Checkride-Ready
See how you measure up to FAA standards with questions from the AOPA Pilot Information Center.
1. The width of a federal airway from either side of the centerline is
A. six nautical miles.
B. four nautical miles
C. eight nautical miles.
2. If more than one cruising altitude is intended, which should be entered in the flight plan?
A. Initial cruising altitude.
B. Highest cruising altitude.
C. Lowest cruising altitude.
3. The most important rule to remember in the event of a power failure after becoming airborne is to
A. quickly check the fuel supply for possible fuel exhaustion.
B. immediately establish the proper gliding attitude and airspeed.
C. determine the wind direction to plan for the forced landing.
4. VFR approaches to land at night should be accomplished
A. with a steeper descent.
B. the same as during daytime.
C. at a higher airspeed.
5. If a pilot suspects that the engine (with a fixed-pitch propeller) is detonating during climbout after takeoff, the initial corrective action to take would be to
A. lean the mixture.
B. lower the nose slightly to increase airspeed.
C. apply carburetor heat.
Ace
Can you correctly answer these questions from Barry Schiff?
6. True or false? A pilot is banking into a sideslip while maintaining a constant heading with opposite (top) rudder. As bank angle increases, the turn coordinator will show that the aircraft is turning.
7. Which of the following automated weather reporting stations provides the least amount of information? Which provides the most?
A. ASOS
B. AWOS-A
C. AWOS-1
D. AWOS-2
E. AWOS-3
8. During the preflight runup and magneto check, a pilot inadvertently turns off both magnetos. What should he do before returning the magnetos to On?
9. What is the most likely reason for both magnetos on an engine to fail simultaneously (and obviously cause an engine failure)?
10. Which of the following does not belong?
A. Cyclone
B. Hurricane
C. Tornado
D. Typhoon
1. The correct answer is B. Airways are generally Class E airspace extending from 1,200 feet agl, up to but not including 18,000 feet msl, and are four nautical miles on either side. (Aeronautical Information Manual Chapter 5, Section 3)
2. The correct answer is A. The appropriate VFR altitude or the initial requested IFR altitude should be entered under “cruising altitude” in Box 7 of the FAA flight plan form or “level” in Item 15 of the International Civil Aviation Organization form. The ICAO flight plan is scheduled to be required for domestic flights as of June 5. (Aeronautical Information Manual Chapter 5, Section 1)
3. The correct answer is B. Any engine failure should be treated as the emergency it is. Immediately establish the proper glide attitude and airspeed, and then select a forced landing site and fly toward it. As time and altitude permit, other duties such as a cockpit check of systems and communications can be done. (Airplane Flying Handbook, Chapter 17)
4. The correct answer is B. As the terrain is the same—and the aircraft does not know it is dark, of course—VFR approaches to land at night should be the same as during the day. No need to be higher and faster, as these factors only contribute to more runway use and longer landing rollouts. (Airplane Flying Handbook, Chapter 10)
5. The correct answer is B. The key here is to attempt to cool the engine to minimize or eliminate the detonation. Leaning the mixture and applying carburetor heat can actually increase engine temperatures.
6. True. A turn coordinator senses both roll and yaw.
7. AWOS-A provides only an altimeter setting. ASOS provides the most information (including precipitation and remarks).
8. He should first close the throttle to prevent the engine from backfiring.
9. Some Lycoming engines have a single shaft that drives both magnetos. Although rare, a failure of this shaft causes both magnetos to fail simultaneously. All Continental engines have a separate drive shaft for each magneto.
10. The correct answer is A. A cyclone is simply a low-pressure area. (An anti-cyclone is a high.) The other phenomena are characterized by violent winds, whereas a cyclonic wind could be as gentle as a zephyr. Take partial credit if you selected C because a tornado is a local event, while the others affect large areas.
Illustrations by John Ueland
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