Aviation Knowledge: Flight Instructor (CFI) Ground & Practical Test Review

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering fundamental flight instructor knowledge, human factors, aerodynamics, aircraft systems, FAA regulations, airport operations, and aviation weather based on the lecture notes.

Learning

A change in behavior as a result of experience.

3P Model

A continuous decision-making model consisting of Perceiving hazards using PAVE, Processing potential solutions using CARE, and Performing the best route of action using TEAM.

DECIDE Model

A six-step aeronautical decision-making framework: Detect that a change has occurred, Estimate the need to counter or react, Choose the desired outcome, Identify actions to control the change, Do the action, and Evaluate the success of the action.

Hypoxic Hypoxia

A state of oxygen deficiency in the body resulting from insufficient partial pressure of oxygen in the lungs at higher altitudes, where air molecules are less concentrated despite maintaining the same atmospheric percentage.

Hypemic Hypoxia

An oxygen deficiency occurring when the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is reduced, commonly caused by carbon monoxide inhalation from a leaking exhaust manifold or smoking, anemia, or certain medications.

Stagnant Hypoxia

An oxygen deficiency at the circulatory level occurring when blood flow is compromised by high $G$ forces or heart failure, preventing adequate blood from reaching tissues.

Histotoxic Hypoxia

The inability of body cells and tissues to absorb and utilize delivered oxygen, typically caused by the impairment from drugs or alcohol.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

A form of hypemic hypoxia caused by inhaling colorless, odorless exhaust fumes through firewall openings or cracked heater shrouds; common symptoms include headache, drowsiness, blurred vision, dizziness, and shortness of breath.

Hyperventilation

An abnormal increase in the volume and rate of air breathed in and out of the lungs that leads to an excessive decrease in blood carbon dioxide levels, causing lightheadedness, tingling sensations, blurred vision, and muscle spasms.

Coriolis Illusion

A vestibular spatial disorientation illusion caused by rapid head movements during a constant-rate turn, stimulating fluid in multiple semicircular canals to produce the sensation of turning or tumbling across an entirely different axis.

Time of Useful Consciousness (TUC)

The period of time between the interruption of oxygen supply or exposure to an oxygen-poor environment and the point at which an individual is no longer capable of taking proper corrective and protective action.

Rods and Cones

Photoreceptors of the eye: cones detect color and detail in bright daytime conditions, whereas rods detect shades of gray, function day and night, and provide essential peripheral and night vision.

Runway Incursion

Any occurrence at an aerodrome involving the incorrect presence of an aircraft, vehicle, or person on the protected area of a surface designated for the landing and takeoff of aircraft.

Stopway

An area beyond the takeoff runway paved and designated for deceleration in the event of an aborted or rejected takeoff, marked with yellow chevrons and unusable for taxi, takeoff, or landing.

Demarcation Bar

A yellow-painted bar running across a runway or taxiway that delineates a runway with a displaced threshold from a preceding blast pad, stopway, or aligned taxiway, marking the point where taxi operations are permitted.

Displaced Threshold

A designated threshold located down the runway from the physical beginning, marked by white arrows; available for taxiing and takeoff runs in the direction of the arrows, but prohibited for landing rollout.

LAHSO (Land and Hold Short Operations)

An air traffic control procedure at towered airports permitting simultaneous operations on intersecting runways by clearing an aircraft to land and hold short of an intersecting runway, taxiway, or point.

Precision Runway Markings

Visual airport runway markings containing runway designation markings, centerline markings, threshold markings, aiming point markings, touchdown zone markings, and side stripes.

Runway Centerline Lighting System (RCLS)

Runway lights installed at $50\,\text{ft}$ intervals along the centerline: white from the threshold until $3{,}000\,\text{ft}$ of runway remains, alternating red and white from $3{,}000\,\text{ft}$ to $1{,}000\,\text{ft}$, and solid red for the final $1{,}000\,\text{ft}$.

Visual Approach Slope Indicator (VASI)

A visual glideslope lighting system providing vertical approach guidance normally set to a $3^{\circ}$ path; displays red over white when established on the proper glidepath ('red over white, you are all right').

Tri-Color VASI

A visual approach indicator utilizing a single optical projector to display amber when above the glidepath, green when on the glidepath, and red when below the glidepath.

Declared Distances

Specific operational runway lengths published in the Chart Supplement for performance planning: Takeoff Run Available (TORA), Takeoff Distance Available (TODA), Accelerate-Stop Distance Available (ASDA), and Landing Distance Available (LDA).

Dihedral

The upward angle of an aircraft's wings relative to the lateral horizontal axis from root to tip, designed to provide lateral roll stability by creating an asymmetric angle of attack during a sideslip to roll wings level.

Mean Camber Line

A reference line drawn equidistant between the upper and lower surfaces of an airfoil cross-section, connecting the leading edge to the trailing edge.

Chord Line

An imaginary straight reference line joining the intersections of the mean camber line at the leading and trailing edges of an airfoil.

Angle of Incidence

The fixed acute angle formed between the chord line of an aircraft wing and the longitudinal axis of the fuselage.

Three Axes of Rotation

The three mutually perpendicular axes passing through an aircraft's center of gravity (CG): the longitudinal axis (roll via ailerons), lateral axis (pitch via elevator), and vertical axis (yaw via rudder).

P-Factor

Asymmetric propeller loading resulting in a left-turning tendency at high angles of attack and low airspeeds, caused by the downward-moving propeller blade taking a larger bite of air and producing more thrust than the upward-moving blade.

Torque Effect

A left-turning tendency based on Newton's third law of motion; as the engine and propeller rotate clockwise from the pilot's perspective, an equal and opposite force rolls the aircraft counterclockwise to the left.

Spiraling Slipstream

A left-turning tendency occurring when the slipstream of air accelerated by the rotating propeller spirals in a corkscrew pattern around the fuselage, striking the left side of the vertical tail and yawing the nose left.

Gyroscopic Precession

A gyroscopic property where an external force applied to the rotating disc of a propeller is manifested $90^{\circ}$ ahead in the direction of rotation, resulting in a pitching or yawing moment when aircraft attitude changes.

Adverse Yaw

The undesirable tendency of an airplane to yaw away from the direction of a bank, caused by the extra induced drag generated by the downward-deflected aileron on the rising wing.

Parasite Drag

Aerodynamic resistance created by the aircraft's non-lifting physical surfaces and shape moving through a fluid, composed of form drag, skin friction drag, and interference drag; increases with airspeed.

Induced Drag

Aerodynamic drag created as a direct byproduct of the generation of lift, produced by airflow circulating around wingtips to create trailing vortices; decreases as airspeed increases.

Maneuvering Speed ($V_A$)

The maximum calibrated airspeed at which a pilot may make a single, full, abrupt deflection of one primary flight control in smooth air without exceeding the airframe's limit load factor, ensuring the wing stalls before structural damage occurs.

Ground Effect

An aerodynamic phenomenon occurring within one wingspan of the surface where the ground interrupts wingtip vortex formation, decreasing induced drag and requiring lower power to maintain level flight.

Float-Type Carburetor

An induction system component that meters and atomizes fuel by channeling air through a venturi to create a localized low pressure that draws fuel from a vented float chamber into the airstream.

Carburetor Icing

The accumulation of ice in the venturi throat and throttle valve of a carburetor caused by the temperature drop from fuel vaporization and air expansion; possible in outside air temperatures up to $100^{\circ}\text{F}$ with $50\%$ relative humidity.

Carburetor Heat

An anti-icing and de-icing system that preheats incoming carburetor air via an exhaust shroud, melting ice at the expense of decreasing air density and lowering engine horsepower.

Propeller Governor

An engine-driven unit that uses spinning flyweights, a speeder spring, and a pilot valve to regulate oil flow into and out of a constant-speed propeller hub, automatically maintaining target engine RPM.

Oleo Strut

A hydraulic/pneumatic shock-absorbing cylinder on aircraft landing gear that cushions landing loads using compressed gas (nitrogen or air) and hydraulic fluid.

Aircraft Engine Oil System

A continuous system that circulates pressurized lubricant through an engine-driven pump, oil strainer, filter, bypass valve, and oil cooler to clean, cool, and lubricate engine components.

Vacuum System

An engine-driven pneumatic system that uses suction created by a vacuum pump, filtered through a central air filter and regulated by a relief valve, to drive gyroscopic rotors in instruments like the attitude indicator and directional gyro.

Aircraft Antennas

External transceivers and receivers mounted on an airframe, including blade or whip communication antennas, GPS patch antennas, emergency locator transmitter (ELT) antennas, and horizontal VOR navigation antennas.

Reference Datum

An imaginary vertical plane or line established by the aircraft manufacturer from which all horizontal arm distances are measured for weight and balance computations.

Basic VFR Weather Minimums

Airspace flight visibility and cloud clearance limits codified under 14 CFR 91.155, such as $3\,\text{SM}$ and clear of clouds in Class B, $3\,\text{SM}$ and $500\,\text{ft}$ below, $1{,}000\,\text{ft}$ above, $2{,}000\,\text{ft}$ horizontal ($3\text{-}152$) in Class C, D, and E below $10{,}000\,\text{ft MSL}$, and $5\,\text{SM}$ and $1{,}000\text{/}1{,}000\text{/}1\,\text{SM}$ ($5\text{-}111$) at or above $10{,}000\,\text{ft MSL}$.

RAIM (Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring)

A GPS receiver capability that performs consistency checks on satellite signals; requires $5$ satellites (or $4$ with baro-aiding) to detect an integrity fault, and $6$ satellites (or $5$ with baro-aiding) for fault detection and exclusion (FDE).

Aircraft Transponder Codes

Four-digit discrete transponder squawk codes: $7700$ for general emergencies, $7500$ for hijacking/unlawful interference, $7600$ for lost radio communications, and $1200$ for VFR operations in United States airspace.

Standard Airworthiness Certificate

FAA Form 8100-2, a white certificate certifying that an aircraft meets the standards of 14 CFR for the normal, utility, acrobatic, commuter, or transport category, remaining effective indefinitely as long as maintenance conforms to FAA regulations.

ATOMATOFLAMES and FLAPS

Required instruments and equipment under 14 CFR 91.205: Day VFR requires Airspeed, Tachometer, Oil pressure, Manifold pressure, Altimeter, Temp gauge, Oil temp, Fuel gauge, Landing gear indicator, Anti-collision lights, Magnetic compass, ELT, Safety belts; Night VFR adds Fuses, Landing light (for hire), Anti-collision lights, Position lights, Source of power.

Surface Analysis Chart

An observed synoptic chart issued every $3$ hours showing sea-level pressure patterns, highs and lows, frontal locations, and isobars spaced at $4\,\text{millibar}$ intervals.

Troposphere

The lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere extending from the surface up to $20{,}000\,\text{ft}$ to $36{,}000\,\text{ft}$, containing almost all weather and clouds, characterized by an average temperature lapse rate of $-2^{\circ}\text{C}$ per $1{,}000\,\text{ft}$.

Warm Front

The leading edge of an advancing warm air mass that gently slides upward over a retreating body of cooler, denser air; characterized by low-angle frontal slopes, stratiform cloud layers, and steady precipitation.

Cumulonimbus

An exceptionally tall convective cloud with vertical development reaching stratospheric levels, crowned by a characteristic flat anvil top and associated with severe turbulence, lightning, hail, and tornadoes.

Common Carriage

The commercial transportation of persons or property involving four key legal elements: (1) holding out to the public a willingness to (2) transport persons or property (3) from place to place (4) for compensation or hire.

Category and Class

FAA regulatory groupings: for airmen certification, category includes broad aircraft types (Airplane, Rotorcraft, Glider) and class includes operating environments (Single-Engine Land, Multi-Engine Sea); for aircraft certification, category denotes intended operation (Normal, Utility, Transport) and class corresponds to aerodynamic design (Airplane, Glider, Rotorcraft).

S-Turns Across a Road

A ground reference maneuver consisting of two equal opposite half-circles flown at $1{,}000\,\text{ft AGL}$ perpendicular to a straight ground reference line, requiring steepest bank downwind and shallowest bank upwind to correct for wind drift and maintain a constant radius.

Airworthiness Directives (ADs)

Legally enforceable regulations issued by the FAA under 14 CFR part 39 to correct unsafe operational or design conditions discovered in aircraft, engines, propellers, or appliances; mandatory compliance rests upon the owner or operator.

Form 337

The official FAA Major Repair and Alteration form, signed by an A&P mechanic holding Inspection Authorization (IA), used to document and certify compliance with FAA-approved data when major airframe, engine, or propeller work is performed.

Minimum Equipment List (MEL)

A specific FAA-approved document and Letter of Authorization (LOA) tailored to an operator that permits the legal operation of an aircraft with specified inoperative instruments or equipment items under designated operating limitations.

14 CFR 119.1(e) Exemptions

Specific commercial aviation activities exempt from requiring an air operator certificate, including student flight training, nonstop air tours within $25\,\text{statute miles}$, banner towing, crop dusting, aerial photography, and pipeline patrol.

NTSB Part 830 Aircraft Accident

An occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft between the time any person boards with the intention of flight until all have disembarked, in which any person suffers death or serious injury, or the aircraft receives substantial damage.

Microburst

A severe, localized convective downdraft with peak vertical currents up to $6{,}000\,\text{fpm}$ and a horizontal footprint of $1\text{--}2\,\text{NM}$, lasting $5\text{--}15\,\text{minutes}$, producing critical low-level wind shear hazards.

Pressure Altitude

The indicated altitude read directly from an altimeter when the barometric subscale is set to standard sea level pressure of $29.92\,\text{inHg}$ ($1013.2\,\text{hPa}$).

Density Altitude

Pressure altitude corrected for non-standard temperature, representing the theoretical altitude in the standard atmosphere to which the existing air density corresponds.