Test Pilot

1. From reader John Schmidt: Navy pilots are justifiably proud to wear their hard-earned wings of gold. Why were some Navy pilots, however, awarded a pin with only one gold wing?

2. True or false? Pressing the balls of both feet firmly and equally against the bottoms of both rudder pedals reduces aircraft yaw in turbulence.

3. “I dropped out of high school after the eighth grade, became largely self-taught, and my name is now a household word in aviation. I also was a co-inventor of the car radio, invented the eight-track audio tape system, developed radio direction finders and autopilots, and invented the first automatic landing system. For my work in aviation, I was awarded the Collier Trophy in 1949. Who am I?”

4. A .38-caliber bullet is fired through the cabin wall of a pressurized jetliner cruising at Flight Level 380. Unless the pilot executes a rapid descent, the result most likely would be

A. no change in cabin pressure.
B. a slow reduction in cabin pressure.
C. a rapid decompression.
D. an explosive decompression.

5. Which of the following actors volunteered for duty during World War II and became military pilots?

A. Gene Autry
B. William Conrad
C. Jackie Coogan
D. George Gobel
E. Ed McMahon
F. Tyrone Power
G. Mickey Spillane
H. James Stewart
I. Robert Taylor
J. Dennis Weaver

6. While flying an aircraft with a fuel-injected engine, a pilot notices that the head temperature of one cylinder is significantly hotter than the others. What is the most likely cause of this problem?

7. Most of us know the name of the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. It was Sputnik, launched by the USSR on October 4, 1957. What was the name of America’s first satellite, and how long after Sputnik was it launched?

8. True or false? Thunderstorms often penetrate the tropopause and extend thousands of feet into the stratosphere.

Test Pilot Answers

1. The Navy awarded one-winged gold pins to dirigible pilotsbetween 1922 and 1978.

2. True. During a right yaw in turbulence, for example, the tail moves left and the rudder would otherwise move right, because the relative wind (from the left) would push it that way. This exacerbates yaw. Holding the rudder in place improves directional stability and makes for a smoother ride.

3. William “Bill” Lear is best known for having developed the world’s first business jet.

4. A. Cabin air normally exits the cabin continuously in much greater volume through the outflow valve(s). To compensate for the small amount of air escaping through the bullet hole, the outflow valve(s) would automatically close slightly to prevent a loss of cabin pressure (James Bond movies notwithstanding).

5. All of them, and there were many more.

6. A partially clogged fuel injector most likely is causing the misbehaving cylinder to operate with an excessively lean fuel/air mixture.

7. Explorer 1 weighed 30 pounds, and was launched on January 31, 1958—almost four months after Sputnik.

8. True. The amount of “overshoot” into the stratosphere depends on the strength of the updrafts and the stability of the lower stratosphere.