PPL operational procedures 070: practice questions and syllabus
Operational procedures gather what is out of the ordinary: noise and runway incursions, engine fire or smoke, wind shear, wake turbulence, emergency landings and contaminated runways, following the EASA PPL syllabus. The answers are actions to know before you fly: go around in wind shear, shut off the fuel with the firewall valve, reduce propeller noise, cut the fuel and move away after a forced landing. Our bank has 141 questions on this subject.
- explained questions in the bank
- 141
- pass mark per paper (EASA)
- 75 %
What the syllabus covers
The topics of the EASA syllabus for this subject, with what each one lists.
1General
ICAO Annex 6 (operation of aircraft), definitions, applicability, special procedures and hazards.
2Noise abatement and runway incursions
noise abatement procedures, influence of the flight procedure, runway incursion prevention (surface markings and signals).
3Fire and smoke
carburettor fire, engine fire, cabin and cockpit fire, choice of extinguishing agent, smoke in the cockpit and cabin.
4Wind shear and wake turbulence
effects and recognition on departure and approach, avoidance actions, causes of wake turbulence and actions to take.
5Emergency landings and contaminated runways
definition and causes, passenger briefing, evacuation, action after landing, types of contamination, estimated surface friction.
Source: EASA, Easy Access Rules for Aircrew (AMC to Part-FCL)
The illustrated course
To understand before you answer: 12 chapters and 104 key points, 91 of them with a diagram or an illustration. The first chapter, « Checklists, briefings and threat management », is free to read.
- Checklists, briefings and threat management
- Documents, equipment and reports
- Take-offs, landings and runway condition
- Wake turbulence
- Wind, wind shear and turbulence
- Icing: carburettor, airframe and propeller
- Unusual situations and deteriorating weather
- In-flight failures: engine and systems
- Forced landing, precautionary landing and flight over water
- Fire and smoke
- Distress, urgency and search and rescue
- Noise abatement
5 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.
Question 1 · 2 Noise abatement and runway incursions
To reduce noise, the pilot switches:
- Afrom full fine pitch to a coarser pitch.
- Bfrom coarse pitch to a finer pitch.
- Cfrom a given mixture to full rich.
- Dfrom full rich to a leaner mixture.
Show the answer+
Answer: A. from full fine pitch to a coarser pitch.
Propeller noise comes mainly from the blade tips, which are the fastest-moving parts. Changing to a coarser pitch makes the propeller turn more slowly: the tip speed, and therefore the noise, decrease.
Question 2 · 3 Fire and smoke
The control called the 'fire shut-off' allows, in the event of a fire:
- Ato prevent smoke from filling the cabin.
- Bto cut off the fuel supply to the engine.
- Cto trigger the extinguisher protecting the engine.
- Dto shut down all electrical circuits.
Show the answer+
Answer: B. to cut off the fuel supply to the engine.
The fire shut-off control closes the fuel supply to the engine: it does not extinguish the fire itself, but cuts off what feeds it.
Question 3 · 4 Wind shear and wake turbulence
A windshear avoidance procedure on approach mainly consists of:
- Areducing power and continuing the approach.
- Bperforming an immediate go-around and moving away from the area.
- Clanding at all costs.
- Dsignificantly increasing nose-down pitch attitude.
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Answer: B. performing an immediate go-around and moving away from the area.
When facing significant windshear on approach, the recommended procedure is to discontinue the approach with a prompt go-around rather than continuing toward landing.
Question 4 · 4 Wind shear and wake turbulence
Wake turbulence is all the more dangerous in:
- Acalm air, behind a light and fast aircraft.
- Bturbulent air, behind a heavy and slow aircraft.
- Cturbulent air with strong wind gusts.
- Dcalm air, behind a heavy and slow aircraft.
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Answer: D. calm air, behind a heavy and slow aircraft.
Wake turbulence is all the stronger when the aircraft generating it is heavy, large and slow: at low speed, it flies at a high angle of attack and stirs up a lot of air. In calm air, the vortices persist and dissipate slowly; wind breaks them up or moves them away.
Question 5 · 5 Emergency landings and contaminated runways
After a forced landing in open country with no injuries, the crew's immediate priority is:
- Ato shut off the electrical circuits and fuel, and move away from the aircraft.
- Bto try to take off again if the terrain allows.
- Cto photograph the damage for insurance purposes.
- Dto stay on board while waiting for rescue.
Show the answer+
Answer: A. to shut off the electrical circuits and fuel, and move away from the aircraft.
After a forced landing, the electrical power and fuel system are shut off (fire risk) and then the crew moves away from the aircraft to a safe distance before raising the alarm, rather than staying close to a potentially damaged fuel tank.
7 more free questions, no sign-up: Free PPL operational procedures questions
How to approach this subject
These are actions: learn them as scenarios. Wind shear on approach: go around at once. Engine fire: shut off the fuel supply with the firewall shut-off valve. Forced landing: switch off electrics and fuel, then move away from the aircraft. Wake turbulence: most dangerous in calm air behind a heavy, slow aircraft. Noise: it comes mostly from the propeller, and a coarser pitch makes it turn more slowly.
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