Law, Military Science and Security Safety in Society

Perform Pre Flight Planning For Small Aeroplane Training

SAQA US 120147 | NQF 5 | Credits 6 | Duration 3 Days
From $967 per delegate

Description

This course equips pilots with the essential skills and knowledge to conduct thorough pre-flight planning for small aeroplane operations. It covers route selection, fuel calculation, weight and balance, weather assessment, and regulatory compliance to ensure safe and efficient flights.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply principles of aeronautical decision-making to pre-flight planning scenarios.
  • Analyze weather reports and forecasts to determine flight suitability.
  • Calculate aircraft weight and balance, fuel requirements, and performance data.
  • Evaluate airspace classifications and NOTAMs for route planning.
  • Demonstrate completion of a flight plan and pre-flight checklist.
  • Implement risk management strategies for identified hazards.

Target Audience

This course is designed for student pilots, private pilots, and commercial pilots who operate or intend to operate small aeroplanes in South Africa.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment

Course Outline

Day 1: Foundational Principles of Pre-Flight Planning

Objectives:
• Understand regulatory requirements for pre-flight planning under SA-CATS and CAR Part 135.
• Identify key components of an aeroplane's flight manual and performance charts.
• Interpret meteorological information and NOTAMs for flight planning.
• Calculate basic weight and balance for a small aeroplane.
• Apply fuel planning fundamentals including reserves and alternate requirements.

Topics:
• Overview of SA-CATS and CAR Part 135 pre-flight planning requirements.
• Aeroplane flight manual: limitations, performance data, and operating procedures.
• Meteorological reports (TAF, METAR) and NOTAMs: interpretation and application.
• Weight and balance principles: centre of gravity limits and calculations.
• Fuel planning: en-route consumption, reserves, and alternate fuel requirements.
• Route selection: aerodrome data, airspace classification, and terrain considerations.
• Introduction to flight planning forms and documentation.
• Practical exercise: complete a basic pre-flight planning worksheet.

Day 2: Performance Planning and Risk Assessment

Objectives:
• Calculate takeoff and landing distances using performance charts.
• Apply obstacle clearance and climb gradient requirements.
• Perform en-route performance calculations for different phases of flight.
• Conduct a risk assessment using a structured decision-making framework.
• Integrate weather minima and alternate aerodrome criteria into planning.

Topics:
• Takeoff performance: runway length, temperature, pressure altitude, and wind.
• Landing performance: distance, condition, and braking action.
• Obstacle clearance: climb gradients and departure procedures.
• En-route performance: cruise altitude selection, time, and fuel.
• Risk assessment: PAVE (Pilot, Aircraft, Environment, External pressures) checklist.
• Weather minima: VFR and IFR criteria for departure, en-route, and destination.
• Alternate aerodrome selection: distance, facilities, and weather.
• Practical exercise: calculate full performance plan for a cross-country flight.

Day 3: Integrated Planning and Practical Application

Objectives:
• Compile a complete pre-flight planning package for a cross-country flight.
• Validate planning against real-time weather and operational constraints.
• Demonstrate fuel management strategies including contingency planning.
• Conduct a pre-flight briefing using the planning package.
• Evaluate and revise plans in response to changing conditions.

Topics:
• Compilation of flight plan: route, altitude, time, fuel, and alternates.
• Weather briefing: using aviation weather services for decision-making.
• Fuel management: contingency fuel, in-flight re-evaluation.
• Pre-flight briefing: pilot, passengers, and crew coordination.
• Contingency planning: diversions, emergencies, and alternate strategies.
• Case studies: real-world scenarios and planning errors.
• Practical exercise: complete a full pre-flight plan and present briefing.
• Assessment: written test and practical demonstration of planning process.

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Tue 08 Sep 2026 Thu 10 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $967 Register
Mon 28 Sep 2026 Wed 30 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $967 Register
Wed 21 Oct 2026 Fri 23 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $967 Register
Tue 08 Dec 2026 Thu 10 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $967 Register
Mon 11 Jan 2027 Wed 13 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $967 Register
Wed 17 Feb 2027 Fri 19 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $967 Register
Tue 02 Mar 2027 Thu 04 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $967 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Wed 10 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $967 Register
Wed 17 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $967 Register
Tue 08 Jun 2027 Thu 10 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $967 Register
Mon 28 Jun 2027 Wed 30 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $967 Register
Wed 21 Jul 2027 Fri 23 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $967 Register
Tue 07 Sep 2027 Thu 09 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $967 Register
Mon 27 Sep 2027 Wed 29 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $967 Register
Wed 20 Oct 2027 Fri 22 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $967 Register
Tue 07 Dec 2027 Thu 09 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $967 Register
Mon 27 Dec 2027 Wed 29 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $967 Register
Wed 19 Jan 2028 Fri 21 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $967 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 492 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Wed 12 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $1,447 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Wed 12 Aug 2026 Mauritius Winter 2026 $3,148 Register
Tue 11 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $4,552 Register
Tue 11 Aug 2026 Thu 13 Aug 2026 Cape Town, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,392 Register
Wed 12 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,230 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Wed 16 Sep 2026 Fri 18 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,258 Register
Tue 06 Oct 2026 Thu 08 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,258 Register
Mon 26 Oct 2026 Wed 28 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,258 Register
Wed 16 Dec 2026 Fri 18 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,258 Register
Tue 19 Jan 2027 Thu 21 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,258 Register
Mon 22 Feb 2027 Wed 24 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,258 Register
Wed 10 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,258 Register
Tue 16 Mar 2027 Thu 18 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,258 Register
Mon 22 Mar 2027 Wed 24 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,258 Register
Wed 16 Jun 2027 Fri 18 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,258 Register
Tue 06 Jul 2027 Thu 08 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,258 Register
Mon 26 Jul 2027 Wed 28 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,258 Register
Wed 15 Sep 2027 Fri 17 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,258 Register
Tue 05 Oct 2027 Thu 07 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,258 Register
Mon 25 Oct 2027 Wed 27 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,258 Register
Wed 15 Dec 2027 Fri 17 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,258 Register
Tue 04 Jan 2028 Thu 06 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,258 Register
Mon 24 Jan 2028 Wed 26 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,258 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

View Sessions & Register Get A Quote Download Course Brochure
Have an account?

Sign in to track your applications and manage your cart.

Related Courses

Other Law, Military Science and Security courses at NQF level 5 learners on this page also viewed.

Browse the full Law, Military Science and Security category for law, military science and security training programmes.
GET A QUOTE / APPLY COURSE CATALOGUE