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Question 1

St. Elmo’s Fire

Answer 1

A corona discharge which lights up the aircraft

surface areas where maximum static discharge occurs.

Question 2

Satellite ephemeris data

Answer 2

Data broadcast by the GPS
satellite containing very accurate orbital data for that
satellite, atmospheric propagation data, and satellite clock
error data.

Question 3

Sea breeze

Answer 3

A coastal breeze blowing from sea to land
caused by the temperature difference when the land surface is
warmer than the sea surface. The sea breeze usually occurs
during the day and alternates with the land breeze that blows
in the opposite direction at night.

Question 4

Sea level engine

Answer 4

A reciprocating aircraft engine having a

rated takeoff power that is producible only at sea level.

Question 5

Scan

Answer 5

The first fundamental skill of instrument flight, also
known as “cross-check;” the continuous and logical observation
of instruments for attitude and performance information.

Question 6

Sectional aeronautical charts

Answer 6

Designed for visual
navigation of slow- or medium-speed aircraft. Topographic
information on these charts features the portrayal of relief,
and a judicious selection of visual check points for VFR
flight. Aeronautical information includes visual and radio
aids to navigation, airports, controlled airspace, restricted
areas, obstructions and related data.

Question 7

Selective availability (SA)

Answer 7

A satellite technology permitting
the Department of Defense (DOD) to create, in the interest
of national security, a significant clock and ephemeris error
in the satellites, resulting in a navigation error.

Question 8

Semicircular canal

Answer 8

An inner ear organ that detects angular acceleration of the body.

Question 9

Simmonocoque

Answer 9

A fuselage design that includes a
substructure of bulkheads and/or formers, along with
stringers, to support flight loads and stresses imposed on
the fuselage.

Question 10

Sensitive altimeter

Answer 10

A form of multipointer pneumatic
altimeter with an adjustable barometric scale that allows the
reference pressure to be set to any desired level.

Question 11

Service ceiling

Answer 11

The maximum density altitude where the best
rate-of-climb airspeed will produce a 100-feet-per-minute
climb at maximum weight while in a clean configuration
with maximum continuous power.

Question 12

Servo

Answer 12

A motor or other form of actuator which receives a
small signal from the control device and exerts a large force
to accomplish the desired work.

Question 13

Servo tab

Answer 13

An auxiliary control mounted on a primary control
surface, which automatically moves in the direction opposite
the primary control to provide an aerodynamic assist in the
movement of the control.

Question 14

SIGMET

Answer 14

The acronym for Significant Meteorological
information. A weather advisory issued concerning weather
significant to the safety of all aircraft.

Question 15

Signal-to-noise ratio

Answer 15

An indication of signal strength
received compared to background noise, which is a measure
of the adequacy of the received signal.

Question 16

Significant weather prognostic

Answer 16

Presents four panels showing forecast significant weather.

Question 17

Simplex

Answer 17

Transmission and reception on the same frequency.

Question 18

Simplified directional facility (SDF)

Answer 18

A NAVAID used
for nonprecision instrument approaches. The final approach
course is similar to that of an ILS localizer; however, the
SDF course may be offset from the runway, generally not
more than 3°, and the course may be wider than the localizer,
resulting in a lower degree of accuracy.

Question 19

Single-pilot resource management (SRM)

Answer 19

The ability
for a pilot to manage all resources effectively to ensure the
outcome of the flight is successful.

Question 20

Situational awareness

Answer 20

Pilot knowledge of where the aircraft
is in regard to location, air traffic control, weather, regulations,
aircraft status, and other factors that may affect flight.

Question 21

Skidding turn

Answer 21

An uncoordinated turn in which the rate of
turn is too great for the angle of bank, pulling the aircraft to
the outside of the turn.

Question 22

Skills and procedures

Answer 22

The procedural, psychomotor, and
perceptual skills used to control a specific aircraft or its
systems. They are the airmanship abilities that are gained
through conventional training, are perfected, and become
almost automatic through experience.

Question 23

Skin friction drag

Answer 23

Drag generated between air molecules and the solid surface of the aircraft

Question 24

Slant range

Answer 24

. The horizontal distance from the aircraft antenna
to the ground station, due to line-of-sight transmission of the
DME signal.

Question 25

Slaved compass

Answer 25

A system whereby the heading gyro is
“slaved to,” or continuously corrected to bring its direction
readings into agreement with a remotely located magnetic
direction sensing device (usually a flux valve or flux gate
compass).

Question 26

Slipping turn

Answer 26

An uncoordinated turn in which the aircraft
is banked too much for the rate of turn, so the horizontal lift
component is greater than the centrifugal force, pulling the
aircraft toward the inside of the turn.

Question 27

Small airplane

Answer 27

An airplane of 12,500 pounds or less maximum certificated takeoff weight.

Question 28

Somatogravic illusion

Answer 28

The misperception of being
in a nose-up or nose-down attitude, caused by a rapid
acceleration or deceleration while in flight situations that
lack visual reference.

Question 29

Spatial disorientation

Answer 29

The state of confusion due to
misleading information being sent to the brain from various
sensory organs, resulting in a lack of awareness of the aircraft
position in relation to a specific reference point.

Question 30

Special flight permit

Answer 30

A flight permit issued to an aircraft
that does not meet airworthiness requirements but is capable
of safe flight. A special flight permit can be issued to move
an aircraft for the purposes of maintenance or repair, buyer
delivery, manufacturer flight tests, evacuation from danger,
or customer demonstration. Also referred to as a ferry
permit.

Question 31

Special use airspace

Answer 31

Airspace in which flight activities are
subject to restrictions that can create limitations on the mixed
use of airspace. Consists of prohibited, restricted, warning,
military operations, and alert areas.

Question 32

Special fuel consumption

Answer 32

. The amount of fuel in pounds
per hour consumed or required by an engine per brake
horsepower or per pound of thrust.

Question 33

Speed

Answer 33

The distance traveled in a given time.

Question 34

Spin

Answer 34

An aggravated stall that results in an airplane descending in a helical, or corkscrew path.

Question 35

Spiral instability

Answer 35

A condition that exists when the
static directional stability of the airplane is very strong as
compared to the effect of its dihedral in maintaining lateral
equilibrium.

Question 36

Spiraling slipstream

Answer 36

The slipstream of a propeller-driven
airplane rotates around the airplane. This slipstream strikes
the left side of the vertical fin, causing the aircraft to yaw
slightly. Rudder offset is sometimes used by aircraft designers
to counteract this tendency.

Question 37

Spoilers

Answer 37

High-drag devices that can be raised into the air
flowing over an airfoil, reducing lift and increasing drag.
Spoilers are used for roll control on some aircraft. Deploying
spoilers on both wings at the same time allows the aircraft
to descend without gainingspeed. Spoilers are also used to
shorten the ground roll after landing.

Question 38

Stabilator

Answer 38

A single-piece horizontal tail surface on an
airplane that pivots around a central hinge point. A stabilator
serves the purposes of both the horizontal stabilizer and the
elevators.

Question 39

Stability

Answer 39

. The inherent quality of an airplane to correct for
conditions that may disturb its equilibrium, and to return or to
continue on the original flightpath. It is primarily an airplane
design characteristic.

Question 40

Stagnant hypoxia

Answer 40

A type of hypoxia that results when the
oxygen-rich blood in the lungs is not moving to the tissues
that need it.

Question 41

Stall

Answer 41

A rapid decrease in lift caused by the separation of
airflow from the wing’s surface, brought on by exceeding
the critical angle of attack. A stall can occur at any pitch
attitude or airspeed.

Question 42

Standard atmosphere

Answer 42

At sea level, the standard atmosphere
consists of a barometric pressure of 29.92 inches of mercury
(“Hg) or 1013.2 millibars, and a temperature of 15 °C (59
°F). Pressure and temperature normally decrease as altitude
increases. The standard lapse rate in the lower atmosphere for
each 1,000 feet of altitude is approximately 1 “Hg and 2 °C
(3.5 °F). For example, the standard pressure and temperature
at 3,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) are 26.92 “Hg (29.92 “Hg
– 3 “Hg) and 9 °C (15 °C – 6 °C).

Question 43

Standard empty weight (GAMA)

Answer 43

This weight consists of
the airframe, engines, and all items of operating equipment
that have fixed locations and are permanently installed in the
airplane including fixed ballast, hydraulic fluid, unusable
fuel, and full engine oil.