| Put your aviation knowledge to the test with these interactive quizzes.
- Quiz #171: Take a Flying Vacation
- School's out for summer, Alice, but the testing continues. And no pilot shall be left behind in the drive for the perfect summer flying vacation, provided you answer these 10 ... no, make that 11 ... questions.
- Quiz #170: Hands Off My Airspace!
- The instant an aircraft levitates, it's operating within some form of regulated airspace. So, while the FAA continues to seek funding for its Airspace Museum in Washington, D.C., test your grasp of this elusive administrative ether. (OK, there is no such place as the Airspace Museum. Would that be dull or what? It's recommended, instead, that you visit the Air & Space Museum the next time you're in D.C.)
- Quiz #169: Billions and Billions
- Let's not exaggerate the threats to aviation, but knowing what might divert your flight and how to utilize available resources could save you billions and billions of dollars. Or at least help you ace this quiz. (Includes results of the reader survey to determine the most beautiful airplane.)
- Quiz #168: Dreams Are Made Of This
- It's not just how well you fly that makes a great pilot. How good you look in flight also matters. Let's test your ability to look and fly smart by exploring the possibilities of aeronautical form and function. (Includes a new survey to determine the most beautiful airplane.)
- Quiz #167: Stand By
- Operating out of the same airports leads to familiarity, which can breed complacency. That's when you're likely to encounter something that's a little off your grid. Help us find our way back by acing this quiz.
- Quiz #166: Working The Angles
- The shortest distance between two points sometimes involves more than a straight line. Whether VFR or IFR, aviation is loaded with angles, and without bending too many rules, see how you can work the answers to this quiz. (Includes results of the General Aviation Party's primary election!)
- Quiz #165: Something For Everyone
- Whether you're a student anticipating your first solo, a commercial pilot upgrading to turbines or a presidential candidate lost in Iowa, this quiz will tax your ability to identify the truth. (Politicians will be graded on a curve.)
- Quiz #164: Down to Minimums
- ATC does not treat IFR and VFR pilots equally, but VFR pilots can benefit from a grasp of IFR procedures. See how much you know about the dark art of instrument procedures by unraveling this quiz.
- Quiz #163: Sound Good, Fly Sharp
- Flying's easy. Sounding good on the radio while talking to ATC or swapping position reports on CTAF takes panache and a firm grasp of FAA-approved/suggested phraseology. Discover how smooth you sound by taking this quiz.
- Quiz #162: Global Consistency Is Near
- Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." The FAA is on an unstoppable quest to achieve universality in aviation terminology. See if your answers are consistently correct in this quiz.
- Quiz #161: Aloha and Cleared For Takeoff
- Navigating the Hawaiian Islands is fairly easy: Look across the water for your island destination and, then, go there. It's like stepping across stones on a koi pond. Navigating tropical regulations takes mastery of this quiz.
- Quiz #160: FAR Review
- The FAA was shocked -- shocked! -- to learn that, despite rules that air traffic controllers shan't snooze on the job, some sleep-starved staff have vectored in the arms of Morpheus. See what FARs might be lost in your dreams.
- Quiz #159: Separation Anxiety
- Everyone knows that air traffic controllers keep aircraft from bumping into each other, but just how much separation does ATC provide? That's not an essay question. Instead, separate fact from misconceptions about ATC service in this quiz.
- Quiz #158: We Need More Pilots
- As the pilot population declines, the Department of Transportation might consider listing Pilotus americanus on the endangered species list. Reverse this decline by recruiting new students who will marvel at your score on this quiz.
- Quiz #157: Emergencies
- Like art, an in-flight emergency is in the eye of the beholder. And if you're holding the throttle attached to a sputtering engine, then it's time to stay calm and fly this quiz.
- Quiz #156: What Next?
- Successful aviating involves more than just doing the right thing. Aeronautical nirvana is achieved when you also know the proper sequence of events. How well you can predict the future will determine your quiz score.
- Quiz #155: Free Stuff
- Free beer tomorrow; free lift today! That's not the FAA's new slogan but, instead, a reminder that some things in life -- and flight -- are free. Defend your free access to the sky by acing this free quiz.
- Quiz #154: What The World Needs Now ...
- ... is more pilots. And some pilots need to become professional flyers, even if the airlines keep merging into one. So, if you're ready to fly for hire -- or for food -- ace this Commercial-pilot quiz.
- Quiz #153: Call the Tower
- When something goes awry en route, ATC has a specific, Miranda-like phrase to let you know you've screwed up and need to make a few phone calls. Test your knowledge of reportable values in this quiz.
- Quiz #152: Master the Forces of the Universe
- The aviator's universe exists inside that thin layer of nitrogen, oxygen and spent carbon surrounding the earth. How you maneuver through the ether determines aeronautical success. How you answer the following questions determines your score.
- Quiz #151: Something Special in the Air(space)
- Special Use Airspace (SUA) isn't special because Mr. Rogers said so. Instead, it's special because someone inside that airspace may be taking aim at you. Show your special grasp of SUA by acing this quiz.
- Quiz #150: Cumulonimbi
- Whatever the time of year, thunderstorms can be a real showstopper for flight. Test your knowledge of CBs and TCUs before your passengers can scream, "OMG!"
- Quiz #149: On Other Than Fixed Wings
- What if airfoils spun to produce lift? What if a gas that makes your voice sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks lifted an aircraft? And what if someone wrote a quiz about it? You'd ace it, right?
- Quiz #148: Whaddya Know?
- Airlines lock their flight crews in the cockpit so passengers won't embarrass them by asking a lot of tough questions. We have no such qualms. Time to unlock your pilot minds and take this quiz.
- Quiz #147: From Briefing to Touchdown
- From preflight briefing to IFR cancellation, the PIC faces a boatload of Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM). Helping, or hindering, are countless FARs and AIM suggestions. Count how many you can handle with this quiz.
- Quiz #146: Obscure Regulations
- Seemingly insignificant regulations can bite. So bite back and defang the FAA's oft-overlooked regs by testing your grasp of the Code of Federal Regulations. (Think old-school FARs, if you like. We do.)
- Quiz #145: Speed and Altitude
- Go fast, go high. But before you reach beyond the surly bonds, make sure you know the territory or at least the terminology by acing this quiz.
- Quiz #144: Cross-Country Planning
- Dig through the closet and dust off Mom's old E6B flight computer, because it's time to go old school with a cross-country planning quiz. (You'll get your GPS back later.)
- Quiz #143: Mommy, Where Does Lift Come From?
- Eventually, all pilots face the uncomfortable moment when passengers ask about the facts of flight. Don't blush, stammer or tell them to "Go ask your flight instructor." Instead, tell them to take this quiz.
- Quiz #142: Tame That Checkride
- All pilots experience the jitters when the Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) slithers into the aircraft and hisses, "Let's see what you know ..." So, let's quell all fears and see what you know about Practical Tests Standards.
- Quiz #141: Through The System
- While you navigate the National Airspace System (NAS), air traffic controllers apply a slug of rules to keep it all flowing. The more you know about how the system works, the smoother you'll sound.
- Quiz #140: Winter Be Damned
- When temperatures drop below an acceptable level of civility, pilots must face some cold realities: What you don't know about ice could severely chill your flight plans. Ace this ice-bound quiz to once again feel the warmth.
- Quiz #139: Good Night, Moon
- As winter approaches, days get shorter ... well, not shorter; they're still 24 hours each, but they do get darker. To master nighttime's dark side, shed light on the following questions.
- Quiz #138: Watch Out For That Tree
- TERPS means terminal instrument procedures, and procedure designers (a.k.a., TERPSters) build safe arrival and departure paths to clear ridges, trees and tall shrubbery near many airports. Test your TERPS savvy or prepare to bring us that shrubbery.
- Quiz #137: Twilight Zones
- Submitted for your consideration: VFR and IFR procedures with one foot in the 1950s and the other in your 21st-century cockpit. Despite satnav bliss, the National Airspace System (NAS) clings to archaic items that you should know.
- Quiz #136: Adrift in an Unstable Sky
- In a stable world, the weather is never claggy, airplanes fly upright and avgas is 50 cents per gallon. Sorry, this quiz is in the real, unstable world, so straighten up and answer right.
- Quiz #135: Summertime ...
- ... and the flyin' is easy, provided you remember a few things about warmed-up air molecules, hot holding patterns and steamed air traffic controllers working vacation overtime.
- Quiz #134: Give Yourself WINGS
- Time to blow off a little steam -- FAASTeam. That's shorthand for FAA Safety Team, a relatively new program promoting aviation safety. Test your knowledge of the program and some of its hotter topics.
- Quiz #133: Stuff You Should've Learned in Ground School
- Chances are you learned how to convert Celsius to Frankenstein, but can you remember all the other testable -- and forgettable -- minutiae from your primary training days? Neither can we, so let's see what you know.
- Quiz #132: Peek Behind the ATC Curtain
- The Pilot/Controller Glossary contains terms used on both sides of the NAS fence. Too often, pilots don't understand controller phrases, and controllers don't know the pilot stuff. You'll know it all by acing this quiz.
- Quiz #131: Reflections On Short Final
- When you're on final, aiming for the numbers, with passengers squawking, "Are we there yet?" there's little time to preplan. So, take a moment -- assuming you're not on final -- to test your approaches to landing.
- Quiz #130: Weather or Not
- Clouds, as Joni Mitchell warns, may get in your way, but knowing what's around you in the atmosphere turns weather challenges into clear skies. Well, maybe not, but it makes answering these questions much easier.
- Quiz #129: Winter Sport Flying
- "Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but ski-flying is so delightful. So long as you fly in Minnesota, let it snow, let it snow ..." Who're we kiddin'? Winter sucks. So hasten spring's arrival by smoking this quiz.
- Quiz #128: Go Global
- Some things old, some things new and a few things out of the blue make up the way we navigate. Answer the following questions correctly and you're cleared direct-to anywhere in the world, with your GPS.
- Quiz #127: Ramp Check
- Run away! Run away! No, it's not that scary. You can turn the tables on an FAA spot-inspection by having your paperwork in order and answering a few questions.
- Quiz #126: Control Input
- Ercoupe pilots, cover your ears. The rest of you, please get your feet off the floorboards and help us get a grip on a few questions about control surfaces. Proper input coordination is required.
- Quiz #125: What's Up?
- The sky's the limit of infinite possibilities when you don't let terminology and regulations hold you down. Let's dissect a few loftier ones to answer questions that have teased aeronautical brains since before Pratt met Whitney.
- Quiz #124: Back To School Quiz
- Shoes shined and hair slicked down, let's see what you remember after the long summer's break. Those who don't score well on this quiz will be forced to spend more time at the airport.
- Quiz #123: IFR Update
- Home from Oshkosh, your head is filled with Sean Tucker acrobatics in the fourth dimension. But darkening skies delay your dreams of air-show stardom as you pause to demonstrate your IFR savvy with a quiz.
- Quiz #122: Welcome To Brainteaser Refresher Camp
- Camp Wannaflybettah is open to pilots who obey a few camp rules: Don't drink from the seaplane pond, believe anything in the pilots' lounge or swallow the occasional red herring in the following questions.
- Quiz #121: Stress -- Deal With It
- Stress accompanies flight -- Don't Panic! Some stress is good, some not so. Recently, while checking out in a stubby-winged Thorp T-18, the Brainteaser author stressed himself and the airplane. Share the humiliation and test your stress limits.
- Quiz #120: Something Old, Something New
- As the tsunami of change washes over the FAA, leaving it groping for a user-fee lifeline, pilots know to surf the crest, riding old terms, new ways and hope into aviation's future.
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