PPL TEST PREP QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS

1. The amount of water vapor which air can hold depends on the - ANSWER air temperature. 2. Why is frost considered hazardous to flight? - ANSWER Frost spoils the smooth airflow over the wings, decreasing lifting capability. 3. One weather phenomenon which will always occur when flying across a front is a change in the - ANSWER wind direction. 4. What is one of the advantages of an alternator over a generator in an airplane engine? - ANSWER The electrical output of an alternator is more constant throughout a wide range of engine speeds. 5. Which restriction applies to private pilots flying without a current medical certificate under the guidance of BasicMed? - ANSWER You may not operate an airplane for compensation or hire. 6. Which atmospheric layer is typified by a relatively small change in temperature? - ANSWER Stratosphere. 7. What are the processes by which moisture is added to unsaturated air? - ANSWER Evaporation and sublimation. 8. Inland fog is most likely: - ANSWER Radiation Fog sometimes called ground fog. 9. If an unstable air mass is forced upward, what type clouds can be expected? - ANSWER Clouds with considerable vertical development and associated turbulence. 10. Crests of standing mountain waves may be marked by stationary, lens-shaped clouds known as - ANSWER standing lenticular clouds. 11. The layers of the atmosphere, beginning at the earth's surface, are: - ANSWER Troposphere, stratosphere, and mesosphere. 12. You have completed your BasicMed requirements and plan on flying your friends to a football game. What is the maximum amount of passengers you can bring along? - ANSWER 5. 13. You can expect dangerous turbulence in mountain waves and: - ANSWER Below rotor clouds. 14. After takeoff you encounter a temperature inversion. You should expect: - ANSWER Wind shear. 15. The most frequent type of ground or surface-based temperature inversion is that which is produced by - ANSWER terrestrial radiation on a clear, relatively still night. 16. Steady precipitation preceding a front is an indication of - ANSWER stratiform clouds with little or no turbulence. 17. What feature is associated with a temperature inversion? - ANSWER A stable layer of air. 18. Steady precipitation preceding a front is an indication of - ANSWER stratiform clouds with little or no turbulence. 19. Moist, stable air flowing upslope can be expected to - ANSWER produce stratus type clouds. 20. Which is true with respect to a high - or low-pressure system? - ANSWER A high-pressure area or ridge is an area of descending air. 21. Cold air generally contains: - ANSWER Less water vapor than warm air. 22. What is meant by the term 'dewpoint'? - ANSWER The temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated. 23. Low-level turbulence can occur and icing can become hazardous in which type of fog? - ANSWER Steam fog. 24. The only cloud type forecast in TAF reports is - ANSWER Cumulonimbus (CB) 25. Which weather conditions should be expected beneath a low-level temperature inversion layer when the relative humidity is high? - ANSWER Smooth air, poor visibility, fog, haze, or low clouds. 26. What information is contained in a CONVECTIVE SIGMET? - ANSWER Tornadoes, embedded thunderstorms, and hail 3/4 inch or greater in diameter. 27. Which is true concerning the blue and magenta colors used to depict airports on Sectional of a Federal Airway from either side of the centerline is - ANSWER 4 nautical miles. 28. A standard-rate turn is defined as: - ANSWER A turn rate of 3° per second. 29. As standard operating practice, all inbound traffic to an airport without a control tower should continuously monitor the appropriate facility from a distance of - ANSWER 10 miles. 30. During operations within controlled airspace at altitudes of less than 1,200 feet AGL, the minimum horizontal distance from clouds requirement for VFR flight is - ANSWER 2,000 feet. 31. Thunderstorms which generally produce the most intense hazard to aircraft are - ANSWER squall line thunderstorms. 32. What can you learn about current weather conditions from this PIREP? RFD UUA /OV RFD090005/TM 1818/FL015/TP B767/RM +/- 15 KTS ON FINAL - ANSWER It is an urgent pilot report for a plus or minus 15 knot variation of airspeed on final approach. 33. For a given power setting with a constant-speed, variable pitch propeller: - ANSWER Low pitch results in high RPM. 34. If it is necessary to set the altimeter from 29.15 to 29.85, what change occurs? - ANSWER 700-foot increase in indicated altitude. 35. What causes an airplane (except a T-tail) to pitch nosedown when power is reduced and controls are not adjusted? - ANSWER The downwash on the elevators from the propeller slipstream is reduced and elevator effectiveness is reduced. 36. Which light signal from the control tower clears a pilot to taxi? - ANSWER Flashing green. 37. Which aircraft has the right-of-way over the other aircraft listed? - ANSWER Glider. 38. Pilots are more subject to spatial disorientation if - ANSWER visual cues are taken away, as they are in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). 39. To properly purge water from the fuel system of an aircraft equipped with fuel tank sumps and a fuel strainer quick drain, it is necessary to drain fuel from the - ANSWER fuel strainer drain and the fuel tank sumps. 40. What situation is most conducive to the formation of radiation fog? - ANSWER Warm, moist air over low, flatland areas on clear, calm nights. 41. With respect to the certification of aircraft, which is a category of aircraft? - ANSWER Normal, utility, acrobatic. 42. When flying over Arrowwood National Wildlife Refuge, a pilot should fly no lower than - ANSWER 2,000 feet AGL. 43. Pilots are requested to maintain a minimum altitude of 2,000' above the surface of National Wildlife Refuges, Big Game Refuges, Game Ranges and Wildlife Ranges administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Aeronautical Charts? - ANSWER Airports with control towers underlying Class B, C, D, and E airspace are shown in blue. 44. Inbound to an airport with no tower, FSS, or UNICOM in operation, a pilot should self-announce on MULTICOM frequency - ANSWER 122.9. 45. What values are used for Winds Aloft Forecasts? - ANSWER True direction and knots. 46. In which situation is advection fog most likely to form? - ANSWER An air mass moving inland from the coast in winter. Advection fog forms when moist air moves over colder ground or water. 47. 48. An airplane said to be inherently stable will A. be difficult to stall. B. require less effort to control. C. not spin. - ANSWER require less effort to control. Changes in the center of pressure of a wing affect the aircraft's - ANSWER aerodynamic balance and controllability. 49. No person may operate an aircraft in acrobatic flight when the flight visibility is less than - ANSWER 3 miles. 50. FAA advisory circulars (some free, others at cost) are available to all pilots and are obtained by - ANSWER ordering those desired from the Government Printing Office. 51. Induced drag increases when airspeed is: - ANSWER Decreased. 52. FDC NOTAMS contain regulatory information, such as: - ANSWER Temporary Flight Restrictions. 53. In order to be eligible for BasicMed privileges, the pilot in command must: - ANSWER Either hold or have held a valid medical certificate after July 14, 2006. 54. For internal cooling, reciprocating aircraft engines are especially dependent on - ANSWER the circulation of lubricating oil. 55. What force makes an airplane turn? - ANSWER The horizontal component of lift. 56. The responsibility for ensuring that maintenance personnel make the appropriate entries in the aircraft maintenance records indicating the aircraft has been approved for return to service lies with the - ANSWER owner or operator. 57. What type military flight operations should a pilot expect along IR 644? - ANSWER IFR training flights above 1,500 feet AGL at speeds in excess of 250 knots. Clouds, fog, or dew will always form when - ANSWER water vapor condenses. The lateral dimensions of Class D airspace are based on - ANSWER the instrument procedures for which the controlled airspace is established. A Third-Class Medical Certificate is issued to a 51-year-old pilot on May 3, this year. To exercise the privileges of a Private Pilot Certificate, the medical certificate will be valid until midnight on - ANSWER May 31, 2 years later.