Section 1 - Practical skills
- Build and fly a rubber-powered model for at least 15 seconds.
- Build and fly a model airship or hovercraft.
- Make and fly a boomerang.
- Build a scale model aircraft from a plastic kit to a satisfactory standard, and talk about its key points and history.
- Build a scale model from photographs or plans, or by modifying a standard kit, to produce a different but authentic version of the aircraft.
- Make a solid model on which all control surfaces operate and can be used to demonstrate the effects of controls.
- Complete a project to demonstrate a particular aeronautical principle and build a suitable model to illustrate it.
- Build and fly at least five different designs of paper aeroplane, using published plans if they want to.
- One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Section leadership team.
- Know the dangers posed to aircraft by birds and other wildlife, the dangers posed to birds and wildlife by aircraft, and the methods employed to reduce the problem.
- Understand the working of an airport fire service or emergency team, the equipment used and the main rescue methods.
- Know the reasons for airport security, the main threats, and means of counteracting threats.
- Explain how an aircraft lifejacket works and demonstrate its use.
- Explain and illustrate the purpose and workings of an ejector seat.
- Demonstrate the signals required to launch a glider.
- Arrange for a suitably experienced instructor to train them in how a parachute works. Be able to put on a parachute harness and demonstrate the correct landing roll.
- Assist with the launching and recovery of a paraglider. Make two ascents, without release.
- Know the rules in Policy, Organisation and Rules relating to flying, and fly in a microlight aircraft as a passenger.
- Understand the physical fitness requirements to fly as a pilot or passenger. Be aware of health concerns such as ear blockage, hypoxia and deep vein thrombosis.
- Understand the responsibilities of the Commander of an aircraft, for example, briefings, safety of load and passengers, and relevant paperwork.
- One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Section leadership team.
- Describe at least six airlines by their names and markings. Identify their home countries and main bases.
- Identify at least six airlines by name and describe six routes operated by each, together with the aircraft used.
- Describe the operations of an all-cargo airline. Know the main types of cargo aircraft and their special applications.
- Discuss the design characteristics of a chosen aircraft in relation to its operational role.
- Understand the principles of air-launched and ground-based anti-aircraft weapons and the systems used to counteract them.
- Demonstrate knowledge of air and space surveillance systems, their types and applications.
- Understand the advantages of mid-air refuelling for military aircraft, the main methods of fuel transfer and the main types of tanker used.
- Discuss the problem of aerospace flight including acceleration to escape velocity, the reason for weightlessness and re-entry problems.
- Demonstrate a general knowledge of the progress of space exploration, describing in particular one space programme.
- Understand the principles of reusable space vehicles. Know their advantages and disadvantages over conventional rocket systems and launch vehicles.
- Identify six space vehicles and explain their roles.
- Demonstrate the scale of the solar system with a drawing or model to show the relative positions of the planets.
- One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Section leadership team.
- Explain the workings and errors of an aircraft compass.
- Explain the workings of aircraft pressure instruments, for example, altimeter and air speed indicator, and the sources of errors.
- For a cross-country flight of at least 80 kilometres, work out the time of flight from an overhead starting point to an overhead destination at a given airspeed, assuming (a) a given headwind, (b) a given tailwind.
- For a cross-country flight of at least 80 kilometres, determine a heading assuming a given track, windspeed and direction.
- Illustrate latitude and longitude by simple diagrams. Explain the need for different types of map projections.
- One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Section leadership team.
- Identify the basic clouds and explain how they are formed.
- Explain how windspeed is measured and how weather can affect various air activities.
- 3 Demonstrate how to get a local forecast for an air activity.
- Explain the flight conditions that can be expected in various cloud formations and weather conditions.
- Explain how temperature and pressure are measured, list the units used and demonstrate conversions between these units by use of tables and by calculation.
- Identify the weather conditions associated with the movement of air masses over the United Kingdom, for example, Polar, Tropical, Maritime and Continental.
- Explain how readings of upper air conditions are obtained.
- Collect detailed weather maps of the United Kingdom from a newspaper, such as the Daily Telegraph, for a two-week period. Illustrate the development of significant weather features over this period.
- Demonstrate the ability to interpret Met Office reports and forecasts, such as METAR and TAF, as produced for pilots.
- One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Section leadership team.
- Explain how thrust is obtained by jets or rockets and explain the principle of ramjets.
- Explain the principles of a jet engine - centrifugal or axial compressor types - and identify the main components of such an engine.
- Discuss the relative merits of piston engines, turbojets, turboprops, turbofans, ramjets and rockets.
- Identify the main types of aircraft fuels and fuel systems.
- Show knowledge of the causes of aircraft noise and disturbance. Know the methods used to reduce noise from aircraft themselves and to reduce their impact in local communities.
- Show knowledge of the effect of aircraft engine emissions on the atmosphere and how these can be reduced.
- One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Section leadership team.
- Identify the signals used on an airfield signals square, together with runway and airfield markings.
- Identify the lamp and pyrotechnic signals used on an airfield.
- Understand why Morse code is still transmitted by navigational beacons and be able to recognise six three-letter sequences either from a recording or written copy.
- Explain the system of air traffic control in use at a small civilian airfield.
- Demonstrate examples of the ground-to-air emergency code.
- Understand the special communications difficulties for activities such as paragliding or hang gliding and the need for clearance in areas of military flying.
- One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Section leadership team.
- Explain the meaning of trim and the importance of weight and balance.
- Explain the purpose and operation of flaps, slots and slats.
- Explain how basic aerobatic manoeuvres are carried out.
- Show knowledge of the principles of take-off and landing with special reference to light aircraft.
- Explain the methods by which short or vertical take-off can be achieved.
- Describe the airflow around a modern square parachute, explaining how it develops lift and how it is controlled.
- Reach a reasonable standard on a home computer flight simulator programme and understand why the aircraft behaves as it does. The suitability of the programme should be agreed by the Section leadership team.
- Show knowledge of the methods for operating specialised passenger aircraft into city centres, such as helicopters, STOL and tilt wing, and the main drawbacks.
- One other activity of a similar nature and level of achievement as agreed by the Section leadership team.