FTW-3
Basic Flight Maneuvers
READING ASSIGNMENT
AFH Chapter 3 – Basic Flight Maneuvers
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Study Questions
1. How should the flight controls be held by the pilot?
a) Lightly, with the fingers, not grabbed or squeezed.
b) Tightly, to prevent loss of control in flight.
c) Lightly while enroute, and tightly within 500 feet of the ground.
2. Describe the proper foot position for a pilot while flying?
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3. When the sound level of the air flowing past the cabin increases, it indicates that
a) airspeed is increasing.
b) airspeed is decreasing.
c) the airplane is probably in a climb.
4. When flying “visually” in visual meteorological conditions (VMC), a pilot uses visual references to establish
airplanes attitude to
a) the gyroscopic attitude instruments.
b) the position and angle of the sun.
c) the natural horizon.
5. In attitude flying, airplane control is composed of what four components?
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6. How should the pilot visually control the airplane’s attitude?
a) By staring inside at the attitude indicator.
b) By relaxing the controls until the trim flies the airplane.
c) By reference outside to the natural horizon with at least 90 percent of the pilot’s attention devoted to
outside visual references.
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7. If the flight instruments display that the airplane’s performance is in need of correction, the required
correction must be determined and then precisely, smoothly, and accurately applied with reference to
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8. How should a pilot monitor the performance (altitude, airspeed, heading) of the airplane?
a) With crosscheck between the flight instruments and ATC reports of airspeed, altitude, and heading.
b) With continuous attention, and reactive control changes at the first indication of needle variation.
c) With quick snap-shots of the flight instruments but no more than 10 percent of the pilot’s attention
inside the cockpit.
9. Which affords the pilot a greater degree of accuracy with regard to maintaining a desired airplane attitude?
a) The attitude indicator.
b) The turn and slip indicator (or turn coordinator).
c) The natural horizon.
10. The most common error made by the beginning student is to make pitch and bank corrections
a) using electronic controls.
b) while still looking inside the cockpit.
c) too gradually.
11. Straight-and-level flight is a matter of consciously fixing the relationship of a ______________ on the
airplane in relation to the ______________.
12. What is the VFR pilot’s primary reference source for pitch information?
a) The natural horizon.
b) The attitude indicator.
c) The altimeter.
13. Which of the following are common errors for pilots attempting straight-and-level flight?
☐ Habitually flying with one wing low or maintaining directional control using only the rudder control.
☐ Attempting to establish or correct airplane attitude using flight instruments rather than the natural
horizon.
☐ A tight palm grip on the flight controls resulting in a desensitized feeling of the hand and fingers,
which results in overcontrolling the airplane.
☐ Too much time focused outside the aircraft and not enough reading the flight instruments.
14. To avoid the common error of overcontrolling the airplane with trim adjustments, the pilot must learn to
a) use the trim to establish or correct airplane attitude.
b) fly the airplane using the trim tabs.
c) establish and hold the desired attitude using the primary flight controls, verify performance with the
flight instruments, and only then apply trim to relieve control pressures.
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Basic Flight Maneuvers
15. Define the angle of bank ranges for the following turns:
Shallow turns_________________________________________________________________________
Medium turns________________________________________________________________________
Steep turns __________________________________________________________________________
16. Once the airplane wings are banked into a shallow turn, all pressure applied to the aileron may be relaxed,
and the airplane will remain at the selected bank.
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a) True.
b) False.
17. In a turn, all the lifting force provided by the wings gets split into what two components?
a) Lift and adverse yaw.
b) Gravity.
c) Vertical and horizontal.
18. After a medium banked turn has been established, what aileron control inputs are required?
a) Some opposite aileron will be required to maintain the bank angle.
b) The aileron pressure may be relaxed and the control wheel returned to neutral.
c) Full opposite aileron will be required to offset overbanking tendency.
19. In order to maintain altitude in a constant speed turn, the total amount of lift must be ______________.
20. In____________________________________________________________________________________
a steep turn, why does the outside wing develop more lift than the inside wing?
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21. Which will result in the smallest radius of turn?
a) 5° angle of bank.
b) 15° angle of bank.
c) 30° angle of bank.
22. Which will result in the smallest radius of turn?
a) 70 knots.
b) 85 knots.
c) 110 knots.
23. Which way should the pilot lean in a turn?
a) Away from the turn, to keep the body upright in relation to the ground.
b) Into the turn, to improve forward visibility.
c) The pilot should not lean in a turn, as this distorts his or her ability to properly interpret outside
references.
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Basic Flight Maneuvers
24. In a 20° banked turn, how far in advance of the desired heading should the pilot begin to roll out and level
the wings?
a) 5°.
b) 10°.
c) 20°.
25. A common error in the performance of level turns is holding excessive __________ in the direction of turn.
26. Why is the normal climb speed generally somewhat faster than the airplane’s speed for best rate of climb?
a) To gain altitude somewhat more quickly.
b) The negative pressure of aileron inputs limit lift.
c) For better engine cooling and forward visibility.
27. How can a pilot use trim in a climb?
a) The same way as in straight and level flight. Fly a chosen pitch attitude in reference to the horizon,
then use trim to remove the control pressures.
b) From straight and level flight, begin the climb by simultaneously adding power and moving the trim
control toward a nose up attitude.
c) Trim should only be used to maintain straight and level flight.
28. How will the altitude gained in a climbing turn compare to the altitude gained in a straight climb?
a) A straight climb will always yield a greater altitude gain than a climbing turn.
b) As the radius of the turn tightens, the aircraft in a climbing turn will gain altitude more quickly than in a
straight climb.
c) The rate of climb is controlled only by throttle setting and airspeed and angle of bank have no impact.
29. The target descent rate in a partial power descent should be ________________.
30. Which airplane will glide at a steeper descent angle, Airplane A with a glide ratio of 10 to 1, or Airplane B
with a glide ratio of 8.5 to 1?
a) Airplane A
b) Airplane B
c) It is not possible to determine from the given information.
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Answers to Study Questions
1. a 14. c
2. feet resting comfortably against the rudder 15. 20° or less
pedals, heels on the floor and the ball of each foot 20° to 45°
touching the pedals 45° or more
3. a 16. b. False
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4. c 17. c
5. pitch control 18. b
bank control 19. increased
power control
trim control 20. the outside wing travels faster (longer distance in
the same time) and develops more lift
6. c
21. c
7. the natural horizon
22. a
8. c
23. c
9. c
24. b
10. b
25. rudder
11. reference point
natural horizon 26. c
12. a 27. a
13. ☐
X Habitually flying with one wing low or 28. a
maintaining directional control using only 29. 500 feet per minute
the rudder control.
☐
X Attempting to establish or correct airplane
30. b
attitude using flight instruments rather
than the natural horizon.
☐
X A tight palm grip on the flight controls
resulting in a desensitized feeling of
the hand and fingers, which results in
overcontrolling the airplane.
☐ Too much time focused outside the
aircraft and not enough reading the flight
instruments.
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