Checkride-ready
See how you measure up to FAA standards with questions from the AOPA Pilot Information Center.
1. When making routine transponder code changes, pilots should avoid inadvertent selection of which codes?
A. 1200, 1500, 7000.
B. 7500, 7600, 7700.
C. 0700, 1700, 7000.
2. What are the standard temperature and pressure values for sea level?
A. 15 degrees Celsius and 29.92 inches mercury.
B. 59 degrees Celsius and 1013.2 millibars.
C. 59 degrees Fahrenheit and 29.92 millibars.
3. After landing at a tower-controlled airport, when should the pilot contact ground control?
A. Prior to turning off the runway.
B. After reaching a taxiway that leads directly to the parking area.
C. When advised by the tower to do so.
4. What exception, if any, permits a private pilot to act as pilot in command of an aircraft carrying passengers who pay for the flight?
A. There is no exception.
B. If the passengers pay all the operating expenses.
C. If a donation is made to a charitable organization for the flight.
Illustrations by Hal Mayforth
Ace
Can you correctly answer these questions from Barry Schiff?
5. Generally speaking, the use of carburetor heat tends toA. decrease engine performance.B. increase engine performance.C. have no effect on engine performance.
6. True or false? A private pilot not current at night is legally qualified to land a passenger-carrying airplane at 1850 local time on a day when sunset occurs at 1800 and the end of civil twilight occurs at 1830.
7. What is the difference between a microburst and a downburst?
8. Why is a taildragger more unstable during ground operations than an airplane with tricycle landing gear?
9. A pilot is about to ditch an airplane under no-wind conditions on the surface of an ocean with a well-developed swell system. Arrange the following ditching procedures in order of preference (most desirable first and least desirable last).
A. Land parallel to and on the crest of a swell.
B. Land parallel to and between the swells.
C. Land parallel to and on the face of a swell.
D. Land perpendicular to and into the face of a swell.
10. Aircraft owners often have their engine oil analyzed for contamination. Excessive iron, copper, aluminum, nickel, and so forth indicate excessive wear of certain engine components. What does silicon contamination indicate?
Barry Schiff is a regular contributor to AOPA publications and a retired airline pilot with more than 28,000 flight hours in 357 types of aircraft.
1. The correct answer is B. The general guidance is to place the transponder in standby mode when switching codes, so no special purpose codes are inadvertently broadcast. Hijack (7500), lost communications (7600), and emergency (7700) codes should always be avoided when making routine transponder code changes. Aeronautical Information Manual 4-1-20.
2. The correct answer is A. International standard atmosphere is 15 degrees C (59 degrees F ) and 29.92 inches of mercury (1013.2 millibars). Performance charts commonly use these numbers as the basis for calculations.
3. The correct answer is C. A pilot should contact ground control when advised to do so by the tower. If it is busy and such an instruction has not been received, the pilot should contact ground control once clear of the runway and past the hold short line. Aeronautical Information Manual 4-3-20
4. The correct answer is C. FAR 61.113 details private pilot privileges and limitations, and does allow charity flights, which are further governed by FAR 91.146.
5. The correct answer is A. Carburetor heat use can enrich the fuel/air mixture beyond optimum, thereby decreasing engine performance.
6. True. Although it might not be safe for a pilot not current at night to land without the aid of twilight, Federal Aviation Regulation 61.57(b) allows him to do so while carrying passengers as long as he lands within an hour after sunset (irrespective of how dark the sky might be).
7. Downbursts affect areas of up to 15 miles, while microbursts are smaller and affect surface areas of one mile or less in diameter.
8. The center of gravity of a taildragger is behind the main landing gear instead of ahead of it (as in the case of a trike). The taildragger behaves like a child’s tricycle that is shoved backwards and then released. (Shove it hard enough and it will ground loop.)
9. The choices are shown in order of preference: (A), (B), (C), and (D), which the U.S. Coast Guard describes as best, good, fair, and poor, respectively.
10. Silicon indicates that airborne dust and dirt are getting into the engine. This can be caused by an ineffective air filter or taxiing frequently with the carburetor heat on. Such contaminants can accelerate engine wear and increase maintenance costs.
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