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Saturday 21st November 2009
Brainteasers
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Brainteasers Interactive Quiz #69:
Talk The Talk

Whether you're talking on a busy air traffic control (ATC) frequency or some sleepy uncontrolled airport's CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency), how you sound determines how others will treat you. When the phraseology is flying fast do you sing like a 747 captain or squawk like Donald Duck? See how you'd treat these snatches of aviation verbiage.

INSTRUCTIONS: Answer the questions as best you can, then click on the "Score my quiz answers" button to see your score and read the explanations. If you don't like your score the first time around, you can change some of your answers and resubmit. To get the most out of this quiz, we suggest you keep trying until you get a perfect score.

NOTE: When more than one answer is true, only the most complete correct answer will be scored as correct.

1. While taxiing toward the active runway at the primary airport in a busy Class B airspace, the pilot calls the tower ready to depart IFR. Tower replies, "Cheyenne Seven Seven Golf, hold short runway 30." The pilot replies "Roger." Enough said?
a. No. Tower must hear the call sign.
b. No. Tower must hear the pilot read back, "Hold short."
c. Yes. "Roger" keeps frequency clutter down.
d. Not unless the pilot's name is, indeed, Roger.
2. The ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) proper phonetic pronunciation of the letter Q is:
a. Kwee-beck
b. Keh-beck
c. Koo-beck
d. Kwuh-beck.
e. Toronto, eh.
3. Bonus ICAO question, eh. The capital of Canada is:
a. Quebec
b. Toronto
c. Regina
d. Ottawa
e. Montreal
4. An abbreviated IFR clearance to hold in a published holding pattern must include:
a. Direction of hold
b. Direction of turns
c. Holding altitude
d. EFC (Expect Further Clearance) time
e. Both a and d
5. While on the ground in Monterey, Calif., the fog arrives on little cat's feet, shutting off VFR operations. Coastal marine layers often have low tops, so you request a climb to VFR-on-Top. Towers says, "Cleared to the Salinas VOR, fly runway heading, climb to and report reaching VFR-on-Top." Other than the usual wind, altimeter, and "Cleared for take-off," what other information must ATC include?
a. Tops report
b. Tops report, but only if it's included in the METAR
c. Tops report, but if tops are unreported the controller can omit this entirely
d. Tops report, even if the tower controller has to estimate the tops
6. Some intrafacility ATC phraseology pilots never hear. For example, when an IFR radar target approaches the boundary to another controller's airspace, and the controller working the target does not want to make a hand-off (transfer identification and communication), the controller must notify the next controller of the target's position by saying:
a. Hey, watch out
b. Cut me a swath
c. Point Up
d. Point Out
7. You're holding short of runway 17 (not at an intersection) and call ready to depart VFR as a King Air lands. Tower ignores you because you're a Cherokee and clears a Citation on a five-mile final to land on runway 17. The tower controller then tells you, "Cherokee Eight Seven One, taxi into position and hold, traffic rolling out and a Citation on four-mile final." You acknowledge and taxi into position. The King Air clears the runway, and tower clears you for takeoff. You depart and are shipped to departure control. Did the tower controller skip any important phraseology in that routine procedure?
a. Yes. You weren't told, "Good day."
b. Yes. The tower controller never told the Citation crew that you were holding on the runway.
c. No. The tower was not required to issue traffic because tower applies visual separation between departures and arrivals.
d. Yes. Tower should've issued alternate no radio instructions.
8. Winds are calm, and the sky is clear with 10 miles visibility. Ground control at the primary airport in Class C airspace says, "Bonanza Zero Lima Mike, taxi to runway 23." As the pilot approaches the intersection of runway 30, which is not closed, the pilot must stop and call ground control for further clearance to cross runway 30.
a. True
b. False
9. After landing at an unfamiliar airport at night you're told to "Taxi to the ramp via Charlie, Echo, Echo-One, Outer, Inner, Connector, Cargo, and something that sounds like a New Jersey Turnpike exit." You're lost. The phraseology for getting ATC directions is:
a. Request progressive
b. Hold my hand
c. You really expect me to remember all that?
d. I am, like, so totally lost
10. When approach control says, "Say airspeed," or, "Say speed," you should report your:
a. Groundspeed
b. Calibrated True Airspeed
c. Indicated Airspeed in Knots
d. Indicated Airspeed in MPH
11. Companion question. When that same controller says, "Say heading," you should state:
a. The aircraft's compass course
b. The aircraft's ground track
c. The aircraft's actual heading
d. The heading you were assigned and can't seem to hold