Flight Planning

Question 1

Basic Empty Mass (BEM)

Answer 1

Airframe, oil, unusable fuel and necessary equipment for all roles of the aeroplane.

Question 2

Variable load (VL)

Answer 2

Weight of crew, their equipment and baggage, food etc.

Question 3

Dry operating mass (DOM)

Answer 3

Sum of BEM and VL
Total mass of aeroplane before useable fuel and traffic load
[Operating mass - OM, is DOM plus fuel, but no traffic load]

Question 4

Traffic Load

Answer 4

Payload plus non-revenue load

Question 5

Useful Load

Answer 5

Traffic Load + Fuel

Question 6

Zero-fuel mass (ZFM)

Answer 6

DOM + traffic load

Question 7

Ramp Mass

Answer 7

Mass at ramp, includes fuel, traffic load, everything!
= Operating Mass + Traffic Load
= Zero fuel mass + Total fuel

Question 8

Brake release weight

Answer 8

Maximum TAKEOFF weight (i.e. release brakes at start of takeoff run).
Includes all fuel EXCEPT TAXI!

Question 9

LSS formula

Answer 9

38.94 x sqrt(K)

Question 10

Minimum IFR Obstacle Clearance

Answer 10

At least 1000ft above any obstacle within 8km
High terrain (6000ft): increase to 2000ft

Question 11

Non-precision vs precision approaches

Answer 11

Precision have minima below 250ft
Non-precision is 2D only.
Note: Use of DA (instead of MDA) in RNAV terminology doesn’t imply precision approach.

Question 12

Type A & B approaches

Answer 12

Type A: >250ft DA
Type B: <250ft DA

Question 13

Who can do Cat II/III approaches?

Answer 13

Requires specific training.
No law that demands captain only, but likely to be an operational rule.

Question 14

What is “my” landing minima?
Minima for DA42?
For A320?

Answer 14

My minima is Cat I (ME-IR allows descent to 200ft).
DA42 doesn’t have equipment necessary for Cat II or above, so Cat I.
A320 can do Cat IIIB (no aircraft has certification for Cat IIIC).

Question 15

Minimum visual reference to continue below DA/MDA

Answer 15

Cat II/III: 3 consecutive lights
Other: Any major runway lighting element (threshold, runway etc.)

Question 16

Approach type diagram

Answer 16

Question 17

Minimum satellites for RAIM

Answer 17

5

Question 18

When to declare fuel issues to ATC

Answer 18

MIGHT land below FRF - “PAN PAN, minimum fuel”
WILL land below FRF - “MAYDAY”

Question 19

Block fuel

Answer 19

AKA ramp fuel: the total fuel loaded
- Taxy fuel
- Trip fuel
Reserve fuel
+ Contingency fuel
+ Alternate fuel
+ Final reserve fuel
+ Additional fuel (if required)
- Extra fuel (at discretion)

Question 20

Contingency Fuel

Answer 20

Greater of A or B, where A is one of:
i) 5% of trip fuel
ii) 3% of trip (or remaining trip) fuel if there is an en-route alternate

B - 5 mins @ holding speed at 1500ft above destination aerodrome

Question 21

Alternate Fuel

Answer 21

Fuel for a MISSED APPROACH at destination, then full trip from MAPt @ destination to landing @ alternate (furthest of 2 alternates if you NEED 2, due to bad weather/no weather info @ destination).

Question 22

Number of destination alternates needed

Answer 22

Zero if all of:
- Trip < 6hrs
- Destination has 2 runways
- Destination weather 1hr either side of ETA is cloud base over 2000ft & 5km visibility
BUT need an extra 15 mins final reserve

2 if weather insufficient at destination (or no weather info)

Question 23

Additional fuel

Answer 23

Depends on the operation, for special items like mid Atlantic depressurisation.
If no alternate is nominated additional fuel must have 15 mins @ holding speed, 1500ft over destination.
If existing fuel covers requirements, no additional required.

Question 24

Final reserve
- description
- amount

Answer 24

An amount of fuel that should always be left on the aircraft on landing
30 min holding @ 1,500ft
EXCEPT if no destination alternate, need 45 mins

Question 25

Extra Fuel

Answer 25

Captains discretion

Question 26

Island reserve

Answer 26

Additional fuel required for arrival at island or other isolated airfield Could also be referred to as an INCREASE in Final Reserve/Additional fuel.

Question 27

Specific Air Range

Answer 27

SAR = TAS / Fuel flow = NAM / lb fuel

Question 28

Specific Ground Range

Answer 28

SAR = GS / Fuel flow = NM / lb fuel

Question 29

Ground Fuel Flow

Answer 29

Version of SAR based on ground speed rather than TAS (more useful) GFF = Fuel flow / GS = (lb fuel/hr) / (NGM/hr) = lb fuel / NGM

Question 30

SAR vs GFF

Answer 30

SAR is a range, we want it to be big. GFF is the fuel used, we want it to be small.

Question 31

Critical fuel reserve

Answer 31

Fuel required for diversion following depressurisation.

Question 32

Reduced Contingency Fuel (RCF) procedure

Answer 32

Define a decision point (DP) and a "destination 2" refuelling aerodrome. Minimum fuel then the greater of 2 fuel calculations: 1) Normal fuel to destination 1, but contingency fuel is 5% of fuel from DP to destination 1. 2) Normal fuel to destination 2. [NOT the biggest contingency figure, the biggest TOTAL figure, even if contingency is smaller]

Question 33

En-route alternate fuel planning

Answer 33

By designating an en-route alternate we can reduce contingency fuel from 5% to 3%. En-route alternative needs to be within 1 circle with radius = 20% of flight plan distance. Centre of circle must be max( 25% flight plan distance, 20% flight plan distance + 50NM) from the destination.

Question 34

Pre-determined point procedure (PDP)

Answer 34

Used if route to destination alternate needs to be via a pre-determined point, not from MAPt. Max of 2 fuel calcs based on trips to the destination and destination alternate, each via the PDP. The destination fuel calc needs additional fuel to include 2 hours cruise above destination.

Question 35

Isolated Aerodrome Procedure

Answer 35

Nominate a point of no return (PNR) (or determined point procedure PDP), follow PDP rules for fuel.

Question 36

Point of Safe Return (PSR)

Answer 36

Last point on a route where it is possible to turn around and land at departure airfield with fuel reserves still in tanks on the ground.

Question 37

Calculation for time to reach PSR

Answer 37

(E x H) / (O + H) E = Endurance based on fuel on board H = GS towards home O = GS outbound

Question 38

Vertical separation required during drift down

Answer 38

2000ft

Question 39

Stabilised criteria: Speed

Answer 39

V(ref) to V(ref) + 20

Question 40

Running load

Answer 40

Weight per unit of length