PSTAR Navigation and Charts 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When converting a true course to a magnetic course, if the variation is 10° East, what do you do?
- Add 10° to the true course
- Subtract 10° from the true course (Correct answer)
- Add 10° to the magnetic course
- Multiply by the variation factor
Correct answer: Subtract 10° from the true course
East variation is subtracted from true course to get magnetic course (East is Least — subtract East variation).
Question 2: What is a VOR?
- A GPS-based navigation system
- A VHF Omnidirectional Range ground station used for navigation (Correct answer)
- A visual reference for approaches
- A type of airport beacon
Correct answer: A VHF Omnidirectional Range ground station used for navigation
A VOR (VHF Omnidirectional Range) is a ground-based radio navigation station that transmits 360 radials for aircraft navigation.
Question 3: What does a dashed magenta circle on a sectional chart indicate?
- Class D airspace
- Military operations area
- Class E airspace starting at the surface (Correct answer)
- Restricted area
Correct answer: Class E airspace starting at the surface
A dashed magenta circle on a sectional chart indicates Class E airspace that extends to the surface at that airport.
Question 4: What is the purpose of the compass deviation card in an aircraft?
- It records the variation for the flight area
- It shows compass error corrections caused by aircraft magnetic fields (Correct answer)
- It indicates the aircraft's heading limits
- It tracks fuel consumption
Correct answer: It shows compass error corrections caused by aircraft magnetic fields
The deviation card shows corrections for compass errors caused by magnetic fields within the aircraft itself, unique to each aircraft.
Question 5: On a sectional chart, what does a solid magenta circle (airport traffic area symbol) around an airport indicate?
- The airport has IFR approaches
- Class D airspace exists there
- Class C airspace
- The airport has a control tower — Class D airspace (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The airport has a control tower — Class D airspace
A solid blue circle indicates a towered airport within Class D airspace, requiring two-way radio communication before entry.
Question 6: What is the intended use of a Terminal Area Chart (TAC)?
- IFR navigation at high altitudes
- Detailed VFR navigation around complex Class B airspace (Correct answer)
- Ocean crossing navigation
- Helicopter-specific navigation
Correct answer: Detailed VFR navigation around complex Class B airspace
Terminal Area Charts at 1:250,000 scale provide greater detail for VFR pilots navigating around Class B airspace near major airports.
PSTAR Navigation and Charts 2
When converting a true course to a magnetic course, if the variation is 10° East, what do you do?