DGCA Navigation study plan: 60 chapters in 6 weeks

60 chapters, about 42 hours for a first pass, in the order that builds up best. Change the pace to suit your exam date.

Week 1 · about 8 hours

• The Earth: directions, latitude and longitude About 105 minutes.
• Change of latitude and longitude, departure and distance About 85 minutes.
• Great circles, rhumb lines and convergency About 65 minutes.
• Variation, deviation and the Earth's magnetism About 65 minutes.
• Units and conversions About 35 minutes.
• Dead reckoning and the navigation computer About 70 minutes.
• Track, heading, drift and the 1-in-60 rule About 55 minutes.

Week 2 · about 8 hours

• Vertical navigation: slopes, descent rates and top of descent About 30 minutes.
• Chart reading: relief, symbols and airspace About 45 minutes.
• Chart properties and scale About 35 minutes.
• Mercator About 30 minutes.
• Lambert conformal conic About 30 minutes.
• Polar charts, transverse Mercator and grid About 25 minutes.
• The solar system, seasons and the day About 35 minutes.
• Time: LMT, UTC and the date line About 60 minutes.
• Sunrise, sunset and twilight About 35 minutes.
• The magnetic compass: errors and the swing About 60 minutes.
• The critical point (point of equal time) About 45 minutes.
• Point of no return and point of safe return About 45 minutes.

Week 3 · about 7 hours

• The pitot-static system and blockages About 60 minutes.
• The airspeed indicator About 40 minutes.
• The pressure altimeter About 45 minutes.
• The vertical speed indicator About 25 minutes.
• Mach number, the Machmeter and the air data computer About 45 minutes.
• Gyroscope principles About 25 minutes.
• The directional gyro indicator About 25 minutes.
• The attitude indicator About 30 minutes.
• Turn and slip, and the turn coordinator About 25 minutes.
• The remote indicating compass About 15 minutes.
• The radio altimeter About 15 minutes.
• Electronic displays: EFIS, EICAS, ECAM About 30 minutes.
• Automatic flight About 25 minutes.
• Warning systems: GPWS, EGPWS, TCAS About 25 minutes.
• Flight data and cockpit voice recorders About 15 minutes.

Week 4 · about 8 hours

• Engine and temperature instruments About 75 minutes.
• Radio waves and propagation About 120 minutes.
• VHF direction finding and the Q codes About 70 minutes.
• NDB and ADF About 125 minutes.
• VOR and Doppler VOR About 80 minutes.

Week 5 · about 8 hours

• The instrument landing system About 55 minutes.
• Radar principles and ground radar About 50 minutes.
• Airborne weather radar About 35 minutes.
• SSR, transponders and Mode S About 40 minutes.
• Distance measuring equipment About 30 minutes.
• Area navigation, FMS and PBN About 35 minutes.
• GNSS About 35 minutes.
• Inertial navigation: INS and IRS About 35 minutes.
• Mass definitions and maximum payload About 45 minutes.
• CG, datum, arm, moment and %MAC About 25 minutes.
• CG limits, CG effects and the load sheet About 25 minutes.
• Take-off speeds and stall About 35 minutes.
• Pressure altitude, density altitude and ISA About 15 minutes.

Week 6 · about 3 hours

• Take-off performance About 30 minutes.
• Climb performance About 35 minutes.
• Descent and glide About 10 minutes.
• Cruise performance About 15 minutes.
• Landing performance About 15 minutes.
• Fuel planning and the navigation log About 30 minutes.
• The ICAO flight plan About 45 minutes.
• EDTO and ETOPS About 15 minutes.