Master Flight Planning for your ATPL theory exam
Free practice questions covering EASA fuel policy, route planning, alternate selection, ETOPS, ICAO flight plan filing and in-flight fuel monitoring — with detailed explanations for every answer.
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Topics covered in this question bank
All major Flight Planning topic areas from the EASA ATPL syllabus, including the complete EASA fuel policy as defined in EU-OPS and Part-OPS.
How EASA fuel is calculated — the complete formula
The EASA fuel calculation formula is one of the most frequently tested areas in Flight Planning. All components below must be understood individually and as part of the total required fuel.
Total Required Fuel
Total = Taxi + Trip + Contingency + Alternate + Final Reserve + Additional Each component is calculated separately — none can be omitted without specific approval.Contingency Fuel
MAX( 5% × Trip Fuel , 5 min holding at 1,500 ft above destination ) Take whichever is greater. Reduced to 3% under Statistical Contingency Fuel (SCF) programmes with approval.Final Reserve Fuel
Jets: 30 min holding at 1,500 ft above alternate (or destination if no alternate) Pistons: 45 minutes. This fuel must not be planned to be used — it is the absolute minimum landing fuel.Point of No Return (PNR)
PNR distance = (Fuel available × GS home) ÷ (GS out + GS home) Also called Point of Safe Return (PSR). Beyond this point, the aircraft cannot return to departure.Equal Time Point (ETP / Critical Point)
ETP distance from A = (D × GS from B) ÷ (GS to B + GS from B) Where D = total route distance, GS to B = speed towards destination, GS from B = speed back to origin.What to expect on the real exam
Flight Planning is one of the more calculation-heavy ATPL papers. Expect to work through fuel calculations, PNR/ETP problems, and ICAO flight plan interpretation under timed conditions. A systematic approach to each formula type is essential.
Why Flight Planning is critical for airline operations
Flight Planning and Flight Monitoring is where aviation regulation meets applied mathematics. Every commercial flight must be planned to carry legal minimums of fuel, with clearly defined alternates, and must be monitored in real time to detect deviations from the planned fuel state.
This question bank is aligned with EASA Part-OPS (EU-OPS), ICAO Doc 4444 (PANS-ATM) and ICAO Doc 9976 (Flight Planning). Questions cover both the calculation methodology and the regulatory knowledge required to pass the EASA written exam.
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