Illustration by John Ueland
- From reader Wes Schlenker: True or false? One sign of impending carbon monoxide poisoning is bluish or grayish fingernails.
- Which of the following does not belong?
A. 121.5 MHz
B. 243.0 MHz
C. 406.0 MHz
D. 500.0 MHz - What historically famous flights were piloted by Bryan Allen?
- True or false? A pilot practicing steep turns in smooth air encounters a short, turbulent bump at the completion of 360 degrees of turn. This means that he has not lost altitude during the turn.
- When is World Pilots’ Day?
- What must a pilot do to qualify for membership in the Caterpillar Club?
- From reader John Schmidt: SpaceX, the company founded by Elon Musk, intends to establish global internet access. This would require launching _____ satellites.
A. 125
B. 250
C. 650
D. 12,000 - True or false? A typical single-engine airplane with retractable landing gear is descending on a 3-degree glide path (or VASI) at its best glide speed in the landing configuration. The engine fails when 2 miles from the airport. By maintaining best glide speed and immediately retracting the gear and flaps, the pilot most likely can glide to a safe landing on the runway.
- False. Bluish or grayish skin or fingernails can be a symptom of hypoxia but not carbon monoxide poisoning.
- The correct answer is D. The first two frequencies are transmitted by a conventional ELT (emergency locator transmitter). The third is transmitted by the newer-generation ELT.
- Bryan Allen achieved fame by piloting the first human-powered flight (in the MacCready Gossamer Condor, 1977) and the first human-powered flight across the English Channel (in the MacCready Gossamer Albatross, 1979).
- False. Wake turbulence descends behind an airplane. The bump felt by the pilot was the result of flying through his own wake at some point slightly below the altitude at which the wake was generated.
- Professional pilots are celebrated annually and internationally on April 26, the date in 1912 when a famous Turkish pilot, Fesa Evrensev, made his first flight.
- He must have used a parachute (“hit the silk”) to save his life.
- The correct answer is D. The 573-pound satellites would be launched 60 at a time.
- False. To glide along a 3-degree glide slope or VASI requires an airplane to have a 20:1 glide ratio. The typical lightplane can only glide half that well.
Barry Schiff
Barry Schiff has been an aviation media consultant and technical advisor for motion pictures for more than 40 years. He is chairman of the AOPA Foundation Legacy Society.
