CAA NZ Basic Turbine Knowledge (Aeroplane) study plan
CAA NZ Basic Turbine Knowledge (Aeroplane) · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Turbine engine fundamentals: Brayton cycle, thrust, efficiency, and engine station numbering & Engine construction and major modules: compressor, combustor, turbine, shafts, bearings, and casings
State the four legs of the Brayton cycle and explain, in your own words, why pressure ratio and turbine entry temperature drive specific thrust and thermal efficiency.
Draw a blank engine station-number diagram (intake to exhaust) from memory and label total pressure and total temperature behaviour at each station for a high-bypass turbofan.
Distinguish gross thrust, net thrust, ram drag, propulsive efficiency and specific fuel consumption, and calculate net thrust for two simple numerical examples.
Identify the compressor, combustor, turbine, shaft, bearing and casing modules on a generic turbofan layout and state the primary function and failure consequence of each.
Explain axial versus centrifugal compressor staging, why multi-spool designs are used, and what surge and rotating stall are.
Your checkpoint
A one-page hand-drawn station-number diagram with a written 300-word explanation of cycle behaviour and thrust definitions, self-marked against your study notes.
Engine construction and major modules: compressor, combustor, turbine, shafts, bearings, and casings & Lubrication and sealing systems: oil types, tanks, pumps, filters, coolers, and seals
Describe combustor types (can, can-annular, annular) and explain primary, secondary and dilution air roles and the consequences of a rich or lean blowout.
Explain turbine blade cooling, nozzle guide vane function, blade creep and how clearance control affects efficiency.
Compare roller, ball and thrust bearings in terms of load carried, and explain how oil jets, squeeze-film dampers and bearing compartments keep them serviceable.
Trace the oil system from tank through pump, filter, cooler and scavenge returns, and state what each component protects against.
Differentiate oil types and grades used in turbine engines and explain why oil consumption monitoring and oil analysis matter.
Your checkpoint
A labelled oil-system flow diagram with a 200-word written note on each seal type (labyrinth, carbon, brush) and the consequence of each failing.
Fuel systems and controls: fuel metering, fuel control units, hydromechanical and electronic engine control (FADEC/EEC) & Ignition and starting systems: igniters, exciters, starter types, and starting malfunctions
Explain fuel metering from tank to nozzles, including boost pump, HP pump, fuel/oil heat exchanger, filter and fuel flow divider.
Distinguish hydromechanical fuel control from a FADEC/EEC system, listing what each schedules and what sensor inputs each uses.
Explain what happens on a FADEC channel failure, including reversion modes and the pilot-visible indications.
Describe exciter and igniter operation, the difference between continuous and intermittent ignition, and when each is used.
Compare air-turbine, electric and cartridge starting, and list the sequence and abort criteria for a hung start, hot start and wet start.
Your checkpoint
A written start-sequence checklist of at least 12 steps with a table of three start malfunctions, their indications, causes and the correct crew action.
Indication and monitoring: EGT, N1/N2, torque, fuel flow, vibration, and exceedance awareness & Engine performance and limitations: ratings, derates, altitude/temperature effects, and engine failure modes
Explain how EGT, N1, N2, torque, fuel flow and vibration indications are produced and what each is really telling you about engine health.
Interpret the difference between a limit exceedance and a trend shift, and state what to record and report in each case.
Define takeoff, maximum continuous and cruise ratings, and explain flat rating, derate and assumed temperature thrust reduction.
Calculate the effect of increasing altitude and outside air temperature on available thrust and EGT margin for two worked examples.
Describe common failure modes: compressor surge, blade distress, bearing failure, fuel control malfunction and FOD, with the indications each produces.
Your checkpoint
A one-page exceedance decision aid: indication, likely cause, immediate action, maintenance reporting requirement, completed without notes.
Turbine engine fundamentals: Brayton cycle, thrust, efficiency, and engine station numbering & Propulsion system operation: thrust management, reverse thrust, and engine handling limitations
Re-derive the Brayton cycle relationships and explain how they underpin the thrust management limits you apply in the cockpit.
Explain thrust lever to thrust relationship, including how FADEC protects N1, N2 and EGT limits during acceleration and deceleration.
Describe reverse thrust operation: cascade versus target type, deployment logic, interlock and inhibit conditions, and the risks of asymmetric or inadvertent deployment.
State the engine handling limitations for ground operation, including idle times, warm-up, cool-down and the reasons for each.
Explain crossbleed start, bleed configuration effects on thrust and the handling implications of bleed air use.
Your checkpoint
A written 400-word briefing on reverse thrust and engine handling limits, checked against the type's limitations, with three self-written exam-style questions and answers.
Auxiliary and accessory systems: APU, bleed air, anti-ice, and accessory gearbox drives & Maintenance, airworthiness, and defect reporting for turbine aeroplanes
Explain APU function, start sequence, bleed and electrical load roles, and the limitations on APU bleed and altitude operation.
Trace bleed air from engine to air-conditioning, anti-ice and pressurisation, and explain what happens to thrust and EGT when bleed is taken.
Describe accessory gearbox drives and how a gearbox or accessory failure presents in the cockpit.
Summarise the maintenance and airworthiness framework for turbine aeroplanes: scheduled inspections, borescope checks, life-limited parts and continued airworthiness requirements.
Explain how to write a defect report that is specific, accurate and useful, and what makes a report unhelpful.
Your checkpoint
Two complete defect reports written for realistic scenarios (high EGT trend, oil consumption rise), each with symptom, conditions, action taken and requested inspection.
Safety, human factors, and operational knowledge relevant to turbine engine handling & Propulsion system operation: thrust management, reverse thrust, and engine handling limitations
Identify the human factors most relevant to engine handling: fatigue, distraction, complacency, confirmation bias and normalisation of deviance.
Explain how checklist discipline, cross-checking and sterile periods reduce engine-related error.
Describe the safety defences around engine ground operations, including intake and exhaust danger zones, FOD control and jet blast.
Apply threat and error management to a start, a takeoff and a rejected takeoff scenario involving an engine abnormality.
Explain the reporting culture around engine events and why near-miss reporting matters.
Your checkpoint
A written one-page case analysis of an engine-related incident you construct yourself, identifying the threats, errors, defences and what you would report.
Turbine engine fundamentals: Brayton cycle, thrust, efficiency, and engine station numbering & Engine construction and major modules: compressor, combustor, turbine, shafts, bearings, and casings & Fuel systems and controls: fuel metering, fuel control units, hydromechanical and electronic engine control (FADEC/EEC) & Engine performance and limitations: ratings, derates, altitude/temperature effects, and engine failure modes
Consolidate all eleven domains by mapping each to the questions you most often get wrong in practice.
Complete a timed 60-question mixed mock under exam conditions and record your score per domain.
Re-study your two weakest domains and rewrite your own summary notes for them.
Explain aloud, without notes, the complete path from fuel in the tank to thrust at the nozzle, covering control, ignition, indication and limits.
Write your own 10-question self-test on the highest-risk topics and answer it correctly.
Your checkpoint
A mock exam score sheet by domain, plus a revised one-page master summary covering the full fuel-to-thrust path.
Milestones
Week 2: You can draw the engine station diagram and the oil-system flow diagram from memory, and correctly explain the function of every labelled component without referring to notes.
Week 4: You score at least 70 percent on a self-written 30-question test drawn from domains 1, 2, 4 and 8, and you can state the correct crew action for a hot start, hung start and EGT exceedance without hesitation.
Week 6: You can explain APU bleed limits, the thrust cost of bleed air, and the defect-reporting requirements for a turbine aeroplane, and your two written defect reports are specific enough that another engineer could act on them.
Week 8: You score at least 80 percent overall on the timed 60-question mock, with no single domain below 60 percent, and you can deliver the fuel-to-thrust explanation aloud in under five minutes without notes.