PPL(A) 070 Operational ProceduresRevision notes and practice questions

PPL 070 Operational ProceduresFree sample, 10 questions

1. 1According to the ICAO definition used in Annex 6, what is the flight time of an aeroplane?

   1. From engine start before departure until the engine is shut down after landing.
   2. From the moment the wheels leave the ground until they touch down again.
   3. From its first movement to take off until it comes to rest at the end of the flight.
   4. From the start of the take-off roll until the end of the landing roll after the flight.
   Show the answer

   Answer C. ICAO Annex 6 defines flight time for aeroplanes as the total time from the moment an aeroplane first moves for the purpose of taking off until the moment it finally comes to rest at the end of the flight. It is often called block time, and the same definition is used for logging flight time under Part-FCL. Engine start to shutdown is the tempting answer, but an aeroplane can run its engine for minutes before it moves, and that time is not flight time.

2. 2Which of the following statements about noise abatement on departure in a light aeroplane are correct?
   1. Gaining height quickly, for example by climbing at the best rate of climb speed, reduces the noise heard on the ground.
   2. On an aeroplane with a constant-speed propeller, reducing the RPM once a safe height is reached reduces propeller noise.
   3. A published noise abatement procedure must be flown even if the aeroplane cannot then achieve a safe climb performance.
   4. The published departure track should be followed and noise-sensitive areas avoided.

   1. 1, 2 and 4.
   2. 1 and 3.
   3. 2, 3 and 4.
   4. 3 and 4.
   Show the answer

   Answer A. Noise on the ground falls with height, so a prompt climb at the best rate of climb speed and a published track that avoids noise-sensitive areas are the main tools. Reducing propeller RPM once at a safe height lowers the tip speed, which is the main source of noise of a light aeroplane. NCO.OP.120 requires the pilot-in-command to take published noise abatement procedures into account while ensuring that safety has priority over noise abatement, so statement 3 is false.

3. 3During engine start of a carburettor piston engine, the engine backfires and flames appear at the air intake. According to most light aeroplane flight manuals, what is the first action?

   1. Stop cranking at once and switch the magnetos off.
   2. Keep cranking, so that the flames are drawn into the engine.
   3. Pump the throttle to clear the carburettor of fuel.
   4. Prime the engine again to smother the fire with fuel.
   Show the answer

   Answer B. An induction fire on start is usually caused by over-priming, and fuel has pooled in the intake. Flight manuals of light piston aeroplanes call for continued cranking, so that the flames and the accumulated fuel are sucked through the carburettor into the engine. If the engine does not start, the usual sequence is throttle fully open, mixture idle cut-off and continued cranking, then fuel off and the extinguisher. Stopping the cranking leaves the fire burning in the intake, and pumping the throttle or priming adds more fuel to it. The aircraft flight manual of the type always governs.

4. 4On a clear night with a calm surface wind, you take off from an inland aerodrome. Passing 300 ft above the ground, the wind suddenly increases to 30 kt and the airspeed fluctuates. What is the most likely cause of this wind shear?

   1. A sea breeze front moving inland.
   2. A microburst from a nearby thunderstorm.
   3. A surface temperature inversion with a strong wind above it.
   4. Mechanical turbulence from buildings around the aerodrome.
   Show the answer

   Answer C. On clear nights, radiation cooling builds a surface temperature inversion that decouples the calm air near the ground from a stronger wind above, sometimes a low-level jet. Crossing the top of the inversion produces a sudden change in wind speed and direction, a classic cause of low-level wind shear described in the ICAO Manual on Low-level Wind Shear (Doc 9817). A sea breeze is a daytime coastal effect, a microburst needs a convective cloud, and buildings only disturb the wind when it is already blowing at the surface.

5. 5In which condition does an aircraft generate the most dangerous wake turbulence?

   1. Heavy, fast and with full flap extended.
   2. Light, slow and with gear and flaps down.
   3. Heavy, slow and in clean configuration.
   4. Heavy, fast and in clean configuration.
   Show the answer

   Answer C. Wingtip vortices are a by-product of lift, and their strength grows with the lift the wing must produce at a given speed. A heavy aircraft needs more lift, a slow one needs a higher angle of attack, and a clean wing concentrates the vortex at the tip, so heavy, slow and clean is the worst case. That is typically a large aircraft just after take-off or on approach before full flap. Flaps and high speed both tend to weaken or spread the vortices, which is why the other options are less dangerous.

6. 6What is the difference between a forced landing and a precautionary landing?

   1. A forced landing is made because the aeroplane cannot continue flight, a precautionary landing is chosen while it still can.
   2. A forced landing is always made on an aerodrome, a precautionary landing is always made in a field.
   3. A forced landing is decided by ATC, a precautionary landing is decided by the pilot in command.
   4. A forced landing is made with full engine power still available, a precautionary landing is made only after a complete engine failure.
   Show the answer

   Answer A. A forced landing is imposed by the situation, typically an engine failure, a fire or structural damage, and the pilot has no choice but to land now. A precautionary landing is a deliberate decision taken while the aeroplane is still flying normally, to stop a situation from getting worse: deteriorating weather, low fuel, approaching darkness, a doubt about the aeroplane or a sick passenger. Either can take place on an aerodrome or off-field, and the decision always rests with the pilot in command.

7. 7According to the usual definition, when is a runway considered contaminated?

   1. When more than 10 % of the surface used shows any visible moisture or damp patches.
   2. When standing water of any depth covers more than half of the runway length.
   3. When over 25 % of the surface used has water or slush over 3 mm deep, or snow or ice.
   4. When the surface shows a change of colour due to moisture, without any standing water.
   Show the answer

   Answer C. A runway is contaminated when more than 25 % of the surface area being used is covered by standing water or slush more than 3 mm deep, or by snow or ice. Up to and including 3 mm of water, the runway is only wet. A change of colour due to moisture without standing water describes a damp runway, which the Global Reporting Format treats as wet, not as contaminated.

8. 8In ICAO Annex 6, which definition corresponds to an alternate aerodrome?

   1. An aerodrome to proceed to when landing at the intended destination becomes impossible or inadvisable.
   2. An aerodrome designated by air traffic control when the aerodrome of intended landing closes in flight.
   3. Any aerodrome located within 30 minutes of flying time from the aerodrome of intended landing.
   4. An aerodrome where a landing is planned in advance to refuel before continuing to the destination.
   Show the answer

   Answer A. ICAO Annex 6 defines an alternate aerodrome as one to which an aircraft may proceed when it becomes either impossible or inadvisable to proceed to or to land at the aerodrome of intended landing. It must have the necessary services and facilities, allow the aircraft performance requirements to be met and be operational at the expected time of use. It is chosen by the pilot during flight preparation, not designated by ATC, and there is no fixed distance in the definition.

9. 9Which arrival technique best reduces the noise heard on the ground when approaching an aerodrome in a light aeroplane?

   1. A long, flat final at low height with high power and full flap.
   2. A continuous, stabilised descent at low power, avoiding level segments at low height.
   3. A steep dive from cruise altitude at high speed, levelling off at 500 ft on final.
   4. A low circuit at 500 ft above the aerodrome, to keep the circuit as short as possible.
   Show the answer

   Answer B. Noise abatement on arrival relies on keeping the aeroplane as high and at as low a power setting as possible for as long as possible, which is the principle of the continuous descent approach described in ICAO PANS-OPS (Doc 8168). Level segments at low height need power and spread noise over the houses below the approach path. A low, dragged-in final at high power is the noisiest arrival possible and is also less safe.

10. 10In cruise, flames and smoke appear from the engine cowling of your single-engine piston aeroplane. Which sequence of actions is correct?

    1. Close the throttle but keep the fuel on, so that the engine can be restarted once the fire is out.
    2. Open the cabin heat and vents to clear the smoke, then continue at reduced power to the nearest suitable aerodrome.
    3. Fuel selector off, mixture idle cut-off, cabin heat off, then a forced landing without restarting the engine.
    4. Shut the engine down, then restart it once the fire is out to reach the nearest aerodrome.
    Show the answer

    Answer C. The fire is fed by fuel, so the fuel supply is shut off at the selector and the mixture set to idle cut-off; the engine then stops as the lines empty. Cabin heat comes from a muff around the exhaust, behind the firewall, so it is closed to keep flames and smoke out of the cabin. An engine that has been on fire is never restarted, because the fire would almost certainly start again: the flight ends in a forced landing. The detailed sequence, including any speed to use, is in the aircraft flight manual.