Flight Performance and Planning 1

1. Basic Requirements for VFR Flight Planning. Air temperature, heat, physical principles, temperature measurement, heat transfer, atmospheric heating and cooling, horizontal and vertical temperature distribution and their causes.
2. Navigation Charts, Aerodrome Charts, and the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP). Temperature near the Earth's surface, surface effects, the influence of cloud cover and wind, vertical temperature distribution in the troposphere and tropopause, diurnal temperature variation, and temperature and climatic cycles.
3. Routes, Aerodromes and Flight Procedures. Temperature near the Earth's surface, surface effects, the influence of cloud cover and wind, vertical temperature distribution in the troposphere and tropopause, diurnal temperature variation, and temperature and climatic cycles.
4. Planning of Flight Levels, Speeds and Headings. Basic Navigation Calculations. Atmospheric pressure, air density, pressure measurement, vertical and horizontal pressure distribution and their causes.
5. Fuel Calculation and In-flight Fuel Monitoring. Representation of atmospheric pressure on weather charts, isobars and pressure surfaces, pressure variation with altitude, altitude measurement, QNH, QFF, QFE and QNE, the relationship between pressure, temperature and air density, pressure systems, global pressure distribution and the location of the major pressure systems.
6. Operational Flight Plan (OFP). Wind – definition and measurement, causes of wind, pressure gradient, Coriolis force, geostrophic wind, gradient wind, determination of wind speed and direction, convergence, divergence, subsidence, general atmospheric circulation, local winds, anabatic and katabatic winds, and sea and land breezes.
7. ICAO Flight Plan and Its Use for VFR Flights. Humidity – water vapour in the atmosphere, condensation, evaporation, sublimation, freezing and melting, latent heat, relative and absolute humidity, temperature/dew point, mixing ratio, adiabatic processes and cloud formation.
8. Mass and Balance. Maximum Mass Limitations. Clouds, precipitation and visibility – cloud types and classification, flight conditions in different cloud types, fog, mist and haze, types of fog and their formation, precipitation processes and types of precipitation, relationship between precipitation and cloud type, atmospheric stability, its causes and physical principles, and interpretation of upper-air observations.
9. Mass and Centre of Gravity Calculations. Forward and Aft Centre of Gravity Limits. Air masses and fronts – types and characteristics of air masses, factors affecting air mass properties, classification according to the region of origin, air mass transformation, warm fronts and associated cloud and weather conditions, the warm sector and its associated weather, cold fronts (anafronts) and associated cloud and weather conditions, weather behind a cold front, warm and cold occlusions and their associated cloud and weather conditions, movement of fronts and pressure systems, and their life cycle.
10. Effects of Aircraft Mass and Centre of Gravity Position on Flight Performance and Associated Hazards. Thunderstorms – thunderstorm structure, stages of development, thunderstorm cells, frontal and air-mass thunderstorms, conditions for formation and development, forecasting, and areas of occurrence.
11. Take-off and Climb Performance. Factors affecting take-off distance, use of flaps, performance calculations and the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM). Flight Hazards – turbulence and its effects on aircraft, wind shear, meteorological conditions, clear air turbulence (CAT) and its effects on flight, thermal turbulence, hazards in mountainous areas, vertical air movements, mountain waves, wind shear, icing, phenomena reducing visibility, reduced visibility caused by fog, mist, smoke, dust, sand and precipitation, and reduced visibility caused by blowing snow and drifting snow.
12. Cruise Performance. Range, endurance and the factors affecting them, the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM), descent and gliding performance. Meteorological Charts – significant weather (SIGWX) charts, surface charts, upper-air charts, symbols and conventions used on analysis and forecast charts.
13. Landing Performance. Required landing distance, factors affecting landing distance, use of flaps, performance calculations and the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM). Meteorological Information for Flight Planning and Flight Operations – contents and use of pre-flight meteorological preparation, meteorological briefing and consultation.