GAK Exam Revision Flashcards

1
Q

What are the gases that make up most of the atmosphere? (4)

A

Nitrogen - 78%
Oxygen - 21%
Argon - 1%
Carbon Dioxide - <1%

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2
Q

What is ISA?

A

15°C mean sea level temperature

  1. 25 hPa mean sea level pressure
  2. 98°C/1,000ft temperature lapse rate
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3
Q

What is the ISA height of the tropopause?

A

36,090ft

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4
Q

How do temperature and pressure change with respect to altitude?

A

Both temperature and pressure increase with altitude

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5
Q

What is the rate of change of pressure with altitude? (where is it greater/lesser)

A

Air pressure reduces with altitude most rapidly in the lower atmosphere

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6
Q

What are the 4 fundamental forces acting on aircraft in flight?

A

Lift
Weight
Thrust
Drag

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7
Q

What are 4 factors that affect lift?

A

Airflow velocity
Air density
Surface area of the wing
Wing shape and angle of attack

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8
Q

What is the angle of attack?

A

The angle between the chord line and the relative airflow

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9
Q

What is the centre of pressure?

A

The point from which lift in said to act from

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10
Q

What is the centre of gravity?

A

The point through the total weight of the aircraft is said to act

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11
Q

If airspeed is reduced in level flight what must you do to maintain level flight?

A

Increase the angle of attack by pitching the nose of the aircraft up

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12
Q

What happens when the angle of attack of the wing is beyond the critical angle?

A

Airflow can no longer conform to the curvature of the wing and the aircraft will stall

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13
Q

How does a pilot recover from a stall?

A

By pitching the nose down the angle of attack can be decreased to allow air to smoothly flow over the surface of the wing and initiate lift

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14
Q

Define stalling speed

A

The speed below which an aircraft in clean configuration can no longer maintain straight and level flight

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15
Q

To accelerate in a climb what must you do with thrust?

A

Thrust is increased and must remain greater than drag

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16
Q

Define mach number

A

The at which an aircraft is travelling in relation to the speed of sound

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17
Q

What does sweepback on a wing achieve?

A

The swept back wings delay the formation of shockwaves

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18
Q

Define asymmetric flight

A

In one engine fails in multi-engine aircraft the other has considerable leverage and induces unwanted yaw

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19
Q

What do flaps do?

A

Flaps increase lift

  • increase wing area by extending from the front or rear of the wing
  • increase the camber of the wing
  • delays airflow separation by channeling higher energy air over the surface of the wing from below the wing
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20
Q

What can affect the amount of lift a wing generates?

A

Flaps

Slats

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21
Q

What are the different types of drag?

A

Parasitic drag
Zero lift drag
Induced drag
Lift dependent drag

22
Q

What is the 4-stroke engine cycle?

A
Intake
Compression
Power
Exhaust
(suck, squeeze, bang, blow)
23
Q

What are the implication for ATC for a piston engine aircraft?

A

These aircraft descend at no more than 500ft/min due:

  • thermal shock
  • generally not pressurized
24
Q

Name the parts and processes of a turbine engine (jet/gas turbine)

A

Parts

  • air inlet
  • combustion chambers
  • turbine

Process

  • intake
  • compression
  • combustion
  • exhaust
25
Q

What is the relationship between fuel efficiency and altitude?

A

Maximum fuel efficiency is achieved at eh highest possible altitude because of the reduced drag of the lower density air

26
Q

Name the axes of rotation and the movement associated with them

A

Longitudinal - roll
Lateral - pitch
Vertical - yaw

27
Q

What are trim tabs?

A

A small hinged surfafce usually on the traliing edge of a primary control surface. They hold the control surfaces at an angle of deflection when a balancing force is required. most aircraft have trim devices for elevators, ailerons and rudder

28
Q

Name the control surfaces and lift augmentation devices from a diagram

A

Ailerons
Rudder
Elevators

29
Q

Define altitude, height, elevation

A

Altitude
- the vertical distance of a level or a point measured from mean sea level

Elevation
- the vertical distance of a point or level on or fixed to the surface of the earth measured from mean sea level

Height
- The vertical distance of a level or point measured from a specific datum including the vertical dimension of the object

30
Q

Define level

A

A generic term relating to the postion of an aircraft in flight and meaning height, altitude of flight level

31
Q

Pressure/Density altitude calculations

A

Pressure altitude
(QNE - QNH) x 30 + field elevation

Density Altitude
Adjusted ISA temp. = 15 - (2n) where n is the number of 1000s of feet from mean sea level (measured to P/ALT) (round result to nearest 500ft (1° per 500ft))
(Actual temp - adjusted ISA temp) x 120 + P/ALT

32
Q

What is the transition layer?

A

The transition layer is a buffer zone between the transition altitude and level where no aircraft are permitted to to cruise to ensure separation while aircraft are transitioning to different altimeter readings

33
Q

What is the transition level and altitude in NZ?

A

Where all aircraft will switch their altimeters to read QNH 1013 when climbing so that all aircraft at higher altitudes read the same error, or switch to area QNH when descending through to get a more accurate reading closer to the ground

Transition alt - 13,000ft (A130)
Transition level - FL150

34
Q

What are the errors associated with barometric altimeters and how can a pilot adjust for them?

A

A barometric altimeter will not indicate correctly if the actual sea level pressure differs from the ISA value is was calibrated to

Every altimter is fixed with a pressure setting sub-scale that allow the actual sea level pressure to be set as the zero datum

35
Q

Define IAS and TAS

A

IAS
- indicated air speed; the direct instrument indication that the pilot reads on the face of the instrument

TAS
- true air speed; The speed which the aircraft is actually moving through the surrounding air

36
Q

What is the realtionship between IAS and TAS?

A

As altitude increases TRAS much faster than IAS due to decreased air desnity

37
Q

What are the main controls on a helicopter?

A

Cyclic
Collective
Torque pedals

38
Q

How can a helicopter stall?

A

Retreating blade stall

- increasing the angle of attack of the rotors too much causes the helicopter to roll towards the retreating blade

39
Q

What are the proximity warning systems acrinyms?

A
GPWS - ground proximity warning system
TAWS - terrain awareness system
TCAS - traffic alert and collision avoidance system
STCA - short term conflict alert
MSAW - minimum safe altitude warning
40
Q

What are the average rates of climb and speed for different engine types?

A

Jets

  • 2,500-3,000ft per minute which reduces with altitude
  • 250-300kt

Turboprops

  • 1,500ft per minute
  • 160-180kt
41
Q

What are the avergae cruising speeds for different engine types?

A

Jets
- mach 0.78-0.85M

Turboprops
- 250kt

42
Q

What is the relationship between speed and turn radius?

A

The greater the speed the greater the turn radius

43
Q

What is wake turbulence?

A

Cosists of wake vortices formed any time an aircraft wing is producing lift. Act as a spring holding the aircraft back and disrupts the air training the aircraft in a spinning motion

44
Q

What is wake turbulence dependent on?

A

Weight
Wingspan
Configuration

45
Q

What weather conditions cause wake turbulence to be more dangerous?

A

Light winds cause the wake turbulence to stay in approach and runway touchdown areas, drift to parallel runways or sink into landing/take off paths of succeeding aircraft

46
Q

What are the types of aircraft icing?

A

Rime
Clear
Hoar frost (aircraft on ground overnight)

47
Q

What types of clouds are condusive to icing?

A
Cumulus
Cb
Altocumulus
Nimbostratus
Altostratus
48
Q

What parts of an aircraft would be affected by icing?

A
Wing and tail surfaces
Propellers 
Radio antennae
Sensors
Windshields
Engine (carb icing)
49
Q

What are the 4 aquaplaning descriptors?

A

Damp - surfaces changes colour due to moisture
Wet - surface is soaked but there is no standing water
Water patches - patches of standing water are visible
Flooded - extensive standing water is visible

50
Q

Define wind shear

A

A change in wind speed and/or direction over a short distance

51
Q

List 3 common sources of wind shear

A

Frontal activity
Thunderstorms
Temperature inversions
Microbursts