CRP-1W Whizz Wheel Tutorial | PPL(A) Exam Maths Online

Recommended if you only want one ground school session

This session brings together the hardest calculation-heavy parts of Navigation, Flight Planning & Performance, and Meteorology, then explains them through simple principles and practical ways of thinking. It is a strong starting point if you want one focused lesson before continuing with self-study.

CRP-1W Whizz Wheel tutorial and PPL(A) exam maths

The Whizz Wheel — officially the CRP-1W flight computer — appears in the PPL(A) Navigation, Meteorology and Flight Planning exams. Most students either avoid it entirely and try to memorise formulas, or pick it up incorrectly and lose time in the exam. Neither works.

This masterclass teaches you how the CRP-1W actually works, then applies it directly to the calculation topics that appear most in UK CAA and EASA PPL(A) exams: wind triangles, dead reckoning, altimetry, density altitude and mass & balance. You leave with a method you understand, not a set of steps you have memorised.

What the CRP-1W Whizz Wheel is used for in PPL exams

• Navigation: wind triangles, heading and groundspeed, dead reckoning
• Meteorology: pressure altitude, density altitude, true altitude (AMSL)
• Flight Planning: TAS from CAS, wind components, CG and mass & balance
• Practical CRP-1W workflows that are faster and cleaner than formula methods

If you want to go deeper on any of these subjects after the masterclass, dedicated sessions are available for Navigation, Meteorology and Flight Planning & Performance.

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1-1 ONLINE Ground School MASTERCLASS

CRP-1W Whizz Wheel and exam maths

The difficult calculation concepts from Navigation, Flight Planning & Performance, and Meteorology, brought together in one practical foundation lesson.

3 hours 30 minutesOne foundation lesson£136.50 total

£39 per hourLIMITED TIME OFFER

Built for students who are struggling or preparing to self-study. Bring your CRP-1W, a calculator and some scratch paper.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the CRP-1W Whizz Wheel and do I need one for the PPL exam?

The CRP-1W is a circular slide rule flight computer — commonly called the Whizz Wheel — used in PPL(A) Navigation, Meteorology and Flight Planning exams. It has two sides: the calculator side (a circular slide rule for speed, distance, time, TAS and unit conversions) and the wind side (a rotating disc and sliding grid for solving wind triangle problems). You are permitted to bring a CRP-1W or equivalent approved flight computer into the UK CAA and EASA PPL(A) exams. It is not mandatory, but students who use it correctly are significantly faster on calculation questions than those working from formulas.

How do I use the Whizz Wheel wind arm to solve wind triangle problems?

The wind side of the CRP-1W uses a rotating compass rose, a transparent disc with a centre dot and drift lines, and a sliding grid. To solve a wind triangle: set the wind direction under the index, mark the wind speed up from the centre dot, rotate the disc to place the true heading under the index, slide the grid until the wind dot sits on the TAS arc, then read the groundspeed from the centre dot and the drift angle from the drift lines. The heading correction is the drift angle applied in the opposite direction to the wind. This method replaces the drawn triangle entirely and is faster once the steps are practised.

Can I use the Whizz Wheel for altimetry calculations in the PPL Meteorology exam?

Yes. The calculator side of the CRP-1W has a density altitude and true altitude window that allows you to correct for non-ISA temperatures. For true altitude, you set the outside air temperature against the pressure altitude on the computer and read the correction factor. For density altitude, you use the pressure altitude and temperature deviation from ISA. These calculations appear in both the Meteorology and Flight Planning exams. Using the CRP-1W for these is faster and less error-prone than applying the formula manually, particularly under exam time pressure.

What is the difference between the CRP-1 and the CRP-1W?

The CRP-1W is the current standard version approved for UK CAA and EASA PPL(A) exams. The CRP-1 is an older variant. Both are circular slide rule flight computers made by Pooleys and function in the same way. The CRP-5 is a larger version with the same functionality. For PPL(A) exam purposes, the CRP-1W is the most commonly used and the one most tutors and ground school materials reference. If you already own a CRP-1 or CRP-5, it will work for the same calculations — the technique is identical.

I have tried to learn the Whizz Wheel from YouTube videos but it still doesn't make sense. What should I do?

This is extremely common. Video tutorials show the steps but cannot respond to the specific point where your understanding breaks down. The Whizz Wheel has two distinct sides that work on completely different principles, and most students conflate them or apply the wind side method to calculator side problems. A live one-on-one session allows us to identify exactly where the confusion is — whether it is the wind arm setup, the drift line reading, the TAS window or the unit conversion scales — and fix it directly. Most students who arrive confused leave the session able to solve wind triangle and TAS problems independently.

Syllabus and further details

Navigation

1. Basis of Navigation & Nav Computer
2. Triangle of Velocities
3. 1-in-60 Rule
4. Wind Calculations
5. TAS & TAS from CAS
6. Headings
7. Distance
8. In Flight Navigation
9. Vertical Navigation & Ground Measurement

Flight Planning & Performance

1. Conversions
2. Density Altitude for Performance
3. Wind Components
4. Determination of CG Position

Meteorology

1. Altimetry Standards
2. Pressure Altitude
3. Density Altitude
4. True Altitude (AMSL)
5. Lapse Rates