Final exam

1. ATC instructs you to climb VFR to 5,500 feet, yet doing so would put you into the overcast.
1. You should comply as instructed.
2. Tell the controller “unable” and request an alternate course of action or amended instruction.
3. Tell the controller “unable” and do whatever seems best at the moment.
2. A go-around from a poor landing approach
1. is generally preferable to last-minute attempts to prevent a bad landing.
2. should not be attempted after the landing flare has been initiated regardless of airspeed.
3. should not be attempted when below 100 feet above the runway.
3. Which is true with respect to formation flights? Formation flights are
1. not authorized, unless the pilot in command of each aircraft is trained and found competent in formation flying.
2. not authorized, except by arrangement with the pilot in command of each aircraft in the formation.
3. authorized when carrying passengers for hire.
4. How long after issuance does the airworthiness certificate of an aircraft expire?
1. Five calendar years after issuance.
2. 24 calendar months after issuance.
3. It has no specific expiration date.
5. An ATC radar facility issues the following advisory to a pilot flying on a heading of 270 degrees: “Traffic three o’clock, two miles, eastbound.” Where should the pilot look for this traffic?
1. North.
2. East.
3. West.
6. Eleven-time British aerobatic champion Neil Williams once demonstrated such an incredible feat of quick thinking and airmanship that it has become the stuff of which legends are made. What did he do?
7. To what does the north pole of a magnetic compass point?
1. The north magnetic pole.
2. The south magnetic pole.
3. The geographic south pole.
4. None of the above.
8. Under what conditions is it permissible for a pilot without an instrument rating to operate when the visibility is less than one mile?
9. Thunder is the sound of lightning, but what causes that sound?
10. True or false? A pilot takes off immediately after sunset and sees a sliver of the moon above the horizon that is about to set. This is a new moon (a waxing crescent) and not the last remnants of a waning moon.

Final Exam Answers

1. The correct answer is B. Remember: The controller is not in the aircraft with you and does not know your flight conditions. If you are given an instruction that would cause you to violate regulations or is unsafe in your opinion, state that you are unable with a brief explanation why and request an amended clearance or instruction. FAR 91.123

2. The correct answer is A. A go-around from a poor landing approach can be executed anytime through the landing procedure, up to and including the flare. If you are uncomfortable and unsure of the landing outcome, execute a go-around sooner rather than later. Airplane Flying Handbook, Chapters 8 and 9

3. The correct answer is B. There are no regulatory requirements to be trained in formation flying, but the regulations do require coordination in advance with the PIC of each aircraft involved in the formation. FAR 91.111

4. The correct answer is C. Although it is true the airworthiness certificate never expires, a standard airworthiness certificate remains valid as long as the aircraft meets its approved type design, is in a condition for safe operation, and maintenance, preventative maintenance, and alterations are performed in accordance with FAR parts 21, 43, and 91. FAR 91.203 (a) and (b) and FAR 21.181

5. The correct answer is A. While flying westbound, traffic at your 3 o’clock will be directly off the right wing of your aircraft, or north of your position. AIM 4-1-15(c)

6. While practicing aerobatics in 1970 without a parachute in his Zlin Akrobat, Williams heard a loud snap and felt a severe jolt. The left wing began to fold upwards. He quickly rolled inverted to negatively load the wing and keep it in place. He then made an inverted approach to land and rolled upright just before landing. The wing collapsed as Williams touched down.

7. The correct answer is D. A compass does not point to anything. The magnetized needle aligns with the local line of magnetic flux. If a compass actually pointed to a magnetic pole, isogonic lines on charts would conform to a regular geometric pattern instead of wandering the way they do.

8. Helicopters at 1,200 feet agl or less in Class G airspace during daylight hours may be operated clear of clouds and with visibility as low as one-half mile as long as aircraft speed is slow enough to allow pilots to see and avoid obstructions and other traffic.

9. The temperature of a lightning bolt exceeds 40,000 degrees Fahrenheit. When a bolt forms, the air around it is superheated, which causes the air to expand and then contract rapidly. This creates sound waves that we hear as thunder.

10. True. The waning crescent (last remnant of an old moon) sets immediately before sunset and is difficult to see because it is so close to the sun, which has yet to set.