CAA NZ AME Radio flashcards
CAA NZ AME Radio · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Part 66 AME licence
- New Zealand Civil Aviation Rule Part 66 sets the requirements for aircraft maintenance engineer licences, including categories, knowledge, experience and certification privileges for avionics and radio systems work.
- B2 avionics category
- The Part 66 AME licence category covering avionics maintenance and certification, including communication, navigation, radar, autoflight and indicating systems on endorsed aircraft types.
- Type endorsement
- An aircraft type entered on an AME licence record; certification privileges for radio and radar maintenance apply only to types so endorsed, not to the category alone.
- Aircraft station licence
- A radiocommunications authorisation, administered under New Zealand's radio spectrum regime, permitting the aircraft's radio transmitting equipment to operate on assigned aeronautical frequencies.
- Maintenance release
- A certification, signed by an appropriately licensed AME, stating that maintenance on the radio or avionics system has been completed in accordance with approved data and the aircraft is fit for release to service.
- Approved maintenance data
- Documentation such as the AMM, CMM, service bulletins or design approvals that specifies how radio and avionics tasks must be performed; certification requires working to such data.
- Part 43 maintenance records
- New Zealand rule requiring maintenance to be recorded with description of work, references, date and certifying engineer identity and licence details, supporting later airworthiness verification.
- Continuation training
- Recurrent training and experience required under Part 66 to keep avionics knowledge and certification currency current, particularly for new radio, radar and software-equipped systems.
- VHF communication band
- Aircraft VHF communications use the 118.000–136.975 MHz band with 8.33 kHz or 25 kHz channel spacing; AME knowledge includes transceiver operation, antenna matching and cable loss effects.
- VHF antenna VSWR
- Voltage standing wave ratio measures impedance match between transmitter, feedline and antenna; high VSWR indicates reflection, reducing radiated power and risking transmitter damage.
- Coaxial cable loss
- Signal attenuation per unit length in the antenna feedline, increasing with frequency; excessive loss reduces received signal and effective radiated power, so cable type and length matter.
- HF communication band
- High frequency aeronautical communications use roughly 2–30 MHz for long-range oceanic contact, relying on ionospheric propagation and requiring antenna coupler tuning to the selected frequency.
- Antenna coupler tuning
- An automatic impedance-matching unit that tunes the HF antenna system to the selected frequency; failure to tune prevents transmission and is a common HF troubleshooting focus.
- VOR principle
- VHF omnidirectional range provides bearing from a ground station by comparing a rotating variable-phase signal with a reference signal; the airborne receiver resolves the phase difference into a radial.
- ILS localiser
- The instrument landing system component transmitting in the 108–112 MHz band to provide lateral guidance to the runway centreline, received and displayed by the aircraft's navigation receiver.
- ILS glidepath
- The vertical guidance element of ILS, transmitting around 329–335 MHz to define a descent angle to the runway, typically three degrees, received by the glideslope receiver.
- DME operation
- Distance measuring equipment measures slant range by timing the round trip of pulse pairs between aircraft interrogator and ground transponder, displayed as nautical miles to the station.
- Transponder Mode A/C
- A secondary surveillance radar transponder replies with identification code (Mode A) and pressure altitude (Mode C) when interrogated, enabling ground identification and altitude display.
- Mode S transponder
- A selective-address secondary surveillance radar transponder replying to discrete interrogations, supporting data link, traffic awareness and reduced interference compared with Mode A/C.
- TCAS system
- Traffic alert and collision avoidance system interrogates nearby transponders, computes closure and issues traffic advisories and resolution advisories to pilots; it is independent of ground radar.
- Weather radar
- Airborne radar transmitting pulses and measuring reflected energy to display precipitation intensity and range; returns depend on droplet size and reflectivity, with attenuation affecting range.
- Radar antenna stabilisation
- A gyro or electronically driven mount that keeps the weather radar antenna stabilised relative to the horizon during aircraft pitch and roll, preserving accurate azimuth and tilt references.
- Radar tilt control
- Antenna elevation adjustment on weather radar; incorrect tilt causes ground clutter or misses weather returns, so tilt is set according to altitude and range of interest.
- Radio altimeter
- A frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar measuring height above terrain, typically up to about 2500 feet, feeding displays and systems such as autoland and terrain awareness.
- GNSS receiver
- Equipment receiving satellite navigation signals to compute position, velocity and time; aviation receivers use augmentation or receiver autonomous integrity monitoring for required integrity.
- RAIM
- Receiver autonomous integrity monitoring uses redundant satellite measurements to detect and, where possible, exclude faulty signals, determining whether navigation integrity is sufficient for the intended operation.
- Electromagnetic interference
- Unwanted electromagnetic energy coupling into radio or navigation receivers, degrading performance; sources include portable electronics, faulty wiring and poor shielding or bonding.
- Bonding and shielding
- Low-impedance electrical connections and conductive shielding that control current return paths and contain radiated fields, preventing interference and ensuring antenna systems function correctly.
- Static dischargers
- Devices fitted to trailing edges that bleed accumulated static charge into the air, reducing precipitation static noise and interference in communication and navigation receivers.
- ELT testing
- Emergency locator transmitter checks are performed on a specified frequency and limited duration to avoid false alerts; testing procedures and intervals follow approved data and regulations.
- Software and database loading
- Loading navigation databases or avionics software requires approved data, correct part numbers and verification; error here affects navigation accuracy and must be recorded and signed.
- Human factors in avionics
- Knowledge of fatigue, distraction, complacency and documentation discipline applied to avionics maintenance, where complex wiring, software loading and system testing create error opportunities.