NCAA PPL Navigation study plan

Define the earth's coordinate system: state what latitude and longitude measure, their ranges, and how degrees, minutes, and tenths of a minute are written on a flight plan

Convert between degrees-minutes and degrees-decimal-minutes for ten given coordinates without a calculator error

Identify the four great-circle and rhumb-line relationships on a globe: great circle shortest path, rhumb line constant track, and when each is used in practical navigation

Explain the purpose of the navigation plotter, dividers, and a current VFR sectional chart legend, listing what each symbol class means

Read a VFR sectional chart: decode airport data blocks, airspace class boundaries, maximum elevation figures, and obstacle symbols

Plot a three-leg cross-country route on a paper chart using plotter and dividers, measuring true course for each leg to within 2 degrees

Measure statute-mile and nautical-mile leg distances with dividers and convert between the two units

Locate and interpret special-use airspace, prohibited, restricted, and warning areas along the planned route

Extract winds aloft forecasts for the planned altitudes and compute wind correction angle and groundspeed with a manual flight computer for all three legs

Apply magnetic variation from the chart to convert true course to magnetic course, showing the east-is-least, west-is-best rule in writing

Compute true heading, magnetic heading, and compass heading in the correct order, accounting for wind and deviation

Complete a full navigation log for the three-leg route with time en route and fuel burn per leg

Calculate a wind triangle by both the manual computer and the E6B-style formula method and reconcile any difference

Determine the wind correction angle for a direct crosswind and a direct tailwind case and explain why groundspeed changes as it does

Solve time, distance, and groundspeed problems for unknown groundspeed and unknown time using the flight computer

Describe pilotage and dead reckoning and list three visual checkpoints per leg with estimated time over each

Interpret VOR radials: given a radial and aircraft heading, determine the course to or from the station and the correct CDI deflection

Explain how GPS and area navigation differ from ground-based navigation in terms of course guidance and required equipment

Identify the classes of NAVAIDs on a sectional chart and state the frequency range and service volume of each

Describe how to intercept and track a given course inbound and outbound using a VOR, step by step

Explain magnetic deviation, compass swinging, and how to read a compass correction card

Compute the effect of wind drift on a planned heading when the wind shifts 30 degrees, and state a correction

Interpret airport signs, runway markings, and taxiway markings relevant to arriving at an unfamiliar field

Describe lost procedures: four-step sequence for reorientation using chart, NAVAIDs, and ATC assistance

Assemble a complete cross-country plan from scratch: chart plot, winds, headings, times, fuel, and alternate

Apply fuel reserve and alternate requirements to the plan and justify the numbers used

Rehearse a diversion to an alternate airport mid-route and recompute heading, time, and fuel within five minutes

Explain the regulatory and practical differences between VFR and IFR navigation planning

Complete two full-length timed practice exams under test conditions and record the score for each

Review every missed item and classify the error as knowledge gap, computation slip, or chart-reading error

Re-drill the two weakest subareas identified in the error classification until each is solved correctly twice in a row

Summarize the ten highest-yield navigation facts for a final pre-exam review