ENTA12016 - Automatic Flight Control and Communication Systems

Showing: 2026 HE Term 1
General Information

Unit Synopsis

Automatic flight control systems and communication systems contribute significantly to the safety and efficiency of modern aircraft. This unit covers parts of the aircraft aerodynamics, structure and systems, and propulsion modules of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Part 66 Aircraft Maintenance basic knowledge requirements syllabus. In this unit, you will learn about flight management computing and other aspects of "autoflight" such as autothrottle and autoland. You will also develop knowledge of radio waves, antennae, transmitters and receivers before moving on to aircraft communication systems using dedicated frequencies, such as VHF and HF. You will learn about communication that assists in emergencies, such as emergency locator transmitters and cockpit voice recorders. In this unit, you will also learn about aircraft propulsion, focusing mainly on the avionics aspects of engine operation: engine indicating and starting/ignition. This also includes practical tasks with different types of procedures, components and systems related to autoflight and aircraft communication systems. This unit is delivered at Aviation Australia campuses by Aviation Australia staff in partnership with CQUniversity.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 2
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Prerequisites: Engineering Fundamentals for Aircraft Maintenance AND Electronic Fundamentals for Aircraft Maintenance AND Electrical Fundamentals for Aircraft Maintenance AND Aircraft Maintenance Practices AND Human Factors and Aviation Legislation AND Aircraft Instrumentation Systems

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).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2026


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).

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.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. In-class Test(s) 0%
2. Report 0%
3. Report 0%
4. Practical Assessment 0%

This is a pass/fail (non-graded) unit. To pass the unit, you must pass all of the individual assessment tasks shown in the table above.

Past Exams

Previous Feedback

No previous feedback available

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.

Unit Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Investigate typical examples of modern autoflight systems and their modes of operation, including their interface with navigation aids
  2. Analyse the principles of autothrottle and autoland systems
  3. Explain radio communication theory, including wave propagation and the functioning of antennae, receivers and transmitters
  4. Troubleshoot different types of communication systems, including various frequency bands such as high frequency (HF), very high frequency (VHF) used in these systems
  5. Investigate engine indicating and engine starting, and ignition systems of gas turbine engine propulsion systems
  6. Reflect on adapting current maintenance practices for future autoflight and aircraft communication system trends
  7. Safely perform practical tasks using tooling, hardware, simulation equipment and aircraft components and systems, demonstrating the appropriate application of theory.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 - In-class Test(s) • • • • •
2 - Report • • • •
3 - Report • • • •
4 - Practical Assessment • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 - Communication • • • •
2 - Problem Solving • • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • • • • • •
4 - Information Literacy • •
5 - Team Work •
6 - Information Technology Competence •
8 - Ethical practice •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 10
1 - In-class Test(s) • •
2 - Report • • • • • • •
3 - Report • • • • • • •
4 - Practical Assessment • • • • •