Test Pilot

1. True or false? The United States Navy tests the catapult systems on its aircraft carriers by launching unpiloted, obsolete aircraft.
2. In 1921, she overcame the disadvantage of gender and race to become the first Black woman pilot in the United States (and probably the world). What was her name?
3. From reader George Shanks: True or false? The capital letter V—as used to indicate V-speeds (such as V_X, V_Y, V_A)—stands for “Velocity.”
4. British pilots refer to high- and low-rpm propeller settings as _____ and _____ pitch, respectively.
5. From reader Richard Wilsher: What was the first foreign airline to operate an American-built jetliner in scheduled passenger service, and what type of aircraft was it?
6. Four aviation classics, AOPA Pilot (the magazine), Fate is the Hunter (by Ernest Gann), The Spirit of St. Louis (by Charles Lindbergh), and Stick and Rudder (by Wolfgang Langewiesche) were first published, respectively, in
   A. 1944, 1953, 1958, and 1961.
   B. 1958, 1961, 1953, and 1944.
   C. 1961, 1958, 1944, and 1953.
   D. 1953, 1944, 1961, and 1958.
7. From reader Brian Schiff: The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was the type of airplane in which Amelia Earhart attempted her ill-fated flight around the world in 1937. Why was it called an Electra?
8. True or false? The 1903 Wright Flyer was the first airplane equipped with tricycle landing gear.

Test Pilot Answers

1. False. The catapults launch unpowered dead loads that approximate the weight of aircraft. Such a dead load is a purpose-built, four-wheel sled made of steel that is “shot” from the carrier at 150 mph.
2. Bessie Coleman—aka Brave Bessie—could not find a school in the U.S. that would teach her to fly. She found more liberal attitudes in France, learned to fly there, and returned home to become a successful exhibition pilot.
3. False. The letter V originates from Vitesse, which is the French word for speed.
4. Fine (low pitch, high rpm) and coarse (high pitch, low rpm).
5. On July 29, 1959, a Qantas Empire Airways’ Boeing 707-138, City of Canberra, was operated in passenger service from Sydney to San Francisco via Fiji and Honolulu.
6. The correct answer is B. Stick and Rudder has been in continuous publication since 1944. No other aviation book has come close to such a lengthy publishing run.
7. The airplane was named after the mythical Greek goddess, Electra, who was known for her ability to harness electricity. The name was chosen to emphasize the airplane’s advanced electrical systems.
8. False. The Wright Flyer was equipped with a pair of long skids.