Norway ATPL Theory cheat sheet

ICAO Annex 2 classifies airspace into A to G; Class A permits IFR only, Class G is uncontrolled with no ATC clearance required.

Standard separation minima under ICAO Doc 4444: 1000 ft vertically below FL290, 2000 ft at or above FL290 unless RVSM-approved airspace applies (1000 ft).

Aircraft must be equipped with a serviceable transponder in Classes A, B, C and D airspace; Mode C altitude reporting is required above 10 000 ft in most contracting states.

EASA Part-FCL requires 100 hours total flight time as pilot, including 60 hours P1, before an ATPL(A) skill test may be taken.

The 1944 Chicago Convention Article 5 grants non-scheduled flights the right of transit and non-traffic stop over contracting states, subject to state notification.

VMC minima in Class C airspace above FL100: 8 km flight visibility, 1500 m horizontal and 1000 ft vertical distance from cloud.

Aircraft registration marks must be displayed on the fuselage and, for heavier-than-air craft, on the wing underside per ICAO Annex 7.

An ATC clearance does not relieve the pilot-in-command of responsibility for terrain clearance or compliance with the applicable rules of the air.

A gas turbine compressor stage pressure ratio per stage is typically 1.2 to 1.4 for axial compressors; overall pressure ratio in modern engines reaches 30:1 to 40:1.

Bleed air for air-conditioning is normally tapped from the HP compressor at 6th to 8th stage; HP bleed is regulated by a pressure-regulating shutoff valve.

Hydraulic system pressure in transport aircraft is typically 3000 psi; the reservoir is pressurised to prevent pump cavitation at altitude.

A landing gear uplock holds the gear retracted; a downlock holds it extended; squat switches prevent retraction when weight is on wheels.

Anti-ice for wing leading edges uses hot bleed air through piccolo tubes; the system is normally controlled by a wing anti-ice valve per side.

The APU provides electrical power, bleed air for engine start and ground air-conditioning; it is normally limited to below 20 000 ft for bleed extraction.

A fuel tank inerting system (NEA) reduces oxygen concentration below 12 percent to prevent ignition in the ullage space.

A Machmeter computes M = TAS/a; the pitot-static inputs are total pressure and static pressure, with the ASI capsule and Mach capsule driven separately.

An Air Data Computer converts pitot and static pressures to altitude, CAS, TAS, Mach and temperature for display and for the autopilot.

The turn coordinator shows rate of turn via a gyro canted 30 degrees; the turn and slip indicator uses a rate gyro with the axis vertical.

The artificial horizon uses a vertical-axis gyro; erection is to the local vertical, and acceleration errors cause a false climb indication during acceleration.

A radio altimeter measures height above terrain using frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) in the 4.2-4.4 GHz band.

EFIS displays are driven by symbol generators; loss of the symbol generator blanks the associated display unit.

TCAS II issues resolution advisories (RA) in the vertical plane only; TCAS I issues traffic advisories (TA) only.

Moment = mass x arm; the CG position is total moment divided by total mass, expressed in metres from the reference datum.

The maximum zero-fuel mass (MZFM) equals maximum take-off mass minus trip fuel and taxi fuel; it limits structural loading before fuel is added.

CG limits are expressed as a forward and aft limit; the aft limit is normally structural, the forward limit is set by elevator authority and nose-wheel loading.

Adding mass aft of the CG moves the CG aft; adding mass forward of the CG moves it forward; the shift is proportional to the mass and the arm difference.

Load sheet dry operating mass (DOM) includes crew, crew baggage, catering and potable water but excludes traffic load and fuel.

The floor loading limit is expressed in kg per running metre for a given fuselage zone; exceeding it can cause structural damage even below MTOM.

A forward CG increases stall speed, increases longitudinal stability and increases fuel consumption; an aft CG decreases stability and stick force.

V1 is the decision speed; a failure before V1 allows a stop within the accelerate-stop distance, a failure after V1 allows continued take-off to 35 ft.

Balanced field length is the runway length at which accelerate-stop distance equals accelerate-go distance to 35 ft with one engine inoperative.

V2 is take-off safety speed, at least 1.13 Vsr and 1.10 Vmc; V2 is maintained to 400 ft above the take-off surface.

Landing distance required (dry) must not exceed 60 percent of the landing distance available; wet runway requires 115 percent of the dry distance.

The climb gradient required for a twin-engine transport category aircraft in the second segment is 2.4 percent; for a four-engine aircraft it is 3.0 percent.

Density altitude increases with temperature and pressure altitude; a 10 C rise above ISA reduces take-off performance by roughly 10 percent of the runway-limited mass.

VMCA is the minimum control speed in the air with one engine inoperative; VMCL applies in the landing configuration.

Trip fuel = taxi + take-off + climb + cruise + descent + approach + contingency; contingency is normally 5 percent of trip fuel.

Final reserve fuel for turbine aircraft is fuel to hold for 30 minutes at 1500 ft above destination aerodrome at holding speed.

The point of no return (PNR) is where time to destination equals time back to departure; it is computed from TAS, wind and fuel available.

Equal time point (ETP) is the point on track where time to the two alternates is equal; it depends on wind component, not on fuel alone.

Specific range (nm/kg) = TAS / fuel flow; the optimum cruise altitude maximises specific range for the current mass and temperature.

ISA temperature at FL350 is -54.3 C; deviation from ISA is the difference between actual OAT and ISA temperature at that level.

A flight plan filed under ICAO rules must be submitted at least 60 minutes before departure for IFR flights, or as prescribed by the state.

Hypoxia symptoms begin above 10 000 ft; time of useful consciousness at FL350 is 30 to 60 seconds, at FL400 it is 15 to 20 seconds.

The cabin altitude warning triggers at 10 000 ft; passenger oxygen masks deploy automatically at approximately 14 000 ft cabin altitude.

Spatial disorientation in IMC is countered by instrument cross-check; the somatogravic illusion causes a false climb sensation during acceleration.

Circadian rhythm has a period of about 24.2 hours; the body clock is entrained by light, and jet lag is worst for eastward travel.

Crew duty limits under EASA ORO.FTL: maximum 13 hours duty in a 24-hour period, 11 hours flight time, 60 hours in any 7 consecutive days.

Carbon monoxide binds haemoglobin about 240 times more strongly than oxygen; symptoms include headache, nausea and confusion.

The effects of alcohol: 0.04 percent BAC impairs judgement; EASA limits flight crew to 0.02 percent BAC or 0.2 mg/L breath.

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

The tropopause is higher over the equator (about 55 000 ft) than over the poles (about 25 000 ft); the jet stream lies near the tropopause.

QNH is the pressure reduced to sea level; the altimeter reads aerodrome elevation on the ground when QNH is set.

QFE is the pressure at the aerodrome reference point; the altimeter reads zero on the ground when QFE is set.

A cold front moves at roughly 30 to 40 kt and produces a narrow band of heavy showers, squall lines and rapid pressure rise after passage.

Fog forms when the dewpoint depression is 2 C or less and the wind is light; radiation fog dissipates after sunrise by insolation.

Icing is most likely between 0 C and -15 C in stratiform cloud; supercooled large droplets (SLD) exist in freezing drizzle and freezing rain.

Great circle distance = 60 nm per degree of arc along the great circle; the shortest route between two points on the globe is a great circle.

The rhumb line crosses all meridians at the same angle; on a Mercator chart it plots as a straight line.

Convergency of meridians = change of longitude x sin(latitude); it is used to correct headings on a Lambert conformal chart.

Magnetic variation east is subtracted from true heading to obtain magnetic heading; variation west is added.

Compass deviation is the error caused by the aircraft's own magnetic field; it is read from the deviation card for the current heading.

The 1-in-60 rule: a 1 degree track error over 60 nm produces 1 nm offset; offset = distance x error / 60.

Time = distance / groundspeed; groundspeed = TAS +/- wind component along track; crosswind component = wind speed x sin(wind angle).

VOR provides magnetic bearing from station to aircraft (radial) using phase comparison between a 30 Hz reference and a 9960 Hz variable signal.

DME measures slant range; at 30 000 ft the slant range error over a station directly below is about 3 nm.

ILS localiser frequency band is 108.10 to 111.95 MHz (odd tenths); glide path is 329.15 to 335.00 MHz and is normally 3 degrees.

A Category III ILS requires a decision height below 50 ft and RVR down to 75 m for Cat IIIb; Cat IIIc has no decision height.

NDB/ADF bearings are subject to night effect, coastal refraction, mountain effect and thunderstorm static; ADF accuracy is typically +/- 5 degrees.

GNSS RAIM predicts whether sufficient satellites are available for integrity monitoring; a RAIM hole requires an alternate navigation source.

TCAS and ACAS use Mode S interrogations; TCAS II RA commands are coordinated between aircraft to ensure complementary manoeuvres.

Take-off minima for a Category I ILS are RVR 550 m or visibility 800 m; for a non-precision approach the MDH is at least 250 ft.

An engine failure after V1 requires the memory items: maintain directional control, pitch for V2, gear up, identify and confirm, then cleanup.

A depressurisation requires an emergency descent to 10 000 ft or MSA, whichever is higher, with oxygen masks on and squawk 7700.

The emergency squawk codes are 7700 (general emergency), 7600 (radio failure) and 7500 (unlawful interference).

An approach ban applies when the reported RVR is below the applicable minimum at the outer marker or final approach fix.

A rejected take-off above 100 kt should be continued unless the aircraft is unsafe to fly; brake energy limits may be exceeded after a high-speed stop.

The sterile flight deck rule prohibits non-essential conversation and activity below 10 000 ft during taxi, take-off and landing.

Lift = CL x 0.5 x rho x V squared x S; induced drag = CDi x 0.5 x rho x V squared x S, with CDi = CL squared / (pi x AR x e).

The critical angle of attack is constant regardless of mass, speed or bank; a stall occurs when the critical angle is exceeded.

Load factor n = 1 / cos(bank angle); a 60 degree bank produces n = 2 and increases stall speed by the square root of 2 (about 41 percent).

The centre of pressure moves forward as angle of attack increases on a cambered aerofoil; the aerodynamic centre remains fixed near 25 percent chord.

Dihedral produces a lateral stability effect; too much dihedral causes Dutch roll, countered by yaw dampers.

Mach critical (Mcrit) is the free-stream Mach number at which local airflow first reaches Mach 1; sweepback increases Mcrit.

The boundary layer separates when the adverse pressure gradient exceeds the kinetic energy of the layer; vortex generators delay separation.

VHF airband frequencies are 118.000 to 136.975 MHz with 8.33 kHz channel spacing; 25 kHz spacing remains on some legacy channels.

The emergency frequency is 121.5 MHz; the military emergency frequency is 243.0 MHz; the distress call is MAYDAY repeated three times.

The urgency call is PAN PAN; the safety call is SECURITE; both are spoken three times at the start of the transmission.

Readback is mandatory for clearances, runway assignments, hold short instructions, altimeter settings and frequency changes.

The phonetic alphabet uses Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Juliett, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-ray, Yankee, Zulu.

A radio failure in IMC requires squawking 7600, continuing on the last acknowledged clearance and landing at the destination or alternate after the prescribed holding.

HF communication is used for oceanic and remote areas; SELCAL allows the crew to be alerted without monitoring the HF channel continuously.