Oman CAA CPL(H) cheat sheet

ICAO Annex 2: a controlled flight must obtain ATC clearance before entering controlled airspace; clearance request does not imply approval.

Oman CAA CPL(H) validity is 12 months; revalidation requires a proficiency check within the 3 months preceding expiry or during the validity period.

Class A airspace is IFR only; Class G is uncontrolled and both IFR and VFR may operate with no ATC clearance.

Anti-collision lights must be on for all flights; position lights required between sunset and sunrise or when visibility is reduced.

Aircraft must carry documentation: certificate of registration, certificate of airworthiness, crew licences, journey log, and radio licence.

VFR minimum flight visibility in Class C/D airspace at and above 3050 m AMSL is 8 km; below 3050 m it is 5 km.

Right-of-way: an aircraft in distress has priority; converging traffic gives way to the aircraft on the right; a lower aircraft gives way to a higher one when landing.

Accident/incident notification to the Authority must be made without delay and a written report submitted within 72 hours where required.

Turboshaft engine: compressor, combustion chamber, turbine, and free power turbine; the free turbine drives the main rotor via the main gearbox.

Main rotor RPM is governed by the engine fuel control unit and the rotor brake must be released before start to prevent gearbox damage.

Clutch/centrifugal engagement prevents rotor drive until engine RPM reaches a threshold, protecting the drivetrain during start.

Hydraulic boost failure increases control forces; most systems have dual or redundant servos with a pressure warning light and caution.

Tail rotor drive: gearbox, drive shaft with flexible couplings, and intermediate gearbox; failure requires immediate autorotation entry.

Fuel system: check valves prevent cross-feed; fuel low-pressure warning indicates pump failure or filter blockage and requires landing as soon as practicable.

Mast bumping occurs when rotor thrust approaches zero and the hub contacts the mast; avoid low-G pushovers and negative-G manoeuvres.

Torque limits protect the gearbox; transient torque excursions above the limit require a maintenance inspection and logbook entry.

Density altitude = pressure altitude + 120 ft per °C above ISA temperature; high density altitude reduces hover and climb performance.

Hover ceiling IGE exceeds OGE because ground effect reduces induced velocity and power required by roughly 10-15% near the surface.

Weight and balance: CG must remain within the forward and aft limits for all loading states; recalculate after fuel burn.

Fuel planning: trip fuel + reserve (typically 30 min for VFR helicopters) + contingency; verify against endurance at planned power setting.

Autorotation descent rate increases with weight and density altitude; flare height and collective management determine touchdown speed.

Takeoff decision point (TDP) for Category A: allows continued takeoff if engine fails after TDP; before TDP, reject and land.

Maximum range speed is approximately the speed for minimum power required; maximum endurance occurs at minimum power speed.

Wind effect on hover: headwind reduces power required for hover; tailwind increases power and may exceed limits.

Hypoxia symptoms: euphoria, impaired judgement, cyanosis, and headache; time of useful consciousness decreases rapidly above 10,000 ft.

Spatial disorientation in IMC: rely on instruments; vestibular illusions include the leans, somatogravic, and Coriolis illusions.

Night vision: rods are used for scotopic vision and are concentrated in the peripheral retina; avoid bright light for 20-30 minutes before flight.

Fatigue degrades reaction time and decision-making; cumulative sleep debt cannot be reversed by a single short rest.

Carbon monoxide poisoning causes headache, dizziness, and cherry-red skin; suspect it when exhaust odours or heater use are present.

Stress: moderate arousal improves performance; excessive stress narrows attention and increases error rates.

Crew resource management: assertiveness, situational awareness, and closed-loop communication reduce error chains.

Alcohol: minimum 8 hours bottle-to-throttle and blood alcohol below 0.02%; effects persist after subjective sobriety.

ISA: sea level temperature 15 °C, pressure 1013.25 hPa, lapse rate 1.98 °C per 1000 ft up to the tropopause.

QNH is pressure reduced to sea level; QFE is pressure at the aerodrome reference point; QNE is standard 1013.25 hPa.

Cloud types: cumulonimbus indicates thunderstorms and severe turbulence; stratocumulus indicates stable, layered air.

Wind shear on approach: expect airspeed and vertical speed fluctuations; go-around if significant deviation occurs.

Fog forms when temperature reaches dewpoint; radiation fog forms on clear, calm nights and dissipates after sunrise.

Mountain waves produce severe turbulence and downdrafts on the lee side; lenticular clouds indicate wave activity.

Icing: carburettor ice can form at temperatures between -5 °C and +25 °C with high humidity; apply carburettor heat proactively.

Thunderstorm avoidance: do not penetrate cells; maintain at least 20 nm clearance from severe cells and avoid the anvil.

Great circle is the shortest path between two points on a sphere; rhumb line is a constant-bearing line on a Mercator chart.

True bearing = magnetic bearing + variation (east is least, west is best for converting magnetic to true).

1 minute of latitude equals 1 nautical mile; 1 minute of longitude equals 1 nm only at the equator.

Dead reckoning: track = heading + wind correction angle; ground speed = TAS ± wind component along track.

Magnetic variation changes with position and time; check chart date and annual change value.

The 1-in-60 rule: a 1 nm error at 60 nm equals 1° of track error.

Compass deviation is aircraft-specific and listed on the compass correction card; variation is geographic.

GPS provides position, track, and ground speed; RAIM integrity must be available for IFR navigation.

Before takeoff: check performance, weight and balance, fuel, weather minima, and alternate availability.

Autorotation entry: lower collective immediately, maintain airspeed for autorotation, and flare at the appropriate height.

Emergency landing: select landing area, transmit MAYDAY with position, altitude, and intentions, and secure aircraft before touchdown.

Hovering autorotation: reduce collective to maintain rotor RPM and cushion touchdown with collective at the last moment.

Fire in flight: shut off fuel, use fire extinguisher, and land as soon as possible; do not restart the engine.

Passenger briefing must cover seat belts, doors, emergency exits, and the use of headsets/communication.

Approach minima for VFR helicopters depend on visibility and cloud clearance requirements; do not descend below minima without visual reference.

Ditching: prepare for water entry, secure doors, and use flotation equipment; exit against the direction of drift.

Induced velocity decreases with forward speed, reducing induced power required up to about 60 kt where parasite drag dominates.

Translational lift occurs as forward speed increases and the rotor leaves its own downwash, improving efficiency.

Dissymmetry of lift is equalised by blade flapping and cyclic feathering; advancing blade produces more lift than retreating blade.

Retreating blade stall occurs at high speed and high weight; symptoms include pitch up, vibration, and roll toward the retreating side.

Autorotation: rotor is driven by upward airflow; maintain RPM by collective management and airspeed.

Ground effect reduces induced velocity; OGE hover requires more power and is limited by weight and density altitude.

Torque effect requires anti-torque correction; in a right-hand rotor system, the nose tends to yaw left.

Vortex ring state: descending with low forward speed and high power; recover by increasing forward speed and reducing collective.

Distress call: MAYDAY (three times) followed by callsign, position, nature of distress, and intentions.

Urgency call: PAN-PAN (three times) for urgent but non-distress situations.

Read-back required for clearances involving runway, altitude, heading, and frequency assignments.

Standard phraseology: "wilco" means will comply; "roger" means message received; "affirm" means yes.

Frequency change: contact next facility and state callsign and position; monitor 121.5 MHz for emergency.

Radio failure in controlled airspace: squawk 7600, follow lost-communication procedures, and land as soon as practicable.

Squawk codes: 7700 emergency, 7600 radio failure, 7500 unlawful interference.

Position report includes callsign, position, time, altitude, and next reporting point.

VOR provides magnetic bearing from the station; radial 090 means the aircraft is on the 090° magnetic bearing from the VOR.

NDB/ADF: the ADF needle points to the station; relative bearing plus heading equals magnetic bearing to the station.

DME provides slant range distance; error increases with altitude and is negligible at low altitude.

ILS localiser provides lateral guidance; glideslope provides vertical guidance at approximately 3°.

GPS RAIM detects and excludes faulty satellite signals; required for IFR approaches.

Transponder Mode C reports pressure altitude; verify encoding altimeter setting against QNH.

Radar vectors: maintain assigned heading and altitude until cleared otherwise; advise when able to resume own navigation.

Distance measuring: 1 nm equals 1 minute of latitude; use DME arc to intercept radial at a constant distance.