Pilot Qualifications & Regulations
Aerodynamics
Airworthiness
Airspace
Systems
100

What is the difference between currency and proficiency?

Currency is legal, proficiency is safe.

bonus question - where can we find the standards for currency in the regs?

100

What are the four forces of flight?

Lift, weight, thrust, and drag

100

What does PAVE stand for?

Pilot

Aircraft 

EnVironment 

External Pressures

100

What class of airspace is the KVGT airport and what is the ceiling?

Class D, 4499’ MSL

100

What kind of fuel system do we have?

Gravity fed

200

What makes you eligible to hold a private pilot certificate?

61.103, Remember TEAMCAT

T - training (flight hours)

E - english speaking

A - aeronautical knowledge 

M - medical

C - student pilot Cert

A - age, at least 17

T - knowledge Test passed with a 70% or higher

200

What two laws/principles do aerodynamics and lift theory rely on?

Bernoulli’s principle and Newton’s third law.

200

What are the required documents that must be in the plane to make it airworthy?

A - airworthiness cert

R - registration 

R - radio license is traveling outside the ADIZ

O - operating handbook

W - weight and balance (official from the POH)

P - placards

E - external data plate

C - compass deviation card

200

What class of airspace does not allow vfr flights?

Class A

200

What are our primary and secondary flight controls?

Primary: ailerons, rudder, elevator

Secondary: trim, flaps

300

What are the privileges and limitations of a private pilot certificate?

61.113, Cannot fly for compensation or hire except -

P - pro rata share

S - salesman

C - community/charity events

R - rescue

I - incidental to business

P - production and test pilot

T - towing

300

What is the purpose of our flaps?

To increase lift and allow for steeper and slower descents.

bonus question: what kind of flaps do we have and how do they work?

300

When do the airworthiness and registration certificates expire?

Airworthiness doesn’t have an expiration date as long as maintenance is up to date

As of Jan 2023 registration is valid for 7 years

300

How is class g airspace depicted on a sectional chart

Normal class g is not depicted. Class g to 14500’ MSL is depicted by a fuzzy blue line.

300

What components make up the essential bus?

P - PFD

A - AHRS

C - Com 1

A - ADC

N - Nav 1

S - Stdby instrument lights and Stdby batt

400

What are the requirements to fly under basic med?

Complete online education course every 24 calendar months

Physical exam every 48 calendar months

Must fly below 18000’ and 250 kts 

Plane must be less than 6000’ and be rated for 6 seats or less

Can only carry five passengers other than yourself

Can fly to Mexico and the Bahamas but not Canada

Must have held an FAA medical on or after July 6th 2014

400

What are the three axis’ of rotation and which flight controls are associated with each.

Vertical : the rudder control the planes movement around this axis

Lateral: the elevator controls movement around this axis

Longitudinal: the ailerons control movement around this axis

bonus question: longitudinal stability refers to stability around which axis?

400

What inspections must be done for the aircraft to be airworthy and how often?

A - AD’s

A - annual, 12 cal months

V - VOR, every 30 days

1 - 100 hr, every 100 hours if for hire

A - altimeter/static/encoder, every 24 cal months

T - transponder, every 24 cal months

E - ELT, every 12 cal months, batt must be replace after 1 hour of cumulative use or after 50% of the useful battery life

bonus question: which of the above are not required for VFR flight?

400

What is the minimum equipment/requirements to enter class c airspace?

Pilot cert - no specific pilot cert specified

Equipment - 2way radios and mode c transponder

Must establish two way radio communication and must hear tail number to enter the airspace

400

Aneroid wafers are part of which system and which specific instrument?

Pitot Static, Altimeter


bonus question: what is the pressure inside of the aneroid wafers and how many are there?

500

How many flight hours do you need to have to take your checkride?

61.109

40 hours total time

20 hours dual received

10 hours solo

-5 hours must be xc

-3 TOLs at a towered airport

-one cross country of at least 150nm total distance, full stop landings at three points, one segment straight line distance of at least 50nm

3 hours sim. instrument

3 hours night

-10 TOLs at a towered airport

-xc of 100nm total distance

500

What is adverse yaw, why does it occur, and how do we counteract it?

When the nose of the plane yaws opposite of direction of the turn. 

In a turn the raised wing produces more lift and therefore more drag causing the nose to yaw slightly in the opposite direction.

Add rudder in the direction of the turn.

500
Say your landing light is not working, what is your flow for determining if a) the aircraft is airworthy and b) if you can fly it?

91.213

A - structurally airworthy? Can it actually fly?

T - TCDS

A - AD’s

P - POH

E - Equipment Lists (KOEL, CEL)

R - Regs - 91.205, 91.413, etc.

​P - Placard it
D - deactivate it (pull the circuit breaker or remove)

L - log it in the mix binder plus any maintenance that was required

L - legal to fly? 

PIC decision to go or not

500

What is a TRSA and how is it depicted?

Terminal service radar area, provides class Charlie separation services in a non class Charlie airspace, for busy/high traffic areas i.e. palm springs 

Depicted by a solid black line

500

What kind of flaps do we have and how do they work?

Slotted.

They allow the high pressure under the wing to come upward to the top of the wing and preserve the laminar airflow for longer than normal.