Aviation Instruments and Cockpit Familiarization Flashcards
7 cards from real SIFT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Aviation Instruments and Cockpit Familiarization flashcards as text
What is the purpose of the magnetic compass in the cockpit?
Answer: To provide a direct reading of magnetic heading without electrical power
The magnetic compass is a self-contained, non-electrical instrument that directly detects the Earth's magnetic field to give the pilot a magnetic heading reference.
During a turn to the north in the Northern Hemisphere, a magnetic compass will typically:
Answer: Overshoot — indicate past north before settling
Due to compass dip and northerly turning error in the Northern Hemisphere, the compass overshoots when rolling out of a turn to north, requiring the pilot to roll out early.
Which instrument would a pilot check first to identify spatial disorientation (vestibular illusion) in IMC?
Answer: Attitude indicator
The attitude indicator provides an immediate, reliable picture of pitch and bank and is the primary reference to correct spatial disorientation since human senses are unreliable in clouds.
An airspeed indicator marked with a yellow arc indicates:
Answer: Caution range — smooth air operations only
The yellow arc on an airspeed indicator represents the caution range where flight should be conducted only in smooth air, between Vno (maximum structural cruising speed) and Vne (never-exceed speed).
What does a red radial line on an airspeed indicator represent?
Answer: Never-exceed speed (Vne)
The red radial line marks Vne (never-exceed speed); exceeding this airspeed risks structural failure of the airframe.
The vertical speed indicator (VSI) shows a pilot:
Answer: Rate of climb or descent in feet per minute
The VSI measures the rate of change in static pressure and displays the aircraft's rate of climb or descent, typically in hundreds of feet per minute.
If a pitot tube becomes blocked (e.g., by ice), which instrument is most directly affected?
Answer: Airspeed indicator
The airspeed indicator depends on pitot (ram) air pressure; a blocked pitot tube removes this input, causing the airspeed to read incorrectly or freeze.