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CAX · 12% of the exam

Cross-Country Planning and Navigation practice questions

10 free Cross-Country Planning and Navigation questions for the Commercial Pilot Airplane (CAX) Knowledge Test exam, each with the correct answer and an explanation for every option.

Start the questionsFree 10-question CAX quiz

What this domain covers

Planning and flying a cross-country: wind correction, time, fuel and heading calculations, and navigating by pilotage, dead reckoning, VOR and GPS.

Exam weight
12%
On a real exam
≈ 12 questions
In our bank
72 questions

Topics that come up most

  • Wind triangle, true and magnetic heading, and groundspeed
  • Fuel burn and VFR fuel reserve requirements
  • Magnetic variation and compass deviation
  • VOR orientation and course interception
  • Pilotage, dead reckoning and GPS use

How to study it

Work several complete flight-log problems with an E6B or calculator, from true course to fuel required; the arithmetic steps repeat across questions.

Sample Cross-Country Planning and Navigation questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Original questions written to the official exam objectives.

  1. Question 1

    The desired magnetic heading is 270°. On this heading, the airplane's compass has a deviation of 2° west (deviation east is added to compass heading to get magnetic heading, and deviation west is subtracted). Which compass heading should the pilot steer?

    • A268°
    • B272°
    • C270°
    • D274°
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) 272°

    Deviation converts between magnetic heading and compass heading. East deviation is added to compass heading to get magnetic heading and west is subtracted, so a 2° west deviation means steering 270 + 2 = 272° on the compass.

    • AIncorrect. This applies the correction in the wrong direction. A compass heading of 268° with 2° west deviation gives a magnetic heading of 266°, not 270°.
    • BCorrect. MH = CH − 2 (west deviation), so CH = MH + 2 = 270 + 2 = 272°.
    • CIncorrect. This ignores the deviation. Deviation must be applied to get the compass heading to steer.
    • DIncorrect. This applies the 2° correction twice. A compass heading of 274° with 2° west deviation gives a magnetic heading of 272°.

  2. Question 2

    TAS is 125 knots with a 15-knot direct tailwind. What is the groundspeed?

    • A140 knots
    • B110 knots
    • C125 knots
    • D155 knots
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) 140 knots

    • ACorrect. Tailwinds add to TAS.
    • BIncorrect. That subtracts the tailwind.
    • CIncorrect. The tailwind adds speed.
    • DIncorrect. That doubles the tailwind.

  3. Question 3

    While planning a cross-country flight, a pilot needs to know how much time, fuel and distance the airplane will use to climb from the departure airport to the planned cruise altitude. Which source provides this information?

    • AThe Chart Supplement entry for the departure airport
    • BThe Type Certificate Data Sheet for the airplane model
    • CThe performance section of the AFM/POH
    • DThe Winds and Temperatures Aloft Forecast (FB)
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) The performance section of the AFM/POH

    Climb time, fuel and distance depend on the specific airplane, so they come from the time, fuel and distance-to-climb charts in the performance section of the AFM/POH.

    • AIncorrect. The Chart Supplement lists airport data such as runways, frequencies, services and remarks. It has no performance data for a particular airplane.
    • BIncorrect. The TCDS lists certification data such as engine model, speed limits and CG range. It does not give operational climb performance charts.
    • CCorrect. The manufacturer's AFM/POH includes time, fuel and distance-to-climb charts or tables. These are entered with weight, pressure altitude and temperature.
    • DIncorrect. The FB gives forecast winds and temperatures at different altitudes. These inputs affect the planned climb, but the forecast does not give the airplane's climb time, fuel or distance.

  4. Question 4

    One degree of latitude equals about:

    • A100 NM
    • B60 NM
    • C1 NM
    • D360 NM
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) 60 NM

    • AIncorrect. It's 60 NM.
    • BCorrect. One minute equals 1 NM.
    • CIncorrect. That's one minute.
    • DIncorrect. It's 60 NM.

  5. Question 5

    On a sectional chart, what do tick marks around an airport symbol indicate?

    • AThe airport has a control tower that operates part time
    • BThe airport is closed
    • CFuel is available and the field is attended
    • DThe runway is unpaved
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) Fuel is available and the field is attended

    • AIncorrect. Towered airports are blue.
    • BIncorrect. Closed airports show an X.
    • CCorrect. Check the Chart Supplement for details.
    • DIncorrect. Runway surface is shown differently.

  6. Question 6

    On a VFR sectional chart, what does the letter "R" inside an airport symbol indicate?

    • AA private airport that is not open for public use
    • BAn airport located inside a restricted area
    • CAn airport served by radar approach control
    • DAn airport with a rotating beacon in operation
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) A private airport that is not open for public use

    An R inside the airport symbol marks a private, non-public-use airport. The FAA charts these mainly for landmark value, and using one requires permission.

    • ACorrect. The R symbol marks a private (non-public-use) airport, usually labeled (PVT). The FAA charts these airports for their landmark value, and using one requires the owner's permission.
    • BIncorrect. A restricted area is shown with blue hatched boundary lines and an R- number. It is not marked by a letter inside an airport symbol.
    • CIncorrect. The airport symbol does not show radar services. Approach control information is listed in the Chart Supplement and the chart's communication data.
    • DIncorrect. A rotating beacon is shown by a small star next to the airport symbol, not by a letter R.

  7. Question 7

    Two checkpoints 18 NM apart are passed 8 minutes apart. What is the groundspeed?

    • A135 knots
    • B144 knots
    • C120 knots
    • D160 knots
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) 135 knots

    • ACorrect. 18 ÷ (8 ÷ 60) = 135 knots.
    • BIncorrect. Recheck the time conversion.
    • CIncorrect. That would take 9 minutes.
    • DIncorrect. That would take under 7 minutes.

  8. Question 8

    An airplane has 45 gal usable and burns 9 gph. With a day VFR reserve, maximum planned flight time is:

    • A5 hours
    • B4.5 hours
    • C4 hours
    • D5.5 hours
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) 4.5 hours

    • AIncorrect. Keep the reserve.
    • BCorrect. 5 hours of fuel minus 30 minutes.
    • CIncorrect. Recheck the math.
    • DIncorrect. That exceeds the fuel.

  9. Question 9

    On a sectional, how is an obstruction's height shown?

    • AHeight above ground only, in meters
    • BMSL height, with AGL height in parentheses
    • COnly the color of the symbol shows height
    • DObstruction heights aren't shown
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) MSL height, with AGL height in parentheses

    • AIncorrect. Feet are used, with MSL first.
    • BCorrect. Both values help with planning.
    • CIncorrect. Numbers show height.
    • DIncorrect. Heights are charted for obstructions.

  10. Question 10

    With 30 gal usable at 10 gph and a 45-minute night reserve, maximum planned flight time is:

    • A2.5 hours
    • B3.0 hours
    • C2.25 hours
    • D1.5 hours
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) 2.25 hours

    • AIncorrect. That's the day reserve.
    • BIncorrect. Keep the reserve.
    • CCorrect. 3 hours minus 0.75.
    • DIncorrect. Recheck the math.

Cross-Country Planning and Navigation: FAQs

How much of the CAX exam is Cross-Country Planning and Navigation?

Cross-Country Planning and Navigation is 12% of the CAX exam by the official exam guide's weighting, which on a 100-question form works out to roughly 12 questions. The real exam's exact split varies by form.

What does the Cross-Country Planning and Navigation domain cover?

Planning and flying a cross-country: wind correction, time, fuel and heading calculations, and navigating by pilotage, dead reckoning, VOR and GPS.

How should I study Cross-Country Planning and Navigation for CAX?

Work several complete flight-log problems with an E6B or calculator, from true course to fuel required; the arithmetic steps repeat across questions.

Where can I practise more Cross-Country Planning and Navigation questions?

This page has 10 free Cross-Country Planning and Navigation questions with answers. The ExamWize CAX question bank has 72 questions in this domain. Every practice exam result breaks your score down by domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

Other CAX topics

Also: 15 free questions across all topics, the CAX cheat sheet and the study guide.

Get Cross-Country Planning and Navigation exam-ready

The full CAX bank has 72 Cross-Country Planning and Navigation questions. Timed practice exams match the real exam's length and domain weights, every result shows your score per domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

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Not affiliated with FAA; questions are original, written from the official exam outline, and never copied from the real exam.