Aircraft Maintenance & Pre-flight Inspection Flashcards
7 cards from real FAA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Aircraft Maintenance & Pre-flight Inspection flashcards as text
What is the function of an Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) in a multirotor sUAS?
Answer: It regulates the speed of each motor based on flight controller commands
ESCs receive signals from the flight controller and regulate the electrical power delivered to each motor to achieve the desired speed and direction.
During pre-flight, you discover that the Return-to-Home (RTH) altitude is set lower than the tallest obstacle in your operating area. What should you do?
Answer: Increase the RTH altitude above the tallest obstacle before flight
If RTH altitude is lower than surrounding obstacles, an automatic RTH event could cause the drone to collide with buildings, trees, or terrain.
Which of the following maintenance actions requires logging in the maintenance record for a sUAS under Part 107?
Answer: Any maintenance or alteration that the remote pilot deems significant
While Part 107 does not mandate specific maintenance record formats, remote pilots are responsible for determining and documenting maintenance they consider significant to airworthiness.
Why is it important to let LiPo batteries cool down before recharging them after a flight?
Answer: Charging warm LiPo batteries increases the risk of swelling, fire, or reduced cell life
Charging a LiPo battery while it is still warm from flight stresses the cells and significantly increases the risk of thermal runaway, swelling, or fire.
A remote pilot notices the sUAS drifts consistently to the left when hovering with no control inputs. What is the most likely cause?
Answer: Compass or accelerometer miscalibration or a motor/prop imbalance
Consistent drift in hover usually indicates sensor calibration issues, a motor running slower than the others, or a damaged/imbalanced propeller.
What does inspecting the gimbal for proper operation during pre-flight include?
Answer: Checking that the gimbal self-levels correctly, moves freely, and shows no physical damage
A functional gimbal pre-flight check confirms it initializes correctly, self-levels, moves through its full range without binding, and has no physical cracks or loose parts.
Under what condition should a remote pilot ground a sUAS due to a battery issue discovered during pre-flight?
Answer: If the battery shows physical swelling, damage, or fails to reach normal voltage
Swollen, physically damaged, or under-performing batteries present a serious fire and flight-failure risk and must not be used until inspected or replaced.