ATPL Radio aids syllabus for DGCA exam

Here is the latest syllabus from DGCA for ATPL Radio aids and instrumentation exam.

1. Radio Navigation
a) Radio Aids
– Ground D/F (including classification of bearings)
– principles
– presentation and interpretation
– coverage
– range
– errors and accuracy
– factors affecting range and accuracy
– ADF (including associated beacons and use of the radiomagnetic indicator)
– principles
– presentation and interpretation
– coverage
– range
– errors and accuracy
– factors affecting range and accuracy
– VOR and Doppler – VOR (including the use of the radiomagnetic indicator)
– principles
– presentation and interpretation
– coverage
– range
– errors and accuracy
– factors affecting range and accuracy
– DME (distance measuring equipment)
– principles
– presentation and interpretation
– coverage
– range
– errors and accuracy
– factors affecting range and accuracy
– ILS (Instrument Landing System)
– principles
– presentation and interpretation
– coverage
– range
– errors and accuracy
– factors affecting range and accuracy
b) Basic Radar Principles
– Pulse techniques and associated terms – latitude and
longitude
– Ground Radar
– principles
– presentation and interpretation
– coverage
– range
– errors and accuracy
– factors affecting range and accuracy
– Airborne weather radar
– principles
– presentation and interpretation
– coverage
– range
– errors and accuracy
– factors affecting range and accuracy
– application for navigation
– SSR secondary surveillance radar and transponder
– principles
– presentation and interpretation
– modes and codes, including mode S
– Use of radar observations and application to in-flight
navigation
c) Area Navigation System
– General philosophy
– use of radio navigation systems or an inertial
navigation system
– Typical flight deck equipment and operation
– means of entering and selecting waypoints and
desired course information (keyboard entry system)
– means of selecting, tuning and identifying ground
stations
– instrumentation for en-route course guidance
– for some types of systems, instrumentation for
presenting distance traveled, distance to go and, if
necessary, ground speed information
– instrumentation for presenting current position data
– flight detector and autopilot coupling
– Instrument indications
– Types of area navigation system inputs
– self-contained on-board systems (IRS/IRS systems)
– external sensor systems (VOR/DME, GPS)
– air data inputs (true airspeed, altitude, magnetic heading)
– VOR/DME area navigation (RNAV)
– principle of operation
– advantages and disadvantages
– accuracy, reliability, coverage
– flight deck equipment
– Flight director and autopilot coupling
d) Self-contained and external-referred navigation systems
– Satellite assisted navigation: GPS/GLONASS
– principle of operation
– advantages and disadvantages
e) Inertial Navigation/Reference System (INS/IRS)
– Principles and practical application
– gyroscopic principles
– platform mounting
– accelerometer principles
– integrator principles
– shuller-tuned platform
– navigation computer
– strap down system
– Alignment procedures
– gyrocompassing
– leveling
– Accuracy, reliability, errors and coverage
– Flight Check equipment and operation
– mode selector unit (MSU)
– control display unit (CDU)
– horizontal situation indicator (HIS)
– INS operation
– Normal flight, position and waypoint entries
– Flight Plan changes
– Bypassing waypoint
– Change of waypoint data
– system check and updating

2 Instrumentation

2.1 Flight Instruments
a) Air data instruments
– pitot and static system
– pitot tube, construction and principles of operation
– static source
– malfunction
– heating
– alternate static source
– Altimeter
– construction and principles of operation
– display and setting
– errors
– correction tables
– tolerances
– Airspeed indicator
– construction and principles of operation
– speed indications (IAS)
– meaning of coloured sectors
– maximum speed indicator, VMO, MMO pointer
– pointer
– Mach meter
– mach number formula
– construction and principles of operation
– display
– errors
– Vertical Speed Indicator (VSI)
– aneroid and instantaneous VSI (IVSI)
– construction and principles of operation
– display
– Air Data Computer (ADC)
– principles of operation
– input and output data, signals
– uses of output data
– block diagram
– system monitoring
b) Gyroscopic instruments
– Gyro fundamentals
– theory of gyroscopic forces (stability, precession)
– types, and principles of operation:
– vertical gyro
– directional gyro
– rate gyro
– rate integrating gyro
– single degree-of-freedom gyro
– ring laser gyro
– apparent drift
– random drift
– mountings
– drive types, monitoring
– Directional gyro
– principles of operation
– Slaved gyro compass
– principles of operation
– components
– mounting and modes of operation
– turn and acceleration errors
– application, uses of output data
– Attitude indicator (vertical gyro)
– principles of operation
– display types
– turn and acceleration errors
– application, uses of output data
– Turn and bank indicator (rate gyro)
– principles of operation
– display types
– application error
– application, uses of output data
– turn coordinator
– Gyro stabilized platform (Gimballed platform)
– types in use
– accelerometer, measurement systems
– construction of principles of operation
– platform alignment
– application, uses of output data
– Fixed installations (strap down systems)
– construction and principles of operation
– types in use
– input signals
– application, uses of output data
c) Magnetic Compass
– construction and principles of operation
– errors (deviation, effect of inclination)
d) Radio Altimeter
– components
– frequency band
– principle of operation
– displays
– errors
2.2 Automatic Flight Control Systems
a) Flight Director
– function and application
– block diagram, components
– mode of operation
– operation set-up for various flight phases
– command modes (bars)
– mode indicator
– system monitoring
– limitations, operational restrictions
b) Autopilot
– autoland, sequence of operation
– system concepts for autoland, go-around, take-off, fail passive, fail operational (redundant)
c) Basic concepts of the following
– Flight envelope protection
– Yaw Damper / Stability Augmentation System
– Automatic Pitch Trim
– Auto-thrust
2.3 Warning and Recording Equipment
a) Warnings general
– classification of warning
– display, indicator systems
b) Altitude Alert System
– function
– block diagram, components
– operation and system monitoring
c) Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS)
– function
– block diagram, components
– input data, signals
– system integrity test
d) Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS)
– function
– warning modes
e) Over-speed Warning
– function
– input data, signals
– display, indicators
– function test
– effects on operation in case of failure
f) Stall Warning
– function
– constituent components of a simplified system
– block diagram, components of a system with angle of
attack indicator
– operation
g) Flight Data Recorder (FDR)
– function
– block diagram, components
– operation
– system monitoring
h) Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)
– function
– block diagram, components
– operation
2.4 Power Plant and System Monitoring Instruments
a) Pressure Gauge
– sensors
– pressure indicators
– meaning of coloured sectors
b) Temperature Gauge
– ram rise, recovery factor
c) RPM Indicator
– interfacing of signal pick-up to RPM gauge
– RPM indicators, piston and turbine engines
– meaning of coloured sectors
d) Consumption Gauge
– high pressure line fuel flow-meter (function, indications, failure
warnings)
e) Fuel Gauge
– measurement of volume / mass, units
– measuring sensors
– content, quantity indicators
– reasons for incorrect indications
f) Torque Meter
– indicators, units
– meaning of coloured sectors
g) Flight Hour Meter
– drive source
– indicators
h) Vibration Monitoring
– indicators, units
– interfacing to bypass turbofan engine
– warning system
i) Electronic Displays
– EFIS
– EICAS
– ECAM
– FMS
j) Basic radio propagation theory
– Basic principles
– electromagnetic waves
– wave length, amplitude, phase angle, frequency
– frequency bands, sideband, single sideband
– pulse characteristics
– carrier, modulation, demodulation
– kinds of modulation (amplitude, frequency, pulse, multiplex)
– oscillation circuits
– Antennas
– characteristics
– polarization
– types of antennas
– Wave propagation
– ground wave
– space waves
– propagation with the frequency bands
– frequency prognosis (MUF)
– fading
– factors affecting propagation (reflection, absorption,
interference, twilight, shoreline, mountain, static)