TBAS Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield TBAS facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. When the static port becomes blocked in level flight, which group of instruments is affected? → Airspeed indicator, altimeter, and VSI
2. What is the most important control input when performing the Horizontal Tracking Test? → Aileron deflection
3. Within the TBAS multitasking environment, what is the specific and primary role of 'working memory' regarding the auditory challenge? → Actively holding the set of target numbers for ongoing comparison.
4. The Horizontal Tracking Control portion of the TBAS is fundamentally designed to assess a candidate's proficiency in which area? → Psychomotor skills and foot-eye coordination.
5. If the attitude indicator shows the miniature aircraft below the horizon bar with wings level, what is the aircraft doing? → Flying in a nose-low (descending) attitude
6. If a pilot makes a 45° turn to the left from a heading of 180°, what is the new heading? → 135°
7. Which of the following is a common mistake pilots make during the Horizontal Tracking Test? → Using the rudder instead of the ailerons for horizontal adjustments
8. Which color arc on the airspeed indicator represents the safe flap-operating speed range? → White arc
9. What role does hand-eye coordination play in the Horizontal Tracking Test? → It assists in tracking the target accurately
10. Your UAV is on a heading of 045° (Northeast). From your perspective in the UAV, the Southern target would be located generally... → Behind and to the right
11. How can a pilot determine if they are overcorrecting during the Horizontal Tracking Test? → The target oscillates from left to right
12. The red radial line on an airspeed indicator marks which critical speed? → Never-exceed speed (Vne)
13. When the miniature aircraft symbol on an attitude indicator appears above the artificial horizon bar with wings level, the aircraft is in what attitude? → Nose-high (climbing) attitude
14. In the Combined Tracking Coordination subtest of the TBAS, which controls are used to manage the two separate visual tracking tasks? → Rudder pedals for horizontal tracking, joystick for vertical tracking.
15. On a three-pointer altimeter, the shortest needle points to 1, the medium needle points to 5, and the longest needle points to 3. What altitude is indicated? → 1,530 feet
16. What role does hand-eye coordination play in the Airplane Tracking Test? → It assists in tracking the target accurately
17. Which instrument is used to determine the rate of altitude change rather than the actual current altitude? → Vertical speed indicator (VSI)
18. In the Northern Hemisphere, a magnetic compass will do which of the following when turning toward north? → Lag behind the actual heading
19. A UAV is currently oriented on a heading of 270° (West). From the pilot's point of view, where is the Northern target located? → To the right
20. Which of the following scenarios accurately describes the main objective of the standalone Horizontal Tracking Control test? → Use rudder pedals to keep a box centered over an icon that moves only left and right.
21. On a standard airspeed indicator, the yellow arc represents which speed range? → Caution range — smooth air only
22. If an aircraft is heading north (0°) and makes a 90° turn to the right, what will be its new heading? → 90° (East)
23. What is the opposite heading of 120°? → 300°
24. If the target moves to the right of center on the display, what corrective action should the pilot take? → Apply left aileron
25. Which of the following is the most effective mental strategy for succeeding in the TBAS multitasking section? → Develop a scan or rhythm, continuously cycling attention between all required tasks.
26. An aircraft is on a heading of 90° and needs to make a course correction of 270° to the right. What will be its new heading? → 180°
27. Which of the following scenarios is correct? Your UAV is heading 360° (North) and the target to the West is requested. → The target is to the left.
28. A pilot in IMC notices the altimeter, VSI, and airspeed indicator all appear frozen at their last values simultaneously. The most likely cause is: → A blocked static port
29. During a standard rate turn, how long does it take to complete a full 360-degree turn? → 2 minutes
30. Without a visible natural horizon (at night or in clouds), why can a pilot not reliably sense aircraft attitude without instruments? → The vestibular (inner ear) system produces false or misleading attitude cues