CAA NZ CPL Theory - Principles of Flight & Aircraft Performance study plan
CAA NZ CPL Theory - Principles of Flight & Aircraft Performance · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 6 hours per week
Principles of Flight
Define the four forces in steady flight and state how each changes with angle of attack
Explain how the lift coefficient varies with angle of attack up to and beyond the stall
Derive the relationship between lift, dynamic pressure, wing area and lift coefficient and use it to compare two aircraft states
Interpret a simple lift curve and identify the critical angle of attack on it
Your checkpoint
A one-page annotated lift curve with the four forces labelled and a written explanation of the stall point in 150 words
Principles of Flight
Describe how centre of pressure movement affects pitch stability as angle of attack changes
Explain static and dynamic stability about all three axes and identify the design features that provide each
Distinguish dihedral effect, keel effect and fin contribution to lateral-directional stability
Calculate load factor in a level turn at given bank angles using n = 1/cos(bank)
Your checkpoint
A table of load factors for 30, 45, 60 and 75 degrees bank, with a 200-word note on why stall speed rises with bank angle
Principles of Flight
Explain induced drag, form drag and interference drag and rank them by speed regime
Describe the drag curve and identify the speed for minimum drag and the speed for minimum power required
Explain how flap extension changes lift, drag and the stall speed
Describe the causes and symptoms of a spin and the recovery sequence for a light twin or single
Your checkpoint
A hand-drawn drag curve against airspeed with minimum drag and minimum power points marked and a 200-word explanation of the region of reversed command
Principles of Flight & Aircraft Performance
Explain how density altitude changes take-off distance, climb rate and true airspeed
Convert between indicated, calibrated and true airspeed using given conditions
State the effects of mass on stall speed, climb performance and take-off run
Describe how wind, slope and surface condition alter take-off and landing distances
Your checkpoint
A worked performance comparison for the same aircraft at sea level and at 8,000 ft density altitude, with all four factors quantified
Aircraft Performance
Extract take-off and landing distances from a representative performance chart for given mass, altitude, wind and temperature
Calculate climb gradient and rate of climb from given data and convert gradient to a climb angle
Determine the effect of an obstacle on required take-off distance and identify the limiting factor
Explain the difference between the net and gross climb gradient and why the margin exists
Your checkpoint
A completed performance worksheet with four different take-off scenarios and the limiting factor identified for each
Weight and Balance & Loading and Performance Limitations
Define empty mass, basic empty mass, maximum take-off mass and payload and state how each is used
Calculate the centre of gravity position in millimetres from the datum and as a percentage of mean aerodynamic chord
Determine whether a loading is within the forward and aft centre of gravity limits
Explain how an aft centre of gravity affects stability and how a forward centre of gravity affects rotation and trim
Your checkpoint
A load sheet for one aircraft with three loading variations, each checked against the centre of gravity envelope with a pass or fail verdict
Flight Planning and Fuel & Loading and Performance Limitations
Calculate fuel required for a flight including taxi, trip, reserve and contingency fuel
Convert fuel volume to mass using density and apply the correct density for the fuel grade
Explain how an overloaded or out-of-limits aircraft changes take-off, climb and landing performance
State the regulatory or operational limits that constrain loading and describe how to apply them in practice
Your checkpoint
A full flight fuel plan for a 2.5-hour cross-country with reserves, plus a one-page summary of loading limits and their performance consequences
Principles of Flight & Aircraft Performance & Weight and Balance & Flight Planning and Fuel & Loading and Performance Limitations
Recall the key definitions and formulas from all five domains without notes
Complete a timed mixed set of questions covering all domains and review every error
Re-work the weakest two domains identified by the timed set
Summarise the ten most common calculation traps in the syllabus
Your checkpoint
A timed mock result with an error log listing every mistake, its cause and the corrected method
Milestones
Week 2: Can state the lift formula from memory and correctly calculate load factor for any bank angle without reference
Week 4: Can explain density altitude effects on all four performance factors and pass a self-set 20-question check at 80 percent or better
Week 6: Can produce a compliant load sheet and centre of gravity check in under 20 minutes with no arithmetic errors
Week 8: Scores at least 80 percent on a timed mixed mock across all five domains, with every error logged and corrected