Aviation Flight Operations & Pilot Communication Essentials

Posted on Aug 19, 2025 in Other subjects

Aviation Operations and Pilot Communication Essentials

Crew Resource Management and Communication

  • Communication Fundamentals: Focus on What, When, and How to communicate effectively.
  • Challenging Answers: May be perceived as untrue or require careful validation.
  • Open Questions: Correct for eliciting detailed information, but cannot be used for specific ‘yes/no’ answers.
  • Praise: Publicly delivered for maximum impact; private praise can be less effective.
  • Addressing Concerns: Best handled at the time they arise.
  • Human Tendency: People often overestimate their abilities or certain outcomes.
  • Decision Making: Should be logical and structured.
  • Behavioral Indicators (BI): Should not allocate blame.
  • Core Piloting Skills: Are fundamental and essential, not “untrue.”
  • UPRT: Stands for Upset Prevention and Recovery Training.
  • KSA BI: Refers to 100 Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes Behavioral Indicators in a general environment.
  • Sterile Flight Deck: Non-essential communications and activities are forbidden.

Flight Operations and Technical Data

Take-off Conditions

  • Runway 27: Wind 250 degrees at 15 knots, 14 knots headwind.
  • Runway 20 Left: Wind 240 degrees at 20 knots, 13 knots right crosswind.
  • Runway 12: Wind 060 degrees at 12 knots, 6 knots headwind.
  • Runway 17: Wind 080 degrees at 15 knots, 15 knots left crosswind.
  • Runway 32: Wind 275 degrees at 25 knots, 0 knots effective wind.
  • Runway 33: Wind 060 degrees at 9 knots, 9 knots right crosswind.

Flight Parameters and Navigation

  • Descent Profile: Passing Flight Level 220, 60 nautical miles high, with 16 nautical miles remaining.
  • Approximate Altitude: 3-degree glideslope at 2,740 feet.
  • Navigation Offset: 2 nautical miles right offset, 12 degrees left.
  • Calculated Landing Distance: Critical runway length 2,000 meters, actual 2,100 meters.
  • Approximate Distance: Tokyo to Rio de Janeiro, 1,500 nautical miles.
  • Cross-Track Error (XTE): 4 nautical miles off track, 48 nautical miles from destination.
  • Approach Parameters: 8 nautical miles from airport on a 3-degree glideslope, approximately 300 feet above threshold.
  • Top of Descent (TOD): Twin-engine aircraft from Flight Level 350, 110 nautical miles out.
  • Track Error: 8 nautical miles right of track, 40 nautical miles from waypoint.
  • Common Path Angle: 3% gradient from Flight Level 350, between 90 and 160 nautical miles.
  • Descent Parameters: QNH 1013 hPa, 31 nautical miles to touchdown, 7,000 feet altitude.
  • ILS Final Approach: 3,000 feet elevation, 300 feet above threshold, 8.4 nautical miles from touchdown.
  • Distance Difference: A 3% variation results in 0.25 nautical miles difference.
  • Weather Impact: Rainy weather increases required landing distance from 880 meters by 15% to 1,012 meters.
  • Unit Conversion: Approximately 1,181,100 inches in 30 kilometers.
  • VFR Cross-Country Flight: 45 nautical miles at 240 knots.
  • SID Gradient: 3% at the airport, speed range 270-330 knots.
  • Vertical Speed Conversion: 1,500 feet per minute rate is approximately 7.5 meters per second.
  • Navigation Error: Flying 80 nautical miles, 4 nautical miles off track to the left, 7 degrees.

Fuel Management and Calculations

  • Transatlantic Fuel Requirement: 22,000 kg, with 400 kg contingency.
  • Fuel Consumption: 2,400 kg/hour, total 6,980 kg.
  • AVGAS Conversion: 6,500 kg is approximately 2,000 US gallons.
  • AVGAS Uplift: 72 lbs is approximately 12 US gallons.
  • Aircraft Fuel Burn: 0.6 kg/second at 500 knots, total fuel 6.5 tons.
  • Headwind Impact: Range of 120 nautical miles decreased by 20% to 96 nautical miles due to headwind.
  • Total Fuel Capacity: 40 US gallons. Fuel Flow: 2.5 kg/minute. Remaining Fuel: 50 kg.
  • GUNPA Waypoint: 420 knots, 04:20 UTC/ETA.
  • AVGAS Uplift: 183 lbs is approximately 116 liters.
  • Bad Weather Contingency: 5,100 kg fuel for 12 minutes of holding/diversion.
  • Fuel Check: 7,170 kg (implies a discrepancy or insufficient fuel).
  • Message Received: 20 minutes of endurance with 7.6 tons of fuel.
  • Refueling: 40 US gallons uplifted, equivalent to 288 lbs.
  • Jet A1 Conversion: 11,025 liters is approximately 9,000 kg.
  • Fuel Density: Given as 6.7 lbs/US gallon, equivalent to 144 kg.
  • Twin-Engine Fuel Flow: 17 kg/minute for 35 minutes.
  • Four-Engine Fuel Flow: 5 gallons per minute for 10 minutes.
  • Single-Engine Fuel Flow: 3 kg/minute, 150 kg for final approach, 110 minutes endurance.
  • Keflavik Landing Fuel: 520 US gallons, equivalent to 1,968 liters.
  • Jet A1 Uplift: 7,200 liters is approximately 5,760 kg.
  • Four-Engine Transatlantic Fuel Flow: 1 gallon per second (stated as incorrect/too high).

Flight Time and Scheduling

  • Block Time: 04:57 UTC, flight duration 2 hours 13 minutes.
  • Five-Sector Day: Start 12:30, end 01:50 (next day).
  • Time Slot: Greater time slot ‘A’.
  • Time Comparison: Which has more minutes, 2/3 or ‘A’?
  • Three-Sector Day: Start 12:30h, duration 4 hours 50 minutes.
  • Captain’s Request: Check 1st sector, 1 hour 25 minutes; total duty 7 hours 31 minutes.
  • ATC Report: Report at TOMBI point, 470 knots, 13:03 UTC.
  • Speed of Light: 300,000 km/s. Distance covered in 15 minutes: 160,000,000 km.

Air Traffic Control Procedures

  • ATC Instruction: From Flight Level 400, descend to Flight Level 250 via RUTOL, 950 feet per minute.
  • ATC Instruction: From Flight Level 180, climb to Flight Level 250, 21 nautical miles.
  • ATC Instruction: Descend to Flight Level 120 via RUTOL at 1,800 feet per minute or greater.
  • Departure Procedure: Departed Madrid SID, 5% climb gradient, 1,300 feet per minute.

Aviation General Knowledge and Geography

  • Geographic Ratio: Greenland to South America, 20% ratio.
  • Latitude: Nearest to 1/3 of the distance from the equator, between 60 and 90 degrees.
  • Latitude Circle: At 60 degrees North, the circumference is half that of the equator.
  • Geographic Antipode: The geographic spot opposite New York is Hanoi.
  • Longitude: Which longitude is not half the circumference of the equator? 540 degrees East.
  • Historical Figure: Eratosthenes, one of the greatest scientists, estimated Earth’s circumference (not 400 NM).
  • Aircraft Type: An important type of aircraft shape: A10N A.
  • Africa Dimensions: North/South to East/West ratio, approximately 106%.