Get extra lift from AOPA. Start your free membership trial today! Click here

Final Exam

Test your knowledge

Final ExamCheckride-ready

See how you measure up to FAA standards with thesequestions from the AOPA Pilot Information Center.

1. Airport taxiway edge lights are identified at night by

A. blue omnidirectional lights.
B. alternate red and green lights.
C. white directional lights.

2. A turn coordinator provides an indication of the

A. attitude of the aircraft with reference to the longitudinal axis.
B. angle of bank up to but not exceeding 30 degrees.
C. movement of the aircraft about the yaw and roll axis.

3. Upon landing, the front passenger (180 pounds) departs the airplane, a Cessna 182 Skylane. A rear passenger (204 pounds) moves to the front passenger position. What effect would this have on the center of gravity (CG)?

A. The weight changes, but the CG is not affected.
B. The CG could move forward approximately 30 inches.
C. The CG could move forward approximately 3 inches.

4. Which color on the airspeed indicator identifies the normal flap operating range?

A. The white arc.
B. The lower limit of the white arc to the upper limit of the green arc.
C. The green arc.

5. In the Northern Hemisphere, a magnetic compass will normally indicate initially a turn toward the west if

A. an aircraft is accelerated while on a north heading.
B. a left turn is entered from a north heading.
C. a right turn is entered from a north heading.

Final ExamAce

Can you correctly answer these questions from retired TWA captain and 28,000-hour pilot Barry Schiff?

6. Which one or more of the following describe(s) the changes that occur to a flow of subsonic air as it enters a venturi tube and approaches the throat (narrowest cross-section)?

A. Airspeed decreases.
B. Airspeed increases.
C. Density decreases.
D. Density increases.
E. Pressure decreases.
F. Pressure increases.

7. The term brake horsepower is used in conjunction with reciprocating engines. What is the significance of BHP?

8. True or false? A VFR pilot experiencing two-way communications failure may enter Class D airspace, circle the airport, and wait for a light signal from the control tower.

9. There are times when a pilot might note from an aeronautical chart that overlapping airspace designations apply to the same chunk of airspace. How is the pilot to know which designation applies?

10. General aviation airplanes have either 12- or 24-volt electrical systems and are equipped with 12- or 24-volt batteries, as appropriate. Why are these sometimes referred to as 14- and 28-volt systems?

Illustration by Ryan Snook

Final Exam Answers

1. The correct answer is A. Omnidirectional refers to the lights being viewable from all directions. (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 14)

2. The correct answer is C. The gimbal in the turn coordinator is canted so its gyro can sense both rate of roll (roll/longitudinal axis) and rate of turn (yaw/vertical axis). (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 8)

3. The correct answer is C. A typical CG envelope for a small, 4-passenger airplane is on the order of 6 to 12 inches. Moving a passenger from the rear seat to a front seat will move the CG forward, and 3 inches is very possible. (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 10)

4. The correct answer is A. The white arc denotes the normal flap operating range, from the low end speed of VSO to the high end speed of VFE. (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 8)

5. The correct answer is C. A right turn entered while on a heading of north will cause the compass to initially indicate a turn to the west, even though the turn is to the east. (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 8)

6. The correct answers are B and E. Air density does not change. In the case of supersonic air, airspeed decreases, density increases, and pressure increases. Engine inlets of a supersonic aircraft are designed to slow down incoming air to subsonic speed so that shock waves cannot enter and damage these engines.

7. Brake horsepower is the same as shaft horsepower. In aviation, each represents the amount of horsepower delivered by the crankshaft to the propeller.

8. True. According to the Aeronautical Information Manual, the pilot should remain outside Class D airspace until determining traffic direction and flow. The pilot may then join the traffic pattern and watch for a light signal.

9. According to the Aeronautical Information Manual, the pilot is to presume that the rules for the most restrictive airspace designation apply.

10. The higher voltage represents charging voltage, which is always slightly greater than battery voltage.

Related Articles