High-Altitude Weather and Aerodynamics Flashcards
In what levels of the atmosphere does high-altitude flight take place?
All of the answers are correct.
In the upper troposphere and the stratosphere, aircraft may generate cloud-like streamers that are called:
Contrails.
The jet stream typically flows west to east, occasionally meandering south or north. It is strongest in:
Winter.
Which of the following weather phenomena is likely to occur near the jet stream?
Clear Air Turbulence.
Which of the following clouds would indicate unstable air and contain moderate to heavy turbulence with the potential for icing?
Towering cumulus.
Structural icing at high altitudes can be of any type; however, which type is the most common?
Rime ice.
What is the benefit of planning gradual descents from high altitudes?
All of the answers are correct.
Cabin rates of descent should not exceed:
500-600 ft/min.
Which of the following charts provide information on pressure systems, temperature, winds, and temperature/dewpoint spread at the 850, 700, 500, 300, and 200 mb. levels?
Constant pressure charts.
Which of these charts provide information on the jet stream, turbulence, temperature, wind, and pressure at the tropopause?
Observed tropopause charts.
In what type of decompression does the cabin pressure change faster than the lungs can decompress?
Explosive.
What is a hazard that slow decompression presents that rapid and explosive decompression do not?
It may go unnoticed.
If decompression occurs during flight, you should descend to a safe altitude and:
Don oxygen masks.
Under which of the following conditions should you not use oxygen:
In-flight fire.
If severe turbulence is penetrated with the autopilot on, which of the following settings should be off:
Altitude hold mode.
Increased altitude and the subsequent decrease in pressure affects respiration by:
Decreasing the driving pressure for gas exchange in the body.
Hyperventilation is a condition characterized by:
An increased rate of breathing.
True or False? Hyperventilation can be caused by hypoxia.
True. Though that is not the only cause, it does make it difficult to differentiate between the two conditions.
Which of the four types of hypoxia is caused by the reduction of the partial pressure of oxygen?
Hypoxic.
What type of hypoxia is caused by a restriction in normal circulation or inadequate blood flow to the tissues?
Stagnant.
Alcohol or drug use can cause what type of hypoxia?
Histotoxic.
When observing someone, which of the following may be a sign of hypoxia?
Rapid breathing.
Which of the following may be one of the more dangerous symptoms of hypoxia?
Euphoria.
How do you treat hypoxia?
100% oxygen breathed slowly.
Which of the following factors affect the time of useful consciousness?
All of the answers are correct.
Trapped gas in the ear or sinuses typically occurs on:
Descent.
Trapped gas in the teeth usually occurs due to:
Recent fillings with airspace trapped between the filling and tooth.
Which of the following techniques may help clear blocked sinuses and blocked ears when simpler techniques have failed?
Valsalva.
Evolved Gas Decompression Sickness, or DCS is the result of what type of gas bubbles in body fluids and tissues?
Nitrogen.
What is a common cause of DCS?
SCUBA diving prior to flight.
How long should you wait between SCUBA diving and flight?
12-24 hours depending on the type of diving.
If you suspect DCS while in flight, what actions should be taken?
Supply the person with 100% oxygen and descend.
Mach is:
The ratio of an aircraft’s true airspeed to the local speed of sound.
The four categories of flight in reference to the speed of sound are:
Subsonic, Transonic, Supersonic, and Hypersonic.
Mach buffet is caused by:
Supersonic airflow over flight surfaces.
What is Mach Tuck?
A nose down or “tucking” tendency of aircraft that occurs when an aircraft exceeds its airspeed limitation.
What is the Coffin Corner?
An area at the tip of the airplane’s aerodynamic ceiling where the high and low speed buffet boundary merge.
Typical wing design has a different curvature on the upper and lower surfaces, creating:
A longer path on the upper surface.
Wing sweep increases the critical Mach number by:
Reducing the acceleration of airflow over the wing.
Laminar flow wings are:
Tapered, with the maximum thickness further aft.
Dutch roll is reduced with:
Yaw damper.
Critical Mach number is the speed at which:
Airflow over the surface of the wing reaches the speed of sound.
