22 Aerodynamics & Systems Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. The term "angle of attack" is defined as the angle between which two references?

   • A.The wing's mean camber line and the natural horizon
   • B.The airplane's flightpath and the natural horizon
   • C.The chord line of the wing and the longitudinal axis
   • D.The chord line of the wing and the relative wind✓ Answer

   Angle of attack is measured against the relative wind rather than the horizon, so a wing can reach a high angle of attack in any pitch attitude — which is why a stall is possible in level or even descending flight. The fixed angle between the chord line and the longitudinal axis is the angle of incidence, built in by the designer.

   Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 5 (Aerodynamics of Flight)Report a problem with this question

2. 2. An airplane is established in a steady, straight climb at a constant airspeed. Which statement about the four forces is correct?

   • A.Weight acts perpendicular to the flightpath, so drag alone opposes thrust.
   • B.Thrust exceeds drag by enough to offset the rearward component of weight.✓ Answer
   • C.Lift exceeds weight, and this excess lift is what produces the climb.
   • D.Lift and weight remain equal while thrust is less than the total drag.

   In a steady climb the four forces are again in equilibrium, but weight now has a component acting rearward along the inclined flightpath, so thrust must exceed drag by that amount. Lift is in fact slightly less than weight in the climb: an airplane climbs on excess thrust, not on excess lift.

   Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 5 (Aerodynamics of Flight)Report a problem with this question

3. 3. An airplane lifts off while still inside ground effect and then climbs out of it. What happens as it leaves ground effect?

   • A.Induced drag increases and a higher angle of attack is needed for the same lift.✓ Answer
   • B.Parasite drag rises because the wingtip vortices are no longer suppressed.
   • C.Stability improves and the airplane develops a nose-down pitching moment.
   • D.Induced drag decreases and less power is needed for the same climb rate.

   Ground effect reduces induced drag only when the wing is very close to the surface — about 1.4 percent at one wingspan but roughly 48 percent at one-tenth of a span. Climbing out of it restores the full induced drag, so more angle of attack and more thrust are needed; an airplane forced off below normal flying speed can therefore settle back onto the runway.

   Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 5 (Aerodynamics of Flight)Report a problem with this question

4. 4. A pilot rolls into a left turn using ailerons only, and the nose initially yaws to the right. What causes this?

   • A.The propeller slipstream strikes the vertical fin from its left-hand side.
   • B.Gyroscopic precession acts 90° ahead of the pilot's roll control input.
   • C.The down-deflected right aileron makes more drag than the raised left one.✓ Answer
   • D.The raised left aileron increases the lift on that wing and pulls it forward.

   Adverse yaw comes from the difference in drag between the two ailerons: the one deflected down raises the angle of attack and the induced drag on the rising wing, dragging it back and yawing the nose away from the turn. Designers reduce it with differential or Frise-type ailerons, and the pilot cancels the rest with coordinated rudder — the rudder coordinates the turn, it does not cause it.

   Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 6 (Flight Controls)Report a problem with this question

5. 5. An airplane is loaded so that its center of gravity is near the forward limit but still within the envelope. What is the effect?

   • A.It becomes less stable in pitch, and the stalling airspeed increases.
   • B.It becomes more stable in pitch, and the stalling airspeed increases.✓ Answer
   • C.It becomes more stable in pitch, and the stalling airspeed decreases.
   • D.It becomes less stable in pitch, and the cruising airspeed increases.

   A forward CG lengthens the arm to the horizontal tail, so the tail must produce a greater download to balance the airplane; that download adds to the effective weight the wing carries and the stalling speed rises. The same loading increases longitudinal stability and control forces, lengthens the takeoff roll and slightly reduces cruise speed, while an aft CG lightens the controls so an inadvertent stall is easier to enter.

   Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 5; AC 61-67C, Stall and Spin Awareness TrainingReport a problem with this question

6. 6. What is one purpose of extending the wing flaps during an approach to landing?

   • A.They raise the stalling speed so the approach may be flown faster.
   • B.They relieve the pilot of holding continuous pressure on the controls.
   • C.They cut total drag so the airplane floats farther along the runway.
   • D.They permit a steeper descent path without an increase in airspeed.✓ Answer

   Flaps increase both lift and drag and lower the stalling speed, so the airplane can be flown down a steeper path at the same indicated airspeed and touch down more slowly. That reduction in stall speed is why the low end of the white arc on the airspeed indicator lies below the low end of the green arc; relieving continuous control pressure is the job of the trim tab, not the flaps.

   Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 6 (Flight Controls)Report a problem with this question

7. 7. In a typical U.S.-built single-engine airplane, the left-turning tendencies produced by torque, slipstream and P-factor are most pronounced under which condition?

   • A.High airspeed, high power, and a low angle of attack
   • B.Low airspeed, low power, and a low angle of attack
   • C.High airspeed, low power, and a high angle of attack
   • D.Low airspeed, high power, and a high angle of attack✓ Answer

   All four left-turning tendencies — torque reaction, the spiraling slipstream striking the left side of the fin, gyroscopic precession, and P-factor from the descending right blade meeting the air at a greater angle of attack — grow as the propeller is loaded up and the airflow slows. A climb, go-around or short-field takeoff combines all three conditions, so right rudder is required and uncoordinated flight there is a classic spin entry.

   Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 5; AC 61-67C, Stall and Spin Awareness TrainingReport a problem with this question

8. 8. An airplane is flown in a coordinated, constant-altitude turn at 60° of bank. What load factor is imposed, and what determines it?

   • A.2.0 G, and the value depends on the bank angle alone✓ Answer
   • B.1.4 G, and the value depends on bank angle and airspeed
   • C.3.0 G, and the value depends on airspeed and gross weight
   • D.2.0 G, and the value depends on bank angle and gross weight

   In a coordinated level turn the load factor equals one divided by the cosine of the bank angle, so 60° always gives 2.0 G no matter what the airplane weighs or how fast it is flown; 30° gives about 1.15 G and 45° about 1.41 G. Because stall speed rises with the square root of load factor, the stalling speed in that 60° turn is roughly 40 percent above the wings-level figure.

   Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 5 (Aerodynamics of Flight)Report a problem with this question

9. 9. The POH for an airplane gives a design maneuvering speed (VA) of 100 knots at maximum gross weight. How does VA change when the same airplane is flown lightly loaded?

   • A.It stays the same, because VA is a structural limit fixed by the airframe.
   • B.It decreases, since a lighter airplane hits limit load at a lower speed.✓ Answer
   • C.It increases, since a lighter airplane can absorb higher gust loads safely.
   • D.It stays the same, but the never-exceed speed decreases with the weight.

   A lighter airplane is accelerated more by the same gust or the same full control deflection, so it reaches its limit load factor at a lower airspeed and VA must be reduced — the handbook's own example is 100 knots heavy and 90 knots light. VA is not marked on the airspeed indicator, and flying at or below it protects only against a single full deflection of one control in one axis.

   Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapters 5 and 8Report a problem with this question

10. 10. Which statement about an aerodynamic stall is correct?

    • A.It occurs whenever the critical angle of attack is exceeded, at any airspeed.✓ Answer
    • B.It occurs when engine power falls below the amount needed for level flight.
    • C.It occurs only when the airplane is slower than the stalling speed.
    • D.It occurs only when the nose is pitched above the level-flight attitude.

    A wing stalls when the airflow separates because the critical angle of attack has been exceeded, and that angle is the same regardless of speed, attitude, weight or power setting. The published stalling speed applies only to one specific condition — wings level, one G, a given weight and configuration — so a stall is possible at high indicated airspeed in a steep turn or an abrupt pull-up, and even in a nose-low attitude.

    Source: AC 61-67C, Stall and Spin Awareness Training; FAA-H-8083-3 Airplane Flying Handbook, Chapter 5Report a problem with this question

11. 11. Which of the following increases the indicated airspeed at which an airplane stalls?

    • A.An extension of the wing flaps from the clean to the landing setting
    • B.An increase in density altitude, as on a hot day at a high airport
    • C.An increase in load factor, as in an abrupt pull-up or a steep turn✓ Answer
    • D.A shift of the center of gravity from the middle toward the aft limit

    Indicated stall speed rises with the square root of load factor, so any maneuver that increases G raises it; greater weight, a forward CG and ice or frost on the wing raise it as well. Extending flaps and moving the CG aft both lower it, and density altitude changes only the true airspeed at the stall — which is why the POH indicated approach speed is flown unchanged at a high-elevation airport.

    Source: AC 61-67C, Stall and Spin Awareness TrainingReport a problem with this question

12. 12. An airplane enters an unintentional stall and begins to roll slowly to the left. What must the pilot do first?

    • A.Level the wings with coordinated aileron and rudder before anything else
    • B.Advance the throttle smoothly to full power to regain flying airspeed
    • C.Reduce the angle of attack by lowering the nose until the warning stops✓ Answer
    • D.Hold the pitch attitude and let the airplane accelerate out of the stall

    Only a reduction in angle of attack can un-stall the wing; adding power or picking up a dropping wing with aileron while it is still stalled can aggravate the roll and lead to a spin. The handbook sequence is to disconnect the autopilot, pitch down until the stall warning stops, roll wings level while cancelling yaw with rudder, add thrust as needed and return to the flightpath without a secondary stall — and the manufacturer's POH procedure always takes precedence.

    Source: FAA-H-8083-3 Airplane Flying Handbook, Chapter 5 (Maintaining Aircraft Control)Report a problem with this question

13. 13. An airplane stalls while the pilot is holding left rudder against right aileron in a slipping turn. In which direction is a spin most likely to develop?

    • A.To the left, following the rudder that the pilot is applying✓ Answer
    • B.To the right, following the aileron that the pilot is applying
    • C.To the right, because the raised wing stalls first in any slip
    • D.To the left, but only with the airplane loaded near its aft limit

    In cross-controlled flight the airplane departs in the direction of the rudder being applied, whichever wingtip is raised. In a slipping turn the aileron is held opposite the rudder, so the spin usually develops opposite the applied aileron; in a skidding turn the aileron and rudder go the same way and rotation follows those controls, which is the classic base-to-final accident when a pilot skids to avoid overshooting the runway.

    Source: AC 61-67C, Stall and Spin Awareness TrainingReport a problem with this question

14. 14. A light trainer whose POH contains no spin recovery procedure enters an inadvertent spin. Which action follows the recommended recovery guidance?

    • A.Apply aileron into the rotation while holding the elevator fully aft
    • B.Apply climb power to raise the nose and stop the rotation more quickly
    • C.Apply full rudder opposite the rotation shown by the turn indicator✓ Answer
    • D.Apply full rudder opposite the deflection shown by the inclinometer ball

    When the manufacturer publishes no procedure, the handbook sequence is: throttle to idle, ailerons neutral, full rudder opposite the rotation, brisk forward elevator to break the stall, neutralize the rudder as rotation stops, then ease out of the dive without a secondary stall. Spin direction must be read from the turn indicator, because the inclinometer ball's indication depends on where it is mounted.

    Source: FAA-H-8083-3 Airplane Flying Handbook, Chapter 5; AC 61-67C, Stall and Spin Awareness TrainingReport a problem with this question

15. 15. An airplane with a float-type carburetor and a fixed-pitch propeller is in level cruise at a fixed throttle setting when carburetor ice starts to form. What is the first indication?

    • A.A gradual loss of RPM even though the throttle has not been moved✓ Answer
    • B.A drop in manifold pressure while the RPM stays where it was set
    • C.A rough-running engine accompanied by backfiring through the exhaust
    • D.A rise in cylinder head temperature followed by falling oil pressure

    Ice forming at the throttle valve and in the venturi restricts the fuel/air flow and reduces power, and with a fixed-pitch propeller lost power shows up directly as lost RPM, with roughness only later. With a constant-speed propeller the governor holds RPM, so the first sign is a drop in manifold pressure. Float-type carburetors are far more susceptible than fuel injection, and because fuel vaporization and the venturi pressure drop cool the charge sharply, carburetor ice can form at outside temperatures as high as 100 °F (38 °C).

    Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 7 (Aircraft Systems)Report a problem with this question

16. 16. A normally aspirated airplane climbs to a high cruising altitude at a fixed throttle setting. Why must the mixture then be leaned?

    • A.Fuel vaporizes more slowly in thin air, so more of it reaches the cylinders
    • B.Air density falls and fuel flow falls with it, so the mixture grows leaner
    • C.Colder air aloft cools the cylinders, so extra fuel is no longer needed
    • D.Air density falls while the fuel flow holds steady, so the mixture grows richer✓ Answer

    The carburetor or fuel control meters fuel against the volume of air passing through it, not its mass, so as the air thins with altitude the same volume carries less oxygen while fuel flow is essentially unchanged and the mixture becomes progressively richer — causing rough running, fouled plugs and lost power. Leaning restores the correct fuel-to-air ratio; over-leaning at high power carries the opposite hazard, being a recognized cause of detonation.

    Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 7 (Aircraft Systems)Report a problem with this question

17. 17. In cruise flight the center-zero ammeter needle, which normally sits slightly right of zero, settles at a steady position left of zero. What does this show?

    • A.The starter relay is still engaged and drawing current from the bus
    • B.The voltage regulator has failed and is now overcharging the battery
    • C.The battery is carrying the load as the alternator stopped charging✓ Answer
    • D.The battery is fully charged, so the alternator has reduced its output

    A center-zero ammeter shows the direction and rate of current flow to or from the battery, not the total electrical load, so a steady minus indication means more current is leaving the battery than the alternator is replacing and a full-scale minus deflection points to an alternator failure — shed non-essential load and plan on limited battery endurance. A full-scale plus deflection instead suggests a regulator malfunction, and a loadmeter is a different gauge that starts at zero and reads only what the alternator supplies.

    Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 7 (Aircraft Systems)Report a problem with this question

18. 18. In cruise flight the static ports of an airplane with no alternate static source become blocked by ice while the pitot tube stays clear. Which instruments are affected?

    • A.The altimeter alone, as it is the only instrument reading static pressure
    • B.The altimeter, the vertical speed indicator and the airspeed indicator✓ Answer
    • C.The airspeed indicator alone, as ram air still reaches the pitot system
    • D.The altimeter and vertical speed indicator, but not the airspeed indicator

    All three pitot-static instruments reference static pressure, so all three are affected: the trapped pressure freezes the altimeter at the altitude where the blockage occurred, the vertical speed indicator reads a continuous zero, and the airspeed indicator stays live but becomes inaccurate — reading low above the blockage altitude and high below it. With no alternate static source, the accepted last resort is to break the glass of the vertical speed indicator, the least essential of the three.

    Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 8 (Flight Instruments)Report a problem with this question

19. 19. The pilot of an unpressurized airplane selects the alternate static source, which draws static pressure from inside the cabin. What indications should be expected?

    • A.The altimeter indicates slightly higher while the airspeed reads slower
    • B.The altimeter indicates slightly lower and the airspeed indicator slower
    • C.The altimeter indicates slightly higher and the airspeed indicator faster✓ Answer
    • D.The altimeter is unaffected while the airspeed indicator reads slower

    Air flowing around the fuselage creates a venturi effect that keeps cabin pressure slightly below the outside static pressure, and feeding that lower pressure into the system makes the altimeter indicate a slightly higher altitude, makes the airspeed indicator read faster than actual, and makes the vertical speed indicator show a momentary climb before settling. The AFM or POH lists the specific correction values for that airplane.

    Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 8 (Flight Instruments)Report a problem with this question

20. 20. An airplane cruises at a constant indicated altitude with the current altimeter setting through air that is much warmer than standard. What is true of its true altitude?

    • A.It is higher than indicated, because warm air is less dense and expands✓ Answer
    • B.It is lower than indicated, because the pressure levels lie closer together
    • C.It matches the indicated altitude, because the setting is up to date
    • D.It is lower than indicated, because warm air is less dense and expands

    The altimeter converts pressure to altitude using a standard atmosphere, and in warmer-than-standard air the pressure levels are spread farther apart vertically, so the level the instrument is reading actually lies higher above the ground and true altitude exceeds indicated altitude. Colder-than-standard air compresses the levels and puts the airplane lower than indicated, which is the basis of the caution about flying from hot to cold.

    Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 8 (Flight Instruments)Report a problem with this question

21. 21. During cruise the suction gauge of a typical light training airplane falls well below its normal operating range. Which instruments should the pilot now distrust?

    • A.The airspeed indicator and the magnetic compass
    • B.The attitude indicator and the heading indicator✓ Answer
    • C.The turn coordinator and the vertical speed indicator
    • D.The altimeter and the vertical speed indicator

    In most light training airplanes an engine-driven vacuum pump spins the attitude indicator and the heading indicator, while the turn coordinator is electrically driven and the altimeter, airspeed indicator and vertical speed indicator are pitot-static instruments that need no suction. Vacuum failure is insidious because the gyros run down slowly and keep giving plausible but increasingly wrong indications, so the suction gauge belongs in the normal instrument cross-check.

    Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapters 7 and 8Report a problem with this question

22. 22. Flying in the Northern Hemisphere, a pilot turns onto a northerly heading using the magnetic compass alone. How should the turn be stopped?

    • A.Continue the turn until the compass steadies, then correct later
    • B.Continue the turn until the compass passes the desired heading
    • C.Stop the turn before the compass reaches the desired northerly heading✓ Answer
    • D.Stop the turn at the moment the compass shows the desired heading

    Magnetic dip tilts the compass card so that when turning to a northerly heading in the Northern Hemisphere the card leads the airplane, falsely showing the turn as further along than it is, and the turn must therefore be stopped before the compass reaches the desired heading. Turning to a southerly heading the card lags and the turn is carried past the heading; the handbook's rule of thumb is 15° plus half the latitude, and the compass is reliable only in straight-and-level unaccelerated flight.

    Source: FAA-H-8083-25 Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 8 (Flight Instruments)Report a problem with this question

Practice questions based on the aeronautical knowledge areas codified at 14 CFR 61.105(b) and on FAA handbooks (the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, the Airplane Flying Handbook) and the Aeronautical Information Manual. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the FAA. Taking the real knowledge test requires an endorsement from an authorized instructor or evidence of completing a ground training course. Charts, weather products and aircraft performance data are republished on a cycle — always fly and test from current official sources. About FAA airman testing →