Test Pilot

GENERAL

1. Why are deicing boots used to protect only the inner portions of propeller blades?
2. In the recent motion picture Pearl Harbor it is shown that only a handful of fighter pilots were able to take off and engage the Japanese during the sneak attack, which is true. One of these was _______, who later became America's top ace in the European Theater during World War II.
3. A pilot is flying over the only place in the United States whose name contains an apostrophe. Where is he? (This place is shown in an atlas; businesses, such as Joe's Pool Hall, and other establishments do not count.)
4. Most pilots have used automated weather services (such as AWOS and ASOS), but what is an automated unicom, and how is it used?
5. What famous American pilot borrowed a Blériot Monoplane on April 16, 1912, and became the first female pilot to fly an airplane across the English Channel?
6. Why is it so difficult for the FAA to know how many seaplanes are registered in the United States?
7. A pilot is over the continental United States in uncontrolled (Class G) airspace. His sectional chart indicates that he is neither above nor below any controlled airspace. How high can he fly before encountering controlled airspace not indicated on his chart?
8. From reader Mark Phelps: When geese fly in a V-formation, why is one side of the V usually longer than the other?

MULTIPLE CHOICE

9. With respect to encountering an increasing tailwind type of wind shear, which of the following does not belong?
   1. airplane tends to sink
   2. groundspeed increases
   3. indicated airspeed increases
   4. pitch attitude decreases
10. From reader George Shanks: Which of the following does not belong?
    1. angle of attack
    2. angle of incidence
    3. center of gravity
    4. gross weight
11. The planned Airbus A380 will carry an incredible number of people. Like all jetliners, the aircraft will not be certified unless it is demonstrated that a full load of passengers can be safely evacuated from the aircraft in
    1. 1 minute.
    2. 90 seconds.
    3. 2 minutes.
    4. 3 minutes.

TRUE OR FALSE

12. From reader Jeff Pardo: There are federal aviation regulations that prohibit flying a kite within five miles of an airport.
13. There is a place on Earth where — according to weather records — there has never been so much as a trace of rain or snow.
14. A noninstrument-rated pilot is allowed to fly in VFR conditions on top of an extended overcast at night in a light aircraft not equipped for instrument flight.

ANSWERS

1. Boots would interfere with the aerodynamic design of the outer halves of the blades, which is where most of the thrust is generated. Also, the outer halves have so much airspeed that the heat of compression usually prevents ice from forming, and "centrifugal force" tends to sling away any ice that might form so far from the hub.
2. Lt. Col. Francis S. "Gabby" Gabreski had 28 confirmed kills while flying a Republic P–47 Thunderbolt during World War II. He also downed six enemy aircraft during the Korean War. Overall, America's leading ace during World War II was Richard Bong (40 kills, Pacific Theater).
3. Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. Other place names, such as Pikes Peak, Devils Elbow, and St. Johns River, do not contain apostrophes.
4. In addition to automated weather, an automated unicom provides a variety of other information, such as radio-check capability and airport advisories that are selectable using microphone clicks.
5. Harriet Quimby was America's first licensed female pilot and the first woman to fly at night. This was in an era when women were not allowed to vote, were not allowed to serve on juries in most states, and were considered incapable of driving cars.
6. A great number of airplanes that are equipped with floats in the summer are converted to wheels and/or skis in the winter. There is no way to know at any given time whether such an aircraft is a seaplane or a landplane.
7. Although not charted, all airspace from 14,500 feet msl to Flight Level 180 (except that airspace below 1,500 feet agl) is designated as Class E (controlled) airspace. This blanket of controlled airspace used to be called the Continental Control Area. Class A airspace begins at FL180.
8. Because there are more geese on that side. (Sorry about that.)
9. (c) Airspeed increases and groundspeed decreases during an increasing headwind type of wind shear.
10. (b) The angle of incidence is fixed; the other items change during flight.
11. (b) Furthermore, the evacuation must be completed using only half of the emergency exits.
12. True. FAR Part 101, Moored Balloons, Kites, Unmanned Rockets, and Unmanned Free Balloons, lists a plethora of regulations dealing with kites, especially if the kite weighs more than five pounds and is intended to be flown at the end of a rope or cable.
13. True. The driest place on Earth is Calama, which is in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
14. True. And it would be hazardous. Under the same conditions, however, large and turbine-powered multiengine airplanes must be equipped for instrument flight.

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