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BHPA Pilot Rating Online Exam: Syllabus

This syllabus is designed to provide comprehensive yet concise preparation for the BHPA Pilot Rating online exam, covering the key areas of Air Law & Navigation, Meteorology, Flight Theory & Principles of Flight, and Human Factors & Airmanship. Below is a detailed breakdown of the knowledge areas you should master for the exam.

1. Air Law and Navigation

1.1 UK Aviation Law Sources and Promulgation Methods

  • Understand primary and secondary legislation governing aviation (e.g., Civil Aviation Act, Air Navigation Orders, EASA, CAA).
  • Familiarize with the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) and CANP (Common Air Navigation Plan) systems for the dissemination of aviation information.

1.2 Aeronautical Charts

  • Interpret various aeronautical charts including scale, symbols, and depiction of airspace.
  • Understand chart validity periods and the level of detail presented on different chart types (e.g., VFR, IFR, topographical).

1.3 Airspace Classification

  • Recognize basic airspace classifications (e.g., Controlled, Uncontrolled, Danger Areas).
  • Understand the structure and dimensions of ATZs (Aerodrome Traffic Zones) and MATZs (Military Aerodrome Traffic Zones).
  • Know airspace restrictions that apply to gliders (e.g., AIAA, MATZ, Danger Areas).

1.4 Altimeter Settings and Airspeed

  • Understand the use of QFE, QNH, and the standard setting of 1013.2 hPa.
  • Recognize their significance in altimeter settings for different flight conditions.

1.5 Rules of the Air

  • Know the Rules of the Air, especially low-flying regulations and aerial collision avoidance (e.g., right-of-way rules).
  • Be familiar with VFR (Visual Flight Rules) and VMC (Visual Meteorological Conditions):
    • VFR minima and regulations.
    • Differences between VMC and IMC (Instrument Meteorological Conditions).
    • IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) and its relationship with VMC.

1.6 Flight Limitations: Night and Weather

  • Understand the legal definitions of night, sunset, and sunrise, and the corresponding flight restrictions.
  • Know the effects of flying in IMC, limitations on VFR flight in restricted conditions.

1.7 Compass and Navigation Terms

  • Understand the effects of magnetic variation and deviation on compass readings.
  • Be able to interpret common aviation abbreviations and initials used in flight planning and navigation.

2. Meteorology

2.1 Weather Systems

  • Understand the relationship between wind direction and areas of high and low pressure.
  • Be able to describe the characteristics of cold and warm fronts, including typical clouds, wind changes, and pressure variations.

2.2 Cloud Types and Heights

  • Identify common cloud types (e.g., cumulus, stratus, cirrus) and their typical heights.
  • Understand cloud formations and their implications for visibility and weather conditions.

2.3 Convection and Thermals

  • Understand convection: the formation and development of thermals, their strength, and how to track them using Environmental Lapse Rate (ELR).
  • Know how to predict thermal behavior and its effect on soaring conditions.

2.4 Meteorological Terms

  • Define and apply terms like stability, instability, veering and backing winds, DALR, SALR, tephigram, anabatic, and katabatic winds.

2.5 Wind and Pressure Phenomena

  • Recognize the effects of valley winds, sea breezes, wave lift, and fog (types and formation processes).

2.6 Pressure Charts and Forecasting

  • Be able to interpret pressure charts, describing current weather at selected locations and predicting likely changes.

3. Flight Theory & Principles of Flight

3.1 Aerodynamics of Lift

  • Understand how wings generate lift, including the roles of Bernoulli's Principle and Venturi tubes.
  • Define and apply concepts such as chord line, angle of attack, and centre of pressure.

3.2 Aerodynamic Stability

  • Understand the factors affecting stability in pitch, roll, and yaw.
  • Explain the stall: its causes, recovery, and prevention.

3.3 Glide Ratio and Efficiency

  • Understand the relationship between glide ratio and L/D ratio (Lift-to-Drag).
  • Understand how ballast impacts the glider’s performance.

3.4 Forces in Steady Flight

  • Name the forces acting on a glider in steady flight (e.g., lift, drag, thrust, weight).
  • Explain their interrelationships and how they affect flight dynamics.

3.5 Drag and Its Types

  • Identify different types of drag: induced drag, parasitic drag, and total drag.
  • Understand drag curves and the effect of airspeed on induced, parasitic, and total drag.

3.6 Variometers and Altimeters

  • Understand the basic principles of altimeters and variometers.
  • Define terms like total energy and airmass in relation to variometer readings and flight performance.

4. Human Factors & Airmanship

4.1 Self-Check and Safety

  • Familiarize with the I AM SAFE mnemonic for pilot self-assessment:
    • Illness, Alcohol, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, External pressures.

4.2 Common Hazards and Decision Making

  • Understand the principal hazards in free-flight (e.g., thermal turbulence, weather shifts, mid-air collisions).
  • Be aware of common cognitive biases and factors contributing to poor decision making.

4.3 Alcohol, Drugs, and Legal Considerations

  • Know the legal limits for alcohol and drug use in aviation and how these affect pilot performance and safety.

4.4 Pre-Flight Checks and Risk Assessment

  • Understand the BHPA pre-flight check system.
  • Appreciate the importance of setting personal confidence levels, goal-setting, and risk assessment for each flight.

4.5 Environmental Factors

  • Understand the effects of dehydration, cold, heat, and hypoxia on pilot performance.
  • Learn the specific challenges of flying at altitude and the physiological impact.