Operation Of Systems Flashcards
How does the vacuum system operate? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25) Show Answer
An engine-driven vacuum pump provides suction which pulls air from the instrument case.
pressure entering the case is directed against rotor vanes to turn the rotor (gyro) at high speed
Air is drawn into the instrument through a filter from the cockpit and eventually vented outside.
What does the mixture control do? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25) Hide Answer
It regulates the fuel-to-air ratio.
What are the limitations of the vertical speed indicator? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25)
The VSI is not accurate until the aircraft is stabilized.
There’s a 6-9 second lag
How does the heading indicator operate? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25) Show Answer
The operation of the heading indicator depends upon the principle of rigidity in space. … As the instrument case and the aircraft revolve around the vertical axis of the gyro, the card provides clear and accurate heading information.
What instruments operate off of the pitot/static system? (FAA‑H‑8083‑15
Altimeter, Vertical Speed, and Airspeed Indicator.
Define and state how you would determine the following altitudes. (FAA‑H‑8083‑25) Absolute altitude Indicated altitude Pressure altitude True altitude Density altitude
Absolute altitude — the vertical distance of an aircraft above the terrain. Indicated altitude — the altitude read directly from the altimeter (uncorrected) after it is set to the current altimeter setting. Pressure altitude — the altitude when the altimeter setting window is adjusted to 29.92. Pressure altitude is used for computer solutions to determine density altitude, true altitude, true airspeed, etc. True altitude — the true vertical distance of the aircraft above sea level. Airport, terrain, and obstacle elevations found on aeronautical charts are true altitudes. Density altitude — pressure altitude corrected for nonstandard temperature variations. Directly related to an aircraft’s takeoff, climb, and landing performance.
What are the limitations of an attitude indicator? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25)
The pitch and bank limits depend upon the make and model of the instrument.
What is the limitation of the airspeed indicator? (FAA‑H‑8083‑15)
The airspeed indicator is subject to proper flow of air in the pitot/static system.
What are the limitations of the heading indicator? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25) Show Answer
If pitch or bank limit is exceeded, the instrument will tumble or spill and will give incorrect indications until reset.
What action should be taken if the ammeter indicates a continuous discharge while in flight?
The alternator has quit producing a charge, so the alternator circuit breaker should be checked and reset if necessary. If this does not correct the problem, the following should be accomplished:
a. The alternator should be turned off; pull the circuit breaker (the field circuit will continue to draw power from the battery).
b. All electrical equipment not essential to flight should be turned off (the battery is now the only source of electrical power).
c. The flight should be terminated and a landing made as soon as possible.
What are the four main control surfaces and what are their functions? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25) Show Answer
Elevators — The elevators control the movement of the airplane about its lateral axis. This motion is called pitch.
Ailerons — The ailerons control the airplane’s movement about its longitudinal axis. This motion is called roll.
Rudder — The rudder controls movement of the airplane about its vertical axis. This motion is called yaw.
Trim Tabs — Trim tabs are labor-saving devices that enable the pilot to release manual pressure on the primary control.
During a cross-country flight you notice that the oil pressure is low, but the oil temperature is normal. What is the problem and what action should be taken?
Land at the nearest airport. We have insufficient oil
What is the function of a magnetometer? (FAA-H-8083-6)
A magnetometer is a device that measures the strength of the earth’s magnetic field to determine aircraft heading; it provides this information digitally to the AHRS, which then sends it to the PFD.
Define the terms “anti-icing equipment” and “deicing equipment” and state several examples of each. (FAA-H-8083-3; FAA-H-8083-25)
Anti-icing equipment — prevents ice from forming on certain protected surfaces. Examples
heated pitot tubes and static ports
carburetor heat
heated fuel vents
propeller blades with electro-thermal boots
heated windshields.
Deicing equipment — removes ice that has already formed on protected surfaces. It is generally limited to pneumatic boots on the wing and tail leading edges.
How are the various flight controls operated? (AFM)
The flight control surfaces are manually actuated through mechanical linkage.
A control wheel actuates the ailerons and elevator, and rudder/brake pedals actuate the rudder.
What will the turn indicator indicate when the aircraft is in a “skidding” or a “slipping” turn? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25)
Slip — The ball in the tube will be on the inside of the turn; not enough rate of turn for the amount of bank. Skid — The ball in the tube will be to the outside of the turn; too much rate of turn for the amount of bank.
How does the aircraft cabin heat work? (AFM)
Fresh air, heated by an exhaust shroud, is directed to the cabin through a series of ducts.
How does the turn coordinator operate? (FAA‑H‑8083‑15)
The turn part of the instrument uses precession to indicate direction and approximate rate of turn.
The slip/skid indicator is a liquid-filled tube with a ball that reacts to centrifugal force and gravity.
What type of ignition system does your airplane have? (AFM)
Starter - fly wheel- crankshaft - magnetos - spark plugs - cylinder
Engine ignition is provided by two engine-driven magnetos, and two spark plugs per cylinder.
The ignition system is completely independent of the aircraft electrical system. The magnetos are engine-driven self-contained units supplying electrical current without using an external source of current.
Extra: Before the magnetos produce current, the magnetos must be actuated, as the engine crankshaft is rotated by some other means. To accomplish this, the aircraft battery furnishes electrical power to operate a starter which, through a series of gears, rotates the engine crankshaft. This in turn actuates the armature of the magneto to produce the sparks for ignition of the fuel in each cylinder. After the engine starts, the starter system is disengaged, and the battery no longer contributes to the actual operation of the engine.
What action should be taken if detonation is suspected? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25) Show Answer
A pilot should always be looking for unexpectedly high Cylinder Head Temperatures (CHTs) or Exhaust Gas Temperatures (EGTs) which may be a sign that detonation is occurring.
Increase mixture
Lower RPM setting
stop climb
LAND
How does the carburetor heat system work? (AFM) Hide Answer
Uses hot air drawn from the exhaust manifold to raise temperature to prevent or remove ice in the Venturi section
What error is the heading indicator subject to? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25) Show Answer
Because of precession, the heading indicator will creep or drift from a heading to which it is set
What does the carburetor do? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25)
Mixes fuel and air to form a combustible mixture.
What color of dye is added to the following fuel grades: 80, 100, 100LL, Turbine? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25, FAA-P-8740-35) Show Answer
80 (obsolete) Red
100 (Obsolete) Green
100LL Blue
Turbine Jet A - Colorless or straw
What are some of the most common operational causes of detonation? (FAA-8083-25)
FHH
a. Using a lower fuel grade than that specified by the aircraft manufacturer.
b. Operating with extremely high manifold pressures in conjunction with low RPM.
c. Operating the engine at high power settings with an excessively lean mixture.
d. Extended ground operations or steep climbs where cylinder cooling is reduced.
When powering up an aircraft with an FMS/RNAV unit installed, how will you verify the effective dates of the navigation database? (FAA-H-8083-6) Show Answer
The date is typically shown on a start-up screen
What four strokes must occur in each cylinder of a typical four stroke engine in order for it to produce full power? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25) Show Answer
Intake
compression
Power
Exhaust
What are the different types of aircraft speeds? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25)
Indicated Airspeed (IAS) — the speed of the airplane as observed on the airspeed indicator. It is the airspeed without correction for indicator, position (or installation), or compressibility errors.
Calibrated Airspeed (CAS) — the airspeed indicator reading corrected for position (or installation), and instrument errors. CAS is equal to TAS at sea level in standard atmosphere. The color-coding for various design speeds marked on airspeed indicators may be IAS or CAS.
True Airspeed (TAS) — CAS corrected for altitude and nonstandard temperature; the speed of the airplane in relation to the air mass in which it is flying.
What are the limitations of a pressure altimeter? (FAA‑H‑8083‑15) Show Answer
On a warm day — The pressure level is higher than on a standard day. The altimeter indicates lower than actual altitude.
On a cold day — The pressure level is lower than on a standard day. The altimeter indicates higher than actual altitude. Changes in surface pressure also affect pressure levels at altitude.
Higher than standard pressure — The pressure level is higher than on a standard day. The altimeter indicates lower than actual altitude.
Lower than standard pressure — The pressure level is lower than on a standard day. The altimeter indicates higher than actual altitude. Remember: High to low or hot to cold, look out below!
What type of fuel system does your aircraft have? (AFM)
The fuel system is a “gravity feed” system. Fuel flows from:
Fuel Tanks
Fuel Selctor
Strainer
Carburetor
Intake manifold tubes
Cylinders
What are the two main advantages of a dual ignition system? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25) Show Answer
a. Increased safety: in case one system fails the engine may be operated on the other until a landing is safely made.
b. Improved engine performance; i.e., the fuel/air mixture will be ignited on each side of the combustion chamber and burn toward the center.
Describe a fuel injection system installed in some aircraft. (FAA-H-8083-25)
The fuel injection system injects fuel directly into the cylinders, or just ahead of the intake valve.fuel pressure/flow.
The electrical system provides power for what equipment in an airplane? (AFM) Show Answer
Normally, the following:
a. Radio equipment
b. Turn coordinator
c. Fuel gauges
d. Pitot heat
e. Lights
f. Flaps
What airspeed limitations apply to the color-coded marking system of the airspeed indicator? (FAA‑H‑8083‑25) Show Answer
White arc – The white arc is the flap operating speed. The bottom of this white arc is VS0. VS0 is the power-off stalling speed with the gear and flaps down.
Green Arc. VS1 is where the white arc meets the green arc, or is commonly referred to as the bottom of green arc, or the power-off stalling speed with gear and flaps up.
Green arc – The Green Arc is the normal operating range. The very top of the green arc, is the maximum structural cruising speed, commonly known as VNO.
Yellow arc – The yellow Arc is the caution range. The aircraft should not be flown in this speed range in rough air.
Red radial line – The Red Radial Line is the never-exceed speed, or VNE.
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