Summer Pre-Solo Ground School Review

These flashcards cover essential topics from the Summer Pre-Solo Ground School, including required documents, flight and ground training fundamentals, aerodynamics, airport operations, radio communication, airspace, federal regulations, aircraft systems, performance numbers, and basic meteorology.

What personal documents must a student pilot carry while flying?

Government-issued photo ID, valid medical certificate, and student pilot certificate.

What additional item must you bring to every flight lesson besides required documents?

Your logbook.

Name two primary sources for sectional charts and chart supplements used in training.

Paper publications or the ForeFlight app on an iPad.

During early flight training, what flight skills are emphasized before soloing?

Basic flight maneuvers, stalls, steep turns, emergency operations, traffic-pattern work, and landings.

What is the main focus of ground sessions before a student’s solo?

Knowledge required for the Presolo Knowledge Test (airport/airspace, aircraft systems, regulations).

List the four forces of flight.

Lift, Weight, Thrust, and Drag.

In level, unaccelerated flight, how do the four forces of flight relate to each other?

Lift equals Weight and Thrust equals Drag.

Which two physical concepts explain how lift is produced?

Newton’s laws of motion and Bernoulli’s Principle.

Which type of drag increases as airspeed decreases?

Induced drag.

Which type of drag increases as airspeed increases?

Parasite drag.

What aerodynamic condition causes all stalls?

Exceeding the critical angle of attack.

Give the four basic steps to recover from a stall.

Lower the nose, apply full power, reduce flaps as required, and return to normal flight attitude.

Define an aircraft spin.

An aggravated stall with autorotation in which both wings are stalled, one more deeply than the other.

Outline the standard spin-recovery procedure (PARE).

Power idle, Ailerons neutral, Rudder full opposite to rotation, Elevator forward (nose down); then neutralize controls and recover to straight-and-level.

What class of airspace is Danville Airport (KDAN)?

Class E airspace.

State the field elevation of KDAN.

571 feet MSL.

List the two runway pairs and lengths at KDAN.

Runway 2/20: 5,900 × 100 ft; Runway 13/31: 3,910 × 100 ft.

What should a pilot always carry while taxiing to avoid runway incursions?

An airport diagram.

Give the three parts of a correct radio call at a non-towered field.

Who you’re calling, who you are, and your message/intent.

Name the five legs of a standard rectangular traffic pattern.

Upwind, Crosswind, Downwind, Base, Final.

What is the CTAF frequency at KDAN?

123.05 MHz.

Which frequency and transponder code are used for emergencies?

121.5 MHz and transponder code 7700.

What are the controlled classes of airspace?

Classes A, B, C, D, and E.

Which FAR part covers maintenance and allows pilots to perform preventive maintenance?

Part 43 (specifically §43.3 and Appendix A, Subpart C).

What three documents are required to act as Pilot in Command under §61.3?

Photo ID, pilot certificate, and appropriate medical certificate.

How long is a third-class medical valid for pilots under 40? Over 40?

60 months if under 40; 24 months if 40 or older.

When must flights be logged per §61.51?

When used for training or to show currency/experience for a certificate, rating, or recent-experience requirement.

How often is a flight review required under §61.56?

Every 24 calendar months.

What are the 90-day landing currency requirements of §61.57 to carry passengers?

Three takeoffs and landings in the preceding 90 days (to full stop at night).

List three key student-pilot limitations in §61.89.

No passengers, no flight for hire or furtherance of a business, and no international flights (others include visibility and instructor limitations).

What authority and responsibility does §91.3 grant the PIC?

Final authority over the operation of the aircraft and the ability to deviate from rules in an emergency.

According to §91.17, what are the alcohol limits for flying?

No flying within 8 hours after drinking and no blood alcohol content of 0.04% or greater.

What items must be reviewed for preflight planning under §91.103 for local flights?

Runway lengths and takeoff/landing performance data.

Who has right of way when two aircraft are converging at the same altitude?

The aircraft to the other’s right.

State the minimum fuel reserve required under §91.151 for VFR day and night.

30 minutes for day, 45 minutes for night at normal cruise power.

What documents comprise the acronym ARROW required on board?

Airworthiness certificate, Registration certificate, Radio license (if international), Operating limitations/POH, and Weight & Balance data.

In which airspace must a transponder with Mode C be used according to §91.215?

Class A, B, and C airspace, above 10,000 ft MSL (excluding below 2,500 ft AGL), and within the 30-NM Mode C veil around Class B airports.

Identify the aircraft model used in training and its horsepower rating.

Piper Archer PA-28-181 with 180 horsepower at 2,700 RPM.

What is the maximum takeoff weight and usable fuel for the Archer?

Maximum takeoff weight 2,550 lb; usable fuel 48 gal (total 50 gal).

Give the Archer’s best-rate-of-climb speed (Vy) and best-angle-of-climb speed (Vx).

Vy 76 KTAS; Vx 64 KTAS.

What is the never-exceed speed (Vne) for the Archer?

154 KTAS.

Name three primary sources of current aviation weather data.

METARs, PIREPs, and surface analysis charts.

What forecast product gives site-specific weather up to 30 hours?

Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF).

Differentiate between an AIRMET and a SIGMET.

AIRMETs describe moderate hazards mainly for GA aircraft; SIGMETs detail severe hazards like severe icing or turbulence for all aircraft.

List two serious hazards associated with thunderstorms.

Severe turbulence/wind shear and hail (others include lightning, heavy rain, icing, loss of visibility).

Why does global weather occur according to basic meteorology?

Unequal heating of Earth’s surface creates pressure differences that cause air movement, modified by the Coriolis effect.

Describe the direction of rotation around high- and low-pressure systems in the Northern Hemisphere.

Low pressure rotates counter-clockwise; high pressure rotates clockwise.