Could You Pass an FAA Pilot Exam?

FAA stands for Federal Aviation Administration. In the United States, it is the national authority when it comes to the rules and regulations of civil aviation.

This can also be referred to as radar height or the number of feet above ground level (AGL). The absolute altitude is measured using a radar altimeter.

ATCs are stationed on the ground in control towers and are constantly monitoring the airspace assigned to them. They also communicate with pilots by radio, giving them directions.

An inspection of an airplane is required every 12 months. This is an in-depth, nose-to-tail inspection.

If a caution is noticed while flying, you should always land as soon as you can. Once on the ground, turn off the engine, according to procedures for that aircraft.

Cargo is what you call the goods carried on an airplane. There are also cargo aircraft, which are fixed-wing aircraft that are specifically designed to carry cargo.

When an aircraft is increasing in altitude, it is called the climb. This is a typical phase in a flight, as it happens after takeoff and the aircraft increases in altitude to a predetermined level.

A controlled airspace is controlled by ATC services and is a certain area of the sky. In this airspace, the controllers direct the planes to keep routes safe and the planes must get clearance before entering. The aircraft must be equipped to national regulations and the pilot must have proper qualifications.

Sticking to the local forecast will tell the pilot the general weather expectation for that specific area. The weather is going to have an affect on your flight, and weather indications will report the conditions while the plane is aloft.

The altimeter measures the aircraft's altitude. It works by calculating the altitude based on the current air pressure using an aneroid barometer.

Before an airplane enters Class C airspace, the controller must have been contacted by radio. For Class B, you must have clearance before even entering the airspace.

A knot is a unit of speed. It is equal to one nautical mile, or about 1.15 miles per hour.

Bleed air is compressed hot air from the engine when it is in operation. This comes in handy, though, as bleed air is used in high pressure for de-icing and heating the plane.

The emergency overrun was put in place to help minimize aircraft damage if it was ever unable to stop. The area is kept clear for this purpose.

Twilight is basically the time before sunrise and after sunset. This is when the atmosphere is not fully lit by the sun, as it is not fully dark or fully lit.

An autogyro is also known as a gyroplane, and it is very similar to a helicopter. While it is wingless, it does have unpowered rotary blades that do rotate because of air speed and this helps develop lift.

If you are the Pilot in Command of a flight, then you need two forms to operate that plane. The forms needed are your current pilot certificate and medical certificate.

Descent means the action of going down, falling or dropping. For an airplane, this would happen any time during a flight that the aircraft decreases altitude.

Since the pilot in command is operating that aircraft, they are directly responsible for the plane and have the final authority. When an emergency takes place, they can deviate from the rules to make sure the emergency is handled.

Aerobatic flights in airspace rules and regulations are stated in FAR's 91.303. While there are waivers for airshows, the main requirement to conduct aerobatic flights is to keep the flight higher than 1500 feet AGL.

Each aircraft is assigned a four-digit squawk code, which they put into the transponder aboard the plane. This code helps identify them if they need to contact the ATC.

Deadstick is based on a wooden propeller on a plane. When the plane is without power, that means that wooden propeller is just a "dead stick."

To figure this one out, you would divide the 147 knots by 60 to get the number of NM traveled in one minute, which is 2.45. From there, you multiply that by the number of minutes the plane will travel, which would be 8 times 2.45 NM and that equals 19.6 NM.

A RAPCON is a Radar Approach Control Facility and can be found at airport terminals that use both non-radar and radar service to planes. They are normally near civil and military airports and either the FAA, military or both control them.

The best glide distances are listed in the Pilot Operating Handbook. From there, you would determine the constant descent angle and you will know how far the plane will glide before it lands.

Camber is the slightly convex or arched shape of a road or other horizontal surface. For an aircraft, it measures the degree of curve in an airfoil.

When it comes to approaching head-on, right of way rules don't matter of the type of aircraft. Both would need to alter their heading to the right.

To be sure a report is needed, you should contact NTSB. They have requirements in place that would define whether the circumstances were an accident or an incident.

Under new regulations, pilots under 40 years old getting a third class medical certificate will have it remain good for a maximum of 60 months, up from 36 previously. Any pilots over 40 years would have to renew every 24 months.

The Pilot in Command is responsible for every action in an aircraft. They are to give all briefings and information to the passengers.

When it comes to an aircraft, the ailerons are used to help give it that rolling motion. They are located on the outboard portion of a wing, and as the right aileron is deflected upward, the left would be deflected downward.

Safety links are required at both ends of the rope when the towrope tensile strength comes in at twice the weight of the glider. For this one, the glider weighs 800 pounds, so the rope at 1,750 pounds is over twice that weight and would need safety links on both ends.

The flight plan is information about that flight that needs to be filed with the proper ATC authority. This plan includes the duration of the flight, the route taken and the destination.

LTA craft stands for lighter-than-air craft. Lighter than air usually refers to certain materials that are lighter than air, like gases.

The avionics master switch controls electrical power for an aircraft. For aircraft built before the late 1970s, these switches were probably not included in the panel.