Free ATPL radio navigation 062 questions: 9 with answers
9 radio navigation questions from the ATPL bank of ForAllPilots, with no account and no sign-up. Answer in your head, then open the answer: the right letter and its explanation are under each question. The full bank has 883 questions for this subject.
The 9 questions
Question 1 · 062 01 Basic radio propagation theory
An aircraft at 33,000 ft attempts to receive a ground station with an antenna at sea level (negligible height). The theoretical maximum line-of-sight range is approximately:
- A223 NM
- B301 NM
- C145 NM
- D165 NM
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Answer: A. 223 NM
Maximum VHF/UHF line-of-sight range (NM) = 1.23 x (square root of receiver height in ft + square root of transmitter height in ft) = 1.23 x square root of 33,000 = about 223 NM.
Question 2 · 062 02 Radio aids
Errors caused by the effect of coastal refraction on bearings at lower altitudes are maximum when the NDB is:
- Anear the coast and the bearing crosses the coast at right angles
- Bnear the coast and the bearing crosses the coast at an acute angle
- Cinland and the bearing crosses the coast at right angles
- Dinland and the bearing crosses the coast at an acute angle
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Answer: D. inland and the bearing crosses the coast at an acute angle
Coastal refraction error is greatest when the NDB is well inland and the signal crosses the coastline at a shallow (acute) angle.
Question 3 · 062 02 Radio aids
An aircraft's QDM (magnetic heading to the station with zero wind) to an NDB is 311°. The corresponding QDR (magnetic bearing FROM the station) is:
- A311°
- B131°
- C101°
- D161°
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Answer: B. 131°
QDR is the magnetic bearing from the station and QDM the magnetic bearing to it; they differ by 180°: 311° - 180° = 131°.
Question 4 · 062 02 Radio aids
An aircraft is ""homing"" to a radio beacon whilst maintaining a relative bearing of zero. If the magnetic heading decreases, the aircraft is experiencing :
- Aright drift
- Bleft drift
- Czero drift
- Da wind from the west
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Answer: A. right drift
Homing (relative bearing held at zero) with decreasing magnetic heading indicates the aircraft nose is being blown right of the beacon track, i.e. experiencing right drift.
Question 5 · 062 03 Radar
A radar pulse takes 480 microseconds for the round trip to a target and back. The target's range is approximately:
- A77.7 NM
- B38.8 NM
- C23.3 NM
- D54.3 NM
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Answer: B. 38.8 NM
A radar mile (out and back) takes about 12.36 microseconds, so range = 480 / 12.36 = about 38.8 NM.
Question 6 · 062 03 Radar
What happens if a new radar pulse is transmitted before the echo of the previous pulse has returned to the antenna?
- AThe radar automatically switches to continuous-wave mode
- BThe measured time becomes ambiguous because the timer is reset to zero at each new pulse
- CThe maximum range of the radar automatically doubles
- DThe antenna stops receiving any echo until the end of the cycle
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Answer: B. The measured time becomes ambiguous because the timer is reset to zero at each new pulse
The range timer restarts with each pulse. If an echo returns after the next pulse has been sent, it is timed from the wrong pulse and shown at a false, short range: second-trace or range ambiguity. The pulse recurrence frequency therefore limits the maximum unambiguous range.
Question 7 · 062 03 Radar
On which frequency is ADS-B (Extended Squitter) data transmitted?
- A978 MHz
- B121.5 MHz
- C1 090 MHz
- D406 MHz
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Answer: C. 1 090 MHz
ADS-B Extended Squitter is transmitted on 1090 MHz by a Mode S transponder (1090ES), the SSR reply frequency.
Question 8 · 062 06 GNSS
Which of the following coordinate systems is used by the GPS receiver to determine position (Latitude, longitude and altitude)?
- AED 50
- BEUREF 92
- CED 87
- DWGS 84
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Answer: D. WGS 84
GPS receivers use the WGS-84 coordinate/reference system to compute latitude, longitude, and altitude.
Question 9 · 062 06 GNSS
Regarding Dilution Of Precision (DOP) in GPS, the ideal satellite geometry is:
- Afour satellites grouped at the observer's zenith.
- Bone satellite at zenith and the other three low on the horizon, spaced 120° apart.
- Cfour satellites aligned on the same azimuth.
- Dtwo satellites at zenith and two satellites low on the horizon.
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Answer: B. one satellite at zenith and the other three low on the horizon, spaced 120° apart.
Dilution of precision is lowest when the satellites are widely spread: one overhead and three low above the horizon, about 120° apart in azimuth. Satellites grouped together give poor geometry.
Each answer was checked again before publication; like every explanation on the site, these may contain errors. Some explanations were rewritten for this page, sometimes with the help of an AI. Spotted a mistake? Write to us at contact@forallpilots.com.
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