©THESTAR 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Probook 3 USAFA Contrails Exam Questions
And Correct Answers 100% Verified.
When did the US enter WWI? - Answer✔Less than eight months after the Pancho Villa
expedition
What did the Aviation Section of the US Army Signal Corps consist of? - Answer✔131 officers,
1087 enlisted men, and approximately 250 airplanes.
Along the Western Front, what proved to be the primary cause of death? - Answer✔Artillery
What emerged as the airplane's most important contribution to the war effort? -
Answer✔Observation, artillery spotting, and reconnaissance
What is another name for fighters? - Answer✔Pursuit aircraft
When did pursuit aircraft attempt to deny the enemy use of the air? - Answer✔1915
Which French pilot decided to attach steel plates to the propeller of his plane which enabled
him to fire a machine gun through the propeller arc? - Answer✔Roland Garros
The French pilot attached a steel plate to the propeller of his...? - Answer✔MoraineSaulnier
Type L monoplane
What name did the newspapermen coined when he had shot down five German aircraft? -
Answer✔Ace
What was the first true fighter plane? - Answer✔Fokker Eindecker
Who created the first true fighter plane? - Answer✔The Germans
How did the Germans create the first true fighter plane? - Answer✔By using an interrupter gear
to enable a machine gun to fire through the propeller unimpeded.
By 1915, what threatened Allied reconnaissance balloons and aircraft? - Answer✔"Fokker
scourge"
Of what did the Allies develop their own interrupter gear that began a see-saw pattern? -
Answer✔Of rapid technological advancement of aerial weaponry.
1|Page
, ©THESTAR 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
What did the French Air Service establish for the American volunteers? - Answer✔Escadrille
Americaine, renamed Lafayette Escadrille.
When did the French Air Service establish the Escadrille Americaine/Lafayette Escadrille? -
Answer✔21 March 1916
Who emerged as Escadrille Americaine/Lafayette Escadrille's most famous pilot? -
Answer✔French-born Raoul Lufbery
How did French-born Raoul Lufbery become famous? - Answer✔He shot down seventeen
German planes before transferring to the American air service.
What did Raoul Lufbery also do? - Answer✔He commanded the famous "Hat in the Ring" 94th
Aero Squadron before his death.
When did Raoul Lufbery die? - Answer✔19 May 1918
Who was the first official US aviation squadron to reach France? - Answer✔1st Aero Squadron
When did the first official US aviation squadron reach France? - Answer✔September 1917
Which member of the 1st Aero Squadron achieved the first aerial victory by the US military? -
Answer✔Lt. Stephen W. Thompson
When did Lt. Stephen W. Thompson achieve the first aerial victory by the US military? -
Answer✔5 February 1918
How did Lt. Stephen W. Thompson achieve the first aerial victory by the US military? -
Answer✔By flying as a gunner-observer with a French squadron
Who achieved the most fame during 1918 out of 767 US pilots and 481 observers in action? -
Answer✔Captain Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker and Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr.
What was Captain Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker before the war? - Answer✔He was a
renowned race car driver, having set a world speed record in 1914.
Although older than most pilots, what did Capt Rickenbacker become? - Answer✔28-year-old
Capt Rickenbacker became America's "Ace of Aces" with 26 confirmed kills (22 aircraft and 4
balloons)
What was Lt Frank Luke, Jr know as? - Answer✔"Arizona Balloon Buster"
What did Lt. Luke do? - Answer✔Lt. Luke downed fourteen German balloons and four aircraft in
seventeen days
When did Lt. Luke's career end? - Answer✔29 September 1918
2|Page
Probook 3 USAFA Contrails Exam Questions
And Correct Answers 100% Verified.
When did the US enter WWI? - Answer✔Less than eight months after the Pancho Villa
expedition
What did the Aviation Section of the US Army Signal Corps consist of? - Answer✔131 officers,
1087 enlisted men, and approximately 250 airplanes.
Along the Western Front, what proved to be the primary cause of death? - Answer✔Artillery
What emerged as the airplane's most important contribution to the war effort? -
Answer✔Observation, artillery spotting, and reconnaissance
What is another name for fighters? - Answer✔Pursuit aircraft
When did pursuit aircraft attempt to deny the enemy use of the air? - Answer✔1915
Which French pilot decided to attach steel plates to the propeller of his plane which enabled
him to fire a machine gun through the propeller arc? - Answer✔Roland Garros
The French pilot attached a steel plate to the propeller of his...? - Answer✔MoraineSaulnier
Type L monoplane
What name did the newspapermen coined when he had shot down five German aircraft? -
Answer✔Ace
What was the first true fighter plane? - Answer✔Fokker Eindecker
Who created the first true fighter plane? - Answer✔The Germans
How did the Germans create the first true fighter plane? - Answer✔By using an interrupter gear
to enable a machine gun to fire through the propeller unimpeded.
By 1915, what threatened Allied reconnaissance balloons and aircraft? - Answer✔"Fokker
scourge"
Of what did the Allies develop their own interrupter gear that began a see-saw pattern? -
Answer✔Of rapid technological advancement of aerial weaponry.
1|Page
, ©THESTAR 2024/2025 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
What did the French Air Service establish for the American volunteers? - Answer✔Escadrille
Americaine, renamed Lafayette Escadrille.
When did the French Air Service establish the Escadrille Americaine/Lafayette Escadrille? -
Answer✔21 March 1916
Who emerged as Escadrille Americaine/Lafayette Escadrille's most famous pilot? -
Answer✔French-born Raoul Lufbery
How did French-born Raoul Lufbery become famous? - Answer✔He shot down seventeen
German planes before transferring to the American air service.
What did Raoul Lufbery also do? - Answer✔He commanded the famous "Hat in the Ring" 94th
Aero Squadron before his death.
When did Raoul Lufbery die? - Answer✔19 May 1918
Who was the first official US aviation squadron to reach France? - Answer✔1st Aero Squadron
When did the first official US aviation squadron reach France? - Answer✔September 1917
Which member of the 1st Aero Squadron achieved the first aerial victory by the US military? -
Answer✔Lt. Stephen W. Thompson
When did Lt. Stephen W. Thompson achieve the first aerial victory by the US military? -
Answer✔5 February 1918
How did Lt. Stephen W. Thompson achieve the first aerial victory by the US military? -
Answer✔By flying as a gunner-observer with a French squadron
Who achieved the most fame during 1918 out of 767 US pilots and 481 observers in action? -
Answer✔Captain Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker and Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr.
What was Captain Edward V. "Eddie" Rickenbacker before the war? - Answer✔He was a
renowned race car driver, having set a world speed record in 1914.
Although older than most pilots, what did Capt Rickenbacker become? - Answer✔28-year-old
Capt Rickenbacker became America's "Ace of Aces" with 26 confirmed kills (22 aircraft and 4
balloons)
What was Lt Frank Luke, Jr know as? - Answer✔"Arizona Balloon Buster"
What did Lt. Luke do? - Answer✔Lt. Luke downed fourteen German balloons and four aircraft in
seventeen days
When did Lt. Luke's career end? - Answer✔29 September 1918
2|Page
