Test Pilot

2. A pilot is flying in clouds under the influence of a strong crosswind. His conventional compass is inoperative and the gyroscopic heading indicator is not set correctly. GPS provides track and groundspeed, but not heading or drift angle. How can GPS be used to set the heading indicator to the proper heading?

3. From reader Rick Cohen: Selfies have become quite popular. Who was the first astronaut to take a selfie in space?

4. True or false: If the nosewheel tire of a typical single-engine airplane is flat and the nosewheel strut is bottomed (it contains no air or hydraulic fluid), a rotating, two-blade propeller will scrape the surface.

5. From reader Richard Somers: When the 2,029-foot-long Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in the National Mall was completed in 1923, it apparently was too tempting for one aviator to resist. What aviation “stunt” did he perform there that year?

6. Before takeoff, a pilot lights a candle, places it in a holder, and sets it atop the right side of his glareshield. While accelerating during the takeoff roll (and with all air vents closed to prevent air circulation in the cockpit), the pilot notes that the flame

A. leans rearward.
B. leans forward.
C. leans right and forward.
D. leans left and rearward.

7. From reader John Schmidt: Name the city in which there is an airport named after the following individuals:

A. John Lennon
B. Genghis Khan
C. Pope John Paul II
D. Marco Polo
E. Galileo Galilei
F. Mother Teresa
G. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
H. Frederic Chopin

8. True or false: While departing a sea-level airport in an airplane with a normally aspirated engine (not turbocharged) and a constant-speed propeller on a standard day, the indicated manifold pressure should be 29.92 inches of Hg.

Test Pilot Answers

1. Five-eighths of a statute mile; one-fourth of a statute mile. Thin fog is called mist (BR) and reduces visibility to between five-eighths of a mile and less than seven miles.

2. The pilot enters a shallow turn. When groundspeed (as indicated by the GPS) reaches a minimum or a maximum, the airplane will be aligned with the wind and drift will be zero. The pilot stops the turn and sets his heading indicator to match the track shown on the GPS.

3. Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin took a selfie on a spacewalk during the flight of Gemini 12, the final Gemini mission, in November 1966.

4. False. The propellers of all certified airplanes will clear level ground. Also, when all tires are inflated and the struts are properly extended, the propeller will clear the ground by a minimum of seven inches (according to certification requirements).

5. An anonymous pilot placed a floatplane in the pool and took off toward the Lincoln Memorial, lifting off and turning just in time to avoid hitting it. He might have been inspired by Lawrence Sperry, inventor and aviation pioneer, who in 1922 buzzed the U.S. Capitol Building and then landed next to the Capitol steps. Don’t try that today.

6. B. A flame is buoyant and rises opposite to the force of gravity. During acceleration, the apparent force of gravity is from below and behind, which is why a pilot is pressed into both the bottom and the back of his seat. The flame, therefore, both rises and leans forward. You can observe this in an automobile, but don’t try it in an airplane.

7. (a) Liverpool, England. (b) Ulanbaatar, Mongolia. (c) Krakow, Poland (and in the Azores). (d) Venice, Italy. (e) Pisa, Italy. (f) Tirana, Albania. (g) Salzburg, Austria. (h) Warsaw, Poland.

8. False. Manifold pressure will be one to three inches less because of pressure losses caused by restrictions to the flow of induction air such as filters, bends in the plumbing, throttle valves, and so forth.