This analysis covered the 12 months from November 2004 to November 2005.

This document was produced to inform flight instructors, pilots and student pilots of the weak knowledge areas on written examinations for flight crew licences and permits.

Exam topics in which a mark below 50% was obtained, were considered to be weak knowledge areas.

The analysis is presented where there are sufficient examinations completed to provide useful results.

• Recreational Pilot Permit - Aeroplane (RPPAE)
• Private Pilot Licence - Aeroplane (PPAER)
• Commercial Pilot Licence - Aeroplane (CPAER)
• Commercial Pilot Licence - Helicopter (CPHEL)
• Airline Transport Pilot - Aeroplane (SARON)
• Airline Transport Pilot - Aeroplane (SAMRA)
• Airline Transport Pilot - Helicopter (HARON)
• Airline Transport Pilot - Helicopter (HAMRA)
• Instrument Rating - Aeroplane (INRAT)
• Instrument Rating - Helicopter (INRAT)
• Type Rating - Aeroplane (IATRA)
• Flight Instructor Rating - Aeroplane (AIRAF)

Recreational Pilot Permit - Aeroplane (RPPAE)

Personnel Licensing and Training

• Recency requirements

General Operating and Flight Rules

• IFR or VFR flight in class F airspace
• IFR flight in Class A, B, C, D, E or F airspace
• Airspace dimensions and Classification
• Fuel requirements
• Seat- and safety-belt requirements

Air Traffic Services and Radio Procedures

• Clearances, instructions

Theory of Flight

• Stalling angle, level flight, climbing and descending turns, spins

Radio Navigation

• Airspace - requirement for altitude encoding

Meteorology - Theory

• Pressure systems and their variations, characteristics
• Clouds - associated precipitation and turbulence
• Frontal weather at a cold front

Meteorology - Practical

• Measurement of cloud heights in aerodrome forecasts (TAF) and graphic area forecasts (GFA)

Aircraft Operations

• Take-off distance
• Handling techniques while taxiing
• Aeroplane manoeuvres - stalls, incipient spins, spinning

Human Factors

• Toxic hazards - carbon monoxide

Private Pilot Licence - Aeroplane (PPAER)

Aeronautics Act / General Provisions

• Interpretation - night

Aerodrome and Airport

• Canadian Runway Friction Index (CRFI)

Aircraft Engines and Airframes

• Impact icing

Flight Instruments

• Calculating indicated altitude after a pressure change

Theory of Flight

• Principles of flight - stalling angle, level flight, climbing and descending turns, spins

Navigation - General and Flight Planning

• Calculation of indicated, calibrated and true airspeed

Meteorology - Theory

• Heating and cooling of the atmosphere
• Evaporation cooling - virga

Meteorology - Practical

• Pilot weather reports (PIREP)

Aircraft Operations

• Gliding distance - gliding for range / airspeed adjustment for headwind or tailwind
• Landing distance

Human Factors

• Limitations of the senses - visual (day and night), vision / visual scanning techniques, flicker vertigo

Commercial Pilot Licence - Aeroplane (CPAER)

Aerodrome and Airport

• Markings

General Operating and Flight Rules

• Right of way, IFR in visual meteorological conditions (VMC)

Flight Instruments

• Slaved gyro / magnetic compass - principles of operation
• Artificial horizon / principles of operation

Theory of Flight

• Balance of forces in flight - level cruise, climbing, descending
• Induced drag
• Coefficient of lift
• Effect of sweepback on aircraft
• Stability and Mach number

Navigation - General and Flight Planning

• Calculation of indicated, calibrated and true airspeed

Meteorology - Theory

• Heating and cooling of the atmosphere
• Evaporation cooling - virga

Meteorology - Practical

• Pilot weather reports (PIREP)

Aircraft Operations

• Gliding distance - gliding for range / airspeed adjustment for headwind or tailwind
• Landing distance

Human Factors

• Limitations of the senses - visual (day and night), vision / visual scanning techniques, flicker vertigo

Commercial Pilot Licence - Helicopter (CPHEL)

Commercial Air Services / Private-Operators

• Flight crew member qualifications

Flight Instruments

• Errors, altimeter setting procedures during abnormally high-pressure weather conditions

Radio Navigation

• VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) / distance measuring equipment (DME)

Meteorology - Practical

• Aerodrome forecasts (TAF)
• Prognostic surface chart

Human Factors

• The decision-making process

Airline Transport Pilot - Aeroplane (SARON)

Aeronautics Act / General Provisions

• Carriage of explosives or dangerous goods on board an aircraft

General Operation and Flight Rules

• Overflight of built-up area or open-air assemblies of persons during takeoff, approach and landing
• Maintenance release and elementary work

Flight Instruments

• Effect of a blocked pitot tube

Aircraft Operations

• Thunderstorm avoidance - rules of thumb / penetration techniques
• Emergencies - during takeoff, go / no-go decisions
• Use of oxygen
• Smoke removal (pressurized aircraft)
• Propeller overspeed

Airline Transport Pilot - Aeroplane (SAMRA)

Meteorology - Theory

• Tropopause
• Clouds - types and recognition
• Wind - jet streams - composition, altitude and seasonal variances
• Icing - amount of supercooled water in cloud

Meteorology - Practical

• Aviation weather reports / automated weather observation system (AWOS) - principles of operation, decoding and interpretation

Airline Transport Pilot Licence - Helicopter (HARON)

Aircraft Engines and Airframes

• Bleed air services

Theory of Flight

• Vortex ring state

Aircraft Operations

• Hovering / ground cushion effect / effects of induced drag/ profile drag

Airline Transport Pilot Licence - Helicopter (HAMRA)

Meteorology - Theory

• Air masses affecting North America, and associated weather conditions

Instrument Rating - Aeroplane (INRAT)

General Operating and Flight Rules

• Fuel requirement
• Alternate aerodrome weather minima
• Descent out of controlled airspace
• Procedures to be followed should the primary approach facility or instruments fail while conducting an approach

Radio Navigation

• Stormscope

Instrument Rating - Helicopter (INRAT)

Personnel Licensing and Training

• Recency requirements

General Operating and Flight Rules

• IFR or VFR flight in Class F airspace
• IFR flight in Class A, B, C, D, E or F airspace
• Airspace dimension and classification
• Fuel requirements
• Seat- and safety-belt requirements
• Alternate aerodrome weather minima
• Standard instrument departure (SID)
• Descent out of controlled airspace
• Missed approach procedure (MAP)
• Class B airspace
• Flight planning - selecting an alternate aerodrome
• IFR departure from an uncontrolled airport
• Approach clearance
• Procedures to be followed should the primary approach facility or instruments fail while conducting an approach

Air Traffic Services and Radio Procedures

• Minimum fuel advisory

Flight Instruments

• Magnetic compass - errors / turning, acceleration and deceleration

Navigation - General and Flight Planning

• Magnetic heading, magnetic track and ground speed

Radio Navigation

• Weather radar - principles of operation
• Global Positioning System (GPS) - operational requirements, interpretation, orientation, tracking, intercepting pre-determined tracks

Meteorology - Theory

• Icing - types and formation

Meteorology - Practical

• Significant weather prognostic

Aircraft Operations

• Effect of changes in torque on pitch and roll - instrument readings

Type Rating - Aeroplane (IATRA)

Navigation - General and Flight Planning

• Calculation of indicated, calibrated and true airspeed

Flight Instructor Rating - Aeroplane (AIRAF)

Personnel Licensing and Training

• Recency requirements
• Private Pilot Licence / privileges and requirements
• Flight test record

Flight Instrument

• Airspeed indicator / errors - lag

Theory of Flight

• Balance of forces in flight - level cruise, climbing, descending

Radio Navigation

• Automatic direction finder (ADF) - inaccuracies and limitations, night effect

Meteorology - Theory

• Altimeter setting

Human Factors

• Aviation physiology / hearing