F. Performance and Limitations

Question 1

Relative Wind

Answer 1

The direction of the airflow with respect to the wing.

Question 2

Bernoulli’s Principle

Answer 2

The pressure of a fluid decreases as the speed of the fluid increases.
Ex: Lower pressure on top of the wing where the speed is increased helps create lift.

Question 3

Left Turning Tendencies

Answer 3

Torque: The propeller is moving in one direction so an equal force is trying to rotate the airplane in the opposite direction.

Spiraling slipstream: The propeller creates a spiral of air that spins about the airplane, eventually contacting the left side of the rudder. As power is increased and the propeller spins faster, the force on the rudder is stronger, causing more of a yawing motion to the left.

P-factor: In a climb, the descending blade (right on American-made airplanes) has a higher angle of attack, which means it creates more lift. And that yaws the aircraft to the left. P-factor is especially noticeable at high power settings with a high nose attitude.

Gyroscopic precession: Precession means that a force applied to a gyroscope is manifested 90 degrees ahead in the direction of rotation. The force results 90 degrees ahead, or on the right side, pushing the nose left.

Question 4

Why is the Load Factor important?

Answer 4

It is dangerous to overload the aircraft structure.

An increased load factor increases stalling speed. Steep turns increase load factor. 60% bank is 2gs.

Question 5

Maneuvering Speed

Answer 5

The safe maximum speed at which controls can be inputted or flown through turbulence.

Question 6

What are the effects on maneuvering speed with an increase or decrease in weight?

Answer 6

Va speed increases with an increase in weight and decreases with a decrease in weight.

Question 7

What causes a stall?

Answer 7

Excessive Angle of Attack

Question 8

What causes a spin?

Answer 8

Exceeding the Critical AOA while uncoordinated.

Question 9

Empty Weight

Answer 9

All fixed items in and on the aircraft
Also includes:
-unusable fuel/oil
-hydraulic fluid

Question 10

What effects does a forward CG have?

Answer 10

Higher stalling speed
Slower cruise speed
More stable
Greater elevator pressure required

Question 11

What effects does an aft CG have?

Answer 11

Lower stall speed
Higher cruise speed
Less stable

Question 12

What factors affect the performance of an aircraft during takeoff and landing?

Answer 12

Air density
Surface wind
Surface
Slope of the runway
Weight of the aircraft

Question 13

What factors affect density altitude?

Answer 13

Altitude
Temperature
Humidity

Question 14

How to recover from a spin?

Answer 14

P - power idle
A - ailerons neutral
R - rudder opposite direction
E - elevator pitch down (release back pressure)

Question 15

Procedure for engine failure?

Answer 15

ABCDE

Airspeed - 68
Best Place to Land
Checklists (restart engine, emergency landing)
Declare emergency (FF, ATC, etc. Squawk 7700)
ELT (activate)

Question 16

What is adverse yaw?

Answer 16

Adverse yaw is the natural and undesirable tendency for an aircraft to yaw in the opposite direction of a roll. It is caused by the difference in lift and drag of each wing. Counter by coordinated rudder control.

Question 17

Ground Effect

Answer 17

Reduction of induced drag near the surface. Earth’s surface alters the airflow pattern around the aircraft. Improved aircraft performance.

Question 18

What performance characteristics will be adversely affected when an aircraft has been overloaded?

Answer 18

Higher takeoff speed
Longer takeoff run
Reduced rate and angle of climb
Lower maximum altitude
Shorter range
Reduced cruising speed
Higher stalling speed
Higher landing speed
Longer landing roll

Question 19

What effect does an increase in density altitude have on takeoff and landing performance?

Answer 19

An increase in density altitude results in:

• increased takeoff distance
• reduced rate of climb
• increased true airspeed on approach/landing
• increased landing roll distance

Question 20

Density Altitude

Answer 20

Pressure altitude corrected for non-standard temperatures

Question 21

Density altitude will increase with:

Answer 21

High air temperature
High altitude
High humidity
(opposite for decrease in density altitude)

Question 22

Pressure Altitude

Answer 22

The altitude indicated when the altimeter is set to 29.92

Question 23

What is Pressure Altitude used to compute?

Answer 23

Density altitude
True altitude
True airspeed

Question 24

What are the nosewheel turning limitations for your aircraft?

Answer 24

10 degrees, 30 degrees with differential braking

Question 25

What is the maximum demonstrated crosswind component for your aircraft?

Answer 25

15 knots

Question 26

What is land and hold short clearance?

Answer 26

LAHSO is an air traffic control procedure which permits the issuance of landing clearances to aircraft to land and hold short of an intersecting runway, taxiway, or other designated point on the runway.

Students pilots cannot accept LAHSO. If not comfortable with LAHSO, you don’t have to accept.