Airplane Systems

Question 1

During a climb in IMC with the temperature around 0 you notice the airspeed oddly increasing. What do you think is going on here?

Answer 1

Ram air and drain holes are both iced ove

Question 2

Enroute you’re in IMC with the temperature around 0. Your KIAS gradually drops to 0. Why did this happen?

Answer 2

Ram hole is iced over, drain is open.

Question 3

How does the pitot heat work?

Answer 3

There’s a heating element (essentially a wire coil that partially resists electric current and the resistance leads to heat) inside the pitot tube that heats up when supplied with electricity. This heats up the metal pitot tube that surrounds it.

Question 4

On the Attitude Indicator, is the gyro attached to the artificial horizon/ground-sky card or to the miniature airplane? ​

Answer 4

The artificial horizon. Just like the actual horizon, the artificial horizon doesn’t move and the plane rotates around it.

Question 5

What Attitude Indicator design feature keeps the gyro upright and prevents it from precessing?

Answer 5

Pendulous veins.

Question 6

Does the VSI have an aneroid wafer or a diaphragm?

Answer 6

Diaphragm.

Question 7

Does the VSI Diaprhagm expand or contract during a climb

Answer 7

Contract

Question 8

What do the crosshatches represent on an Altimeter?

Answer 8

Below 10,000.

Question 9

What is the difference between a Turn Coordinator (TC) and a Turn and Slip Indicator (TSI)?

Answer 9

​TC shows rate of roll then rate of turn; TSI shows only rate of turn

Question 10

What enables the TC to show rate of roll?

Answer 10

30 degree canted gyro.

Question 11

Let’s say you’ve lost your AI. You’re in a standard rate turn to the left per the airplane on your TC. You start leveling the wings. What will your TC show you when you’re wings level?

Answer 11

It shows rate of roll first, so because you’re rolling right it will show approximately a standard rate turn to the right. At this point stop rolling right and the wings on the TC will level…because you’re no longer rolling or turning.

Question 12

While establishing a fwd slip to land on final, what will the needle and ball on a TSI show?

Answer 12

The needle will continue to point straight up and down. The ball will show a slip.

Question 13

You’re turning to the left and the ball falls to the inside, is this a slip or a skid?

Answer 13

Slip

Question 14

What are the definitions and causes of a slip and a skid?

Answer 14

A slip is when you have too much bank for your rate of turn, causing the ball on the inclinometer and the tail of the aircraft to slip inward (in the direction of the bank). A slip is generally caused by adverse yaw and insufficient rudder in the direction of the turn. A skid occurs when your rate of turn is too great for the angle of bank, causing the ball (and the tail of the airplane) to swing to the outside. This is caused by too much rudder in the direction of the turn.

Question 15

While heading 360 you accelerate. What will the compass heading indicate?

Answer 15

It will continue indicating north. The acceleration/deceleration errors only apply to east and
west headings.

Question 16

You’re southbound and you make a left turn with the goal of rolling out on a compass heading of 360. What will the compass read when you should roll wings level in order to roll out on the 360 heading? What if you want to roll out on a heading of 060 instead? ​

Answer 16

30. Undershoot north by 30 degrees.

Undershoot by 10
degrees. (Ultimately goes down to 0 under/overshoot when rolling out due east or west.)

Question 17

Where does the 30 degree under/overshoot correction for rolling out on 360/180 headings come from? Is it always 30 degrees?

Answer 17

The formula is 15 degrees plus half the latitude. So no, this number can vary depending on your latitude.

Question 18

On conventional instruments, what indication on the HSI shows that you are not receiving a navigation signal? What about on the G1000 HSI?

Answer 18

Nav Flag

Missing course deviation bar.

Question 19

Where are the localizer and glideslope ground equipment located on the field?

Answer 19

normally located 1000 feet beyond the stop end of the runway. The glide slope is normally positioned 1000 feet after the approach end of the runway

Question 20

Where is the localizer and glideslope antenna on the aircraft

Answer 20

Find

Question 21

How many times more sensitive is a localizer than a VOR

Answer 21

the localizer is 4X more sensitive than a VOR

Question 22

You are full scale deflection on the localizer at the approach end of the runway. Approximately how far off course are you?

Answer 22

On most localizer courses, full deflection indicates 2.5 degrees.

Question 23

When on glideslope, by approximately how many feet AGL do you cross over the approach end of the runway?

Answer 23

Following the glideslope all the way down to these white boxes will bring you to a point about 1,000 feet beyond the runway threshold, which is a very safe place to touch down.

Question 24

Show me your process for determining that an airplane is airworthy for an IFR flight.

Answer 24

Ok

Question 25

Which inspections are required only for IFR flights, not for VFR?

Answer 25

VOR, Altimiter pitot static

Question 26

What options are available for complying with the 30-day VOR check?

Answer 26

VOT VOR Checkpoint Dual check Airborne check

Question 27

Other than the bench test, how exactly do you conduct each type of these VOR checks?

Answer 27

VOT: check the A/FD to see if your airport has one. 180 with a TO indication, plus minus 4 degrees VOR checkpoint: Many airports have VOR checkpoint signs that are located near a taxiway, ramp or runup area. Plus minus 4 degrees Dual: Tune both NAV radios to the same VOR facility. Center the needles of each VOR receiver with a "TO" indication. Note the indicated bearings to the station from each receiver. Plus minus 4 degrees Airborne: Select a VOR radial that lies along the centerline of an established VOR airway. Select a prominent ground point along the selected radial preferably more than 20 nautical miles from the VOR ground facility and maneuver the aircraft directly over the point at a reasonably low altitude. Note the VOR bearing indicated by the receiver when over the ground point. The maximum indicated bearing error is plus or minus 6 degrees.

Question 28

Where do you look to determine whether an airport offers a VOT (or airborne or ground) check?

Answer 28

Chart Supplement or Foreflight.

Question 29

Can you do a dual VOR check in the air? ​

Answer 29

Yes

Question 30

What information are you required to log after a dual VOR check?

Answer 30

Each person making the VOR operational check, as specified in paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, shall enter the date, place, bearing error, and sign the aircraft log or other record. In addition, if a test signal radiated by a repair station, as specified in paragraph (b)(1) of this section, is used, an entry must be made in the aircraft log or other record by the repair station certificate holder or the certificate holder's representative certifying to the bearing transmitted by the repair station for the check and the date of transmission.

Question 31

List out all of the equipment required for an IFR flight at night. As you do so, tell me how you can confirm that each item is operational.

Answer 31

For IFR night: all VFR day + VFR night + GRABCARD G.R.A.B.C.A.R.D – G - Generator / alternator. R - Radios. Two-way radio communication & navigational equipment suitable for the route to be flown. A - Altimeter (sensitive, adjustable for barometric pressure) B - Ball (slip-skid indicator). C - Clock. Shows hours, minutes and seconds with sweep-second pointer or digital representation. Installed as part of aircraft equipment. A - Attitude indicator. R - Rate-of-turn indicator. D - Directional gyro (heading indicator).

Question 32

What equipment is required for an IFR flight during the day?

Answer 32

ATOMATOFLAMES and GRABCARDD. But NOT FLAPS, which would only be required during a night flight, either VFR or IFR.

Question 33

Can the distance on our GPS substitute for the DME required at altitudes above FL240?

Answer 33

YES

Question 34

Let’s say it’s marginal VFR outside due to, say, 4sm visibility. You’re planning on a VFR flight out to the practice area to shoot practice approaches. You get in the plane and see that there’s an “INOPERATIVE” sticker right under the alternate static knob. Take me through your process for determining whether you would proceed with the flight.

Answer 34

Go down 91.213(d)(2). Not required by: Part 91, TCDS, ADs, the Equipment List, or by the Kinds of Operations Equipment List (KOEL). In fact the KOEL specifies that the Alternate Static is not required for VFR flights. However...it is required for IFR. Because the weather is MARGINAL, there’s a chance that you may have to pick up an IFR clearance on this flight, in which case you’d need an operating alternate static source. Even if the conditions never became IMC, flying around in marginal VFR without an alternate static would demonstrate poor ADM. Make a no-go decision.

Question 35

Scenario #2: This time you’re flying on an IFR flight plan at night in VMC. After starting the engine, you turn the cockpit lights on and notice that the light is out on your standby ASI. Take me through your process for determining whether you would proceed with the flight.

Answer 35

Go through the same process that is detailed in the answer to the previous scenario. On the KOEL, the internal lighting for the standby ASI is listed as required for IFR night operations. Make a no-go decision and squawk the plane. This fix is not listed under Part 43 for preventative mx, so appropriately rated mx personnel must perform the mx and update the mx logs prior to an IFR night flight taking place.