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Aircrew Exams

PPL Flight Planning & Performance Tutoring | CAP 698, Mass & Balance Help

PPL Flight Planning & Performance tutoring — CAP 698, mass & balance and fuel planning

Section titled “PPL Flight Planning & Performance tutoring — CAP 698, mass & balance and fuel planning”

Flight Planning and Performance is one of the most calculation-heavy subjects in the PPL(A) syllabus and one of the most commonly failed. Reading the CAP 698 performance charts correctly under exam conditions, calculating CG position and checking it against limits, working through fuel planning with reserves — each of these has a method that needs to be practised, not guessed.

A 1-hour session is ideal if you are stuck on a specific calculation type such as density altitude, takeoff distance or mass and balance. The 3-hour intensive covers the full UK CAA and EASA syllabus: aeroplane performance from CAP 698 and CAP 697, complete flight planning and monitoring procedures, and mass and balance from first principles.

Flight Planning is the subject where the CRP-1W earns its place most clearly — TAS from CAS, wind components and density altitude are all faster with the flight computer than with formulas. If you are not yet confident with it, the CRP-1W Whizz Wheel masterclass covers all three of these calculation types directly. The density altitude and performance calculations here also connect directly to Meteorology, where the same ISA deviation and altimetry principles underpin the weather theory questions.

Choose your session

Section titled “Choose your session”

Use a 1-hour session to solve a specific problem or choose a 3-hour session for a deeper, structured lesson. Both options are available for this subject below.

Flight Performance & Planning: 1-hour targeted help

1 hr per session

£70

Focused help with a specific topic, formula or concept.

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Flight Performance & Planning: 3-hour intensive session

3 hr per session

£150 / session

Structured subject teaching from the foundations through to exam readiness.

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Frequently asked questions

Section titled “Frequently asked questions”
How do I read the CAP 698 performance charts in the PPL exam?
CAP 698 is the UK CAA's light aircraft performance document used in the PPL(A) Flight Planning and Performance exam. The charts use a series of reference lines — you enter with a known value (such as pressure altitude or temperature), follow the reference line to the next variable, then read off the result. The most common errors are entering the chart from the wrong axis, misreading the scale divisions, or failing to apply the correct wind component before reading the takeoff or landing distance. The exam provides the chart and the scenario — your job is to extract the correct value accurately and quickly. Practising the method with a tutor is far more effective than reading about it.
What is density altitude and why does it matter for PPL performance calculations?
Density altitude is the altitude in the International Standard Atmosphere that corresponds to the actual air density at your location. When temperature is above ISA standard or pressure is below standard, air density is lower — density altitude is higher than pressure altitude. This matters because aircraft performance (lift, engine power, propeller efficiency) depends on air density, not on the number on your altimeter. A hot day at a high-elevation airfield can produce a density altitude hundreds of feet above the field elevation, significantly increasing takeoff distance and reducing climb rate. The PPL(A) exam tests density altitude calculations and their effect on performance.
How is mass and balance calculated in the PPL Flight Planning exam?
Mass and balance calculations in the PPL(A) exam require you to find the total mass of the aircraft and confirm it is within the maximum all-up weight, then calculate the centre of gravity (CG) position and confirm it falls within the approved limits. CG is found by dividing total moment by total mass. Moment is mass multiplied by arm (the distance from the datum). The exam provides the aircraft's empty mass, empty CG, and the arms for each loading station. You add the moments for fuel, pilot, passengers and baggage, then calculate the loaded CG. The most common error is using the wrong arm or forgetting to include a loading item.
What fuel planning calculations appear in the PPL theory exam?
The PPL(A) Flight Planning exam tests fuel planning in the context of VFR flight. You need to calculate trip fuel (based on distance, groundspeed and fuel flow), contingency fuel (typically 5 percent of trip fuel for UK CAA), alternate fuel (fuel to fly to an alternate aerodrome), final reserve (45 minutes at holding speed for piston aircraft under UK CAA rules) and taxi fuel. The exam may present a complete flight scenario and ask for the minimum fuel required at departure, or ask you to identify whether a given fuel load is sufficient. Understanding the structure of the fuel calculation — not just the formula — is what allows you to handle any variation the exam presents.
What is the difference between TAS and IAS and how is it tested in the PPL exam?
Indicated airspeed (IAS) is what the ASI displays — it is based on the dynamic pressure sensed by the pitot tube and is uncorrected for instrument and position errors. Calibrated airspeed (CAS) is IAS corrected for those errors. True airspeed (TAS) is CAS corrected for altitude and temperature — it represents the aircraft's actual speed through the air mass. At sea level in ISA conditions, IAS and TAS are approximately equal. At altitude, TAS is significantly higher than IAS because the air is less dense. The PPL(A) exam tests the conversion from CAS to TAS using the CRP-1W flight computer, and expects you to understand why TAS increases with altitude for a given IAS.

Syllabus

Section titled “Syllabus”

Flight Planning and Performance

Section titled “Flight Planning and Performance”
Aeroplane Performance
  1. General Performance
  2. Performance Classes
  3. Takeoff — CAP 698
  4. Climb — CAP 698
  5. Cruise — CAP 697
  6. Approach and Landing — CAP 698