Checkride Flashcards
As a private pilot, what kind of a rating will I need?
A private pilot single engine land rating; category and class.
As a private pilot, what am I prohibited from doing?
Carrying passengers or cargo for hire.
As a private pilot, can I get money for flying?
I can share the expenses of the flight with my passengers, on a pro-rated basis. I can fly in a charitable airlift, provided some other restrictions are met.
As a private pilot, can I fly an airplane in furtherance of my business?
I can use the airplane to get from one place to another, provided the airplane is incidental to the business.
What recent experience must I have in order to be pilot in command?
3 takeoffs and landings within the last 90 days, in the same category and class of aircraft, and type, if a type rating is required. If flying at night (1 hour after sunset to 1 hour before sunrise), those 3 would have to be at night, and to a full stop.
What weather conditions must exist in order for me to fly?
Basic VFR weather: 3 miles visibility, and 1,000 foot ceiling. And, distances from clouds. Generally, below 10,000 feet: 500 feet underneath clouds, 1,000 feet on top, 2,000 feet on the sides.
At night, what other weather restrictions apply?
Instead of 1 statute mile visibility, it’s 3.
In Class G airspace, if visibility is between 1 and 3 statute miles, and I am clear of clouds, I can fly in the pattern within 1/2 mile of the airport.
Do the FARs require that I keep a logbook?
No, but I need to have a reliable record of the currency requirements, and the requirements for a pilot’s certificate.
What maintenance and inspections are required for the flight today?
An annual inspection, a transponder inspection within the past 24 months, and an ELT battery inspection.
What documentation is required to be aboard the airplane?
ARROW:
- Airworthiness certificate (must be on display)
- Registration certificate.
- Radio station license (FCC; not required for domestic flight).
- Operating limitations (placards, markings, and flight manual).
- Weight and balance limitations.
What are the requirements for flying above Class D airspace?
None.
What are the requirements for flying above Class C airspace?
Must have a transponder with Mode C.
What do you do if you’re lost?
- Four C’s: climb, communicate, confess, and comply.
- To minimize this, mark your checkpoints.
- Check your heading.
- Advance position from previous checkpoint, based on groundspeed and heading.
- Look at the terrain, for big features first, to see where you are.
- Climb, and use VOR.
- Call FSS.
If your radios stop working, and you need to land at a controlled airport, what should you do?
Ideally, land at an uncontrolled airport. If you need to land at a controlled airport, call them on the phone, and make arrangements to land by light gun signals.
To escalate, you can also squawk 7600 on the transponder.
Is communications failure considered an emergency?
No.
What does a flashing green light from a light gun signal mean, when you’re coming in to land?
Cleared to approach airport.
After landing at an airport, the tower gives you a flashing red light gun signal. What does it mean?
Clear the runway.
If you’re coming in to an unfamiliar airport, how would you find out what the traffic pattern was?
Prior to departing, use the AFD. Or, fly above the airport, above pattern altitude, and look at the traffic pattern indicator.
How would you determine the traffic pattern altitude at an unfamiliar airport?
Use the AFD prior to departing. In-flight, talk to other airplanes. If all else fails, assume 1,000 feet AGL.
What are the right-of-way rules for aircraft in flight?
- Two airplanes converging head-on, each should go to the right.
- Two airplanes converging other than head-on, the aircraft on the right has the right of way.
- If you’re overtaking, you should move to the right.
- In the traffic pattern, if two aircraft are on final, the lower aircraft has right of way. However, you cannot take advantage of this rule by diving under someone.
What is wake turbulence?
The disturbance of the air created by a heavy aircraft. Because of the low air pressure above a wing, and the high air pressure below it, the air tries to rise above the wing. However, by the time it does that, the wing is gone, so you get vortices, or horizontal tornadoes. Wake turbulence descends behind an aircraft, and drifts with the wind. When the vortices hit the ground, they tend to move apart. When you have a light quartering tailwind, it can drift the upwind vortex so that it stays over the runway. Vortices can also drift to other runways.
What is wind shear, and what causes it?
An abrupt change in the wind in either a short time or distance. You can get it over rough terrain, in temperature inversions, or, most likely, in thunderstorms.
At night, how do you identify a displaced threshold?
You’d see the green lights at the runway threshold, and you wouldn’t want to land short of those lights.
How do you tell the far end of the runway, at night?
It’s marked by a row of red lights.
