Pilot Briefing: Test Pilot

1. From reader John Schmidt: Who were Hoover’s Heavers?

2. A pilot is leveling off after climbing to cruise altitude. As airspeed increases, he notices that nose-up trim is required to maintain altitude. Assuming that the trim system is operating normally, what is the most likely cause of this problem?

3. From reader Jerry Griggs: What was the first U.S. heavy bomber to complete 25 missions during World War II?

4. In 1803, Englishman Luke Howard presented the scientific world with the current cloud-classification system, which uses Latin words to describe basic cloud types. For example, cumulus means heap, and stratus means layer. He referred to high, wispy clouds as cirrus, which means _______.

5. Many different types of airplanes have been lengthened (or stretched) to increase payload. Can you name a well-known aircraft that was substantially shortened (or shrunk), a design change that reduced payload?

6. A pilot flying an airplane on a magnetic heading of 360 degrees sees a hot-air balloon that is tracking 270 degrees ahead and to his right. Both aircraft are at the same altitude. According to regulation, the pilot of the airplane must

a. climb.

b. descend.

c. alter course to the right.

d. None of the above.

7. Some of the most effective U.S. aircraft of World War II included the Mustang, the Superfortress, the Corsair, the Liberator, the Hadrian, and so forth. Wait a minute. The Hadrian? What was the Hadrian?

8. How did parrots play a role in aerial warfare during World War I?

1. Bob Hoover occasionally carried passengers in his Shrike Commander during airshow performances. They became known as Hoover’s Heavers because of their occasional reaction to his aerobatic routine.

2. The airplane is longitudinally unstable, which most likely is the result of an excessively aft center of gravity.

3. The Consolidated B–24 Liberator Hot Stuff completed its twenty-fifth mission on February 7, 1943. This was three and a half months before the Boeing B–17 Flying Fortress Memphis Belle completed its twenty-fifth mission. Hot Stuff, however, crashed in Iceland. Memphis Belle became famous because it was first to complete 25 missions and return to the United States.

4. Cirrus means a lock of hair, not mare’s tail, which often is used to describe the appearance of this high-altitude cloud.

5. The Boeing 747-100 (the original and classic 747) was shrunk by 47 feet to create the 747SP—SP stood for special performance—a design change that increased range from 5,300 to 6,650 nm and cruising speed from Mach 0.84 to Mach 0.88. Introduced in 1976, the “SP” had the greatest range of any jetliner until the Boeing 747-400 was introduced in 1989.

6. (d) The pilot may continue straight ahead because the two aircraft are in no danger of colliding. Think about it.

7. This was the World War II Waco CG–4A assault glider. With a maximum gross weight of 7,500 pounds, it could carry up to 15 fully-equipped troops, a Jeep, or a 75-mm howitzer. The fabric-covered glider was useful for landing quietly behind enemy lines. Approximately 14,000 were built.

8. Because of their acute hearing, parrots positioned on the Eiffel Tower warned of approaching aircraft long before the airplanes were heard or seen by ground observers.