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Exam Review

Key Facts: CAA NZ IR Instruments and Navaids Exam

50 Qs

Official CAA NZ examination question count.

Aspeq / CAA NZ Syllabus

90 Mins

Allocated examination time limit.

CAA NZ Examination Guide

70%

Minimum passing score required.

CAA NZ Part 61

$108 NZD

Aspeq exam booking fee per attempt.

Aspeq Booking Portal

3 Modules

Pressure/Gyros, Ground Navaids, and GNSS/PBN.

CAA NZ IR Syllabus

CAA NZ IR Instruments & Navaids is a 50-question, 90-minute computer-based examination requiring a 70% score, administered by Aspeq under CAA NZ Part 61 rules.

Sample CAA NZ IR Instruments and Navaids Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the CAA NZ IR Instruments and Navaids exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1When passing the transition altitude during an IFR climb in New Zealand airspace, what subscale setting must be selected on the pressure altimeter?

A.Local aerodrome QFE

B.Standard pressure setting of 1013.25 hPa (29.92 inHg)

C.Area QNH of the nearest reporting station

D.Field elevation QNH adjusted for temperature

Explanation: When climbing through the transition altitude (13,000 ft AMSL in New Zealand unless otherwise specified), pilots must set the altimeter subscale to standard pressure (1013.25 hPa or 29.92 inHg) to indicate Flight Levels.

2What is the primary symptom indicating that an aircraft's pitot tube ram air inlet is completely blocked while its drain hole remains open?

A.Airspeed indicator drops to zero airspeed

B.Airspeed indicator freezes at the current reading

C.Airspeed indicator acts like an altimeter, overreading in a climb

D.Altimeter drops to zero altitude

Explanation: If the ram air inlet is blocked but the drain hole remains open, dynamic pressure inside the pitot tube leaks out through the drain hole into the ambient atmosphere, causing the Airspeed Indicator (ASI) to drop to zero.

3When an unpressurized aircraft's alternate static source located inside the cockpit is selected, what effect does cockpit suction typically have on the flight instruments?

A.Altimeter indicates higher than actual altitude and ASI indicates higher than actual airspeed

B.Altimeter indicates lower than actual altitude and ASI indicates lower than actual airspeed

C.Altimeter indicates lower than actual altitude while ASI indicates higher than actual airspeed

D.Altimeter and ASI remain completely unchanged while VSI reads a permanent descent

Explanation: Airflow over the unpressurized cockpit creates a slight suction (lower pressure than outside static air). Lower static pressure supplied to the instruments causes the altimeter to read higher than actual altitude and the Airspeed Indicator to read higher than actual airspeed.

4Which gyroscopic principle allows a traditional vacuum-driven Directional Gyro (Heading Indicator) to maintain its orientation in space regardless of aircraft movement?

A.Gyroscopic Precession

B.Rigidity in Space

C.Coriolis Effect

D.Apparent Drift

Explanation: Rigidity in space is the property of a rotor to remain fixed in the plane in which it is spinning unless acted upon by an external force. This principle allows the Directional Gyro to hold its directional reference.

5What is the key structural difference between a Turn Coordinator and a traditional Turn and Slip Indicator?

A.The Turn Coordinator gyro gimbal is canted upward by approximately 30° to sense roll rate as well as turn rate

B.The Turn Coordinator uses a pneumatic vacuum rotor whereas the Turn and Slip is always electrical

C.The Turn Coordinator measures pitch rate and roll rate simultaneously

D.The Turn Coordinator replaces the inclinometer ball with a digital accelerative sensor

Explanation: A Turn Coordinator has its gyro gimbal canted upward (typically 30°), allowing it to respond to both aircraft roll rate and yaw rate (rate of turn). A Turn and Slip indicator gyro axis is horizontal and senses only yaw rate.

6In a vacuum-driven Attitude Indicator (Artificial Horizon), how is the spin axis of the rotor kept aligned with the true vertical?

A.By an internal flux valve sensing Earth's magnetic field

B.By pendulous vanes and air jets that apply corrective precessive forces when tilted

C.By centrifugal weights attached directly to the bank indicator ring

D.By barometric pressure equalization diaphragms

Explanation: Pendulous vanes hanging over exhaust ports in the gyro housing open and close as the gyro tilts. The asymmetric air jets apply a precessive force 90° away from the port, precessing the rotor back to vertical.

7What is a primary advantage of a Horizontal Situation Indicator (HSI) compared to a standard VOR Course Deviation Indicator (CDI)?

A.The HSI slaved compass card automatically rotates to display aircraft heading, eliminating reverse sensing when flying front-course settings

B.The HSI eliminates all DME slant range errors

C.The HSI operates completely independent of aircraft power or vacuum systems

D.The HSI converts NDB relative bearings directly into true headings without magnetic variation correction

Explanation: The HSI combines a heading indicator with a VOR/ILS display. Because the compass card rotates to display the current aircraft magnetic heading, the pilot receives a clear pictorial view of position relative to course without reverse sensing on front-course settings.

8Which combination of inputs is directly supplied to a modern aircraft Air Data Computer (ADC)?

A.Pitot dynamic pressure, static pressure, and total air temperature

B.Pitot dynamic pressure, engine fuel flow, and GPS altitude

C.VOR radial signal, static pressure, and magnetic heading

D.AHRS pitch rate, roll rate, and barometric altimeter setting

Explanation: An Air Data Computer (ADC) receives total pitot pressure, ambient static pressure, and total air temperature (TAT) to compute indicated airspeed, true airspeed, Mach number, barometric altitude, and vertical speed.

9What solid-state components replace traditional mechanical gyroscopes in an Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS)?

A.Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) rate sensors, accelerometers, and magnetometers

B.Pneumatic bellows and differential pressure transducers

C.VHF receiver coils and resolvers

D.Laser Doppler altimeter probes

Explanation: AHRS uses solid-state MEMS rate gyros, 3-axis accelerometers, and 3-axis magnetometers to calculate aircraft attitude, pitch, roll, and magnetic heading with high reliability and no mechanical wear.

10What is the designated frequency spectrum for Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR) stations?

A.108.00 MHz to 117.95 MHz

B.190 kHz to 1750 kHz

C.960 MHz to 1215 MHz

D.329.15 MHz to 335.00 MHz

Explanation: VOR ground stations operate in the VHF band between 108.00 MHz and 117.95 MHz (with 108.00–111.95 MHz shared with ILS localizers on even-tenth channels).

About the CAA NZ IR Instruments and Navaids Exam

The CAA NZ Instrument Rating Theory - Instruments and Navaids examination assesses candidate instrument pilots on flight deck gyroscopic & pressure flight instruments, pitot-static blockage errors, AHRS/ADC glass cockpit displays, ground-based radio navigation systems (VOR, DME, NDB/ADF, ILS), marker beacons, and GNSS/PBN avionics under New Zealand Civil Aviation Rules.

Exam sponsor: Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand (exams via Aspeq). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

50 multiple-choice questions delivered via Aspeq CBT in 90 minutes.

Time Limit

90 minutes

Passing Score

70%

Exam / Certification Fees

$108 NZD

Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

35%

Flight Deck Gyroscopic & Pressure Instruments

Pressure flight instruments (Altimeter, ASI, VSI), pitot-static blockage errors, gyroscopic instruments (AH, HSI, RMI, DG, TC), glass cockpit PFD/ND, AHRS, and Air Data Computers (ADC).

35%

Ground-Based Navigation Aids

VOR radial tracking & errors, DME slant range calculations, NDB/ADF bearing errors (coastal refraction, night effect, quadrantal error), ILS localizer & glide path signals, and marker beacons.

30%

GNSS, PBN Avionics & Augmentation

GPS architecture & receivers, RAIM prediction & FDE, RNP APCH / RNAV GNSS approaches, LNAV/VNAV procedures, CDI scaling transitions, and SBAS/GBAS augmentation systems.

Preparing for the CAA NZ IR Instruments and Navaids Exam

What You Need to Know

Passing score: 70%
Assessment: 50 multiple-choice questions delivered via Aspeq CBT in 90 minutes.
Time limit: 90 minutes
Exam / certification fees: $108 NZD Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

Work through all 100 available questions
Review every answer and explanation
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CAA NZ IR Instruments and Navaids: Suggested Study Strategy

1Memorize the pitot-static blockage diagnostic rules (e.g., blocked static port causes ASI to overread in descent, altimeter freezes, VSI reads zero).

2Calculate DME slant range vs ground distance using Pythagorean geometry, remembering that slant range error is highest at high altitude close to the station.

3Understand NDB bearing errors including coastal refraction (wave bends toward coast at acute angles), night effect ionospheric reflections, and quadrantal airframe refraction.

4Master ILS signal characteristics: 90 Hz / 150 Hz modulation, localizer 3°-6° beam width, glide path false slope capture at multiples of 3.0°, and Marker Beacon frequencies/tones.

5Know the satellite requirements for GPS fixes (4 for 3D fix, 5 for RAIM FD, 6 for RAIM FDE) and RNP APCH CDI sensitivity transitions down to ±0.3 NM.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CAA NZ IR Instruments and Navaids exam?

It is a core theoretical exam administered by Aspeq for the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand for pilots seeking an Instrument Rating under CAA NZ Part 61.

What is the passing score and time limit?

Candidates must achieve at least 70% within the 90-minute time limit for the 50-question computer-based exam.

What primary subject areas are tested?

The syllabus covers pressure & gyroscopic flight instruments, pitot-static system errors, AHRS/ADC, ground-based navaids (VOR, DME, NDB, ILS), and GNSS/PBN avionics.

How much does the examination cost?

The booking fee is $108 NZD per attempt sitting through Aspeq Examinations.

What are the rules regarding GNSS and RAIM on the exam?

Candidates must understand RAIM fault detection (FD requiring 5 satellites) and fault detection/exclusion (FDE requiring 6 satellites), RNP APCH CDI scaling (2.0 NM enroute, 1.0 NM terminal, 0.3 NM approach), and SBAS/GBAS augmentation.