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Sample SACAA ATPL General Navigation Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the SACAA ATPL General Navigation exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1Which of the following best describes the shape of the Earth used as the basis for international geodetic datum models such as WGS-84?
A.An oblate spheroid (ellipsoid of revolution) flattened at the poles
B.A perfect sphere with a constant radius of 3,440 nautical miles
C.A prolate spheroid elongated along the polar axis
D.A tri-axial ellipsoid with unequal equatorial axes
Explanation: The Earth is an oblate spheroid (ellipsoid of revolution) that is flattened at the poles and bulges at the equator due to centrifugal force from rotation. WGS-84 uses an ellipsoidal model with a flattening ratio of approximately 1/298.257.
2By international definition, 1 nautical mile (NM) is exactly equal to how many metres?
A.1 852 metres
B.1 609 metres
C.1 855 metres
D.2 000 metres
Explanation: In 1929, the International Hydrographic Organization defined 1 nautical mile as exactly 1,852 metres. It corresponds approximately to one minute of latitude arc along a meridian on a spherical Earth.
3What is the defining geometric characteristic of a Great Circle on the Earth's surface?
A.It is a circle whose plane passes through the centre of the Earth
B.It is any line that cuts all meridians at a constant angle
C.It is a small circle parallel to the equator
D.It is a line connecting points of equal magnetic variation
Explanation: A Great Circle is formed by the intersection of the Earth's surface with a plane passing directly through the Earth's centre. It represents the shortest distance between any two points on a sphere.
4What is a Rhumb Line (loxodrome)?
A.A line on the Earth's surface that intersects all meridians at the same angle
B.The shortest path between any two points on the Earth's surface
C.A circle whose plane passes through the Earth's centre at an angle of 45°
D.A line along which chart scale remains completely constant on all projections
Explanation: A rhumb line crosses all meridians of longitude at a constant angle. While it allows an aircraft to maintain a constant true heading, it is generally longer than the great circle path between two points.
5Which parallel of latitude on the Earth's surface is also a Great Circle?
A.The Equator (0° latitude)
B.The Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° S)
C.The Arctic Circle (66.5° N)
D.All parallels of latitude are great circles
Explanation: The Equator is the only parallel of latitude whose plane passes through the centre of the Earth, making it both a parallel of latitude and a Great Circle. All other parallels of latitude are small circles.
6Meridians of longitude on the Earth's surface are best described as:
A.Semi-great circles joining the geographic True North and True South poles
B.Complete great circles running parallel to the Prime Meridian
C.Small circles aligned parallel to the spin axis of the Earth
D.Rhumb lines that intersect parallels of latitude at varying angles
Explanation: Meridians are semi-great circles extending from pole to pole. A meridian and its anti-meridian together form a complete Great Circle, cutting all parallels of latitude at right angles (90°).
7An aircraft flies along parallel 30° S from longitude 015° E to longitude 025° E. Calculate the Departure distance flown.
A.519.6 NM
B.600.0 NM
C.300.0 NM
D.580.4 NM
Explanation: Departure (NM) = dLong (minutes) × cos(Latitude). dLong = 25° - 15° = 10° = 600'. Departure = 600 × cos(30°) = 600 × 0.866025 = 519.6 NM.
8An aircraft flies due East along parallel 60° S from 010° E to 030° E. What is the distance flown in nautical miles?
A.600 NM
B.1 200 NM
C.1 039 NM
D.520 NM
Explanation: dLong = 30° - 10° = 20° = 1 200 minutes of arc. Departure = dLong' × cos(Latitude) = 1 200 × cos(60°) = 1 200 × 0.5 = 600 NM.
9What is the distance along a meridian between position A (45° 30' S, 020° E) and position B (20° 15' S, 020° E)?
A.1 515 NM
B.2 535 NM
C.1 485 NM
D.1 575 NM
Explanation: Because both positions are on the same meridian, the distance is the change of latitude in minutes of arc. dLat = 45° 30' - 20° 15' = 25° 15'. Converting to minutes: (25 × 60) + 15 = 1 500 + 15 = 1 515 NM.
10What is the Vertex of a Great Circle path?
A.The point of highest latitude reached by the Great Circle path
B.The point where the Great Circle intersects the Prime Meridian
C.The midpoint of the Great Circle route between departure and destination
D.The point where Great Circle track equals the magnetic variation angle
Explanation: The Vertex of a Great Circle is the point of maximum latitude (highest north or south) along that track. At the vertex, the Great Circle track is exactly East (090°T) or West (270°T), and it crosses the local meridian at right angles.

About the SACAA ATPL General Navigation Exam

The SACAA ATPL General Navigation examination is a mandatory 40-question, 180-minute computer-based theoretical examination for obtaining an Airline Transport Pilot Licence (Aeroplane) in South Africa. It covers Earth geometry, latitude/longitude, departure, convergency, conversion angle, great circle vs rhumb line navigation, chart projections (Lambert conformal conic, Direct Mercator, Polar Stereographic), dead reckoning, triangle of velocities, 1-in-60 rule, IAS/CAS/EAS/TAS and Mach number calculations, INS/IRS inertial navigation systems, and FMS/RNAV/PBN operation.

Exam sponsor: South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Questions

40 questions

Time Limit

180 minutes

Passing Score

75%

Exam / Certification Fees

R450 per subject sitting under SACAA Part 187 user fees

Exam sponsor website

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

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.

15%

Earth Geometry and Solar Time

Earth shape, latitude/longitude, departure formula, convergency, conversion angle, great circle vs rhumb line, UTC, LMT, and daylight variation.

10%

Magnetism and Compasses

Terrestrial magnetism, magnetic dip, variation, deviation cards, compass errors (Southern Hemisphere acceleration and turning errors), and gyroscopic compasses.

25%

Aeronautical Charts and Projections

Lambert conformal conic, Direct Mercator, polar stereographic projections, chart convergency, scale expansion, parallel of origin, and track plotting.

25%

Dead Reckoning and Wind Triangle

Triangle of velocities, drift angle, groundspeed, HDG/TRK calculations, 1-in-60 rule, track error, closing angle, and ETA revision.

12%

Airspeed and Mach Calculations

IAS, CAS, EAS, TAS, Mach number, ISA temperature/pressure corrections, compressibility factor, and speed conversions.

13%

Inertial and Modern Navigation Systems

INS/IRS principles, gyroscopes, accelerometers, Schuler tuning (84.4 min period), alignment, drift/wander, FMS, RNAV/PBN, and position updating.

Preparing for the SACAA ATPL General Navigation Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: 75%
  • Exam length: 40 questions
  • Time limit: 180 minutes
  • Exam / certification fees: R450 per subject sitting under SACAA Part 187 user fees Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

SACAA ATPL General Navigation: Suggested Study Strategy

1Master Earth geometry formulas: Departure = dLong' × cos(Mean Lat), Convergency = dLong° × sin(Mean Lat), and Conversion Angle = 0.5 × Convergency.
2Practice Lambert conformal conic scale and convergency problems, remembering that chart convergency = dLong × sin(Parallel of Origin).
3Drill high-altitude Mach and TAS calculations: Mach = TAS / Speed of Sound, where speed of sound a = 38.945 × √(T_Kelvin).
4Understand Southern Hemisphere compass acceleration and turning errors (SAND: South Accelerate, North Decelerate on direct-reading compasses).
5Review INS/IRS concepts such as Schuler tuning (84.4 minute period), gyro wander, and FMS sensor integration.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the pass mark for the SACAA ATPL General Navigation exam?

The pass mark is 75% as mandated by SACAA CAR Part 61. The exam contains 40 multiple-choice questions with a time limit of 180 minutes.

What tools are allowed during the SACAA ATPL General Navigation examination?

Candidates are permitted to bring a mechanical navigation computer (whiz wheel), protractor, dividers, non-programmable electronic calculator, and pens/pencils as specified in SACAA Form CA 61-91.

What is the cost of sitting the exam under SACAA?

The theoretical examination fee is R450 per subject sitting under SACAA Part 187 user fees. ATO test centres may charge an additional invigilation fee.

How are chart projections tested in SACAA ATPL General Navigation?

You will be tested on scale factor variations, chart convergency calculations, track plotting, and rhumb line vs great circle curves on Lambert Conformal Conic, Direct Mercator, and Polar Stereographic charts.

Does SACAA ATPL General Navigation cover INS/IRS and FMS?

Yes. Principles of Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), Inertial Reference Systems (IRS), laser gyroscopes, Schuler tuning, FMS position mixing, and PBN/RNAV specifications are key components of the syllabus.