Section 3
Ground School Syllabus — 45 Hours
Topics are covered in the sequence below. Hours are on-campus instruction time; the eLearning pre-course provides additional foundational coverage before campus arrival. Each topic concludes with comprehension questions administered by the instructor — these are formative, not graded, but unsatisfactory responses trigger review before proceeding.
4.8 hrs
Aircraft General & Certification
Citation Longitude type certificate CE-680A — certification basis and history. Airframe construction materials and structural design philosophy. Pressurization system: maximum differential, cabin altitude schedule, outflow valve operation, safety valve. Emergency exits: location, operation, activation forces, slide deployment on applicable aircraft. Door warning systems integration with avionics alerting. Cabin altitude warning system. Oxygen system: crew masks (quick-don), passenger masks, diluter-demand vs pressure demand.
5.6 hrs
Powerplant — Honeywell HTF7700L
Engine type: Honeywell HTF7700L. FADEC — full authority digital engine control: operation, fault codes, degraded modes, FADEC failure response. N1/N2 speed relationships; ITT/EGT limits; oil pressure and temperature limits. Thrust ratings: takeoff, max continuous, climb, cruise derates. Engine bleed: sources, anti-ice demand effect on thrust. Thrust reverser system: deployment envelope, inadvertent deployment procedure, reverser locked-open drill. Engine start: normal, cross-bleed, APU-assisted (if applicable), hot start recognition and response. Engine fire detection: loop A/B, extinguisher discharge sequence, engine shutdown memory items. Single-engine performance: drift-down altitude, net ceiling, obstacle clearance.
2.8 hrs
Fuel System
Fuel tank configuration: main tanks, auxiliary/tip tanks (if applicable), center tank (if applicable). Fuel transfer: automatic crossfeed, manual crossfeed, transfer pump operation. Fuel imbalance limits: maximum allowable imbalance at MTOW, correction procedure. Fuel quantity indication: primary, backup, low-level warning thresholds. FMS fuel integration: fuel used, fuel remaining, estimated fuel at destination, range rings. Fuel system abnormals: pump failure, crossfeed valve stuck, fuel quantity discrepancy procedure. Fuel specification: Jet-A, Jet-A1, JP-8; contamination check; density correction for weight planning.
2.8 hrs
Electrical System
Generator architecture: starter-generators or dedicated generators per engine (aircraft-specific). Bus architecture: main bus, essential bus, emergency bus, avionics bus. Battery systems: main battery, emergency battery, battery charger. Ground power: external power acceptance, GPU connection procedure. Load shedding matrix: what drops on essential bus, what drops on emergency bus. Electrical abnormals: generator failure (single and dual), bus tie failure, battery only operations. Avionics bus protection: avionics master switch, cooling fan monitoring.
2.8 hrs
Hydraulics & Landing Gear
Hydraulic system architecture: system A and B (if dual), fluid specification, reservoir monitoring. Landing gear: normal retraction/extension; gear door sequence; position indication (green/unsafe/unlocked). Alternate gear extension: free-fall or mechanical extension; checklist; groundspeed limitations before extension. Nose wheel steering: tiller authority; differential braking below NWS authority. Brake system: carbon brake pads; anti-skid operation; anti-skid failure; brake energy limits (max landing weight brake temp check). Parking brake: application and release; failure mode (brakes applied). Hydraulic abnormals: hydraulic pump failure; hydraulic fluid low; hydraulic pressure loss — gear and brake backup.
2.8 hrs
Flight Controls
Primary flight controls: elevator, ailerons, rudder — cable and pushrod or cable and hydraulic actuation. Secondary controls: spoilers (flight and ground); roll spoilers if applicable; speed brakes. Flap system: positions, Vfe at each setting, asymmetric flap detection and limitation. Trim systems: electric pitch trim (runaway trim procedure); manual roll and yaw trim. Yaw damper: operation, failure indication, flight without yaw damper (VMC only vs all weather). Stall protection: stick shaker activation angle, stick pusher (if equipped) — when and how it activates. Flight control abnormals: jammed elevator; jammed aileron; rudder hard-over; flap asymmetry.
8.8 hrs
Avionics — Garmin G5000
Display architecture: Five 14-inch touchscreen displays (Latitude/Longitude); GTC 570 touchscreen controllers; integrated EICAS synoptics. FMS: Dual GNS FMS; VNAV; RNP AR on applicable aircraft; CPDLC optional; oceanic route entry; performance calculations. Approach capability: WAAS LPV, RNP AR, ILS, LNAV/VNAV; curved approach capability; approach preview on MFD; automatic sequencing. Autopilot/autoflight: GFC 700 or Garmin autoflight system; coupled approaches; go-around; VNAV descent; autothrottle on Longitude. Failure modes: Display reversion; touchscreen controller failure — physical backup; FMS RAIM failure during approach; GPS anomaly. Aircraft-specific: Five-screen layout differs from three-screen G3000 — cockpit scan pattern is different; Latitude/Longitude-specific synoptic pages for pressurization, fuel, electrical. Cockpit scan pattern: how the display layout affects instrument crosscheck; transition from other avionics suites. Checklist integration: electronic checklist (if equipped) vs paper QRH; CAS message hierarchy.
2.4 hrs
Ice & Rain Protection
Ice protection system type: hot bleed air (engine cowl and wing leading edge, if applicable) and/or electric (windshield, pitot/static, AOA). Ice detection: visual cues (ice accretion reference indicators), AOA degradation, ice detector (if equipped). FIKI status: approved for flight into known icing with all systems operative. Icing encounter procedure: pitot heat — windshield — engine anti-ice — wing anti-ice sequence; power implications of bleed demand. Structural icing limits: maximum continuous icing, maximum intermittent icing, freezing drizzle and freezing rain (FZRA) — most aircraft are not certified for FZRA. Icing abnormals: anti-ice system failure in icing conditions; pitot heat failure; airspeed unreliable with ice.
4.0 hrs
Emergency Procedures
Memory items vs checklist items: which emergency items require immediate action without checklist (aircraft-specific — must be memorized exactly). Engine failure below V1 (135–152 KIAS): rejected takeoff — maximum braking, thrust levers idle, reversers deployed. Engine failure at V1: continued takeoff — maintain V2 (142–160 KIAS), wings level, ball in center; engine failure items after positive climb established. Engine fire in flight: shutdown sequence, fire handle pull, extinguisher discharge — first then second bottle discharge timing. Emergency descent: recognition, 'Pan-Pan' or 'Mayday' ATC, passenger oxygen, descent profile (Mmo then Vmo then 250 KIAS below 10,000); target altitude for pressurization loss. Rapid decompression: oxygen mask — gloves — goggles sequence (15-second useful consciousness at FL410); emergency descent immediately. Smoke and fumes: source identification (electrical vs environmental system vs cabin); isolation procedure; smoke goggle use; oxygen mask. Electrical emergency: generator failure, essential bus configuration, load shedding, avionics priority. Windshear encounter: EGPWS/TAWS windshear alert — immediate full thrust — maintain target pitch — no configuration changes.
3.2 hrs
ACS Oral Preparation — Mock Oral
Mock oral examination structured as a full DPE session: examiner persona, applicant role. Areas of Operation from the CE-680A ACS: aircraft systems (all of the above), limitations (recited from memory), normal procedures, abnormal/emergency procedures, instrument procedures, performance. Common examiner question patterns: 'walk me through what happens when...'; 'what are your memory items for...'; 'what would you do if...'. Limitations committed to memory: Vmo 330 KIAS, Mmo 0.84, MTOW 33,000 lbs, engine operating limits. Professional response technique: organized, complete, direct; know when to say 'I would refer to the QRH' vs memory item. Mock oral is conducted by an Apex check airman who is NOT the student's primary ground instructor — same person who reviews records before the practical test is scheduled.