Stage 1 Flashcards
What does the plane need to be airworthy?
○ Airworthiness certificate (91.203)
■ Salmon color (special airworthiness certificate)
■ Does not have an expiration date
■ Valid when all maintenance requirements are met
○ Registration (91.203)
■ Valid for 36 calendar months
■ White in color
○ Radio station license
■ Required only for international flights
○ Operating limitations
■ FAA-approved (91.9)
■ Pilot’s operating handbook (POH)
■ Airplane flying manual (AFM)
○ Weight and balance (23.1589)
■ Master weight and balance
■ Completed by a mechanic
■ Often included in the POH binder
○ Placards
■ Stickers and markings as required in POH
○ Data plate
■ A metal plate mounted on the left side empennage
■ Includes registration information such as:
● Date of manufacture
● Model number
● Serial number
● Registration number
○ Compass deviation card
■ Indicates how to account for the error resulting from magnetic influence of nearby equipments
Instrument Pilot Privileges
○ Can enter class A airspace
■ Must be on IFR Flight Plan
○ Act as PIC under IFR conditions
○ Fly in IMC
METAR
Meteorological Aerodrome Report (METAR)
○ Current/observed weather updated every 50 minutes past the hour
○ Dewpoint
■ Temperature at which air becomes fully saturated
■ When temperature/dewpoint within 2 celsius, expect fog
TAF range can be used
Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF)
○ Forecast valid 24 hours, updated every 6
○ Only acceptable to use within 5sm of airport
GFA
Graphical Forecast Area (GFA)
○ Available on aviationweather.gov
○ Use when airport does not have a TAF
○ Can see cloud coverage, ceiling, winds, storms, etc
Flight Categories
LIFR Low Instrument Flight Rules
IFR Instrument Flight Rules
MVFR Marginal Visual Flight Rules
VFR Visual Flight Rules
LIFR Low Instrument Flight Rules Color / visibility / Ceiling
Magenta
below 500 feet AGL
and/or less than 1 mile
IFR Instrument Flight Rules / Color / visibility / Ceiling
Red
500 to less than 1,000 feet AGL
and/or 1 mile to less than 3 miles
VFR Visual Flight Rules Color / visibility / Ceiling
Green
greater than 3,000 feet AGL
and greater than 5 miles
MVFR Marginal Visual Flight Rules Color / visibility / Ceiling
Blue
1,000 to 3,000 feet AGL
and/or 3 to 5 miles
Airport beacon when is it in use
● Indicates IFR weather during daytime; or
● Nighttime
What does Winds aloft forecast
○ Forecasts wind speed and direction at various altitudes
Absence of winds
■ Elevation within 1500’ AGL
Absence of temp
■ Elevation within 2500’ AGL
Temps assumed when
negative above 24000’ MSL
what does Surface Analysis Chart display
Frontal activity and Pressure systems
High Pressure / Visibility / density
● Clockwise, outwards, and downwards
● Poor visibility
● Brings higher pressure/density
Low Pressure / visibility / density
● Counterclockwise, inwards, and upwards (think tornados)
● Good visibility
● Includes precipitation because of higher humidity
● Lower pressure/density
Warm front / precipitation type / cloud type / visibility / air stability
● Slow moving, so change in weather is gradual
● Stratiform clouds
● Poor visibility because air is stable and calm
● Steady precipitation
Cold Front
● Cumulus clouds
● Possible thunderstorms
● Showery precipitation
Stationary Front
● When warm & cold air masses meet and stop moving
● Lingers for a long time
Occluded Front
● When one front catches up to another front moving in the same
direction
● Usually cold front catches up to warm
Isobars
■ When close together expect higher winds
■ Pressure measured in millibars
Airmet
Airmen’s meteorological information
○ Valid 6 hours
○ Contains moderate weather conditions
○ Tango - Turbulence, >30kt winds, Low level wind shear
○ Sierra - IFR conditions, mountain obscurations
○ Zulu - Freezing
Sigmet
Significant meteorological information
○ Valid 4 hours
○ Will affect safety of all aircraft
○ Severe or greater turbulence
○ Dust or sandstorms, Volcanic ash
○ Severe or greater icing
Convective Sigmet
- sigmet related to convective activity (THUNDERSTORMS)
○ Valid 2 hours
○ Thunderstorms
○ Winds >50 kt winds
○ Hail ¾” diameter or greater
○ Tornadoes
Thunderstorm ingredients
3 ingredients to make a thunderstorm
○ Moisture
○ Uplifting action
○ Unstable air
Unstable air definition
■ Normal temp decreases 2 celsius per 1000’, unstable is 3 per 1000’
Stages of a thunderstorm
Cumulus
Mature
Dissipating
Cumulus stage
● Large updrafts
● Clouds are building in form and height
Mature Stage
● Both up/downdrafts
● Extreme precipitation
● Lightning
Dissipating Stage
● Mostly downdrafts
● Microbursts
When does Ice develop
○ Develops with visible moisture (clouds/freezing rain) when the air is 0°C or less
Types of icing on aircraft
■ Structural
■ Induction
■ Instrument
Structural Icing
● Clear - forms when larger water droplets spread and freeze over a
surface - most dangerous because hard to see and heavy
● Rime - forms when smaller droplets freeze immediately when
contacting aircraft surface, appears milky-white
● Mixed - mix of clear and rime
Induction Icing
● Carb ice/induction air icing
Instrument Icing
● Pitot-static system
Required equipment
A TOMATO FLAMES
○ Airspeed indicator
○ Tachometer for each engine
○ Oil pressure gauge
○ Manifold pressure gauge
○ Altimeter
○ Temperature gauge for each liquid cooled engine
○ Oil temperature gauge for each air cooled engine
○ Fuel gauge indicator
○ Landing gear position indicator
○ Anti-collision lights
○ Magnetic direction indicator
○ Emergency locator transmitter
○ Safety belts
Which instrument is the Gyroscopic System
■ Standby attitude indicator (vacuum powered)
Pitot-Static System Components
■ Pitot tube
■ Static port
Pitot tube purpose and how it works
● Collects data to calculate airspeed
● Ram air is forced into pitot by airplane velocity
● Compares ram air to static air from static port to output dynamic air
● Dynamic air is read by instrument
Static port purpose
● Measures ambient air pressure
GPS satelitte count and purpose
● Global Positioning System (
● )
○ Uses satellites to triangulate position and altitude in space
■ 24 satellites in constellation
■ 3 satellites required to provide lateral information
■ 4 satellites required to provide altitude information
RAIM
Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM)
■ 5 satellites required to ensure reliable information is being received
■ With bad satellite information, RAIM will annunciate integrity has been compromised and take that satellite offline
WAAS
Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)
■ Signals from satellites are monitored by ground based stations
■ Ground based stations correct signals for the following errors:
● Clock errors
● Position errors
■ Ground stations send correction data to a master station
■ Master station computes the correction data and prepares a correction message
■ New message is sent to a geostationary satellite (GEO)
■ GEO broadcasts to WAAS receiver on aircraft
VOR
Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range Range (VOR)
○ Short range radio navigation equipment used to determine relative position and bearing from
● VOR Test Facility (VOT)
● Ground tolerances
● Air tolerances
● Dual VOR Check
● VOR Test Facility (VOT)
○ Frequency 108.0 MHz
○ 0 degrees FROM / 180 degrees TO
● Ground tolerances
○ +- 4 degrees
● Air tolerances
○ +- 6 degrees
● Dual VOR Check
○ +-4 degrees
DME
Distance Measuring Equipment (DME)
○ Uses slant range (line of sight) to determine distance
○ Most inaccurate when directly over VOR/DME
■ Negligible for every 1 mile away and 1000’ high
Compass Errors (VDMONA)
Compass Errors (VDMONA)
○ Variation
■ Isogonic lines on sectional depict difference between true north and
magnetic north
○ Deviation
■ Electronic equipment interfere with compass to provide inaccurate readings
○ Magnetic Dip
■ As a compass approaches magnetic poles, compass wants to dip towards the ground
○ Oscillation
■ Mixture of all other errors
Northerly Turning Errors
Northerly Turning Errors (UNOS)
■ Undershoot North
■ Overshoot South
■ A result of magnet dip
● Compass is a magnet, its attracted to and wants to stay with the
other magnet (pole)
■ Start rollout at ½ latitude + 15 degrees
Acceleration Errors
Acceleration Errors (ANDS)
■ Accelerate North
■ Decelerate South
■ A result of magnetic dip
● Compass is a magnet, its attracted to and wants to stay with the
other magnet (pole)
ILS what type of approach n what it provides
Instrument Landing System
○ Precision Instrument Approach
■ Meaning it provides lateral AND vertical guidance
Components of ILS
Localizer
Glideslope
Localizer
● Provides lateral guidance
● Width 5 degrees
● Full deflection to one side is only 2.5 degrees
Glideslope
● Provides vertical guidance
● Angle between 2.5 and 3.5 degrees
Marker Beacons
● Avionics signal different colors/audible morse codes when passing
over
Outer
Middle
Inner
Outer Marker Beacon
○ Outer
■ Flashing blue
■ Usually 4-7nm from runway threshold
Middle Marker Beacon
○ Middle
■ Flashing amber
■ 3500 feet from runway threshold
Inner Marker Beacon
○ Inner
■ Flashing white light
■ Short and high pitched
■ Approach Lighting System
Preflight Instrument check
● Compass
○ Fluid
○ Indicates known headings
○ Swings freely
● Heading Indicator
○ Crosscheck with magnetic compass
● Attitude Indicator
○ Allow up to 5 mins for gyro
○ +-5 degrees of known pitch/bank
● Altimeter
○ Set current altimeter setting
○ +-75 feet
○ Add any error to DA/MDA
● Turn and Slip Indicator/Turn coordinator
○ Ball moves to the outside of turn
● Vertical Speed Indicator
○ Take note of starting point
○ Should be 0
● Airspeed Indicator
○ Check during takeoff roll
● Outside Air Temperature (OAT)
○ Check
● Clock
○ Check
● Pitot heat
○ Functional during preflight check
Communications Equipment
○ Position and stability of antennas
○ Request radio check if necessary
○ Transponder status
Navigation Equipment
Navigation Equipment
○ VOR antennas
○ GPS database up to date
■ Every 28 days
Required Inspections
○ Annual (12 calendar months)
○ VOR Check (30 days)
○ 100 hour (if for hire)
○ Altimeter/Pitot-Static check (24 calendar months)
○ Transponder (24 calendar months)
○ ELT (12 calendar months)
Required Equipment
Required Equipment (GRABCARD)
○ Generator/Alternator
○ Radio
○ Altimeter
○ Ball
○ Clock
○ Attitude indicator
○ Rate of turn indicator
○ Directional Gyro
Recency/Currency
Recency/Currency (66 HITS)
○ In last 6 months, 6 approaches to include:
■ Holds
■ Intercepting
■ Tracking
■ Navigational Systems
After 6 Months
■ 6 more months to get current with safety pilot
● Safety pilot must be at least a private pilot and appropriately rated in
category/class
○ After 12 months
■ Instrument Proficiency Check (IPC)
● Can be done by designated examiner, CFII, or approved person
● Details found in back of ACS
Logging Instrument Actual
Actual
○ Be instrument rated, or
○ Accompanied by appropriately rated CFII
Logging Instrument Simulated
Simulated
○ Safety pilot
■ Appropriately rated in category/class
■ Able to act as PIC
■ Name must be logged in remarks
○ Given instruction by a CFII
Logging Instrument Recency
Recency
○ Approach must be conducted under actual IMC conditions until passed the FAF
○ Or under simulated conditions down to minimums
