Weak Knowledge Areas

From: Transport Canada

This analysis covered the 12 months from January 2011 to January 2012.

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.

Pilot Permit Ultra-Light Aeroplane – (ULTRA)

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • General MF reporting requirements

Flight Instruments

  • Airspeed indicator – Principles of operation
  • Turn and bank indicator / turn coordinator – Principles of operation

Meteorology – Theory

  • Frontal weather
  • Lapse rate and stability

Meteorology – Practical

  • Aerodrome forecasts (TAF)

Aeronautics Act & Air Regulations/General Provisions Definitions

  • Aerodrome and airport terminology

Navigation General

  • Pilot Navigation - Diversions

Flight Operations

  • Load adjustment, calculating landing weight based on fuel burn

Recreational Pilot Permit – Aeroplane (RPPAE)

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • Airspace dimensions, classification and use

Aircraft Engine & Airframes

  • Use of carburettor heat and its effect on mixture

Theory of Flight

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

Navigation - General

  • Return to departure point (reciprocal track)

Radio Navigation

  • Altitude encoding Transponder

Meteorology – Theory

  • Pressure systems and their variations
  • Clouds – Associated precipitations and turbulence
  • Wind – Land and sea breezes
  • Frontal weather – Cold front
  • In-flight freezing rain – Effects, predicting, avoidance

Meteorology – Practical

  • Aviation forecasts – Times issued and validity periods

Aircraft Operations

  • Stalls, incipient spins, spinning

Human Factors

  • Illusion caused by rain on the windscreen and sloping runways
  • Toxic hazards – Carbon monoxide

Glider Pilot Licence – (GLIDE)

Meteorology –Theory

  • Height of cloud bases
  • Inversions
  • Moisture content (Relative humidity and dewpoint)

Theory of Flight

  • Relationship between angle of attack and airspeed

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • Classification of airspace
  • Special use advisory airspace

Aerodromes and Airports

  • Prohibitions

Human Factors

  • Medications / Local anaesthetics

Navigation - General

  • Map projections and their characteristics

Private Pilot Licence – Aeroplane (PPAER)

Aircraft Engine & Airframes

  • Reciprocating engines – Induction icing

Theory of Flight

  • Forces in a turn, angle of attack

Radio Navigation

  • GPS – Principles of operation

Meteorology – Theory

  • Evaporation cooling – Virga

Aircraft Operations

  • Taxiing in wind

Private Pilot Licence – Helicopter (PPHEL)

Personnel Licensing and Training

  • Recency requirements

Aerodromes and Airports

  • Visual signals

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • VFR flight in Class F special use airspace
  • Fitness of flight crew members – Alcool or drugs

Theory of flight

  • Coning angle

Meteorology – Practical

  • Aviation Forecasts – Times issued and validity periods

Aircraft Operations

  • Wake turbulence - Effects

Navigation General & Flight Planning

  • 10 Degree drift lines, double track error, opening & closing angles
  • Air and ground positions

Radio Navigation

  • ( ADF ) Interpretation, orientation, homing, relative bearing, interception pre-determined tracks and tracking

Commercial Pilot Licence – Aeroplane (CPAER)

Aerodromes and Airports

  • Pre-threshold areas – Markings and use

Engines & Airframes

  • Fuel contamination and deterioration
  • Turboprops – Beta range

Flight Instruments

  • Slaved gyro magnetic compass – Principles of operation

Theory of Flight

  • Balance of forces in climbing/descending flight
  • Forces in a turn
  • Dynamic balancing of flight controls
  • Tailplane aerodynamics

Navigation – General and Flight Planning

  • Dead reckoning – Air position
  • Twilight charts
  • Navigation computer - True altitude

Radio Navigation

  • DME principles of operation

Meteorology – Theory

  • Heating and cooling of the atmosphere – Effect on relative humidity
  • Upper fronts and associated weather

Flight Operations

  • Deicing methods

Human Factors

  • Night vision

Commercial Pilot Licence – Helicopter (CPHEL)

Commercial Air Services

  • Personnel requirements - Validity periods of training /checks

Navigation General & Flight Planning

  • Twilight charts

Flight Instruments – Altimeter

  • Errors, effects of temperature on indicated or true altitude

Aircraft Operations

  • Performance charts – Pressure altitude

Airline Transport Pilot Licence - Aeroplane (SARON)

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • Fuel requirements

Aircraft Systems

  • Fire detection systems - Principles of operation

Aircraft Operations

  • Take-off field limits
  • Take-off climb performance
  • Thunderstorm avoidance

Airline Transport Pilot Licence - Aeroplane (SAMRA)

Meteorology –Theory

  • Atmospheric pressure contours, upper level charts
  • Tropopause
  • Cloud type and recognition
  • Cloud formation and structure
  • Amount of supercooled water in a cloud

Airline Transport Pilot Licence – Helicopter (HARON)

Engines & Airframes

  • Turbine engines – Effect of contamination on compressor blades

Theory of Flight

  • Vortex ring state

Aircraft Operation

  • Autorotation speeds, rate of descent, procedures
  • Hovering / ground cushion effect / effects of induced drag and profile drag

Airline Transport Pilot Licence – Helicopter (HAMRA)

Meteorology - Theory

  • Height of cloud bases
  • Air masses affecting North America and associated weather conditions

Meteorology – Practical

  • Determining movement of weather systems from reports

Instrument Rating – Aeroplane (INRAT)

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • IFR departures from uncontrolled airports - Flight Plans and SAR
  • IFR arrival procedures – Descent out of controlled airspace
  • Procedures to be followed should a primary approach facility or instruments fail while conducting an approach

Instrument Rating – Helicopter (INRAT)

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • IFR arrival procedures - Descent out of controlled airspace

Aircraft Operations

  • Thunderstorm avoidance – Rules of thumb

Type Rating – Aeroplane (IATRA)

Airworthiness

  • Airworthiness Directives

Meteorology –Theory

  • Jet streams – Composition, altitude, seasonal variations

Meteorology –Practical

  • AWOS – Principles of operation, decoding & interpretation

General Operating and Flight Rules

  • Minimum IFR altitudes - Designated mountain regions
  • TCAS advisory
  • IFR departures from uncontrolled airports

Aircraft Operations

  • Weight and balance/aircraft loading
  • Wind shear – Effects, avoidance, recovery
  • Fuel flow calculations

Flight Instructor Rating Class 4 – Aeroplane (AIRAF)

Flight Crew Permits, Licences and Rating

  • Requirements for letters of recommendation

Theory of flight

  • Static and dynamic balancing of controls

Flight Instruments

  • Airspeed indicator – Errors

Human Factors

  • Effects of positive and negative ‘G’

Flight Instructor Rating Class 2 & 1 – Aeroplane (AIRAT)

Flight Crew Permits, Licences and Rating

  • Requirements for letters of recommendation

Theory of flight

  • Static and dynamic balancing of controls

Flight Operation

  • Viscous hydroplaning
  • Taxiing in strong wind

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