CQUniversity Unit Profile
AVAT12006 Commercial Pilot Licence Aerodynamics & Aircraft General Knowledge
Commercial Pilot Licence Aerodynamics & Aircraft General Knowledge
All details in this unit profile for AVAT12006 have been officially approved by CQUniversity and represent a learning partnership between the University and you (our student).
The information will not be changed unless absolutely necessary and any change will be clearly indicated by an approved correction included in the profile.
General Information

Overview

This unit will provide you with the knowledge of aerodynamics relevant for low altitude, sub-sonic flight in piston engine aircraft and the knowledge of small commercial aircraft power plants and systems. You will cover the aeronautical knowledge requirements of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Commercial Pilot Licence aerodynamics as well as the General Aeronautical Knowledge syllabus. You will study the aerodynamic properties of an aerofoil and how it produces lift and drag. You will also study the forces and moments acting on an aeroplane in flight and how these affect an aeroplane's stability and controllability. Normal and abnormal flight characteristics and performance will also be studied. Topics you will study in depth include piston engine power plants and propellers. You will learn about aircraft electrical and hydraulic systems, fuel systems, and ice and rain protection systems. You will also become familiar with flight and navigation instruments. Students who have completed the corresponding external CASA exam and want to be exempt from Assessment 1 (Quizzes) should contact the Unit Coordinator.

Details

Career Level: Undergraduate
Unit Level: Level 2
Credit Points: 6
Student Contribution Band: 8
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load: 0.125

Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Students must meet all requisites: 1. AVAT11002 Basic Aeronautical Knowledge OR (AVAT11012 Aviation Practice AND AVAT11013 Introduction to Aviation); AND 2. AVAT11005 Flight Fundamentals; AND 3. AVAT11010 Aviation Safety Fundamentals OR AVAT11007 Flight Planning, Performance, and Operation.  

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Offerings For Term 1 - 2025

Cairns
Online

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Class and Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Class Timetable

Bundaberg, Cairns, Emerald, Gladstone, Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville
Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

Assessment Overview

1. Online Quiz(zes)
Weighting: 40%
2. Examination
Weighting: 60%

Assessment Grading

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.

Previous Student Feedback

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Feedback from SUTE

Feedback

Assessment feedback was insufficient.

Recommendation

Assessment answers should be discussed in tutorials after the assessment feedback

Unit Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
  1. Explain the aerodynamic properties of an aerofoil
  2. Apply the Coanda effect and Bernoulli's theorem to demonstrate and calculate how an aerofoil produces lift and drag
  3. Examine the forces and moments acting on an aircraft in all stages of flight
  4. Discuss the factors that affect the stability and control of an aircraft in flight
  5. Determine the performance aspects of power, weight, and speed in flight manoeuvres
  6. Explain the factors that affect the stall and spin characteristics of an aeroplane.

N/A. No external accreditation.

Alignment of Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Graduate Attributes
N/A Level
Introductory Level
Intermediate Level
Graduate Level
Professional Level
Advanced Level

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes

Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 40%
2 - Examination - 60%

Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes

Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - Communication
2 - Problem Solving
3 - Critical Thinking
4 - Information Literacy
5 - Team Work
6 - Information Technology Competence
7 - Cross Cultural Competence
8 - Ethical practice
9 - Social Innovation
10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures
Textbooks and Resources

Textbooks

Prescribed

Aerodynamics for Private and Commercial Pilots Licences

Edition: 1st (2015)
Authors: David Robson
Aviation Theory Centre
Australia
ISBN: 978-1-8755-37-83-9
Binding: Paperback
Prescribed

Aircraft General Knowledge

2nd edition (2018) (2018)
Authors: David Robson
Aviation Theory Centre
Brisbane Brisbane , QLD , Australia
ISBN: ISBN: 978-1-875537-14-3
Supplementary

Flight Physics

(2002)
Authors: E Torenbeek and H. Wittenberg
Springer
London London , United Kingdom
ISBN: 978-1-4020-8663-2 and e-978-1-4020-8664-9
Binding: Hardcover

IT Resources

You will need access to the following IT resources:
  • CQUniversity Student Email
  • Internet
  • Unit Website (Moodle)
Referencing Style

All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:

For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.

Teaching Contacts
David Copley Unit Coordinator
d.copley@cqu.edu.au
Steve Leib Unit Coordinator
s.leib@cqu.edu.au
Will Njagi Unit Coordinator
w.njagi@cqu.edu.au
Schedule
Week 1 Begin Date: 10 Mar 2025

Module/Topic

Introduction

Overview and Definitions

Aerodynamic Principles.

Chapter

Aerodynamics: Chapter 1

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 2 Begin Date: 17 Mar 2025

Module/Topic

Lift and Lift Augmentation

Drag and L/D Ratio.

Chapter

Aerodynamics: Chapter 1

 

Events and Submissions/Topic

Week 3 Begin Date: 24 Mar 2025

Module/Topic

Stability and Control

Balance and Trim.

 

Chapter

Aerodynamics: Chapter 3 and 4

 

Events and Submissions/Topic

Practice Quiz 1 opened.

Week 4 Begin Date: 31 Mar 2025

Module/Topic

Straight Flight

Turning Flight.



Chapter

Aerodynamics: Chapter 5 and 6

 

Events and Submissions/Topic

None

Week 5 Begin Date: 07 Apr 2025

Module/Topic

Stalling

Spinning and Spiral Dives

Effects of Atmospheric Disturbances.

Chapter

Aerodynamics: Chapter 7 and 8

Events and Submissions/Topic

Practice Quiz 1 closes

Practice Quiz 2 opened.

Vacation Week Begin Date: 14 Apr 2025

Module/Topic

No lectures

Chapter

Review material from the first 5 weeks.

Events and Submissions/Topic

None

Week 6 Begin Date: 21 Apr 2025

Module/Topic

Powerplant and Systems

Chapter

Aircraft General Knowledge: Chapters 2, 3 and 4

Events and Submissions/Topic

Practice Quiz 2 closes

Practice Quiz 3 opened

Week 7 Begin Date: 28 Apr 2025

Module/Topic

Propellers, Lubrication and Cooling Systems.

Chapter

Aircraft General Knowledge: Chapter 5, 7 and 6.

Events and Submissions/Topic

None

Week 8 Begin Date: 05 May 2025

Module/Topic

Electrical, Environmental, and Fire Protection Systems.

Chapter

Aircraft General Knowledge: Chapter 9, 11 and12

 

Events and Submissions/Topic

Practice Quiz 3 closes

Practice Quiz 4 opens

Week 9 Begin Date: 12 May 2025

Module/Topic

Fuel Systems

Hydraulic Systems and Undercarriage.

Chapter

Aircraft General Knowledge: Chapter 8 and 10.

Events and Submissions/Topic

None

Week 10 Begin Date: 19 May 2025

Module/Topic

Flight Instruments. 

Chapter

Aircraft General Knowledge: Chapters 13, 14 and 15.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Practice Quiz 4 closes

Practice Quiz 5 opens

Week 11 Begin Date: 26 May 2025

Module/Topic

Automatic Flight

Radio Waves and Aeronautical Radio Telephony.

Chapter

Aircraft General Knowledge: Chapter 16 and 17.

Events and Submissions/Topic

None

Week 12 Begin Date: 02 Jun 2025

Module/Topic

Revision - Aerodynamics and AGK topics from Week 1-11

Final exam preparation

Chapter

Events and Submissions/Topic

Practice Quiz 5 closes

Review/Exam Week Begin Date: 09 Jun 2025

Module/Topic

Chapter

Past exam papers.

Events and Submissions/Topic

None

Exam Week Begin Date: 16 Jun 2025

Module/Topic

Final Exam

Chapter

All chapters covered in the Aerodynamics and AGK text plus tutorials and assignment review.

Events and Submissions/Topic

Exam

Term Specific Information

This unit AVAT12006 builds knowledge of aerodynamics relevant for lower altitude flight at subsonic speeds. Covering the knowledge requirements of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Commercial Pilot Licence aerodynamics as well as the General Aeronautical Knowledge syllabus, including aerodynamics of the aerofoil and the forces acting on the aerofoil in flight including how these forces impact on stability and controllability, both in normal and abnormal flight states.  Systems knowledge is a critical element of this unit and will cover piston engine power plants and propellers, electrical, hydraulic and fuel systems and those systems protecting aircraft from icing and rain. Renewed emphasis on flight instrument and navigation information sources can be expected.

 

Assessment Tasks

1 Online Quiz(zes)

Assessment Title
Mid-Semester Online Quiz

Task Description

Online Quiz at mid-semester, consisting of multiple choice questions.

The quiz will cover all material from week 1 to 5.


Number of Quizzes


Frequency of Quizzes

Other


Assessment Due Date

Date and Time of Mid-Term Quiz will be promulgated in Week 2.


Return Date to Students

Weighting
40%

Assessment Criteria

Students should be able to:

  • Explain the aerodynamic properties of an aerofoil
  • Apply the Coanda effect and Bernoulli's theorem to demonstrate and calculate how an aerofoil produces lift and drag
  • Examine the forces and moments acting on an aircraft in all stages of flight
  • Discuss the factors that affect the stability and control of an aircraft in flight
  • Determine the performance aspects of power, weight, and speed in flight manoeuvres
  • Explain the factors that affect the stall and spin characteristics of an aeroplane


Referencing Style

Submission
Online

Learning Outcomes Assessed
  • Apply the Coanda effect and Bernoulli's theorem to demonstrate and calculate how an aerofoil produces lift and drag
  • Examine the forces and moments acting on an aircraft in all stages of flight
  • Determine the performance aspects of power, weight, and speed in flight manoeuvres
  • Explain the factors that affect the stall and spin characteristics of an aeroplane.

Examination

Outline
Complete an invigilated examination

Date
During the examination period at a CQUniversity examination centre

Weighting
60%

Length
120 minutes

Minimum mark or grade
50%

Exam Conditions
Closed Book

Materials
Dictionary - non-electronic, concise, direct translation only (dictionary must not contain any notes or comments).
Academic Integrity Statement

As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.

Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.

When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.

Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.

As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.

What is a breach of academic integrity?

A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.

Why is academic integrity important?

A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.

Where can I get assistance?

For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.

What can you do to act with integrity?