For each individual licence or rating there are corresponding exams which must be passed before the licence or rating can be validated. These exams are multi choice and vary in difficulty. There is much more to aviation than flying an aeroplane. The theory exams you need to pass in order to gain your pilot's licence ensure that you have the basic knowledge to keep your flying safe.
*In order to be permitted to fly solo cross-country, you require pass grades in at least the following: Navigation and Flight Planning, Weather, Flight Radio Telephony, and Air Law.
The following subjects need to be studied:
Aircraft Technical Knowledge
This subject covers the structure and parts of an aircraft such as airframe; engine and related systems; cockpit gyroscopic and pressure instruments; basic aerodynamic theory including the properties of air and the forces that act on an aircraft; and performance considerations such as stalling and weight and balance.
Navigation
This subject covers the fundamental descriptions of navigation, the concepts of direction, speed, altimetry, and time. The currently used charting methods are described, although much of this section applies only to CPL exams.
You are required to be able to explain and illustrate typical navigation calculations and procedures. You also need to be able to complete the planning required prior to commencing a flight as applicable to PPL and CPL operations.
Meteorology
Weather is perhaps the most significant consideration in any flight carried out under Visual Flight Rules (VFR), hence it is dedicated a separate subject. The atmosphere, pressure, moisture, heat exchange and atmospheric stability principles are introduced before more familiar weather processes are discussed in detail. Wind, clouds, precipitation, fronts, depressions, and icing conditions can all be extremely hazardous to light aircraft, and each must be understood so that accidents can be avoided.
Air Law
This subject covers the "road rules" for the air, by covering the contents of the Civil Aviation Rules (CAR) and related regulations that have been written by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The Rules specify legal definitions and requirements for aircraft, flight operations, pilots and passengers, aerodromes, airspace, air traffic services, flight planning, radio communications, meteorological minima, altitudes, emergencies and accidents — in short, all aspects of flying.
Flight Radio Telephony
Communication by VHF radio is an invaluable tool to pilots. The radio is used to disseminate information regarding the aircraft's position as well as obtaining clearances from air traffic control facilities. Most radio calls follow pre-defined structures so as to keep communications clear and concise. Thesubject covers the descriptions of the radio equipment in the cockpit and how to use it, and a basic explanation of how radio waves propagate through the atmosphere.
Human Factors
Human physiology can play a major role in how a pilot deals with unexpected occurrences in flight. For instance, a long flight can slow the thinking speed at the destination aerodrome — the very place where quick wits are most important. The effects of oxygen deprivation at high altitudes, exposure to high g-forces, optical illusions and other similar factors need to be anticipated during flight.
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