P90 PPL theory subject
PPL Navigation: the exam guide
PPL Navigation builds the toolkit for planning and flying a route: chart projections and plotting, time and position, magnetic variation and deviation, the triangle of velocities that turns wind, heading, and airspeed into track and groundspeed, dead reckoning, in-flight monitoring with the 1-in-60 rule, and an introduction to the radio navigation aids (NDB, VOR, DME, GNSS) that support visual navigation.
- Pass mark
- 75%
- Exam questions
- ~20
- Subject code
- P90
What this subject asks of you
Like General Navigation at ATPL level, it is a subject where the maths only makes sense once you can picture what it represents on a chart.
The pass mark
75% in every PPL theory subject. Paper length varies by country; confirm the format with your exam authority.Best next step
Answer the worked example below before reading the study moves. A question you have tried tells you what to read for.
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: converting true track to magnetic track
Not quite. The correct answer is A.
Correct answer: A
- A. Correct. Using the mnemonic east is least, an easterly variation is subtracted when converting from true to magnetic: 270° minus 8° equals 262°M.
- B. This adds the variation instead of subtracting it, which is the correct procedure for a westerly variation, not an easterly one.
- C. This ignores the variation entirely, treating the magnetic track as identical to the true track.
- D. This applies a variation of roughly double the stated 8°, an arithmetic error rather than a correct conversion.
Step by step
- Start with the true track: 270°.
- Identify the variation and its direction: 8° East.
- Apply the east is least, west is best rule: an easterly variation is subtracted when converting true to magnetic.
- Calculate: 270° minus 8° equals 262°M.
Key topics
Great circles, small circles, and rhumb lines on the shape of the earth
Latitude and longitude, and using coordinates to fix a position
UTC, local mean time, and standard time zones, including the international dateline
Sunrise, sunset, and civil twilight
True, magnetic, and compass north, and the concepts of variation and deviation
Converting between true, magnetic, and compass headings
Units of distance and height, and the relationship between a nautical mile and a minute of latitude
Terrestrial and aircraft magnetism, and keeping magnetic materials clear of the compass
The Direct Mercator and Lambert conformal conic chart projections
Plotting positions, measuring tracks, distances, and bearings on a chart
Dead reckoning elements: track, heading, wind velocity, airspeed, and groundspeed
Solving the triangle of velocities for heading and groundspeed, or for wind velocity and drift
In-flight navigation: visual checkpoints, the 1-in-60 rule, and in-flight wind calculation
Radio navigation fundamentals: NDB/ADF, VOR, DME, ground and secondary radar, and GNSS principles
How to study it
- Master the fundamental relationships (variation, the triangle of velocities, the 1-in-60 rule) before trying to memorise shortcuts, since the shortcuts only make sense once the underlying logic is solid.
- Keep your navigation computer or E6B workflow active with short, regular drills rather than only picking it up before an exam, since manual dexterity fades quickly without use.
- Link every calculation to a picture: draw the triangle of velocities, sketch the chart plot, or mark the checkpoints, so the numbers stay attached to something spatial and memorable.
- Practise magnetic variation conversions with the same mnemonic every time (east is least, west is best) until the direction of the correction is automatic under pressure.
- Work through full dead reckoning problems end to end, from planned track to in-flight revision using the 1-in-60 rule, rather than practising each piece in isolation.
- Revise the radio navigation aids as short profiles (what it measures, how it is displayed, its main limitation) rather than long descriptions, since PPL-level coverage is an introduction, not the ATPL depth.
Why Navigation matters
Navigation is the subject that turns a flight plan into an actual route you can fly and monitor in real time. Getting magnetic variation the wrong way round, or losing track of your position because you cannot apply the 1-in-60 rule under pressure, are exactly the kinds of errors that turn a routine VFR flight into a genuinely difficult situation, which is why this subject is examined with real rigour even at PPL level.
Common traps
- Applying magnetic variation in the wrong direction when converting between true and magnetic headings or tracks.
- Jumping into a triangle of velocities calculation without first sketching the vectors, which makes an arithmetic slip much harder to catch.
- Confusing the properties of the Mercator and Lambert conformal conic projections, especially where each is more accurate.
- Losing confidence and slowing down on chart plotting because the underlying scale and unit conversions were not automated early enough.
- Misapplying the 1-in-60 rule by mixing up the distance flown, distance to run, and the angular correction it produces.
- Treating all radio navigation aids as functionally interchangeable rather than knowing each one's specific measurement principle and main limitation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest way to remember magnetic variation direction?
What is the easiest way to remember magnetic variation direction?
The classic mnemonic is east is least, west is best. An easterly variation means you subtract it when converting a true direction to magnetic, and a westerly variation means you add it. The same logic reverses when converting from magnetic back to true, so always be clear about which direction you are converting before applying the rule.
Why is the triangle of velocities so important in PPL Navigation?
Why is the triangle of velocities so important in PPL Navigation?
It is the single relationship that connects everything a pilot needs before departure: airspeed and heading (what the aircraft does through the air), wind velocity (what the air does relative to the ground), and track and groundspeed (what actually happens over the ground). Almost every navigation planning and in-flight monitoring question comes back to some version of this triangle, so mastering it early pays off across the whole subject.
What is the 1-in-60 rule used for?
What is the 1-in-60 rule used for?
It is a quick, practical way to convert a track error, measured as a distance off track, into an angular correction, using the approximation that 1 nautical mile of displacement over 60 nautical miles flown corresponds to roughly a 1 degree error. It lets a pilot revise heading and ETA in flight using simple arithmetic rather than a full replot, which is exactly why it remains a core PPL navigation skill.
How much do I need to know about GNSS and radio navigation aids for the PPL exam?
How much do I need to know about GNSS and radio navigation aids for the PPL exam?
At PPL level, the coverage is an introduction: what each aid measures, roughly how it is presented to the pilot, and its main limitations, such as line of sight for VOR and DME or satellite geometry effects for GNSS. The far greater depth on signal theory, errors, and equipment interpretation is covered later in the ATPL Radio Navigation subject.
Is PPL Navigation good preparation for ATPL General Navigation?
Is PPL Navigation good preparation for ATPL General Navigation?
Yes, substantially. The core relationships, chart projections, position fixing, the triangle of velocities, dead reckoning, carry straight through into ATPL General Navigation, which then adds considerably more advanced chart geometry, timing calculations, and position-fixing techniques. Students who are genuinely comfortable with the PPL-level fundamentals tend to find that later transition far less steep.
The nine PPL theory subjects
The nine PPL theory subjects
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