> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://magentadebrief.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # RAAus Cross Country Endorsement: What you need to know - URL: https://magentadebrief.com/raaus-cross-country-endorsement-guide/ - Published: 2026-07-02T10:33:54.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-08T02:37:06.000Z - Description: Complete walkthrough of the RAAus Cross Country Endorsement — prerequisites, the written exam, navigation and meteorology syllabus, flight test requirements, and FOM references. - Author: Alan Soon - Tags: Guides, Australia, Training The Cross Country Endorsement (X) removes the 25-nautical-mile leash around your departure point. Without it, you can fly circuits, training areas, and short hops. With it, you plan a route, read a chart, and navigate somewhere you couldn't see from the take-off roll. Here's what the RAAus Flight Operations Manual requires to get it — and everything Unit 2.03 of the syllabus covers. --- ## The X endorsement at a glance Per **Section 2.05, paragraph 5** of the RAAus Flight Operations Manual: > In order to act as pilot in command of a recreational aircraft at a distance greater than 25 nautical miles from the original point of departure a Pilot Certificate holder must hold a RAAus Cross Country (X) Endorsement. Consecutive flights of 25 nautical miles do not comply with this requirement. | Item | Group A/B (three-axis) | Group D (weight-shift) | | --------------------- | ------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------- | | **Dual nav training** | Minimum 10 hours | Minimum 2 hours | | **Solo nav** | Minimum 2 hours | Minimum 1 hour | | **Written exam** | RAAus Flight Navigation written exam | RAAus Group D Flight Navigation written exam | | **Pass mark** | 80% | 80% | | **Flight test** | With DCFI, CFI, or Pilot Examiner | With CFI or Pilot Examiner | | **Syllabus** | Unit 2.03 — Navigation & Meteorology | Unit 2.03 — Navigation & Meteorology | | **FOM reference** | Section 2.07, paragraph 11 | Section 2.07, paragraph 35 | **Group D exception:** If you don't hold an X endorsement, you can still fly between 25 and 100 NM from your departure point — but only if your logbook is endorsed by an RAAus Examiner confirming you've met the competencies in Section 2.07, paragraph 37. --- ## Prerequisites and training hours ### Group A/B Per Section 2.07, paragraph 11, you need: - **10 hours dual cross country navigation training** with an instructor - **2 hours solo cross country navigation** under your own planning - A **RAAus Flight Navigation written examination** with an 80% pass mark - A **navigation flight test** with a Deputy CFI, CFI, or Pilot Examiner This sits on top of everything you already hold — RPC, [PAX endorsement](https://magentadebrief.com/raaus-passenger-endorsement-guide/) (to carry your instructor on dual navs), and ideally a Radio endorsement if you're operating near controlled airspace. ### Group D Per Section 2.07, paragraph 35, you need: - **2 hours dual cross country navigation training** - **1 hour solo cross country navigation** - A **Group D Flight Navigation written exam** with an 80% pass mark - A **navigation flight test** with a CFI or Pilot Examiner --- ## The written exam: what Unit 2.03 covers The exam is drawn from **Unit 2.03 of the RAAus Syllabus of Flight Training** — Navigation and Meteorology. This is the theory engine behind the entire endorsement. You'll be tested on both halves. ### Navigation topics | Topic | What you need to know | | ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Charts and publications** | Identify and interpret VTC, VNC, WAC/ERC-L, ERSA. Decode airspace boundaries, symbols, obstacles, spot heights, CTA, PRDs, and aerodrome data. Measure distance using chart scales and latitude. Plot position by lat/long and bearing/distance. | | **Form of the Earth** | Latitude and longitude, meridians and parallels, true north vs magnetic north, magnetic variation (isogonals and annual change). One nautical mile equals one minute of latitude — this is the key relationship for all map work. | | **Time** | UTC, Local Mean Time, Local Standard Time, Local Summer Time. Extract first and last light from AIP daylight/darkness graphs. Understand how latitude and season shorten daylight. | | **Computation techniques** | Mental math for speed/distance/time (example: 120 knots = 2 NM per minute). Endurance from fuel flow and fuel available excluding reserves. Rate one turn timing. The wind side of the whiz wheel. | | **Navigation computations** | Solve for heading, groundspeed, and drift given TAS, wind velocity, and track. Reverse it: determine track from heading, TAS, and wind. Build a nav log with legs, headings, times, and fuel. | | **Pilot navigation in flight** | Maintain a navigation log in real time. Monitor fuel against plan and reserves. Measure track made good, calculate drift, and correct heading. Revise ETAs from groundspeed. Establish a DR position using time and heading from last fix. Map reading: map-to-ground and ground-to-map. Low-level vs high-level navigation. | | **Diversions** | Plan inflight diversions around weather, fuel, or airspace. Calculate heading, distance, time, and fuel to an alternate from current position. | ### Meteorology topics | Topic | What you need to know | | ------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Atmospheric pressure** | Units (hPa), variation with height, pressure altitude, ICAO standard atmosphere (1013.25 hPa, 15°C at MSL, 1.98°C lapse rate per 1,000 ft). | | **Atmospheric temperature** | Units (°C), variation with height, density altitude and its effect on aircraft performance. | | **Pressure systems and fronts** | Depressions (low pressure) and anticyclones (high pressure). Cold and warm fronts — structure, movement, associated weather. Isobars and wind direction (Buys Ballot's law). Pressure patterns over Australia. | | **Cloud classifications** | Ten cloud types — cumulus, stratus, cirrus, cumulonimbus, nimbostratus, altostratus, altocumulus, cirrostratus, cirrocumulus, stratocumulus. What each tells you about stability and weather. | | **Visibility** | Haze, smoke, fog (radiation, advection, frontal), mist, precipitation. How each forms and when it disperses. | | **Wind** | Wind velocity, backing and veering, sea breezes, Fohn winds, valley winds, anabatic and katabatic flows, dust devils. Wind shear and wind gradient — effects on take-off and landing. | | **Turbulence** | Mechanical (terrain), convectional (thermal), wake turbulence (wingtip vortices), slipstream turbulence. Mountain waves: conditions, severity, rotor zones. | | **Forecasts and reports** | METAR, SPECI, TTF, TAF, AFOR, SIGMET, AIRMET. Know what each one is, how to read it, and where to get decodes. | | **Local weather knowledge** | Thunderstorm development and hazards (microbursts, hail, lightning, gust fronts). Low cloud, poor visibility, turbulence — how they affect safe aircraft operation in your training area. | ## The navigation flight test The flight test is a practical demonstration — you plan and fly a nav exercise while the examiner assesses your ability to navigate without electronic aids. **What you'll need to demonstrate:** - Plan a cross country route on paper charts — VTC, VNC, or WAC as appropriate - Build a nav log with waypoints, headings, distances, times, and fuel - Obtain and interpret the relevant weather forecasts - Fly the planned route using compass, clock, and map — no GPS or EFB during the test - Fix your position using map-to-ground and ground-to-map - Calculate track made good, drift, and revised heading - Revise ETAs at each waypoint - Manage fuel against plan and reserves throughout - Demonstrate a diversion to an alternate aerodrome - Handle lost procedures if required - Operate in controlled airspace if relevant to the route Examiners expect you to use paper charts and a whiz wheel (CRP-1 or similar), not an electronic E6B. After you pass, you're unlikely to navigate by paper again — but the test proves you can. --- ## What you need to bring to the test - Current VTC, VNC, and/or WAC charts covering your route - ERSA for your departure, destination, and alternates - Whiz wheel (CRP-1 or similar manual flight computer) - Navigation log — filled out for your planned route - Current weather forecast products (Area Forecast or GPWT) - Notam summaries for your route - Pencil, ruler, protractor, and a basic calculator - Watch or timer - Fuel management plan with reserves calculated --- ## Study resources Everything you need is grounded in the RAAus sources: - **RAAus Flight Operations Manual** — Sections 2.05, 2.07, and 4.01-4.07 - **RAAus Syllabus of Flight Training — Unit 2.03** — your study syllabus - **RAAus RPC exams** — make sure you've passed your theory ([RAAus RPC exam guide](https://magentadebrief.com/raaus-pilot-exam-guide/)) - **CASA Visual Flight Rules Guide** — airspace, radio, and procedures - **AIP** — charts, ERSA, and daylight tables - **Bureau of Meteorology** — aviation weather references - **VTC, VNC, WAC charts of your area** — practice reading them until you can see the terrain in your head --- ## Key questions, short answers **What's the pass mark for the navigation written exam?** 80%. This is set per the Cross Country endorsement requirements in the FOM. **Can I use GPS or an EFB during the flight test?** No. The test is designed to demonstrate your ability to navigate without electronic aids. Use paper charts, compass, watch, and whiz wheel. After you're endorsed, you can navigate however you prefer — but the test proves the underlying skill. **Do I need a PAX endorsement before starting XC training?** No. Tip: Some students will do their XC training first because that allows them to count the 2-hour solo nav requirement as part of the 5 solo hours needed for their PAX endorsement. **Do I need a radio endorsement?** Your radio endorsement is already covered as part of the RPC certification. This will be added to your flight record and log book automatically. **What counts as 'dual cross country navigation training'?** Flight time where an RAAus Instructor is on board and the flight involves navigation beyond 25 NM from the departure point, with you planning and flying the route under instruction. **What counts as 'solo cross country navigation'?** Flights where you are PIC, solo, navigating beyond 25 NM from the departure point using the skills you built during dual training. **Can I combine my dual and solo nav flights into a single trip?** No. Dual hours are with an instructor. Solo hours are on your own. They must be logged separately. **Do I need an XC endorsement for every aircraft type?** The XC endorsement is not type-specific — it's held against your Pilot Certificate. But you must meet the recency and competency requirements for the aircraft you're using on any given flight. **What's the simplest first cross country route to plan?** A four-leg circuit that keeps you within 25 NM of home while still requiring real navigation. Example: depart → waypoint 1 (24 NM) → waypoint 2 (20 NM) → waypoint 3 (22 NM) → home (25 NM). You stay within 25 NM of the field, but you practice full nav on every leg. --- Ready to look for an examiner? Browse the [RAAus school directory](https://magentadebrief.com/list-of-all-raaus-flight-schools/) for a CFI or Pilot Examiner near you. *Reference: RAAus Flight Operations Manual Issue 7.1.2 (17 July 2024), Sections 2.05, 2.07, and 3.03.*