New Second Edition October 2020

This book, the second in the series, has been produced primarily to assist an applicant for a Private Pilot’s Licence in the study for the Pre-Flight Planning and Performance examination. It is intended to guide a student through the syllabus laid down as complying with PART-FCL. However, it is also intended to help those who have already passed the examination by giving them a document to which they can refer in order to achieve safe and practical flight planning. It therefore contains some information which is also included in the Volume on Navigation.

The most important parts, especially those relating directly to safety, are covered in detail. However, the coverage of parts which the author considers less vital may be only sufficient to give a basic understanding of general structure, sufficient to obtain a pass in the examinations. The detailed knowledge required by commercial pilots must be obtained by further study, and all pilots should strive to learn as much about their aircraft and its environment as possible. Pilots must refer to the Flight Manual and other documents for accuracy and confirmation before flight.

This is especially true because this document is not normally amended as legislation changes.

David Cockburn served for many years in the Royal Air Force as a pilot and flying instructor, amassing nearly 6000 flying hours including over 1000 hours instructing on jet trainers and 1000 hours on light piston aeroplanes. During that time he specialised in teaching mainly visual navigation techniques to pilots and navigators in the air and on the ground. He holds a UK Airline Transport Pilots Licence, and since leaving the RAF has worked as a ground instructor in professional flying training schools in this country and abroad, and is the author of several professional training books and manuals. While employed by the UK CAA and subsequently, he has received awards for his work to improve General Aviation safety, and continues to give flying instruction at flying clubs to PPL and IMC rating students. Having decided to concentrate on private pilot training, it became apparent that students and private pilots found it difficult to find the practical and important information they needed from the detailed descriptions in the available textbooks.