Sterile cockpit: during critical phases (taxi, takeoff, landing), only essential communications; flight engineer must avoid non-essential conversation.