FAA QUESTIONS UNITS 6-10
At approximately what altitude above the surface would the pilot expect the base of cumuliform clouds if the surface air temperature is 82 degrees Fahrenheit and the dewpoint is 38 degrees Fahrenheit?
Answer: 10,000 feet AGL. Explanation: The height of cumuliform cloud bases can be estimated using surface temperature/dew point spread. Unsaturated air in a convective current cools at about 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit/1,000 feet, and dew point decreases about 1 degree Fahrenheit/1,000 feet. In a convective current, temperature and dew point converge at about 4.4 degrees Fahrenheit/1,000 feet. Thus, if the temperature/dew point spread is 44 degrees Fahrenheit (82 - 38), divide 44 by 4.4 to obtain 10,000 feet AGL.
A pilot can expect a wind-shear zone in a temperature inversion whenever the wind speed at 2,000 to 4,000 feet above the surface is at least
Answer: 25 knots. Explanation: When taking off or landing in a calm wind under clear skies within a few hours before or after sunset, prepare for a temperature inversion near the ground. You can be relatively certain of a shear zone in the inversion if you know the wind is 25 kt. or more at 2,000 to 4,000 feet. Allow a margin of airspeed above normal climb or approach speed to alleviate the danger of stall in the event of turbulence or sudden change in wind velocity.
What is the approximate base of the cumulus clouds if the surface air temperature at 1,000 feet MSL is 70 degrees Fahrenheit and the dewpoint is 48 degrees Fahrenheit?
Answer: 6,000 feet MSL. Explanation: The height of cumuliform cloud bases can be estimated using surface temperature/dew point spread. Unsaturated air in a convective current cools at about 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit/1,000 feet, and dew point decreases about 1 degree Fahrenheit/1,000 feet. In a convective current, temperature and dew point converge at about 4.4 degrees Fahrenheit/1,000 feet. Thus, if the temperature and dew point are 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 48 degrees Fahrenheit, respectively, at 1,000 feet MSL, there would be a 22 degree Fahrenheit spread that, divided by the lapse rate of 4.4, is approximately 5,000 feet AGL, or 6,000 feet MSL (5,000 + 1,000).
What feature is associated with a temperature inversion?
Answer: A stable layer of air. Explanation: A temperature inversion is associated with an increase in temperature with height, a reversal of normal decrease in temperature with height. Thus, any warm air rises to where it is the same temperature and forms a stable layer of air.
Which statement best defines hypoxia?
Answer: A state of oxygen deficiency in the body. Explanation: Hypoxia is oxygen deficiency in the bloodstream and may cause lack of clear thinking, fatigue, euphoria and shortly thereafter, unconsciousness.
What are the characteristics of an unstable atmosphere?
Answer: A warm, humid air mass. Explanation: The stability of the atmosphere depends on its ability to resist vertical motion. As air temperature and air moisture increase, the density of the air decrease, causing it to rise. This creates an unstable atmosphere in which small vertical air movements tend to become larger, resulting in turbulent airflow and convective activity.
What measurement can be used to determine the stability of the atmosphere?
Answer: Actual lapse rate. Explanation: The stability of the atmosphere is determined by vertical movements of air. Warm air rises when the air above is cooler. The actual lapse rate, which is the decrease of temperature with altitude, is therefore a measure of stability.
What types of fog depend upon wind in order to exist?
Answer: Advection fog and upslope fog. Explanation: Advection fog forms when moist air moves over colder ground or water. It is most common in coastal areas. Upslope fog forms when wind blows moist air upward over rising terrain and the air cools below its dew point. Both advection fog and upslope fog require wind to move air masses.
What effect does haze have on the ability to see traffic or terrain features during flight?
Answer: All traffic or terrain features appear to be farther away than their actual distance. Explanation: Atmospheric haze can create the illusion of being at a greater distance and height from traffic or terrain than you actually are. The pilot who does not recognize this illusion will fly a lower approach.
In which situation is advection fog most likely to form?
Answer: An air mass moving inland from the coast in winter. Explanation: Advection fog forms when moist air moves over colder ground or water. It is most common in coastal areas.
Hazardous attitudes occur to every pilot to some degree at some time. What are some of these hazardous attitudes?
Answer: Antiauthority, impulsivity, macho, resignation, and invulnerability. Explanation: The five hazardous attitudes addressed in the ADM process are antiauthority, impulsivity, macho, resignation, and invulnerability.
Where does wind shear occur?
Answer: At all altitudes, in all directions. Explanation: Wind shear is the eddies in between two wind currents of differing velocities, direction, or both. Wind shear may be associated with either a wind shift or a wind speed gradient at any level in the atmosphere.
What preparation should a pilot make to adapt the eyes for night flying?
Answer: Avoid bright white lights at least 30 minutes before the flight. Explanation: Prepare for night flying by letting your eyes adapt to darkness, including avoiding bright white light for at least 30 minutes prior to night flight.
What is one of the neglected items when a pilot relies on short and long term memory for repetitive tasks?
Answer: Checklists. Explanation: Neglect of checklists, flight planning, preflight inspections, etc., indicates a pilot's unjustified reliance on his or her short-term and long-term memory for repetitive flying tasks.
If an unstable air mass is forced upward, what type clouds can be expected?
Answer: Clouds with considerable vertical development and associated turbulence. Explanation: When unstable air is lifted, it usually results in considerable vertical development and associated turbulence, i.e., convective activity.
What often leads to spatial disorientation or collision with ground/obstacles when flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR)?
Answer: Continual flight into instrument conditions. Explanation: Continuing VFR flight into instrument conditions often leads to spatial disorientation or collision with ground/obstacles due to the loss of outside visual references. It is even more dangerous if the pilot is not instrument qualified or current.
What feature is normally associated with the cumulus stage of a thunderstorm?
Answer: Continuous updraft. Explanation: The cumulus stage of a thunderstorm has continuous updrafts that build the storm. The water droplets are carried up until they become too heavy. Once they begin falling and creating downdrafts, the storm changes from the cumulus to the mature stage.
What are the characteristics of a moist, unstable air mass?
Answer: Cumuliform clouds and showery precipitation. Explanation: Characteristics of an unstable air mass include cumuliform clouds, showery precipitation, turbulence, and good visibility, except in blowing obstructions.
What clouds have the greatest turbulence?
Answer: Cumulonimbus. Explanation: The greatest turbulence occurs in cumulonimbus clouds, which are thunderstorm clouds.
During the life cycle of a thunderstorm, which stage is characterized predominately by downdrafts?
Answer: Dissipating. Explanation: Thunderstorms have three life cycles: cumulus, mature, and dissipating. It is in the dissipating stage that the storm is characterized by downdrafts as the storm rains itself out.
Which would most likely result in hyperventilation?
Answer: Emotional tension, anxiety, or fear. Explanation: Hyperventilation usually occurs when one becomes excited or undergoes stress, which results in an increase in one's rate of breathing.
What are the processes by which moisture is added to unsaturated air?
Answer: Evaporation and sublimation. Explanation: Evaporation is the process of converting a liquid to water vapor, and sublimation is the process of converting ice to water vapor.
If the temperature/dewpoint spread is small and decreasing, and the temperature is 62 degrees Fahrenheit, what type weather is most likely to develop?
Answer: Fog or low clouds. Explanation: The difference between the air temperature and dew point is the temperature/dew point spread. As the temperature/dew point spread decreases, fog or low clouds tend to develop.
What is the antidote when a pilot has a hazardous attitude, such as "Antiauthority"?
Answer: Follow the rules. Explanation: When you recognize a hazardous thought, you should correct it by stating the corresponding antidote. The antidote for the antiauthority ("Do not tell me!") hazardous attitude is "Follow the rules. They are usually right."
In which environment is aircraft structural ice most likely to have the highest accumulation rate?
Answer: Freezing rain. Explanation: Freezing rain usually causes the highest accumulation rate of structural icing because of the nature of the supercooled water striking the airplane.
What conditions are necessary for the formation of thunderstorms?
Answer: High humidity, lifting force, and unstable conditions. Explanation: Thunderstorm form when there is sufficient water vapor, an unstable lapse rate, and an initial upward boost (lifting) to start the storm process.
What is the one common factor which affects most preventable accidents?
Answer: Human error. Explanation: Most preventable accidents, such as fuel starvation or exhaustion, VFR flight into IFR conditions leading to disorientation, and flight into known icing, have one common factor: human error. Pilots who are involved in accidents usually know what went wrong. In the interest of expediency, cost savings, or other often irrelevant factors, the wrong course of action (decision) was chosen.
Which is not a type of hypoxia? -Histotoxic. -Hypotoxic. -Hypertoxic.
Answer: Hypertoxic. Explanation: There is no such thing as hypertoxic hypoxia. The four types of hypoxia are histotoxic, hypotoxic, hypemic, and stagnant hypoxia.
What is the antidote when a pilot has a hazardous attitude, such as "Resignation"?
Answer: I am not helpless. Explanation: When you recognize a hazardous thought, you should correct it by stating the corresponding antidote. The antidote for the resignation ("What is the use?") hazardous attitude is "I am not helpless. I can make a difference."
When may hazardous wind shear be expected?
Answer: In areas of low-level temperature inversion, frontal zones, and clear air turbulence. Explanation: Wind shear is the abrupt rate of change of wind velocity (direction and/or speed) per unit of distance and is normally expressed as vertical or horizontal wind shear. Hazardous wind shear may be expected in areas of low-level temperature inversion, frontal zones, and clear air turbulence.
What is the antidote when a pilot has the hazardous attitude of "Invulnerability"?
Answer: It could happen to me. Explanation: The antidote to counteract the attitude of invulnerability is thinking or saying, "It could happen to me."
Which weather phenomenon is always associated with a thunderstorm?
Answer: Lightning. Explanation: A thunderstorm, by definition, has lightning, because lightning causes the thunder.
What is the antidote when a pilot has a hazardous attitude, such as "Impulsitivity"?
Answer: Not so fast, thing first. Explanation: When you recognize a hazardous thought, you should correct it by stating the corresponding antidote. The antidote for the impulsivity ("Do something quickly!") hazardous attitude is "Not so fast. Think first."
What antidotal phrase can help reverse the hazardous attitude of impulsivity?
Answer: Not so fast, think first. Explanation: Impulsivity is the attitude of people who frequently feel the need to do something, anything, immediately. They do not stop to think about what they are about to do. They do not select the best alternative but instead do the first thing that comes to mind. They should recognize this attitude and state the antidote, "Not so fast. Think first," before taking action.
What is a correct response if an exhaust leak were to be detected while in flight?
Answer: Open air vents or windows. Explanation: Taking corrective steps such as turning off the heater, opening air vents or windows, and using supplemental oxygen are the correct responses if a pilot smells gas fumes or otherwise detects increased amount of CO.
A stable air mass is most likely to have which characteristic?
Answer: Poor surface visibility. Explanation: Characteristics of a stable air mass include stratiform clouds and fog, continuous precipitation, smooth air, and fair to poor visibility in haze and smoke.
Which weather phenomenon signals the beginning of the mature stage of a thunderstorm?
Answer: Precipitation beginning to fall. Explanation: The mature stage of a thunderstorm begins when rain begins falling. This means that the downdrafts are occurring sufficiently to carry water all the way through the thunderstorm.
Which of the following is a correct response to counteract the feelings of hypoxia in flight?
Answer: Promptly descend to a lower altitude. Explanation: The correct response to counteract feelings of hypoxia is to descend to a lower altitude or use supplemental oxygen, if the aircraft is so equipped.
In the aeronautical decision making (ADM) process, what is the first step in neutralizing a hazardous attitude?
Answer: Recognizing hazardous thoughts. Explanation: Hazardous attitudes, which contribute to poor pilot judgement, can be effectively counteracted by redirecting that hazardous attitude so that appropriate action can be taken. Recognition of hazardous thoughts is the first step in neutralizing them in the ADM process.
What is the most effective way to use the eyes during night flight?
Answer: Scan slowly to permit off center viewing. Explanation: Physiologically, the eyes are most effective at seeing objects off-center at night. Accordingly, pilots should scan slowly to permit off-center viewing.
What is it often called when a pilot pushes his or her capabilities and the aircraft's limits by trying to maintain visual contact with the terrain in low visibility and ceiling?
Answer: Scud running. Explanation: Scud running refers to a pilot pushing his or her capabilities and the aircraft's limits by trying to maintain visual contact with the terrain while flying with a low visibility or ceiling. Scud running is a dangerous (and often illegal) practice that may lead to a mishap. This dangerous tendency must be identified and eliminated.
Risk management, as part of the aeronautical decision making (ADM) process, relies on which features to reduce the risks associated with each flight?
Answer: Situational awareness, problem recognition, and good judgement. Explanation: Risk management is that part of the ADM process that relies on situational awareness, problem recognition, and good judgement to reduce risks associated with each flight.
Which weather conditions should be expected beneath a low-level temperature inversion layer when the relative humidity is high?
Answer: Smooth air, poor visibility, fog, haze, or low clouds. Explanation: Beneath temperature inversions, there is usually smooth air because there is little vertical movement due to the inversion. There is also poor visibility due to fog, haze, and low clouds (when there is high relative humidity).
Low-level turbulence can occur and icing can become hazardous in which type of fog?
Answer: Steam fog. Explanation: Steam fog in winter when cold, dry air passes from land areas over comparatively warm ocean waters and is composed entirely of water droplets that often freeze quickly. Low-level turbulence can occur, and icing can become hazardous.
What is a characteristic of stable air?
Answer: Stratiform clouds. Explanation: Characteristics of a stable air mass include stratiform clouds, continuous precipitation, smooth air, and fair to poor visibility in haze and smoke.
Which technique should a pilot use to scan for traffic to the right and left during straight-and-level flight?
Answer: Systematically focus on different segments of the sky for short intervals. Explanation: Due to the fact that eyes can focus only on a narrow viewing area, effective scanning is accomplished with a series of short, regularly spaced eye movements that bring successive areas of the sky into the central vision field.
What is the antidote when a pilot has a hazardous attitude, such as "Macho"?
Answer: Taking chances is foolish. Explanation: When you recognize a hazardous thought, you should correct it by stating the corresponding antidote. The antidote for the macho ("I can do it.") hazardous attitude is "Taking chances is foolish."
Who is responsible for determining whether a pilot is fit to fly for a particular flight, even though he or she holds a current medical certificate?
Answer: The pilot. Explanation: A number of factors, from lack of sleep to illness, can reduce a pilot's fitness to make a particular flight. It is the responsibility of the pilot to determine whether (s)he is fit to make a particular flight, even though (s)he holds a current medical certificate. Additionally, 14 CFR 61.53 prohibits a pilot who possess a current medical certificate from acting as pilot in command, or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight crewmember, while the pilot has a known medical condition or an aggravation of a known medical condition that would make the pilot unable to meet the standards for a medical certificate.
Which conditions result in the formation of frost?
Answer: The temperature of the collecting surface is at or below the dew point of the adjacent air and the dewpoint is below freezing. Explanation: Frost forms when both the collecting surface is below the dew point of the adjacent air and the dew point is below freezing. Frost is the deposition of water vapor to ice crystals.
What is meant by the term "dewpoint"?
Answer: The temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated. Explanation: Dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated or have 100% humidity.
What cloud types would indicate convective turbulence?
Answer: Towering cumulus clouds. Explanation: Towering cumulus clouds are an early stage of cumulonimbus clouds, or thunderstorms, that are based on convective turbulence, i.e., an unstable lapse rate.
What are characteristics of unstable air?
Answer: Turbulence and good surface visibility. Explanation: Characteristics of an unstable air mass include cumuliform clouds, showery precipitation, turbulence, and good visibility, except in blowing obstructions.
What causes variations in altimeter settings between weather reporting points?
Answer: Unequal heating of the Earth's surface. Explanation: Unequal heating of the Earth's surface causes differences in air pressure, which is reflected in differences in altimeter settings between weather reporting points.
What situation is most conducive to the formation of radiation fog?
Answer: Warm, moist air over low, flatland areas on clear, calm nights. Explanation: Radiation fog is shallow fog of which ground fog is one form. It occurs under conditions of clear skies, little or no wind, and a small temperature/dew point spread. The fog forms almost exclusively at night or near dawn as a result of terrestrial radiation cooling the ground and the ground cooling the air on contact with it.
What would decrease the stability of an air mass?
Answer: Warming from below. Explanation: When air is warmed from below, even though cooling adiabatically, it remains warmer than the surrounding air. The colder, more dense surrounding air forces the warmer air upward, and an unstable condition develops.
If there is thunderstorm activity in the vicinity of an airport at which you plan to land, which hazardous atmospheric phenomenon might be expected on the landing approach?
Answer: Wind-shear turbulence. Explanation: The most hazardous atmospheric phenomenon near thunderstorms is wind shear turbulence.
You are avoiding a thunderstorm that is in your flightpath. You are over 20 miles from the cell; however, you are under the anvil of the cell. Is this a hazard?
Answer: Yes, hail can be discharged from the anvil. Explanation: Pilots should anticipate possible hail with any thunderstorm but especially beneath the anvil of a large cumulonimbus.
One of the most easily recognized discontinuities across a front is
Answer: a change in temperature. Explanation: Of the many changes that take place across a front, the most easily recognized is the change in temperature. When flying through a front, you will notice a significant change in temperature, especially at low altitudes.
An almond or lens-shaped cloud which appears stationary, but which may contain winds of 50 knots or more, is referred to as
Answer: a lenticular cloud. Explanation: Lenticular clouds are lens-shaped clouds, which indicate the crests of standing mountain waves. They form in the updraft and dissipate in the downdraft, so they do not move as the wind blows through them. Lenticular clouds may contain winds of 50 kt. or more and are extremely dangerous.
The suffix "nimbus," used in naming clouds, means
Answer: a rain cloud. Explanation: The suffix "nimbus" or the prefix "nimbo" means a rain cloud.
To get a complete weather briefing for the planned flight, the pilot should request
Answer: a standard briefing. Explanation: To get a complete briefing before a planned flight, the pilot should request a standard briefing. This will include all pertinent information needed for a safe flight.
Possible mountain wave turbulence could be anticipated when winds of 40 knots are greater blow
Answer: across a mountain ridge, and the air is stable. Explanation: Always anticipate possible mountain wave turbulence when the air is stable and winds of 40 kt. or greater blow across a mountain or ridge.
The amount of water vapor which air can hold depends on the
Answer: air temperature. Explanation: Air temperature largely determines how much water vapor can be held by the air. Warm air can hold more water vapor than cool air.
Susceptibility to carbon monoxide poisoning increases as
Answer: altitude increases. Explanation: Carbon monoxide poisoning results in an oxygen deficiency. Since there is less oxygen available at higher altitudes, carbon monoxide poisoning can occur with lesser amounts of carbon monoxide as altitude increases.
Where there is a temperature inversion, you would expect to experience
Answer: an increase in temperature as altitude increases. Explanation: By definition, a temperature inversion is a situation in which the temperature increases as altitude increases. The normal situation is that the temperature decreases as altitude increases.
(2) Pilots are more subject to spatial disorientation if
Answer: body signals are used to interpret flight attitude. Explanation: Spatial disorientation is a state of temporary confusion resulting from misleading information being sent to the brain by various sensory organs. Thus, the pilot should ignore sensations of muscles and the inner ear and kinesthetic senses (those that sense motion), expecially during flight in IMC when outside visual cues are taken away.
Convective circulation patterns associated with sea breezes are caused by
Answer: cool, dense air moving inland from over the water. Explanation: Sea breezes are caused by cool and more dense air moving inland off the water. Once over the warmer land, the air heats up and rises. Thus the cooler, more dense air from the sea forces the warmer air up. Currents push the hot air over the water where it cools and descends, starting the cycle over again. This process is caused by land heating faster than water.
The destination airport has one runway, 8-26, and the wind is calm. The normal approach in calm wind is a left-hand pattern to runway 8. There is no other traffic at the airport. A thunderstorm about 6 miles west is beginning its mature stage, and rain is starting to reach the ground. The pilot decides to
Answer: delay departure until the thunderstorm has dissipated. Explanation: During the mature stage of a thunderstorm, precipitation descends through the cloud and drags the adjacent air downward, creating a strong downdraft. The downdraft spreads out along the surface, well in advance of the parent thunderstorm cell, as a mass of cool, gusty air. Adverse winds always are found within thunderstorms and often many miles from the precipitation area. Crosswinds, gusts, and variable winds (i.e., sudden wind shafts) can lead to a crash during takeoffs, approaches, and landings. Therefore, the best decision would be to delay departure from the departure airport until the thunderstorm has dissipated at the arrival airport.
Effects of carbon monoxide poisoning include
Answer: dizziness, blurred vision, and loss of muscle power. Explanation: Effects of CO poisoning include headache, blurred vision, dizziness, drowsiness, and loss of muscle control.
The wind at 5,000 feet AGL is southwesterly while the surface wind is southerly. This difference in direction is primarily due to
Answer: friction between the wind and the surface. Explanation: Winds aloft at 5,000 ft. are largely affected by Coriolis force, which deflects wind to the right, in the Northern Hemisphere. But at the surface, the winds will be more southerly (they were southwesterly aloft) because Coriolis force has less effect at the surface where the wind speed is slower. The wind speed is slower at the surface due to the friction between the wind and the surface.
The boundary between two different air masses is referred to as a
Answer: front. Explanation: A front is a surface, interface, or transition zone of discontinuity between two adjacent air masses of different densities. It is the boundary between two different air masses.
The danger of spatial disorientation during flight in poor visual conditions may be reduced by
Answer: having faith in the instruments rather than taking a chance on the sensory organs. Explanation: Various complex motions and forces and certain visual scenes encountered in flight can create illusions of motion and position. Spatial disorientation from these illusions can be prevented only by visual reference to reliable fixed points on the ground and horizon or to flight instruments.
Every physical process of weather is accompanied by, or is a result of, a
Answer: heat exchange. Explanation: Every physical process of weather is accompanied by, or is a result of, a heat exchange. A heat differential (difference between the temperatures of two air masses) causes a differential in pressure, which in turn causes movement of air. Heat exchanges occur constantly, e.g., melting, cooling, updrafts, downdrafts, wind, etc.
Clouds are divided into four families according to their
Answer: height range. Explanation: The four families of clouds are high clouds, middles clouds, low clouds, and clouds with extensive vertical development. Thus, they are based upon their height range.
Rapid or extra deep breathing while using oxygen can cause a condition known as
Answer: hyperventilation. Explanation: Hyperventilation occurs when an excessive amount of carbon dioxide is passed out of the body and too much oxygen is retained. This occurs when breathing rapidly and especially when using oxygen.
When a stressful situation is encountered in flight, an abnormal increase in the volume of air breathed in an out can cause a condition known as
Answer: hyperventilation. Explanation: Hyperventilation occurs when an excessive amount of carbon dioxide is passed out of the body and too much oxygen is retained. This occurs when breathing rapidly and especially when using oxygen.
You plan to phone a weather briefing facility for preflight weather information. You should
Answer: identify yourself as a pilot. Explanation: When calling for a weather briefing, you should identify yourself as a pilot so the person can give you an aviation-oriented briefing. Nonpilots may call weather briefing facilities to get the weather for other activities. It is best to tell them what kind of pilot you are, e.g., student pilot, private pilot, instrument pilot.
The presence of ice pellets at the surface is evidence that there
Answer: is a temperature inversion with freezing rain at a higher altitude. Explanation: Rain falling through colder air may freeze during its descent, falling as ice pellets. Ice pellets always indicate freezing rain at a higher altitude.
The best method to use when looking for other traffic at night is to
Answer: look to the side of the object and scan slowly. Explanation: Physiologically, the eyes are most effective at seeing objects off-center at night. Accordingly, pilots should scan slowly to permit off-center viewing.
Large accumulations of carbon monoxide in the human body result in
Answer: loss of muscular power. Explanation: Carbon monoxide reduces the ability of the blood to carry oxygen. Large accumulations results in loss of muscular power.
Thunderstorms reach their greatest intensity during the
Answer: mature stage. Explanation: Thunderstorms reach their greatest intensity during the mature stage, where updrafts and downdrafts cause a high level of wind shear.
When warm, moist, stable air flows upslope, it
Answer: produces stratus type clouds. Explanation: Moist, stable air flowing upslope can be expected to produce stratus type clouds as the air cools adiabatically as it moves up sloping terrain.
If a pilot experiences spatial disorientation during flight in a restricted visibility condition, the best way to overcome the effect is to
Answer: rely upon the aircraft instrument indications. Explanation: The best way to overcome the effects of spatial disorientation is to rely entirely on the aircraft's instrument indications and not upon body sensations. Sight of the horizon also overrides inner ear sensations. Thus, in areas of poor visibility, especially, such bodily signals should be ignored.
A pilot should be able to overcome the symptoms or avoid future occurrences of hyperventilation by
Answer: slowing the breathing rate, breathing into a bag, or talking aloud. Explanation: To recover from hyperventilation, the pilot should slow the breathing rate, breathe into a bag, or talk aloud.
A pilot experiencing the effects of hyperventilation should be able to restore the proper carbon dioxide level in the body by
Answer: slowing the breathing rate, breathing into a paper bag, or talking aloud. Explanation: A stressful situation can often lead to hyperventilation, which results from an increased rate and depth of respiration that leads to an abnormally low amount of carbon dioxide in the blood stream. By slowing the breathing rate, breathing into a paper bag, or talking aloud, a pilot can overcome the effects of hyperventilation and return the carbon dioxide level in the bloodstream to normal.
The development of thermals depends upon
Answer: solar heating. Explanation: Thermals are updrafts in small-scale convective currents. Convective currents are caused by uneven heating of the Earth's surface. Solar heating is the means of heating the Earth's surface.
A state of temporary confusion resulting from misleading information being sent to the brain by various sensory organs is defined as
Answer: spatial disorientation. Explanation: A state of temporary confusion resulting from misleading information being sent to the brain by various sensory organs is defined as vertigo (spatial disorientation). Put simply, the pilot cannot determine his or her relationship to the earth's horizon.
A lack of orientation with regard to the position, attitude, or movement of the aircraft in space is defined as
Answer: spatial disorientation. Explanation: Spatial disorientation is a state of temporary confusion resulting from misleading information being sent to the brain by various sensory organs. Thus, the pilot should ignore sensations of muscles and the inner ear and kinesthetic senses (those that sense motion), expecially during flight in IMC when outside visual cues are taken away.
Thunderstorms which generally produce the most intense hazard to aircraft are
Answer: squall line thunderstorms. Explanation: A squall line is a nonfrontal, narrow band of active thunderstorms. It often contains severe, steady-state thunderstorms and presents the single most intense weather hazard to airplanes.
A nonfrontal, narrow band of active thunderstorms that often develop ahead of a cold front is known as a
Answer: squall line. Explanation: A nonfrontal, narrow band of active thunderstorms that often develops ahead of a cold front is known as a squall line.
Crests of standing mountain waves may be marked by stationary, lens-shaped clouds known as
Answer: standing lenticular clouds. Explanation: Lens-shaped clouds, which indicate crests of standing mountain waves, are called standing lenticular clouds. They form in the updraft and dissipate in the downdraft so that they do not move as the wind blows through them.
Steady precipitation preceding a front is an indication of
Answer: stratiform clouds with little or no turbulence. Explanation: Steady precipitation preceding a front is usually an indication of a warm front, which results from warm air being cooled from the bottom by colder air. This results in stratiform clouds with little or no turbulence.
The most frequent type of ground or surface-based temperature inversion is that which is produced by
Answer: terrestrial radiation on a clear, relatively still night. Explanation: An inversion often develops near the ground on clear, cool nights when wind is light. The ground loses heat and cools the air near the ground while the temperature a few hundred feet above changes very little. Thus, temperature increases in height, which is an inversion.
The mature stage of a thunderstorm begins with
Answer: the start of precipitation. Explanation: The mature stage of a thunderstorm begins when rain begins falling. This means that the downdrafts are occurring sufficiently to carry water all the way through the thunderstorm.
The conditions necessary for the formation of cumulonimbus clouds are a lifting action and
Answer: unstable, moist air. Explanation: Unstable, moist air, in addition to a lifting action, i.e., convective activity, is needed to form cumulonimbus clouds.
One in-flight condition necessary for structural icing to form is
Answer: visible moisture. Explanation: Two conditions are necessary for structural icing while in flight. First, the airplane must be flying through visible moisture, such as rain or cloud droplets. Second, the temperature at the point where the moisture strikes the airplane must be freezing or below.
Pilots are more subject to spatial disorientation if
Answer: visual cues are taken away, as they are in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). Explanation: Spatial disorientation is a state of temporary confusion resulting from misleading information being sent to the brain by various sensory organs. Thus, the pilot should ignore sensations of muscles and the inner ear and kinesthetic senses (those that sense motion), expecially during flight in IMC when outside visual cues are taken away.
Clouds, fog, or dew will always form when
Answer: water vapor condenses. Explanation: As water vapor condenses, it becomes visible as clouds, fog, or dew.
When speaking to a flight service weather briefer, you should state
Answer: whether the flight is VFR or IFR. Explanation: When speaking to an AFSS weather briefer, you should identify yourself as a pilot and state the route, destination, type of airplane, and whether you intend to fly VFR or IFR to permit the weather briefer to give you the most complete briefing.
One weather phenomenon which will always occur when flying across a front is a change in the
Answer: wind direction. Explanation: The definition of a front is the zone of transition between two air masses of different air pressure or density, e.g., the area separating high and low pressure systems. Due to the difference in changes in pressure systems, there will be a change in wind.
