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Steve

Curtis Malone
Joined
May 6, 2002
Posts
737
I've got a few students going for check rides in the next few weeks. Just wanted to hear some of the questions you current / former CFI's ask your private students that are challenging and show that they understand the topic thoroughly.
 
Man, there’s so many things you might want to quiz them on I wouldn’t know where to begin. Taken for face value, if they know their stuff thoroughly, they wouldn’t need any further probing. At least on the Private pilot material. That’s hard to believe, so find out what areas they’re weak in and have them go home and study it (or teach it to them for that matter). Post some topics they’re weak or strong in, and maybe I can suggest some questions.


Here are a couple of questions that come to mind.

Q1. Why would a class D airspace require a transponder?

A.1 The class D airport I fly out of (FRG) requires it as we are within the 30 N.M. class B veil. Outside the outer shelf, but inside the veil.


Q2. Have them name all the airspace they would pass through if falling straight down from space. Pick something with a lot of different overlapping airspace. Make sure they know the type of airspace, when it begins and ends, and the requirements for each.
 
i had an examiner ask me several years ago how much the paint on a 152 weighed...not that he expected me to know it he wanted to see if i knew where it was, it's in the PHO under the master weight and ballance list...
 
Oh wait, I just thought of another one. This only applies if your student flies a carbureted engine.

Here’s the scenario.

Q1. During the runup, while applying carb heat, you notice an increase in RPM rather than the usual decrease. What’s causing this? (They’re usually stumped)

A. Something is blocking the air intake and the carb heat has just become an alternate source of intake air. Perhaps some debris like a small piece of paper or an old, flattened cigarette pack flew up and got sucked onto the external air intake filter. This actually happened to someone I know.

Here’s another one you might want your student to know.


Q1. If your engine does actually quit due to carburetor icing, will leaning the mixture aid in bring the engine back to life?

A1. Yes. Due to the venturi being constricted because of ice formation, the passageway has effectively become narrowed and the mixture has become artificially enriched. Most students are taught to move everything forward in a situation where the engine stopped. Bringing the mixture back may actually help.

Of course, its is also imperative to use FULL carburetor heat as well and before tinkering with the mixture. This too, has happened to someone I knew.

Have you quizzed your students on things like overbanking tendencies, and why they occur. Explain to them what occurs during shallow, medium and steep turns.

Shallow – Aircraft begins to move back to level. (lateral stability outweighs the overbanking tendency of the outside wing traveling faster than the inside one.)

Medium – Aircraft remains in a banked attitude. (lateral stability and overbanking tendency are in equilibrium.)

Steep – Aircraft wants to continue banking. (Overbanking tendency outweighs the lateral stability.)

If this group of students are very challenging, you may want to start going over some more in-depth stuff, like that required by the commercial or CFI certificate.
 
Im not a CFI, but I just took my chedckride in may.
For a 172r, I got asked

what Glycol was
Diagram the six pack, what system each instrument uses, and what the limitations are.
I was asked the scuba diving questions,
Nighttime currency, what cariies over, ie taildragger to trike, but not trike to taildragger. High performance to an aircraft below 200hp
What is a complex aircraft
what is a high performance aircraft
what endorsements are need to fly them
inoperative equipment regulations
cloud clearences in G airspace
purpose of Dihedral
purpose of aileron balance weights
how do the flaps work
would volcanic ash be sigmet, convective sigmet, or airmet. And how long each of the previous lasts for
height of class C
What happens if the air inlet freezes over
had to read a couple of wx charts
difference between an accident and an incident
On a xc flight from KBTL to Muncie, where would I divert if I had a passenger have a heart attack
 
i like to just take a sectional and point to various places, asking to describe all the airspace from the ground all the way up through class A
 

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