IR Skill test questions: Flight Planning and Monitoring questions to expect during Instrument rating skill test

EASA IRE Examiner will ask you questions about flight planing and monitoring

During the instrument rating skill test, the EASA examiner will ask you several IFR-related questions. The following elements may be used by the EASA IRE examiner for the Exam candidate’s verbal demonstration of theoretical knowledge.

IFR Flight planning and IFR Flight monitoring

(1) select the preferred airway(s) or route(s) considering:
- altitudes and FLs,
- standard routes,
- ATC restrictions,
- the shortest distance,
- obstacles, and
- any other relevant data;
(2) determine courses and distances from en route charts;
(3) determine bearings and distances of waypoints based on radio navigation aids on en route charts;
(4) define the following altitudes:
- (i) minimum en route altitude (MEA),
- (ii) minimum obstacle clearance altitude (MOCA),
- (iii) minimum off-route altitude (MORA),
- (iv) grid minimum off-route altitude (Grid MORA),
- (v) maximum authorised altitude (MAA),
- (vi) minimum crossing altitude (MCA), and
- (vii) minimum holding altitude (MHA);
(5) extract the following altitudes from the chart(s):
- (i) MEA,
- (ii) MOCA,
- (iii) MORA,
- (iv) Grid MORA,
- (v) MAA,
- (vi) MCA, and
- (vii) MHA;
(6) explain the reasons for studying standard instrument departure (SID) and standard ARR (STAR) charts;
(7) state the reasons why the SID and STAR charts show procedures only in a pictorial presentation style which is not to scale;
(8) interpret all data and information represented on SID and STAR charts, particularly:
- (i) routings,
- (ii) distances,
- (iii) courses,
- (iv) radials,
- (v) altitudes/levels,
- (vi) frequencies, and
- (vii) restrictions;
(9) identify SIDs and STARs which may be relevant to a planned flight;
(10) state the reasons why it is imperative to be familiar with instrument approach procedures and appropriate data for departure, destination, and alternate airfields prior to departure;
(11) select instrument approach procedures appropriate for departure, destination, and alternate airfields;
(12) interpret all procedures, data and information represented on instrument approach charts, particularly:
- (i) courses and radials,
- (ii) distances,
- (iii) altitudes, levels or heights,
- (iv) restrictions,
- (v) obstructions,
- (vi) frequencies,
- (vii) speeds and times,
- (viii) DA/Hs and MDA/H,
- (ix) visibility and runway visual ranges (RVRs), and
- (x) approach light systems;
(13) find communications (COM) frequencies and call signs for the following:
- (i) control agencies, service facilities, and flight information services (FISs),
- (ii) weather information stations, and
- (iii) automatic terminal information service (ATIS);
(14) find the frequency and/or identifiers of radio navigation aids;
(15) complete the navigation plan with the courses, distances, and frequencies taken from charts;
(16) find standard instrument departure and ARR routes to be flown or to be expected;
(17) determine the position of top of climb (TOC) and top of descent (TOD), considering appropriate data;
(18) determine variation and calculate magnetic/true courses;
(19) calculate true airspeed (TAS) according to given aircraft performance data, altitude, and outside air temperature (OAT);
(20) calculate wind correction angles (WCA)/drift and ground speeds (GSs);
(21) determine all relevant altitudes/levels, particularly MEA, MOCA, MORA, MAA, MCA, MRA, and MSA;
(22) calculate individual and accumulated times for each leg until destination and alternate airfields;
(23) convert between volume, mass, and density given in different units commonly used in aviation;
(24) determine relevant data from the flight manual, such as fuel capacity, fuel flow/consumption at different power/thrust settings, altitudes, and atmospheric conditions;
(25) calculate attainable flight time/range considering fuel flow/consumption and available amount of fuel;
(26) calculate the required fuel considering fuel flow/consumption and required time/range to be flown;
(27) calculate the required fuel for an IFR flight considering expected meteorological conditions and expected delays under defined conditions;
(28) find and analyse the latest state at the departure, destination, and alternate aerodromes, in particular with regard to:
- (i) opening hours,
- (ii) work in progress (WIP),
- (iii) special procedures due to WIP,
- (iv) obstructions, and
- (v) changes of frequencies for COM, navigation aids, and facilities;
(29) find and analyse the latest en route state with regard to:
- (i) airway(s) or route(s),
- (ii) restricted, dangerous, and prohibited areas, and
- (iii) changes of frequencies for COM, navigation aids, and facilities;
(30) state the reasons for a fixed format of an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) air traffic services flight plan (ATS FPL);
(31) determine the correct entries to complete an FPL, as well as decode and interpret the entries in a completed FPL, particularly as regards the following:
- (i) aircraft identification (Item 7),
- (ii) flight rules and type of flight (Item 8),
- (iii) number and type of aircraft and wake turbulence category (Item 9),
- (iv) equipment (Item 10),
- (v) departure aerodrome and time (Item 13),
- (vi) route (Item 15),
- (vii) destination aerodrome, total estimated elapsed time, and alternate aerodrome (Item 16),
- (viii) other information (Item 18), and
- (ix) supplementary information (Item 19);
(32) complete the FPL using information from the following:
- (i) navigation plan,
- (ii) fuel plan, and
- (iii) operator’s records on basic aircraft information;
(33) explain the requirements for the submission of an ATS FPL;
(34) explain the action to be taken in case of FPL changes;
35) state the action to be taken in case of inadvertent changes to track, TAS, and time estimate, affecting the current FPL; and
(36) explain the procedures for closing an FPL;