Flight Performance & Planning Flashcards
Airworthiness documents
Certificate of Registration
Certificate of Airworthiness
Flight Manual
Maintenance Documents
Certificate of Airworthiness - validity
Non-expiring but requires aircraft to be maintained and operated as laid out
Flight Manual
- Nature
- CAA reqs.
Forms part of the CofA
Needs to be approved by CAA and they may issue a Flight Manual Supplement to amend the original
Name of booklet derived from flight manual
Expanded Checklist
Main maintenance requirement
CAA approved maintenance schedule
e.g. Light Aircraft Maintenance Schedule (LAMS)
Typical maintenance schedule (4)
- Scheduled annual inspection
- 100 hour (or 150 hour) inspections
- 50 hour (or 6 month if earlier) inspections
- daily preflight inspection (check A)
Document to record that light aircraft is properly maintained
- Which aircraft
- Regularity
Certificate of Maintenance Review for craft below 2,730kg
Issued every 12 months
Certificate after maintenance or inspections
Who issues it?
Certificate of Release to Service
Issued by licensed engineer after maintenance or inspections
Where is info on defects and repairs recorded?
Technical log
What repairs can pilot carry out?
Specified list in ANO(GEN), items like bulbs, tyres, fabric, safety belts, spark plugs
50 hour check exception
Pilot can carry out 50 hour check on private aircraft, subject to only doing work on the allowed list.
Additional requirement for adjustments to flight controls or engine controls
Duplicate inspection
Person who made the adjustment and an independent competent person
Additional aircraft documentation (4)
Noise Certificate
Certificate of Approval of Radio Installation
Aircraft Radio Licence
Weight and COG schedule
2 types of mass limitation
Structural
Performance
MTOM
- Stands for
- Limitation type
- Where it is recorded
- AKA
Maximum Take Off Mass
Structural Limitation
Recorded in FM and CofA
AKA MBRM (Max. Brake Release Mass)
MLM
- Stands for
- Where it is recorded
- Relative to MTOM
Maximum landing mass
Recorded in FM and CofA
Less than MTOM as forces are greater in landing than take off
MZFM
- Stands for
- Relevance
Maximum Zero Fuel Mass
Greater bending of wings with zero fuel, more important for larger aircraft
V(NE)
Never exceed
Red line, highest extent of allowable speed
V(NO)
Normal operations
Max cruising speed
Speeds between V(NO) and V(NE)
Safe in normal conditions but gusts could overstress the frame
V(FE)
Flaps extended
Maximum speed at which flaps can be extended
V(S0)
Stall speed will full flap
V(S1)
Stall speed with flaps up
V(A) or V(MAN)
Aerobatic or manoeuvring speed
Speed at which full application of any control is safe - may depend on weight
V(LO) and V(LE)
Which is greater?
Maximum speeds for flying with landing gear operating (LO) or extended (LE)
V(LO) < V(LE) as landing gear is weaker when gear isn’t locked out
V(B)
What is it?
2 alternative identifiers
Turbulence Penetration Speed
Also V(TURB) or V(RA) (rough air)
What is Vx?
Best angle of climb speed
Velocity/Load Factor Chart
ISA
- Stands for
- Definition
International Standard Atmosphere
15C @ AMSL
1013.2 hPa
Relationship between temperature/pressure and altitude
30ft altitude = 1hPa
1000ft altitude = 2degC
Pressure altitude
Altitude showing with pressure set to 1013
Density altitude
Pressure altitude adjusted for difference between outside temperature and ISA temp (at current altitude)
What are the CAA factoring rates for safety margin on TO/L distances?
1.33 TO
1.43 L
Which light aircraft classes include TO/L factoring rates already?
Class C and D already include factoring
Class E (typical training aircraft) does not
When is it mandatory to utilise the safety factoring in TO/L?
Public Transport flight
Highly recommended for all other flights
TOSS
- Stands for
- Alternative designation
- Definition
Take off safety speed
Also referred to as V(2)
At least 1.2 x V(S)
This is the speed used for TO performance calculations
Measured Take Off Distance definition
Acceleration from standing still at full power up to 50ft climb at TOSS
Ground Run definition
Distance to point of lift-off at the lift-off speed
Impact of clean wing (no flap) on takeoff profile
Ground run will be longer, but take off distance may be similar as climb performance will improve once airborne
Take off distance factors
- Weight
- Tailwind
- Density Altitude
- Slope
Weight: +10% ==> +20%
Tailwind: +10% LOS ==> +20%
Density Altitude: +1000ft ==> +10%
+10C ==> 10%
Slope: 2% up ==> +20%
Take off surface factors
- Limit
- Short Dry
- Short Wet
- Long Dry
- Long Wet
Limit is 10 inches
Short dry ==> +20%
Short wet ==> +25%
Long dry ==> +25%
Long wet ==> +30%
Impact of humidity on performance
Higher humidity reduces aircraft performance
Limit on TODA relative to TORA
TODA not to exceed 1.5 x TORA
Landing distance definition
Relevant speed
Landing distance measured from 50ft above ground to full stop
Speed at least 1.3 x V(S) used, called V(REF) - reference speed
Adjustments to headwind/tailwind in adjustment factors for TO/L
Reduced headwind by 50%, increase tailwind by 50%
Landing distance factors
- Weight
- Tailwind
- Density Altitude
- Slope
Weight: +10% ==> +10%
Tailwind: 10% of LS ==> +5%
Density Altitude: +1000ft ==> +5%
+10C ==> +5%
Slope: 2% down ==> +10%
Landing surface factors
- Short Dry
- Short Wet
- Long Dry
- Long Wet
- Snow
Short Dry ==> +20%
Short Wet ==> +30%
Long Dry ==> +30%
Long Wet ==> +40%
Snow ==> At least 25%
Very short wet grass with firm subsoil - adjustment factor
+60%
Chart showing power required and power available as a function of airspeed
Effect of flaps on power chart
Effect of density altitude on power chart
Explanation of power required vs airspeed relationship
Power required relates directly to drag which is high at both low speed and high speed and lowest at some point in between
Explanation of power available vs airspeed relationship
Increased speed increases flow of air into the engine, increasing the potential fuel delivery and thus engine power
Determining best range and best endurance speeds (chart)
Explanation of best range speed
Maximise speed/power ratio.
In other words, maximising rate of distance achieved per unit of fuel burned in a given time period
Explanation of best endurance speed
Simply the minimum power required point on the curve, equivalent to the minimum drag point on curve
Effect of headwind on best range speed
Best range based on airspeed is less relevant as headwind increases (ground distance matters, not “air distance”)
Spending less time in the air reduces the negative impact of headwind on ground speed
Empty mass
Fixed equipment + Unusable fuel + Unusable oil
Basic Empty mass
Fixed equipment + Unusable fuel + Full oil
Which mass is used in load calculations?
Basic mass used in load calculations as full oil more realistic
Operating mass
Determined by manufacturer.
Doesn’t include useable fuel but definitions vary so not used in calculations.
Zero fuel mass
Everything (including passengers, cargo etc.) but no useable fuel
Gross mass
Everything including fuel
TOM/MTOM
Take off mass
Maximum take off mass
LM/MLM
Landing mass
Maximum landing mass
Structural vs performance mass limits
Structural limits (MTOM/MLM) will be included in FM, CofA etc.
Performance mass limits may be lower depending on conditions (runway conditions, density altitude etc.)
RTOM
- Stands for
- Definition
Regulated Take off mass
Lower of MTOM and performance adjusted MTOM
Maximum Ramp Mass
Maximum mass pre-taxi
Assumed fuel burned during taxi
Specific gravity of Avgas (100 LL)
0.72
Specific gravity of oil
(Synthetic & Mineral)
Synthetic - 0.96
Mineral - 0.92
What is an index unit?
Standard unit of moment force
1IU = 1,000 kg mm
or 1,000 lb in
CoG checks to perform before flight
Check CoG with TOM and ZFM and confirm both within acceptable envelope
Effects of forward CoM (2)
More stability, less control
Moment against CoL pitches nose downwards, requiring downwards force from stabiliser, thus requiring more lift from wings and higher AoA.
Therefore more induced drag.
Definition of performance classifications:
Normal, Utility, Aerobatic
Normal - No aerobatics or spinning, max 60 degree bank
Utility - Spinning but no aerobatics, max 90 degree bank
Aerobatic - All items in flight manual
Wake turbulence - impact of flap on vortex generation
Flap lowers angle of attack therefore reduces production of wind vortices
Avoiding wake turbulence on TO/L
On take off, start at end of runway so you rotate before where the larger aircraft did.
On landing, aim for a landing (flare) point further along runway then larger craft used.
Avoiding wake turbulence in the cruise/circuit
Stay at least 200ft above or 1,000ft below altitude of larger craft
Worst wind conditions for wake turbulence
Nil/low winds
Ground effect - rough area it is active in
1 wing span from ground
Effects of ground effect (3)
Lower induced drag
Reduced wing vortices
Increase in C(LIFT)
Impact of weight on gliding range
No impact
Time required between flight plan submission and taxi for VFR
60 mins
Time required for FIR boundary ICAO flight plan before taxi
30 mins
Flight plan information format
Code for type of information (e.g. EET estimated elapsed time) then “/” then the information
e.g. EET/EGBA0130 means estimated elapsed time to EGBA is 1hr30
Flight plan date format
YYMMDD
Flight plan altitude format
e.g. 4,500 altitude
A045
Flight plan total EET definition
Brakes off to overhead destination
Flight plan: altitude info for VFR flight expecting to change levels
VFR
