Private Pilot Vocabulary Review Questions with Complete Solutions Already Passed
Absolute Altitude - Answers Actual height above the surface of the earth, either land or water.
Absolute Ceiling - Answers The altitude where a particular airplane's climb rate reaches zero.
Adiabatic Cooling - Answers A process of cooling the air through expansion. For example, as air moves
up a slope it expands with the reduction of atmospheric pressure and cools as it expands.
Adiabatic Heating - Answers A process of heating dry air through compression. For example, as air
moves down a slope it is compressed, which results in an increase in temperature.
Advection Fog - Answers Fog resulting from the movement of warm, humid air over a cold surface.
Agonic Line - Answers Line along which the variation between true and magnetic values is zero.
Air Density - Answers The density of the air in terms of mass per unit volume. Dense air has more
molecules per unit volume than less dense air. The density of air decreases with altitude above the
surface of the earth and with increasing temperature.
Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) - Answers A facility established to provide air traffic control
service to aircraft operating on IFR flight plans within controlled air-space, principally during the enroute
phase of flight.
Air Traffic control (ATC) - Answers A service provided by the FAA to promote the safe, orderly, and
expeditious flow of air traffic.
Airmass - Answers An extensive body of air having fairly uniform properties of temperature and
moisture.
Airmet - Answers In-Flight weather advisory concerning moderate icing, moderate turbulence, sustained
winds of 30 knots or more at the surface, and widespread areas of ceilings less than 1,000 feet and/or
visibility less than 3 miles.
Airport Advisory Area - Answers The area within 10 statute miles of an airport where a flight service
station is located, but where there is no control tower in operation.
Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) - Answers Approach and departure control radar used to detect and
display an aircraft's position in the terminal area.
Alert Area - Answers Special use airspace which may contain a high volume of pilot training activities or
an unusual type of aerial activity.
Altimeter - Answers A flight instrument that indicates altitude by sensing pressure changes.
Altimeter Setting - Answers The barometric pressure setting used to adjust a pressure altimeter of
variations in existing atmospheric pressure and temperature.
, Altitude - Answers Height expressed in units of distance above a reference plane, usually above mean
sea level or above ground level.
Angle of Attack - Answers The angle between the airfoil's chord line and the relative wind.
Annual inspection - Answers Recurring examination of an aircraft that is required to maintain its
airworthiness.
Angle of Incidence - Answers The angle between the chord line of the wing and the longitudinal axis of
the airplane.
Arm - Answers The distance from the reference datum at which a weight may be located. Used in weight
balance calculation to determine moment.
Aspect ratio - Answers Span of a wing divided by its average chord.
Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS) - Answers Weather reporting system which provides
surface observations every minute via digitized voice broadcasts and printed reports.
Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) - Answers Automated weather reporting system
consisting of various sensors, a processor, a computer-generated voice subsystem, and a transmitter to
broadcast weather data.
Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) - Answers An air craft radio navigation system which senses and
indicates the direction to an L/MF nondirectional radio beacon (NDB) or commercial broadcast station.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) - Answers An aircraft surveillance system in which
appropriately equipped aircraft transmit their GPS positions to ATC, and download weather and traffic
information to the cockpit through a data link.
Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) - Answers The continuous broadcast of recorded non-
control information in selected terminal areas. Its purpose is to improve controller effectiveness and to
relieve frequency congestion by automating the repetitive transmission of essential but routine
information.
Basic Radar Service - Answers A radar service for VFR aircraft which includes safety alerts, traffic
advisories, and limited radar vectoring, as well as aircraft sequencing at some terminal locations.
Bearing - Answers The horizontal direction to or from any point, usually measured clockwise from true
north (true bearing), magnetic north (magnetic bearing), or some other reference point, through 360
degrees.
Best Angle-Of-CLimb Airspeed (VsubX) - Answers The airspeed which produces the greatest gain in
altitude for horizontal distance traveled.
Best Rate-Of-Climb Airspeed (VsubY) - Answers The airspeed which produces the maximum gain in
altitude per unit of time.
Absolute Altitude - Answers Actual height above the surface of the earth, either land or water.
Absolute Ceiling - Answers The altitude where a particular airplane's climb rate reaches zero.
Adiabatic Cooling - Answers A process of cooling the air through expansion. For example, as air moves
up a slope it expands with the reduction of atmospheric pressure and cools as it expands.
Adiabatic Heating - Answers A process of heating dry air through compression. For example, as air
moves down a slope it is compressed, which results in an increase in temperature.
Advection Fog - Answers Fog resulting from the movement of warm, humid air over a cold surface.
Agonic Line - Answers Line along which the variation between true and magnetic values is zero.
Air Density - Answers The density of the air in terms of mass per unit volume. Dense air has more
molecules per unit volume than less dense air. The density of air decreases with altitude above the
surface of the earth and with increasing temperature.
Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) - Answers A facility established to provide air traffic control
service to aircraft operating on IFR flight plans within controlled air-space, principally during the enroute
phase of flight.
Air Traffic control (ATC) - Answers A service provided by the FAA to promote the safe, orderly, and
expeditious flow of air traffic.
Airmass - Answers An extensive body of air having fairly uniform properties of temperature and
moisture.
Airmet - Answers In-Flight weather advisory concerning moderate icing, moderate turbulence, sustained
winds of 30 knots or more at the surface, and widespread areas of ceilings less than 1,000 feet and/or
visibility less than 3 miles.
Airport Advisory Area - Answers The area within 10 statute miles of an airport where a flight service
station is located, but where there is no control tower in operation.
Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) - Answers Approach and departure control radar used to detect and
display an aircraft's position in the terminal area.
Alert Area - Answers Special use airspace which may contain a high volume of pilot training activities or
an unusual type of aerial activity.
Altimeter - Answers A flight instrument that indicates altitude by sensing pressure changes.
Altimeter Setting - Answers The barometric pressure setting used to adjust a pressure altimeter of
variations in existing atmospheric pressure and temperature.
, Altitude - Answers Height expressed in units of distance above a reference plane, usually above mean
sea level or above ground level.
Angle of Attack - Answers The angle between the airfoil's chord line and the relative wind.
Annual inspection - Answers Recurring examination of an aircraft that is required to maintain its
airworthiness.
Angle of Incidence - Answers The angle between the chord line of the wing and the longitudinal axis of
the airplane.
Arm - Answers The distance from the reference datum at which a weight may be located. Used in weight
balance calculation to determine moment.
Aspect ratio - Answers Span of a wing divided by its average chord.
Automated Surface Observation System (ASOS) - Answers Weather reporting system which provides
surface observations every minute via digitized voice broadcasts and printed reports.
Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) - Answers Automated weather reporting system
consisting of various sensors, a processor, a computer-generated voice subsystem, and a transmitter to
broadcast weather data.
Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) - Answers An air craft radio navigation system which senses and
indicates the direction to an L/MF nondirectional radio beacon (NDB) or commercial broadcast station.
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) - Answers An aircraft surveillance system in which
appropriately equipped aircraft transmit their GPS positions to ATC, and download weather and traffic
information to the cockpit through a data link.
Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS) - Answers The continuous broadcast of recorded non-
control information in selected terminal areas. Its purpose is to improve controller effectiveness and to
relieve frequency congestion by automating the repetitive transmission of essential but routine
information.
Basic Radar Service - Answers A radar service for VFR aircraft which includes safety alerts, traffic
advisories, and limited radar vectoring, as well as aircraft sequencing at some terminal locations.
Bearing - Answers The horizontal direction to or from any point, usually measured clockwise from true
north (true bearing), magnetic north (magnetic bearing), or some other reference point, through 360
degrees.
Best Angle-Of-CLimb Airspeed (VsubX) - Answers The airspeed which produces the greatest gain in
altitude for horizontal distance traveled.
Best Rate-Of-Climb Airspeed (VsubY) - Answers The airspeed which produces the maximum gain in
altitude per unit of time.
