Private Pilot License (PPL) Aircraft General Knowledge (AGK) Practice Test

These questions are part of the practice quiz. Start practicing

• Which statement best describes the role of NOTAMs in flight planning?
• What is the proper procedure for performing a forced landing after engine failure?
• Which circuit is used to energize the alternator's field winding?
• What is best glide speed and when is it used?
• Turning errors occur where?
• When activated, an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) transmits on which frequencies?
• The battery in an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) must be replaced after what portion of its useful life?
• Which statement best describes the effect of increasing density altitude on airframe performance?
• In a constant-speed propeller installation, which statement best describes the function of the propeller control?
• Which CG position generally decreases lateral stability and makes the aircraft less resistant to stall characteristics?
• What are the essential steps in a standard preflight planning for a VFR cross-country?
• Which fuel condition is most likely to cause detonation?
• Preflight action requires pilots to determine current weather reports, fuel requirements, alternate course of action, traffic delays, including what?
• If the airplane is in straight-and-level flight, which statement best describes the forces?
• What are the three pitot-static instruments?
• What should be the first action after starting an aircraft engine?
• What are the four strokes of a typical four-stroke engine cycle, in their correct order?
• What is the difference between METAR and TAF?
• What does the red line on an airspeed indicator represent?
• What is the primary purpose of the rudder on an airplane?
• During engine failure, why is maintaining best glide speed critical?
• If the Pitot drain hole is open but the static hole is blocked, which readings are affected?
• The powerplant converts chemical energy to mechanical energy.
• When flying with a strong headwind aloft, what adjustments are typically considered?
• The excitation current path for an airplane alternator is typically described as which circuit?
• Which procedure is recommended to verify that the ELT has not been activated?
• What is the purpose of the landing checklist and crew resource management in small aircraft?
• What is the difference between an Annual inspection and a 100-hour inspection for small aircraft?
• What is the function of magnetos in a piston-engine ignition system?
• Which pressure from the pitot-static system is used by the airspeed indicator?
• The angle of attack is defined as the angle between which two lines?
• The term 'excitation' in an alternator refers to current in which circuit?
• Which statement about alternator excitation is true?
• A precaution for operation of an engine with a constant-speed propeller is to avoid which operating condition?
• The allowable rpm drop for each is?
• The angle of attack is defined as the angle between the wing chord line and the relative wind.
• When carburetor heat is applied and ice is not present, what happens to engine RPM?
• During a climb, which action helps to cool an overheating engine?
• When carburetor heat is applied, what happens to the fuel-to-air ratio?
• Define center of gravity and why is its position critical to flight safety?
• Which term describes the angular difference between true north and magnetic north?
• Which of the following is a class of aircraft?
• Partial-panel procedures: what is their purpose in flight?
• If the recommended octane is not available, which fuel should be substituted?
• Which instrument is used to measure the rate of climb or descent?
• If the center of gravity is outside the approved forward or aft limits, what is a likely handling characteristic?
• What primarily causes adverse yaw during a standard turn?
• In a four-stroke engine, how does the camshaft speed compare to the crankshaft speed?
• What is the standard rate of turn in degrees per second?
• If one magneto fails in a dual ignition system, what is the expected effect on engine performance?
• What is the typical go-around procedure in a light airplane after an unstabilized approach?
• How is engine operation controlled on an engine equipped with a constant-speed propeller?
• What is the source of excitation current for most aircraft alternators?
• QFE corresponds to which altitude type?
• Icing conditions to avoid and what anti-ice or de-ice methods are available in light aircraft?
• The difference between two magnetos should not exceed more than?
• Which is true regarding the use of flaps during level turns?
• What is the role of the attitude indicator and heading indicator in flight?
• Which wind condition will improve takeoff and landing performance?
• What is the purpose of fuel quantity indicators and what should you check before flight?
• Which action is required by regulations for the PIC before departure on a VFR flight away from the departure airport?
• The field current for the alternator is typically supplied through which circuit?
• Which of the following is NOT a stroke in the four-stroke engine cycle?
• The powerplant converts what type of power?
• In addition to other preflight actions for a VFR flight away from the vicinity of the departure airport, regulations specifically require the pilot in command to?
• What is the role of the electrical bus and circuit breakers in an aircraft's electrical system?
• Which instrument determines altitude relative to sea level?
• Which document is correctly identified as mandatory to be onboard prior to flight?
• QNE is the aviation abbreviation for which altitude reference?
• Prior to starting each maneuver, pilots should do what?
• The angular difference between true north and magnetic north is known as what?
• Which trio represents valid aircraft certification categories?
• Which statement about ELT transmission frequencies is correct?
• The circuit that supplies the field winding of an aircraft alternator is best described as which type?
• If an engine has four cylinders and two spark plugs per cylinder, how many spark plugs are installed in total?
• Preflight action, as required for all flights away from the vicinity of an airport, shall include
• What is the primary reason CG must stay within specified limits?
• What is the purpose of NOTAMs in flight planning?
• Recovery from a stall in any airplane becomes more difficult when its
• Density altitude accounts for nonstandard air density; which performance aspect decreases with higher density altitude?
• Which circuit is used to energize the alternator's magnetic field in most aircraft?
• What is the purpose of the aircraft's electrical system and generator/alternator?
• Which control surface is primarily used to yaw the aircraft?
• Which instrument provides heading information using a gyroscope?
• Which inspection is required for commercial operations or flight instruction?
• Lower fuel grade can cause which engine condition?
• Which statement about rearward center of gravity on an airplane is true?
• With respect to the certification of aircraft, which is a class of aircraft?
• Which items must be onboard prior to flight?
• Which control surface is primarily used to change the aircraft's pitch?
• In an aircraft electrical system, excitation current for the alternator is supplied by which circuit?
• How should a pilot respond to a sudden instrument failure or autopilot fault during cruise?
• Which circuit provides energizing current for the alternator's magnetic field?
• Which item must be in the aircraft and readily accessible in order to operate as PIC, as described?
• When may an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) be tested?
• If the pitot tube and outside static vents become clogged, which instruments would be affected?
• Which instrument reading group would be affected by a blocked pitot-static system?
• Which statement best describes anti-icing and de-icing, and where are these systems used in light aircraft?
• What is the meaning of "VMC" and why is it important for flight operations?
• Which statement best describes the effect of a rearward center of gravity on stability?
• If the pitot drain hole and static hole are blocked, readings will be:
• What is the purpose of the battery?
• What is the function of the turn coordinator and what does a slip/skid indicate?
• An airplane described as inherently stable will require less effort to control. What does this imply about the pilot's workload?
• How do flaps influence landing speed and distance?
• The stall angle of attack is the same regardless of gross weight.
• How do weight distribution and center of gravity affect stall speed and stability?
• Which airspace class is generally uncontrolled?
• Name the four fundamental aerodynamic forces acting on an airplane in steady flight.
• How many spark plugs are used in each cylinder for a typical engine with dual ignition?
• In unaccelerated flight, when are the four forces acting on an airplane in equilibrium?
• What do the typical V-speeds represent, such as Vs, Vno, and Vne?
• In a four-stroke aircraft engine, the crankshaft completes how many revolutions per power cycle?
• What is the function of circuit breakers in an aircraft's electrical system?
• What is the standard rate turn and when is it most appropriate?
• What factors are considered when calculating fuel requirements?
• What effect does increasing density altitude have on aircraft performance?
• If a gyro instrument fails in flight, what is the recommended priority for the pilot?
• For a four-stroke engine, which component completes one revolution for every two revolutions of the crankshaft?
• Which action is recommended to optimize engine cooling during a climb?
• What documents must be in your possession or readily accessible in the aircraft while operating as pilot in command?
• How do you handle a loss of radio communications in VFR conditions?
• How does air density impact engine horsepower and propeller efficiency?
• What is weight and balance and why must CG stay within specified limits?
• In METAR interpretation, what does visibility indicate?
• What is one purpose of wing flaps?
• Select the four fundamentals involved in maneuvering an aircraft.
• Setting the altimeter to the QNH setting yields which altitude reading under standard atmospheric conditions?
• How do you interpret METAR sky conditions and visibility for flight planning?
• What is the main cause of detonation in a piston engine?
• Define the stall and explain how it relates to angle of attack.
• Which airspeed limitation is not color coded on airspeed indicators?
• Adverse yaw is primarily caused by differential wing drag during a turn. Which control inputs best counter it?
• Which stroke comes immediately after the power stroke in the four-stroke cycle?
• What is an advantage of a constant-speed propeller?
• Which document provides current forecast data for flight planning?
• If an airplane is loaded to the rear of its CG range, it will tend to be unstable about its
• The angle of attack at which an airplane wing stalls will
• In terms of excitation, the primary circuit used is the
• Which statement about anti-icing and de-icing systems in light aircraft is accurate?
• Which of the following statements about the effect of rearward center of gravity on stability is true?
• What are common compass errors and how can a pilot mitigate them during flight?
• How do winds aloft forecasts help plan a cross-country flight?
• Which statement describes the standard pattern training and procedure turns?
• Which instrument shows the aircraft's pitch and roll?
• In a dual ignition system, how many magnetos are installed?
• Which of the following is not a pitot-static instrument?
• What is the function of the carburetor heat in a piston-engine aircraft?
• The excitation supply for the alternator is most accurately described as coming from which circuit?
• Which preflight action is specifically required of the pilot prior to each flight?
• What does the pitot-static system supply to the instruments?
• During preflight planning, runways lengths at airports of intended use should be considered.
• If wind shifts from a headwind to a tailwind of the same speed, how is takeoff distance affected?
• What items are typically checked during a standard preflight inspection?
• The basic purpose of adjusting the fuel/air mixture at altitude is to
• What are the three gyroscopic instruments?
• Which control surface is primarily used to roll the aircraft?
• Which circuit provides the excitation current to the alternator's rotor?
• How should a pilot adjust compass errors during a turn and maintain the desired heading?
• How do the elevator, aileron, and rudder controls affect the aircraft's motion?
• Hypoxia occurs when there is insufficient oxygen; which action directly mitigates hypoxia by increasing available oxygen?
• What is the primary purpose of the wing during flight?
• What is the purpose of the mixture control?
• The term 'excitation' in alternator operation refers to current in which circuit?
• What does inherently stable mean in aircraft design?
• How does density altitude affect engine performance and takeoff/landing distances?
• Which aviation term corresponds to the reference height known as pressure altitude?
• During approach and landing, one main function of flaps is to
• What is magnetic variation?
• The alternator is powered by what?
• Why are fuel reserves included in flight planning?
• What is the difference between a VOR approach and a GPS approach?
• What are the potential consequences of excessively high engine temperatures?
• QNH is used to indicate which altitude reference?
• With respect to the certification of aircraft, which is a category of aircraft?
• Which statement about airspace classes relevant to VFR flight and typical communications is true?
• If ice is present and carburetor heat is applied, how will engine RPM typically change?
• Which statement about METAR reports is true?
• An electrical system failure (battery and alternator) occurs during flight. In this situation, you would
• Why is carburetor icing dangerous and how can it be prevented or mitigated?