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Saturday 5th July 2008
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Brainteasers Interactive Quiz #52:
Rules of Thumb

Rules of thumb help to cut pilot workload by substituting a simple rule for what could be a complex calculation. Irv Siegel’s latest quiz is based on a number of such very useful rules. You should be able to answer these questions without resorting to your whiz-wheel, electronic calculator, computers, or even pencil and paper ... and if you can't now, the quiz answers will teach you how.

by Irv Siegel

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.

1. You are intending to fly the 20 DME arc from XYZ VOR radial 184 to radial
214. Your groundspeed is 120 knots. Approximately how much time will be
a. 3 minutes
b. 4 minutes
c. 5 minutes
d. 6 minutes
required?

2. You are approaching to land on a runway where the wind is blowing at 15
a. 6 knots
b. 7 knots
c. 8 knots
crosswind component?


d. 9 knots
e. 10 knots
knots at a 40-degree angle to the runway heading. What is the approximate
3. What approximate bank angle is required for a standard rate turn at a true
a. 20 degrees
airspeed of 130 knots?


b. 25 degrees
c. 30 degrees
d. 35 degrees
4. Your calibrated airspeed at 10,000 feet MSL on a standard day is 150
a. 154 knots
b. 165 knots
c. 174 knots
d. 180 knots
knots. What is your approximate true airspeed?

5. You are in a holding pattern where you are expected to adjust your
a. 32 seconds
b. 39 seconds
c. 45 seconds
d. 48 seconds
headwind, you fly 52 seconds outbound. The resulting inbound leg takes 80
outbound time to accomplish a one-minute inbound leg. Anticipating an inbound
seconds. How long should your next outbound leg be?

6. You want to descend on a three-degree glide path and your groundspeed is
140 knots. What rate of descent should you use?.


a. 500 fpm
b. 600 fpm
c. 700 fpm
d. 800 fpm
7. You want to climb at a gradient of 400 feet per nautical mile. At a ground
a. 500 fpm
b. 600 fpm
c. 700 fpm
d. 800 fpm
speed of 120 knots, what rate of climb will you need?

8. You are planning to make a straight-in non-precision instrument approach.
The MAP is at the runway threshold. Your MDA is 600 feet MSL and the TDZE is 200
a. 1:50
b. 2:00
c. 2:10
d. 2:20
feet MSL. The time from the FAF to the MAP is 2:50. If there is no published VDP
9. You are approaching a VOR and preparing to intercept the 17 DME arc. Your
a. 16.5 DME
b. 17.0 DME
c. 17.5 DME
d. 18.0 DME
groundspeed is 100 knots. At what DME indication should you begin your turn to
intercept the arc?

10. A moist, unstable air mass is sitting over the airport. The temperature
a. 2000 feet
airport would you expect to find the base of the cumuliform clouds?


b. 3000 feet
c. 4000 feet
d. 5000 feet
is 72 degrees F and the dewpoint is 50 degrees F. At what height above the