Flight test Ground questions

[mucktuk]

Hey peeps,

In a recent event, I have lost my ground work bible. A binder full of questions that I or others have been asked before a ride. Any chance any of you fine individuals have something similar, and are willing to share? Mabey an electronic copy?
If not lets start one here, that can continuously be added to and amended. Lets make this a positive thread that all can benifet from.


P.S. Here is a bear

[just curious]

While I am not prepared to give up any of my cache of evil check ride questions, it seems to me the thing to do is at least be able to discuss the limitations of your aircraft, engine, speed, weights.
There are limitations on Takeoff, approach, landing, and alternate. Handy to know, not just for a ride.
If you are working, then the essential bits of your Ops Manual and SOPs. Ops Specs, training requirements, normal operating procedures.

Give me those during a ride, and fly the plane. That's it.

[Beefitarian]

What are the Vx, Vy, Vs0, Vs1, Va, Vno, Vfe, Vne, of this aircraft?

[Dagwood]

In addition to the above;

For a PPL, anything in the emergency section of the POH is fair game (by memory). Other topics include flight planning for the route you've planned, basic Air regs, ect...

For an IFR flight test, know all PPL stuff as well as the CAP, Cap Gen, LO chart, IFR procedures, approach ban, alternate requirements, ect...

For a CPL flight test, again know all PPL stuff and be sure you can find any information in the POH, AIM, CFS, CARs, more detailed flight planning ect... Also, be sure you know where to find any answer to a question that may arise in a commercial operation. If you start looking in the AIM for duty day limits, you'll be in trouble.

For a PPC or similar, know all CPL items, as well as know your company's SOPs, Ops Specs, AOM, ect. If you also renew your IFR at the same time, Low visibility ops, IFR Procedures, Approach ban for commercial ops, Flight planning, maybe uncontrolled IFR ect...

This is not a complete list. Anything you should know might be asked.

[KK7]

Anything related to aircraft systems that should be known by a pilot. Personally, I'm a big systems guy, and that has helped me a lot in a practical way because the reality is, airplanes break, and often at the worst possible time. Understanding how the system works and what limitations you must deal with if something stops working, and knowing in what state it stops working in, is essential for handling an emergency. Often times this information is simply memorized, but not understood. I find it much easier to remember things if I understand how it works rather than memorizing text from a book, and can think my way through it rather than trying to remember if I got this or that right from my memory. Also, things rarely break in a textbook fashion and pilots are forced to come up with their own plan.

Anyways, way back when I started off getting my PPL, I was asked quite a few questions on the ground relating to systems, like describe the electrical system, hydraulic system, what happens if I turn this switch off, how is the fuel fed to the engine, etc. That got me really into looking this stuff up when learning a new airplane, and discovered how fascinating it is how every airplane has many unique systems. Later, I found it useful to ask these questions to my students or when conducting check rides, and kept digging until the student/candidate didn't know, then we could throw in a little lesson into it, even on rides. Typically on rides, I'd ask 3 questions, and typically always in the cockpit so that we're in the right environment, and the student has gauges and placards at his/her discretion: Two questions, the first one simple, the second one harder, that the candidate must know the answer to these; The thirds question is a tough one the student may not know, but I do not provide the answer even if they don't know it - they must look it up and get back to me with the answer, so that I know they know how to find information.

I've seen some silly questions though, like some obscure pressure in a fuel line, and the examiner demands the exact pressure. If the pressure is in fact really important for that particular system, then okay, but usually it isn't. All you need to know is that there is some high pressure fuel flowing through this line from here to there. Basic descriptions of systems are good, some details but the student isn't designing the airplane.

[mucktuk]

Thanks for the replies so far! I think you're missing the point though. Aside from the obvious: speeds, limitations, systems, and QRH stuff for a given type. Along with company specific things such as SOP's, Op's spec's, and general knowledge of the COM/FOM, MEL, etc....

I'm talkin more generic questions, not type or company specific. (which was %75 of my lost binder). I know where to find most things but I'm what some people like to call "lazy". (At least when it comes to studying)

Some examples:

Required climb gradients
Loseing a fan on a SID
Holding speeds
Alternate Minima (Canada, and international)
requirements to shoot a Cat 2 ILS etc...

Basically the meat and potatoes of the CARS/FARS/JEPP stuff etc. Any Weird questions you've been asked. I'm more interested in 704/705 stuff, but all are welcome. We could post links to specific questions if need be. I have a pairing to do, but will start posting some Q and A's soon. I'm sure there's a wealth of knowledge here..lets share it!

[boogs82]

I think it's nice that people are sharing this and forgive me if I'm out of line but I mean this in the most respectful way. Lazy is what can get people hurt or killed. Now I'm hoping you mean lazy in the sense that you don't want to memorize stuff that's out of the ordinary. I hope you're not lazy when it does come to aircraft and the limitations imposed upon them. If I'm seeing something you didn't intend, sorry. But that's just the feeling I'm getting.

[Dagwood]

If you need to have a binder to know what to do when you "lose a fan on a SID" or what your "Holding speeds" are, maybe flying isn't your cup of tea (especially if you are a line pilot)

[gabo]

I've had 5 rides with 5 different examiners and each one of them asked me a question about Takeoff Alternates. This usually leads to getting asked a scenario where your given Wx and asked if that airport qualified as a T/O alternate.

[Beefitarian]

I've had 5 rides with 5 different examiners and each one of them asked me a question about Takeoff Alternates. This usually leads to getting asked a scenario where your given Wx and asked if that airport qualified as a T/O alternate.

I'm in trouble here. I can never remember if I need to include fuel reserves for the taxi to the alternate or if I can get away with out if they have fuel available.

[rooster]

Hey peeps,

In a recent event, I have lost my ground work bible. A binder full of questions that I or others have been asked before a ride. Any chance any of you fine individuals have something similar, and are willing to share? Mabey an electronic copy?
If not lets start one here, that can continuously be added to and amended. Lets make this a positive thread that all can benifet from.


P.S. Here is a bear

Personally, you should know pretty much everything about the airplane, IFR/VFR rules and CARS regarding 703, 704 and/or 705 ops. People posting specifics isn't going to help nor does it reflect well on your confidence. Most pilots I know go into ride ground briefings knowing their stuff without the need of cheat sheets and binders. I certainly hope this isn't for a left seat ride. Either way, even as a co-pilot, you're still a captain in training. Hope you see where I'm getting at. Don't take it personally.

[200hr Wonder]

Personally, you should know pretty much everything about the airplane, .

Wow, I sure don't know everything about my airplane! That is why I have a thick ass AFM will all kinds of great info in it. What you need to be able to do is know how to find the correct info and fast. Don't be afraid to use the AFM! For example, if you are asked about take off/landing distance, the examiner does not want some number. Go to the book, look it up, and say here it is. Same goes for an IFR ride. Can you shoot the approach? Grab the plate say, well see here is the advisory limits for this airport. It also shows that this is a strait in NBD approach with high intensity approach lighting, we have Op Spec 99 so according to this chart (Approach ban one) we can go to 50% which is. Doing so proves 2 things. One you know your material and 2 you don't just know the answer for this question but for EVERY possible scenario. Just apply your knowledge. The things you need to know from memory are very limited and in fact seem to be less and less the more you get into aviation. TOLD cards are wonderful. What Vr going to be? Look it up on the TOLD, Vref, on the TOLD etc. etc. etc.

Emergencies, spit out the memory items, grab the QRH and read em out. There is way too much to remember what you must know 100% is memory items which are clearly stated in guide and where and how to use your resources.