ATPL flight planning and monitoring 033: practice questions and syllabus

What the syllabus covers

The topics of the EASA syllabus for this subject, with what each one lists.

1. 033 01VFR flight planning

   VFR navigation plan.

2. 033 02IFR flight planning

   IFR navigation plan.

3. 033 03Fuel planning

   general, pre-flight fuel planning for commercial flights, specific calculation procedures.

4. 033 04Pre-flight preparation

   NOTAM briefing, meteorological briefing, point of equal time (PET) and point of safe return (PSR).

5. 033 05ICAO flight plan

   individual flight plan, repetitive flight plan.

6. 033 06Flight monitoring and in-flight replanning

   flight monitoring, in-flight replanning.

Source: EASA, Easy Access Rules for Aircrew (AMC to Part-FCL)

The illustrated course

To understand before you answer: 14 chapters and 106 key points, 105 of them with a diagram or an illustration. The first chapter, « Basic navigation calculations », is free to read.

1. Basic navigation calculations
2. Cruising levels and clearance margins
3. IFR en-route charts
4. Charts and VFR planning
5. Terminal charts: SID, STAR and approaches
6. Aeronautical information and meteorology
7. The ATS flight plan
8. Fuel policy (Air OPS)
9. Limiting masses and fuel uplift
10. Charts and planning tables
11. Equal-time point and point of no return
12. ETOPS and critical fuel
13. North Atlantic and polar navigation
14. Flight monitoring and replanning

ATPL flight planning and monitoring course: contents and chapter 1

3 questions to practise

Taken from the site's English bank and checked one by one. Read the question, choose your answer, then open the explanation. Like every explanation on the site, they may contain errors.

1. Question 1 · 033 03 Fuel planning

   The required time for final reserve fuel for a turbojet aeroplane, per EASA rules, is:

   • A15 minutes
   • B45 minutes
   • C60 minutes
   • D30 minutes
   Show the answer+

   Answer: D. 30 minutes

   Turbojet final reserve fuel is standardised at 30 minutes of holding fuel at 1,500 ft.

2. Question 2 · 033 04 pre-flight preparation

   Given: Total distance=2850 NM, Outbound GS=380 kt, Return GS=260 kt. Calculate the distance to the Critical Point.

   • A1278 NM
   • B1078 NM
   • C1158 NM
   • D1118 NM
   Show the answer+

   Answer: C. 1158 NM

   Distance to the critical point = D × GS home / (GS out + GS home) = 2850 × 260 / (380 + 260) ≈ 1158 NM.

3. Question 3 · 033 05 ICAO flight plan

   In an ATS flight plan Item 15 (route), in terms of latitude and longitude, a significant point at 41°35' north 4°15' east should be entered as :

   • AN4135 E00415
   • B4135N00415E
   • C41°35' N 04° 15'E
   • DN04135E0415
   Show the answer+

   Answer: B. 4135N00415E

   Latitude/longitude significant points are entered in DDMMN/DDDMME format: 41°35'N 4°15'E becomes '4135N00415E'.

8 more free questions, no sign-up: Free ATPL 033 questions

How to approach this subject

Learn to read an ICAO flight plan item by item (speed N0250, level F085, flight rules I, V, Y or Z), to calculate fuel stage by stage, to place the point of equal time (distance from departure = total distance × groundspeed home ÷ sum of the two groundspeeds) and to correct an altitude for temperature: in air colder than standard, true altitude is lower by about 4 ft per °C per 1,000 ft.

How ForAllPilots trains you

• Series of 20 or 30 questions

  New questions, mistakes to review or a mix of both, with the answer and its explanation straight away.

• Flashcards

  Question on the front, explained answer on the back, filtered by subject, to learn without a timer.

• Timed mock exam

  100 questions in 150 minutes, drawn from the whole ATPL bank: a training format, not a copy of an official paper.

• AI instructor, optional

  From €4.99 a month on top of the Private pilot or PRO offer: it quizzes you in writing and explains your mistakes. A beta tool, it does not replace an approved instructor.

ATPL access comes with the PRO offer (which also includes Private pilot): €19.99 a month, cancel anytime, or €129 once with the Exam Pass (18 months of access, nothing renews). Prices include all taxes.