CAAP ATPL Knowledge Exam flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Transition altitude

The altitude at or below which the aircraft altitude is controlled by reference to QNH; above it the aircraft flies at flight levels referenced to standard pressure 1013.25 hPa.

Clearway

A defined rectangular area beyond the runway end, clear of obstacles, over which an aircraft may climb to 35 ft; it is added to TORA to give TODA but is not usable for ground run.

Class C airspace

Airspace in which IFR flights are separated from all other flights, while VFR flights are separated from IFR flights and receive traffic information about other VFR flights.

Hydraulic force formula

Force equals system pressure multiplied by actuator piston area; for a given pressure, a larger piston produces more force but extends more slowly for the same fluid flow.

Bypass ratio

The ratio of the mass airflow through the fan duct to the mass airflow through the engine core; higher values improve propulsive efficiency and reduce specific fuel consumption at moderate speeds.

Cabin differential pressure

The difference between cabin pressure and ambient pressure; the outflow valve modulates to keep this within structural limits while controlling cabin altitude and rate of change.

Mach number

The ratio of true airspeed to the local speed of sound; the speed of sound depends only on temperature and decreases with altitude in the troposphere.

Standard rate turn

A turn through 360 degrees in two minutes, giving a rate of 3 degrees per second; the required bank angle increases with true airspeed.

Radio altimeter

An instrument measuring height above the terrain directly below the aircraft, usually by frequency-modulated continuous wave or pulse technique, independent of barometric pressure.

CG formula

Centre of gravity position equals total moment divided by total mass; moments are calculated as each mass multiplied by its arm from the reference datum.

Zero fuel mass

The mass of the aircraft including traffic load but excluding usable fuel; it must not exceed the maximum zero-fuel mass, which is a structural limit.

Balanced field length

The runway length at which the accelerate-stop distance equals the accelerate-go distance, achieved by selecting V1 so that both distances are equal and minimised.

V2

Take-off safety speed, the speed to be attained at 35 ft above the take-off surface with one engine inoperative; it must be at least 1.13 times the all-engines stall speed for twins.

Final reserve fuel

Fuel required to hold for 30 minutes at 1500 ft above the alternate aerodrome in ISA conditions, calculated at the holding speed and mass at the end of the flight.

Equal time point

The point on track where the time to continue to destination equals the time to return to the departure point, determined by wind and true airspeed rather than fuel alone.

Time of useful consciousness

The period after loss of oxygen during which a person can still take corrective action; it falls from minutes at moderate altitude to about 30 seconds at FL 350.

Somatogravic illusion

A false sensation of pitch caused by acceleration or deceleration, because the otolith organs cannot distinguish gravity from inertial acceleration; during take-off it feels like a nose-up attitude.

Yerkes-Dodson law

Performance improves with arousal up to an optimum level and then deteriorates; complex tasks have a lower optimum arousal than simple tasks.

QNH

The altimeter setting that, when set on the subscale, makes the altimeter indicate altitude above mean sea level at the aerodrome when the aircraft is on the ground.

Carburettor icing range

Carburettor icing is most likely at ambient temperatures between about minus 5 and plus 15 degrees Celsius with high relative humidity, and can occur in clear air.

Buys Ballot law

In the northern hemisphere, with your back to the wind, low pressure lies to your left; in the southern hemisphere low pressure lies to your right.

Great circle

The shortest path between two points on the Earth's surface, formed by the intersection of the surface with a plane through the Earth's centre; all meridians are great circles.

Magnetic variation

The angle between true north and magnetic north at a given place; easterly variation is subtracted from true direction to obtain magnetic direction, westerly variation is added.

VOR radial

The magnetic bearing from the VOR station to the aircraft; the CDI is centred when the selected course matches the radial, and the TO/FROM flag resolves the ambiguity.

RAIM

Receiver autonomous integrity monitoring, a GNSS function that checks satellite signals for consistency; five satellites allow fault detection and six allow fault detection and exclusion.

ILS decision height

The height at which a missed approach must be initiated if the required visual reference is not established; CAT I uses 200 ft, CAT II 100 ft, CAT IIIa 50 ft.

Emergency descent

A rapid descent, usually after pressurisation failure, flown with oxygen masks on, transponder 7700, MAYDAY call, descending to 10 000 ft or minimum safe altitude.

Engine fire drill

Shut off fuel, bleed air and electrical supply to the affected engine, discharge the fire bottle, and land as soon as practicable; a persistent warning requires immediate landing.

Ditching technique

Land into wind and parallel to the swell with minimum rate of descent and slight nose-up attitude, then evacuate using life jackets and life rafts.

Induced drag

Drag caused by the generation of lift, proportional to the square of the lift coefficient and inversely proportional to aspect ratio; it is largest at low speed and high angle of attack.

Critical Mach number

The free-stream Mach number at which the airflow somewhere on the aerofoil first reaches Mach 1, causing shock waves, drag rise and possible buffet.

Load factor in a turn

In a level turn the load factor equals one divided by the cosine of the bank angle; at 60 degrees bank it is 2, doubling the stall speed factor to 1.41.