PRIVATE PILOT STUDY EXAM GUIDE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Does the POH meet the requirement of having an AFM? (PHAK 8-2) - ✔✔Yes. The
POH for most light aircraft built after 1975 is also the FAA designated AFM.
✔✔Who says we have to follow the POH? (91.9) - ✔✔FAR 91.9 states, "...no person
may operate a civil aircraft without complying with the operating limitations specified in
the approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual..."
✔✔Who is responsible for ensuring an aircraft is maintained in an airworthy condition?
(91.403) - ✔✔The owner/operator
✔✔Discuss AVIATES. Required Inspections - ✔✔Annual - every 12 calendar months
(91.409)
VOR - every 30 days for IFR (91.171)
100 hour - if airplane is being operated for hire
Altimeter/Pitot Static - 24 calendar months; required for IFR flight (91.411)
Transponder - 24 calendar months (91.413)
ELT - 12 calendar months or after 1 hour cumulative use or half of battery life (91.207)
Service bulletins and ADs complied with
✔✔What is an Airworthiness Directive? Is it mandatory? (PHAK 8-12) - ✔✔FAA issued
order to fix a known issue. It is mandatory.
✔✔What different kinds of AD's are there? - ✔✔Emergency - These require immediate
compliance before flight. One Time - After the AD is complied with once, there is no
further need to address the specified issue. Recurring - This AD must be complied with
at the specified interval.
✔✔Can you over fly an annual? 100 hour? (91.409) - ✔✔The only way to overfly an
annual is to obtain a special flight permit from the FSDO.
A 100 hour inspection may be overflown by no more than 10 hours and only if enroute
to the place where the inspection will be done. An annual inspection can be substituted
for the 100 hour however, a 100 hour cannot substitute an annual inspection.
✔✔Do you need to have an ELT in the airplane today? (91.207) - ✔✔Not needed for
training within 50 nm of home airport
✔✔When does an ELT battery have to be replaced or recharged? (91.207) - ✔✔12
Calendar Months/1 Hour Cumulative Use/.5 Half of Battery Life
✔✔What equipment and instruments do you need to have in the airplane for today's
flight? - ✔✔ATOMATOFLAMES (91.205b) Altimeter, Tachometer, Oil temperature
,gauge, Magnetic compass, Airspeed Indicator, Temperature gauge (for liquid cooled
engines) Oil pressure, Fuel quantity gauge Landing gear position indicator (for
retractable landing gear), Anti-collision lights - Aviation red or white (e.g. red rotating
beacon or white strobes) Manifold pressure gauge (for airplanes with a constant speed
propeller), ELT, Seatbelts
✔✔How about if you were to fly tonight? FLAPS (91.205c) - ✔✔Fuses 3 of each kind or
1 complete set, Landing light if airplane is being flown for hire (including flight training),
Anti-collision lights, Position lights - Also called navigation lights - red on the left side,
green on the right and white on the tail, Source of electricity - Battery or alternator
✔✔What would you do if you found that the landing light was inoperative? (91.213) -
✔✔Cannot fly at night per the FARs - During the day you would deactivate or remove
the component and placard it inoperative (deactivating could be as simple as pulling the
circuit breaker out)
✔✔Can you fly an airplane with known inoperative equipment? - ✔✔Yes, if it is not
included in 91.205 and it has been deactivated/removed and placarded inoperative
✔✔What is a Minimum Equipment List? (PHAK 8-9) - ✔✔An FAA approved list of
equipment that can be inoperative
✔✔What are the four forces of flight? - ✔✔lift, weight, thrust, and drag
✔✔What are the primary flight controls? (PHAK 5-3) - ✔✔Rudder(Yaw) - vertical
axis(directional stability)
Aileron(Roll) - longitudinal axis (lateral stability)
Elevator(Pitch) - lateral axis (longitudinal stability)
✔✔What are the secondary flight controls? (PHAK 5-8) - ✔✔Flaps, leading edge
devices, spoilers, and trim systems (anti-servo tab)
✔✔How is lift created? (PHAK 3-4) - ✔✔Newton's 3rd law - Airfoils accelerate airflow
downward. The equal and opposite reaction as described by Newton forces the airfoil
upwards.
Bernoulli's Principle - As the velocity of a fluid or gas increases the pressure decreases.
High speed air over the upper surface creates low pressure area while comparatively
lower speed air beneath the wing creates high pressure which produces an upwards
force that contributes to the total lift.
✔✔Explain the different types of drag. - ✔✔Parasite - increases with speed
Some types of parasite drag include form, skin friction, and interference drag.
, Form drag is caused by the shape of the aircraft and the airflow around it. Anything that
sticks of from the fuselage as well as the fuselage itself contributes to this (e.g.
antennas, pitot mast, engine cowling)
Skin friction drag is caused by air slowing down as it moves across the surface of the
aircraft. Rivets, dirt, or anything that makes the surface less smooth adds to this type of
drag.
Interference drag is caused by intersecting airstreams from different parts of the aircraft.
Take, for example, the area where the wing is attached to the fuselage. Since the wing
accelerates the relative wind, this airstream will be relatively faster than the wind moving
over the fuselage. When these two airstreams meet, turbulent eddies form and this
produces drag.
Induced - byproduct of lift, decreases with speed
High pressure airflow from beneath the wing has the tendency to spill over the wingtips
to equalize the lower pressure above. When this happens, turbulent whirl pools called
wingtip vortices form and create drag. Also, any time the angle of attack is increased, a
portion of the wing's lift vector is angled backwards. This too creates more induced
drag.
✔✔What is center of gravity? What happens when it moves forward/aft? (PHAK 4-38) -
✔✔Forward CG - This is a nose-heavy condition that results in the pilot having to use
more back pressure to maintain a level flight attitude. More tail downforce means that
the wings must overcome this weight. The cruise speed is lower because of this. The
imposed load increases the stall speed.
Aft CG - Less tail downforce (provided by our stabilator) is required when flying with an
aft CG. This means that the wings also have less of this load to overcome therefore
there is less overall drag allowing for a faster cruise speed. Because stall speeds
increase with load, an aft CG also means that the stall speed is lower. The distance
between the CG and the stabilator is crucial in maintaining authority over the control
surface. An aft CG means a shorter arm and thus, less authority. This translates into
adverse stall recovery characteristics.
✔✔What causes a wing to stall? (PHAK 4-22) - ✔✔The wing will stall anytime the
critical angle of attack is exceeded.
✔✔How does temperature change the takeoff distance? Weight? Air density? (PHAK
10-2 and 9-2) - ✔✔High temperatures = less dense air
Less dense air exerts less force on airfoils (wings and propeller) making them less
efficient and also deprives the engine of power. This leads to longer take off rolls and
decreased climb performance.
Higher weight also leads to longer take off rolls and increased landing distance because
it takes more engine power to accelerate a heavy aircraft to Vr and more braking power
to slow the aircraft down.
ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Does the POH meet the requirement of having an AFM? (PHAK 8-2) - ✔✔Yes. The
POH for most light aircraft built after 1975 is also the FAA designated AFM.
✔✔Who says we have to follow the POH? (91.9) - ✔✔FAR 91.9 states, "...no person
may operate a civil aircraft without complying with the operating limitations specified in
the approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual..."
✔✔Who is responsible for ensuring an aircraft is maintained in an airworthy condition?
(91.403) - ✔✔The owner/operator
✔✔Discuss AVIATES. Required Inspections - ✔✔Annual - every 12 calendar months
(91.409)
VOR - every 30 days for IFR (91.171)
100 hour - if airplane is being operated for hire
Altimeter/Pitot Static - 24 calendar months; required for IFR flight (91.411)
Transponder - 24 calendar months (91.413)
ELT - 12 calendar months or after 1 hour cumulative use or half of battery life (91.207)
Service bulletins and ADs complied with
✔✔What is an Airworthiness Directive? Is it mandatory? (PHAK 8-12) - ✔✔FAA issued
order to fix a known issue. It is mandatory.
✔✔What different kinds of AD's are there? - ✔✔Emergency - These require immediate
compliance before flight. One Time - After the AD is complied with once, there is no
further need to address the specified issue. Recurring - This AD must be complied with
at the specified interval.
✔✔Can you over fly an annual? 100 hour? (91.409) - ✔✔The only way to overfly an
annual is to obtain a special flight permit from the FSDO.
A 100 hour inspection may be overflown by no more than 10 hours and only if enroute
to the place where the inspection will be done. An annual inspection can be substituted
for the 100 hour however, a 100 hour cannot substitute an annual inspection.
✔✔Do you need to have an ELT in the airplane today? (91.207) - ✔✔Not needed for
training within 50 nm of home airport
✔✔When does an ELT battery have to be replaced or recharged? (91.207) - ✔✔12
Calendar Months/1 Hour Cumulative Use/.5 Half of Battery Life
✔✔What equipment and instruments do you need to have in the airplane for today's
flight? - ✔✔ATOMATOFLAMES (91.205b) Altimeter, Tachometer, Oil temperature
,gauge, Magnetic compass, Airspeed Indicator, Temperature gauge (for liquid cooled
engines) Oil pressure, Fuel quantity gauge Landing gear position indicator (for
retractable landing gear), Anti-collision lights - Aviation red or white (e.g. red rotating
beacon or white strobes) Manifold pressure gauge (for airplanes with a constant speed
propeller), ELT, Seatbelts
✔✔How about if you were to fly tonight? FLAPS (91.205c) - ✔✔Fuses 3 of each kind or
1 complete set, Landing light if airplane is being flown for hire (including flight training),
Anti-collision lights, Position lights - Also called navigation lights - red on the left side,
green on the right and white on the tail, Source of electricity - Battery or alternator
✔✔What would you do if you found that the landing light was inoperative? (91.213) -
✔✔Cannot fly at night per the FARs - During the day you would deactivate or remove
the component and placard it inoperative (deactivating could be as simple as pulling the
circuit breaker out)
✔✔Can you fly an airplane with known inoperative equipment? - ✔✔Yes, if it is not
included in 91.205 and it has been deactivated/removed and placarded inoperative
✔✔What is a Minimum Equipment List? (PHAK 8-9) - ✔✔An FAA approved list of
equipment that can be inoperative
✔✔What are the four forces of flight? - ✔✔lift, weight, thrust, and drag
✔✔What are the primary flight controls? (PHAK 5-3) - ✔✔Rudder(Yaw) - vertical
axis(directional stability)
Aileron(Roll) - longitudinal axis (lateral stability)
Elevator(Pitch) - lateral axis (longitudinal stability)
✔✔What are the secondary flight controls? (PHAK 5-8) - ✔✔Flaps, leading edge
devices, spoilers, and trim systems (anti-servo tab)
✔✔How is lift created? (PHAK 3-4) - ✔✔Newton's 3rd law - Airfoils accelerate airflow
downward. The equal and opposite reaction as described by Newton forces the airfoil
upwards.
Bernoulli's Principle - As the velocity of a fluid or gas increases the pressure decreases.
High speed air over the upper surface creates low pressure area while comparatively
lower speed air beneath the wing creates high pressure which produces an upwards
force that contributes to the total lift.
✔✔Explain the different types of drag. - ✔✔Parasite - increases with speed
Some types of parasite drag include form, skin friction, and interference drag.
, Form drag is caused by the shape of the aircraft and the airflow around it. Anything that
sticks of from the fuselage as well as the fuselage itself contributes to this (e.g.
antennas, pitot mast, engine cowling)
Skin friction drag is caused by air slowing down as it moves across the surface of the
aircraft. Rivets, dirt, or anything that makes the surface less smooth adds to this type of
drag.
Interference drag is caused by intersecting airstreams from different parts of the aircraft.
Take, for example, the area where the wing is attached to the fuselage. Since the wing
accelerates the relative wind, this airstream will be relatively faster than the wind moving
over the fuselage. When these two airstreams meet, turbulent eddies form and this
produces drag.
Induced - byproduct of lift, decreases with speed
High pressure airflow from beneath the wing has the tendency to spill over the wingtips
to equalize the lower pressure above. When this happens, turbulent whirl pools called
wingtip vortices form and create drag. Also, any time the angle of attack is increased, a
portion of the wing's lift vector is angled backwards. This too creates more induced
drag.
✔✔What is center of gravity? What happens when it moves forward/aft? (PHAK 4-38) -
✔✔Forward CG - This is a nose-heavy condition that results in the pilot having to use
more back pressure to maintain a level flight attitude. More tail downforce means that
the wings must overcome this weight. The cruise speed is lower because of this. The
imposed load increases the stall speed.
Aft CG - Less tail downforce (provided by our stabilator) is required when flying with an
aft CG. This means that the wings also have less of this load to overcome therefore
there is less overall drag allowing for a faster cruise speed. Because stall speeds
increase with load, an aft CG also means that the stall speed is lower. The distance
between the CG and the stabilator is crucial in maintaining authority over the control
surface. An aft CG means a shorter arm and thus, less authority. This translates into
adverse stall recovery characteristics.
✔✔What causes a wing to stall? (PHAK 4-22) - ✔✔The wing will stall anytime the
critical angle of attack is exceeded.
✔✔How does temperature change the takeoff distance? Weight? Air density? (PHAK
10-2 and 9-2) - ✔✔High temperatures = less dense air
Less dense air exerts less force on airfoils (wings and propeller) making them less
efficient and also deprives the engine of power. This leads to longer take off rolls and
decreased climb performance.
Higher weight also leads to longer take off rolls and increased landing distance because
it takes more engine power to accelerate a heavy aircraft to Vr and more braking power
to slow the aircraft down.
