P70 PPL theory subject

PPL Flight Performance and Planning: the exam guide

Flight Performance and Planning combines two closely related skills: mass and balance, which asks whether the aircraft's loading keeps its centre of gravity inside safe limits, and performance and flight planning, which asks whether the aircraft can safely take off, climb, cruise, and land given its mass, the weather, and the runway, and then turns that into a completed fuel log and flight plan. It is one of the more calculation-heavy PPL subjects, and it rewards a clean, repeatable method over speed alone.

Pass mark

75%

Exam questions

Typically around 20 questions in most EASA states (paper length varies by country)

Subject code

P70

Why Flight Performance and Planning matters

Every flight starts with a loading decision and a performance check, and both are real go or no-go factors, not academic exercises. Getting a centre of gravity calculation wrong, or misreading a take-off distance chart, is the kind of mistake that has genuine consequences on a short or contaminated runway. This subject teaches the disciplined, chart-based thinking that turns raw numbers into a safe operational decision.

Key topics

The purpose of mass and balance and centre of gravity limitations
Mass and load terminology, and structural, performance, and baggage compartment mass limits
Maximum masses for take-off and landing, and the use of standard masses
Basic centre of gravity calculations using datum, moment arm, and aircraft data
Load and trim sheet interpretation and the centre of gravity envelope
Performance classes and the stages of flight
The effect of mass, wind, altitude, runway slope, and surface on performance
Take-off and landing performance using aeroplane flight manual data
Climb and cruise performance, and the effect of density altitude
Endurance and range at different power or thrust settings
Routes, altitudes, and distances from VFR charts
Fuel planning: taxi, contingency, alternate, and final reserve fuel
Completion of the fuel log and the ICAO flight plan
In-flight fuel management and replanning after a deviation

How to study it

Use one consistent calculation layout for every centre of gravity problem so arithmetic mistakes, not method, become the only thing left to eliminate.
Practise reading performance charts slowly before trying to go fast, tracing each line and correction step by step until the chart's logic is clear.
Keep mass and balance calculations and performance chart questions in separate revision sessions so you do not mix their methods under pressure.
Build one worked fuel log and one worked ICAO flight plan from a realistic scenario, then repeat variations of it until completing the form feels routine.
Treat every performance problem as an operational question (can this aircraft safely do this today, with this load, on this runway) rather than a pure maths exercise.
Review unit conversions and sign direction carefully whenever mass or fuel shifts forward or aft, since this is where many otherwise correct calculations go wrong.

Common traps

Rushing the arithmetic because the mass and balance formulas look simple, then losing marks to an avoidable calculation slip.
Forgetting to include one loading item, such as fuel or baggage, when calculating total moment and total mass.
Reading the wrong chart, or the wrong axis on the correct chart, when extracting take-off or landing performance data.
Missing a required correction factor, such as for wind, slope, or a contaminated surface, hidden in the question wording.
Dropping or double-counting a fuel component, such as contingency or final reserve fuel, when building the fuel log.
Treating form completion (the ICAO flight plan, the fuel log) as an afterthought, when it is a genuine scoring area in its own right.

Worked example question

An independently authored revision question in the same multiple-choice format as the exam. Try it before opening the answer.

Worked example: basic centre of gravity calculation

An aeroplane's basic empty mass is 650 kg at an arm of 0.85 m. A pilot and passenger add 170 kg at an arm of 1.05 m, and fuel adds 60 kg at an arm of 1.35 m. What is the aircraft's centre of gravity, to the nearest 0.01 m?

A0.92 m
B1.08 m
C0.85 m
D0.77 m

Show the answer and walkthrough

Correct answer: A

A. Correct. Total moment is 552.5 plus 178.5 plus 81, giving 812 kg·m. Total mass is 650 plus 170 plus 60, giving 880 kg. 812 divided by 880 equals approximately 0.92 m.
B. This results from averaging the three arm values directly instead of weighting each arm by its associated mass, which is not how a centre of gravity calculation works.
C. This is simply the empty aircraft's own arm, ignoring the effect of the added pilot, passenger, and fuel entirely.
D. This would result from omitting the fuel's moment from the total while still including its mass in the total weight, an easy but significant arithmetic slip.

Step by step

Calculate each item's moment: mass multiplied by arm. Empty: 650 x 0.85 = 552.5. Pilot and passenger: 170 x 1.05 = 178.5. Fuel: 60 x 1.35 = 81.
Sum the moments: 552.5 + 178.5 + 81 = 812 kg·m.
Sum the masses: 650 + 170 + 60 = 880 kg.
Divide total moment by total mass to find the centre of gravity: 812 divided by 880 is approximately 0.92 m.

Frequently asked questions

Is PPL Flight Performance and Planning mostly maths?

It is calculation-heavy, but the real skill being tested is judgement: can this loaded aircraft safely operate today, given the runway, the weather, and the mass involved. The calculations are the tool that answers that question, so understanding what each number means operationally matters as much as getting the arithmetic right.

How do I avoid mistakes in centre of gravity calculations?

Use the same layout every time: list each item's mass and arm, calculate each moment, total the moments and the masses separately, then divide. A consistent format makes it much easier to spot a missing item or a sign error, and it is exactly the kind of habit that prevents the small slips that cost marks under time pressure.

What fuel components go into a PPL fuel log?

A typical fuel log includes taxi fuel, trip fuel for the planned route, contingency fuel for minor deviations, alternate fuel if an alternate aerodrome is required, and final reserve fuel, which is the minimum fuel to be retained on landing. Your ATO will confirm the exact structure and current minimum reserve requirements used in your training, since these are set by regulation and can be refined.

Why does density altitude matter for performance?

Density altitude reflects how thin or dense the air actually is, accounting for both pressure altitude and temperature. Higher density altitude, from heat or high elevation, means the wings and propeller work in thinner air, which lengthens take-off distance, reduces climb performance, and increases the true airspeed needed to fly at a given indicated airspeed. Performance charts are built around this relationship, which is why temperature corrections appear throughout the subject.

How is this different from ATPL Mass and Balance and Performance?

The underlying principles, moments, centre of gravity, and performance charts, are the same. ATPL splits the subject into separate, considerably deeper papers (Mass and Balance, and Performance) that cover heavier, more complex aircraft types and additional performance classes. A solid grip on the PPL-level fundamentals here transfers directly into that later, more demanding version of the same skill.

Related PPL guides

Subjects that overlap with Flight Performance and Planning, revise them together to reinforce the shared concepts.

P50

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Study PPL Meteorology with a guide to pressure, cloud, fronts, icing, turbulence, thunderstorms, and reading METARs and TAFs for the theory exam.

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P90

Navigation

Study PPL Navigation with a guide to charts, magnetic variation, the triangle of velocities, dead reckoning, and radio navigation aids.

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Test yourself on Flight Performance and Planning and the other PPL theory subjects with a free practice quiz, no account needed.

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This page is general educational information for student pilots and may be out of date. Aviation rules, training requirements, costs, medical standards, and exam details change over time and vary by country, authority, and training organisation, so details here may no longer be current or may differ in your case. Always confirm the current details with your approved training organisation (ATO) and national aviation authority before relying on them. SkyStudy is an independent study aid, is not affiliated with EASA or any aviation authority, and does not guarantee any exam or licence outcome.

Last reviewed July 2026