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Friday 4th July 2008
Brainteasers
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Brainteasers Interactive Quiz #28:
Slow Flight and Stalls

It takes knowledge, talent, and practice to be able to fly an aircraft at the edge of its performance envelope, especially at the lower airspeed limits. Pilots learn some of these maneuvers in preparation for a private, commercial, or flight instructor practical test, but unless they are practiced on a regular basis, knowledge decays and skill atrophies, often to the point where the benefits of the original training are all but lost. Irv Siegel's latest interactive quiz will help you gauge how much you remember about this stuff, and perhaps serve as a reminder that we all need to get out and practice it from time to time in order to maintain our basic pilot skills.

by Irv Siegel

This quiz is based largely on information in the publication FAA-H-8083-3, Airplane Flying Handbook, published in 1999.

1. According to the FAA, what is the definition of slow flight?
a. The slowest airspeed at which the airplane is capable of maintaining controlled
b. Any airspeed that is less than cruise airspeed
c. Any airspeed less than 1.3 Vso
flight without stalling

2. What is the purpose of practicing slow flight?
a. To determine the characteristic control responses of a given airplane
b. To develop the pilot's sense of feel and ability to use the controls correctly
c. To improve proficiency in performing maneuvers that require slow airspeeds
d. both a and b
e. a and b and c
3. Maneuvering during slow flight should be performed using
a. instrument indications only
b. outside visual reference only
c. both instrument indications and outside visual reference
4. During flight at minimum airspeed, what statement is true regarding the use of the
a. Rolling in and out of turns requires less rudder than rolling at normal airspeeds
airspeeds


b. Rolling in and out of turns requires the same amount of rudder as rolling at normal
c. Rolling in and out of turns requires more rudder than rolling at normal airspeeds
rudder controls?

5. While practicing flight at minimum airspeed, you accidentally stall the aircraft.
This could be caused by


a. A steep bank that necessitated increasing the angle of attack to maintain altitude
b. Abrupt or rough control movements
c. Abruptly raising the flaps
d. a or b
e. a or b or c
6. While flying over some property that you own, you swoop down to get a better look.
As you pull up, you feel a buffeting, but a glance at the airspeed indicator shows that
a. You are not in danger of stalling
b. You may be on the brink of an accelerated stall
c. Your airspeed indicator is faulty
your airspeed is well above Vs. Therefore,

7. You cannot stall an aircraft as long as you
a. maintain an airspeed above Vs
b. maintain a nose low or a level pitch attitude
c. never use abrupt control movement
d. never exceed the critical angle of attack
8. Pilots are taught that an important action during stall recovery is the application
a. With maximum power, it's not possible for the aircraft to remain stalled
b. The application of power will assist in lowering the nose
c. The application of power will decrease the amount of altitude lost
of maximum power. The reason for this is

9. While flying at minimum airspeed, the aircraft suddenly goes into a bank to the
a. use left aileron to level the wings
b. lower the flaps to get more control
c. initiate stall recovery procedures
d. decrease the power to idle to prevent rapid airspeed gain
right. Your first reaction should be to

10. Is it more dangerous to stall when slipping or skidding?
a. Slip, skid, what's the difference? A stall is a stall.
b. Skid, because the lower wing will stall first
c. Slip, because you're already losing altitude
11. While on a power-off final approach, you notice that the aircraft that landed ahead
a. the abrupt application of power increases stall speed
b. this scenario accounts for most stall-spin accidents
c. if you do not re-trim the aircraft, the nose may rise sharply and may put you
dangerously close to a stall


of you is not going to clear the runway in time for you to land. You apply full power for
12. True or false: All airplanes are equipped with either an aural or a visual stall
a. True
b. False
warning device.