Sample BFR Questions
Nov 04
1.
If
you hold both a glider
and an airplane license, do you need a flight review for each?
No, only one flight review is required
(FAR61.56).
2.
If
you have not had a flight
review within the past 24 months, can you act as pilot in command?
No (FAR 61.56).
3.
If
you change your address,
you are required to notify the FAA, in writing, within….
30 days (FAR 61.60)
4.
Are
you required to log each
flight?
No, only the flights needed to meet the
requirements of a certificate, rating, or flight review (FAR 61.51).
5.
In
order to carry passengers
you must have how many takeoffs and landings within how many days?
3 within the past 90 days in category and
class (FAR 61.57).
6.
You
hold a private pilot
license. Can you accept money if you take a friend up for a ride?
Yes, but only the “pro rata share” of the
operating expenses (FAR 61.113).
1.
Who
is final authority for
the safe operation of the flight?
The pilot in command. (FAR 91.3)
2.
The
responsible person for deciding
whether an aircraft is safe for flight is…
The pilot in command.
3.
Are
you ever allowed to
deviate from the
Yes, in case of emergency. (FAR 91.3)
4.
You’re
flying above 12,500
feet but less than 14,000 feet. How long
can you legally fly before you must use oxygen?
30 minutes (FAR 91.211)..
5.
You’re
climbing through
14,000 feet. When must you go on oxygen?
Immediately (FAR 91.211).
6.
You
are at 10,000 ft and it
looks like you’ll go up to 18,000 ft.
When must your passenger be on oxygen?
No requirement. Oxygen must be
AVAILABLE to the passenger
above 15,000 ft (FAR 91.211).
7.
You’ve had a beer at
10AM - 8 hours
since your last drink.
8.
You’ve
had a lot of beers at
2 AM and still feel a bit woozy the next day.
The maximum allowable blood alcohol level is …..?
0.4%.
Note that in most states, the max allowable driver limit is
about twice
that (.08-.10%).
9.
What
documents are required
to be in the aircraft?
ARROW – Airworthiness certificate,
Registration, Radio license (only required if operating outside the
U.S.),
Operator manual, Weight and balance. Note that appropriate cockpit
placards may
satisfy the “operator manual and weight and balance” requirements.
10.
When
2 aircraft approach
head on, which way do you pass?
To the right (FAR 91.113).
11.
What
is “Minimum Safe
Altitude”?
An altitude…. Allowing a safe landing
without undue hazard (FAR 91.119).
12.
You
want to perform a
loop. What is the minimal legal
altitude?
1,500 ft (FAR 91.301).
13.
How often must a parachute be repacked?
Every 120 days (FAR 91.307).
14. If a parachute repack is beyond the 120 days, may you carry it as a "seat cushion"?
No (FAR 91.307).
1.
Can a
pilot legally fly through
a restricted area?
Yes, if authorized by the controlling
agency.
2.
How
do I find who the
controlling agency is and how do I contact them?
See the legend of a current sectional
chart.
3.
Can a
pilot legally fly
through a Military Operational Area (MOA)?
Yes, but be vigilant about high speed
military traffic
4.
Can a
pilot legally fly
through a prohibited area?
No.
5.
What
is Class D airspace?
Airspace around an airport with an
operating control tower (example Worcester, Hanscom, Nashua).
6.
Explain
the typical dimensions
and the rules for operating in class D airspace
7.
5nm radius (but may vary) to 2,500 AGL.
Contact control tower prior to entering airspace.
8.
What
is Class C airspace?
Airspace surrounding an airport serviced by radar approach control.
9.
Explain
the dimensions and
rules for operating in class C airspace.
Typically 5nm radius from surface to 1200
AGL, then 10nm from 1200AGL to 4000 AGL, but may vary.
Establish communications with the radar
approach facility prior to entering airspace.
A mode C transponder is required (example – Manchester).
10.
What
is Class B airspace?
Airspace surrounding high density
airports serviced by a radar approach facility.
11.
Explain
the dimensions and
rules for operating in class B airspace.
Conceptually like an “upside-down wedding
cake” (small at the bottom and larger at higher altitudes). At its
outermost
limits, class B airspace may have a radius of 20 nm and a height of
10,000
AGL. Before entering Class B airspace, a
clearance from the radar controller is required. As
in the case of class C airspace, an
operating mode C transponder is required (example- Boston).
12.
What
are the minimum
visibility requirements for operating in Class E airspace above 1200
AGL and
below 10,000 MSL?
3 miles visibility.
13.
What
are the minimum cloud
clearance requirements for operating in class E airspace above 1200 AGL
and
below 10,000 MSL?
500 feet below, 1000 feet above, 2000
feet horizontal.
14.
You
are climbing and nearly
at 18000 feet. What now?
Stop your climb – or contact Air Traffic
Control and negotiate a “wave window” (this is best done on the ground
well in advance of your flight).
15.
If
you get a clearance to
climb above 18,000 ft, what do you do with your altimeter?
Set it to 29.92 (FAR 91.121).
Misc.
1.
What
is the glider tow rope
breaking strength range?
80 – 200% of the max gross weight of the
glider.
2.
What
it the tow rope is too
strong.
A “weak link” must be attached (extra
points – to which end of the tow rope should the weak link be attached
[glider]).
3.
Explain
the difference
between variation and deviation.
Variation is the difference between the
magnetic north pole and the true north pole.
Deviation is the compass disturbance caused by metal objects or
magnetic
fields within the aircraft.
4.
What
is the difference
between course and heading?
Course is your track
over the ground. Heading is
what your compass reads (magnetic course + or - deviation, + or – wind
correction).
5.
You
have gobs of altitude
over Sterling and want to fly direct to Sugarbush on a no wind day. Your (current) sectional chart shows a true
course of 338 degrees. The magnetic
variation is 16 degrees west. Your
magnetic course will be?
Add west variation, so 338 + 16 = 354
degrees magnetic. East variation is
subtracted. “East is least and west is best”.
6.
A
sectional chart is
typically valid for how long?
6 months.
7.
A tow
plane rocks its
wings. The glider should…
Release immediately.
8.
A tow
plane, while airborne, fans its
tail. The glider should…
Check to make sure that the spoilers are
closed.
9.
The
glider can not
release. It signals the tow plane by…
Moving to the left and rocking the wings.
10.
The
operating limitations of
an aircraft are found in…
The flight manual and/or cockpit
placards.
1.
What
is angle of attack?
The angle between the relative wind and
the wing chord line.
2.
What
causes a stall?
Exceeding the critical angle of attack.
3.
Can
you stall in a dive?
Yes, all that is needed is exceeding the
critical AoA.. One way to do this is to pull back too much on the back
half of
a loop, for instance.
4.
Explain
the handling and
stall characteristic of a glider loaded aft of the Center of Gravity
range?
Unstable airspeed control, glider may not
drop the nose in a stall, unrecoverable flat spin may develop, …….
5.
How
about loaded forward of
the C. G. range?
Very stable airspeed control, reduced
ability to flare at low landing speed, …..
6.
Explain
the danger of an
uncoordinated turn close to the ground – such as the turn from base to
final?
Stalling while skidding (too much bottom
rudder) is likely to result in a spin from which there is not enough
altitude
to recover from. This is usually quite fatal.
7.
What
happens to your stall
speed in a turn?
It increases. 45 degree bank –
18%, 60 degree bank – 41%,
75 degree bank – 100%.
8.
Your
published minimum sink
speed is 40 mph. You’re thermalling with
a bank angle of 45 degrees. Your
minimum sink speed is?
40 + 18% = 47 mph.
9.
List
as many ways you can
think of how you can detect an approaching stall in straight and level
flight.
High nose attitude, low wind noise, sluggish controls, “pre-stall”
buffeting, stick back.
10.
What
action do you take when
you encounter sink?
Increase airspeed to minimize your time
in the sink. This will cause you to lose
the least amount of altitude.
11.
Differentiate
parasitic drag
and induced drag
Induced drag is a byproduct of the
production of lift and decreases with the square of the velocity (as
angle of
attack decreases, induced drag also decreases).
Parasitic drag is the resistance of an object or surface to the
airflow
and increases with the square of the velocity.
12.
With
respect to parasitic
and induced drag, best L/D occurs at which point?
When induced drag equals parasitic drag.
13.
Explain
the effect of weight
on maximum L/D.
Increasing weight increases the max L/D
speed. The actual max L/D remains
unchanged.
14.
Explain
the effect of weight
on the minimum sink speed and rate.
Increasing weight increases both the
minimum sink speed and the minimum sink rate.
15.
Your
max L/D is 40:1 at 50
kts. If you are penetrating a 25 knot
head wind at 50 knots airspeed. Your glide ratio with respect to the
ground is?
25:1
16.
Explain
maneuvering speed
and why it is important.
Maneuvering speed is the speed where the
maximum defection of the controls will not exceed the design
limitations of the
aircraft (typically 3.8 G’s). Fly at or
below maneuvering speed in severe turbulence to avoid over stressing
the airframe.
17.
If
the maneuvering speed is
not published in the aircraft owner manual, what is a close estimation?
Double the stall speed of the aircraft.
18.
What
is the purpose of the
rudder in a turn?
Prevent adverse yaw and to keep the
fuselage aligned with the airflow.
19.
What
is ground effect does
what to your glide ratio?
When the aircraft is within a half wing
span distance from the ground the wingtip vortices are disrupted,
reducing
induced drag. The effect increases your
glide ratio.
1.
List
several ways of
detecting wind direction from the air.
Direction of cloud shadows, wind lines on
the water, smoke from the ground, drift of the aircraft, etc.
2.
If you are penetrating a
head wind, what is a good rule of thumb for selecting your speed to fly
to
maximize your distance over the ground?
Add half the wind speed to your max L/D
speed.
3.
When
ridge soaring what is
the danger of being low behind the ridge?
Encountering the turbulent “rotor,” possibly
causing loss of control, and/or causing impact with the terrain. Sinking behind the ridge making return to the
airport impossible.
4.
When
over taking a glider on
a ridge, on which side do you pass?
Since all turns are made away from the
ridge, pass on the side between the glider and the ridge.
5.
When
multiple glider are
working a thermal, who establishes the direction to circle?
The first glider in the thermal.
6.
What
should you do if you
are inadvertently sucked into a cloud?
Open spoilers/dive brakes move trim back
and let go of the stick. This is the
“benign
spiral” mode of flight which works well on many gliders.
7.
1.
When
a fast moving cold
front overtakes a warm front, the narrow band of weather formed is
called?
A squall line.
2.
In
this part of the country,
when a cold front passes the wind direction generally is?
Northwest.
3.
The
primary danger of flying
in a thunderstorm is?
Severe updrafts and downdraft that may
over-stress the airframe.
4.
What
happens to your
perception of attitude when flying in a cloud and what are are the
dangers?
You lose sense direction, and wings
level. A spiral dive may result causing a great increase in airspeed –
possibly
to the point where recovery may over-stress the airframe.
5.
Explain
wind gradient and how it affects your landing.
Wind gradient is the reduction of wind
speed as you approach the ground. It may
cause you to land short of your target unless carry extra airspeed
and/or
altitude in anticipation.
6.
When
flying from a high
pressure area to a low pressure area, what is the effect on the
altimeter?
The altimeter will read higher than your
actual altitude (“from high to low, look out below”).
7.
With
respect to air
stability, what is required for a thermal to climb?
An unstable airmass where the air aloft
is significantly cooler. The warmer
thermal will climb in the cooler air.
8.
What
formula is a good rule
of thumb for estimating cloud height?
Air temp (F) – dew point temp (F) times
227. Example Air temp 80 dew point 60:
(80 – 60) x 227 = 4,540 feet. Use 440 for degrees Celsius.