Checkride-ready
See how you measure up to FAA standards with thesequestions from the AOPA Pilot Information Center.
1. The wind condition that requires maximum caution when avoiding wake turbulence on landing is a
A. light, quartering headwind.
B. light, quartering tailwind.
C. strong headwind.
2. A state of temporary confusion resulting from misleading information being sent to the brain by various sensory organs is defined as
A. hyperventilation.
B. hypoxia.
C. spatial disorientation.
3. What hazards to aircraft may exist in an MOA (military operations area)?
A. High volume of pilot training or an unusual type of aerial activity.
B. Military training activities that necessitate acrobatic or abrupt flight maneuvers.
C. Unusual, often invisible, hazards to aircraft, such as artillery firing, aerial gunnery, or guided missiles.
4. A turn coordinator provides an indication of the
A. angle of bank up to but not exceeding 30 degrees.
B. attitude of the aircraft with reference to the longitudinal axis.
C. movement of the aircraft about the yaw and roll axis.
5. The minimum distance from clouds required for VFR operations on an airway below 10,000 feet msl is
A. remain clear of clouds.
B. 500 feet above, 1,000 feet below, and 2,000 feet horizontally.
C. 500 feet below, 1,000 feet above, and 2,000 feet horizontally.
Ace
Can you correctly answer these questions from retired TWA captain and 28,000-hour pilot Barry Schiff?
6. Vertigo and spatial disorientation can result in losing control of an airplane. What is the difference between these phenomena?
7. Which of the following does not belong?
A. Repair broken landing light circuits.
B. Replace, clean, and gap spark plugs.
C. Replace fuel-line connections.
D. Replace hydraulic-hose connections.
8. According to the FAA publication Aviation Weather, there are six basic types of precipitation. Can you name them?
9. True or false? A pilot who is legally or totally blind in one eye may be issued a first class, second class, or third class medical certificate.
10. True or false? Pilots should not refill oxygen tanks intended for use in an aircraft with medical oxygen because it contains water vapor that could freeze at altitude and interfere with the flow of oxygen through the lines.
Illustrations by John Holms
Final Exam Answers
- The correct answer is B. The wake generated from an airplane’s wing spreads out and settles over time. A light quartering tailwind tends to keep the upwind wake from a departing airplane over the runway, or in the departure path longer than in any other wind condition. (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 5)
- The correct answer is C. In flight, especially under instrument conditions, your sensory organs may tell you the aircraft is turning and descending, while the flight instruments show it is straight and level. Disregarding sensory inputs and trusting the instruments is the key to avoiding spatial disorientation. (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 17)
- The correct answer is B. Answer A describes an alert area, while C describes a restricted area. Both are depicted on sectional charts with blue shading and a corresponding number. MOAs are usually named and are depicted on sectional charts in magenta. (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 15)
- The correct answer is C. A turn coordinator does not show angle of bank, nor does it show aircraft attitude. It shows roll rate, rate of turn, and yaw. If you bank the airplane, say, 30 degrees to the left, the turn coordinator wings will cant to the left as the airplane rotates around its longitudinal axis. If you then apply enough right rudder to stop the turn, maintaining bank angle, the turn coordinator wings will return to level, even though the airplane is still banked. (Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 8)
- The correct answer is C. An airway is Class E airspace, and below 10,000 feet msl, remember the Cessna 1-5-2–1,000 feet above, 500 feet below, and 2,000 feet horizontally. (FAR 91.155)
- Vertigo is a condition of the inner ear that results in a loss of balance. Spatial disorientation is a false impression of aircraft motion and/or attitude caused by misleading sensations (see #2).
- The correct answer is D. Part 43 of the Federal Aviation Regulations defines the other tasks as being allowed under the provisions of preventative maintenance as long as they do not involve complex assembly operations.
- Drizzle, rain, snow, ice pellets, hail, and ice crystals.
- True. There currently are about 2,000 such pilots. Wiley Post is likely the most famous pilot to have flown with monocular vision.
- False. This is a commonly held myth. Medical oxygen is just as pure and dry as aviator’s oxygen, and both must be as dry as possible if stored under pressure to prevent damage to oxygen cylinders and related hardware.
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