FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA) flashcards

A condition where residual engine heat vaporizes fuel in injector lines after shutdown, causing hard starting.

• Common in fuel-injected engines after hot shutdown
• Corrected with aux fuel pump on high, mixture rich, throttle cracked
• Not related to carburetor icing

Memory trick: 'Hot fuel turns to bubbles—purge with the pump'

Turn radius r = V²/(g tanθ); for a constant bank angle, radius increases with the square of true airspeed.

• Radius proportional to V² at constant bank
• Doubling speed quadruples radius
• Steeper bank at same speed decreases radius

Memory trick: Radius grows with speed-squared — double the speed, quadruple the circle.

A weather advisory issued for hazardous convective weather meeting specific criteria: severe thunderstorms, embedded thunderstorms, a line of storms 60 NM long affecting 40% of its length, or an area of storms affecting 40% of a 3,000 square mile region.

• Valid for 2 hours, with new bulletins issued every hour
• Implies possible severe turbulence, severe icing, low-level wind shear, hail ≥3/4 inch
• Issued for the continental U.S. only

Memory trick: Convective SIGMET = 60 miles of storm, 40% coverage, severe hazard guaranteed.

A flight instructor may not conduct more than 8 hours of flight training in any 24-consecutive-hour period, to reduce fatigue risk.

• Limit: 8 hours flight training per 24 hours
• Applies specifically to flight training given as a CFI
• Distinct from flight/duty time rules for Part 121/135 pilots
• Intended to mitigate instructor fatigue

Memory trick: Eight hours of teaching, then the instructor needs a break-thing.

A TFR is a regulatory restriction on flight operations issued via NOTAM for reasons such as disaster relief, VIP movement, or security, and is legally enforceable under 14 CFR 91.137–91.145.

• Published via NOTAM, must be checked before flight
• Applies to all aircraft unless specifically exempted
• Violation can result in certificate suspension or revocation

Memory trick: 'TFR = Totally Forbidden Region until lifted'

When a Class D surface area contains a satellite (non-towered) airport, pilots must still establish two-way radio contact with the primary airport's tower before entering the Class D airspace, even if landing elsewhere.

• Class D airspace normally extends 4 NM radius from the primary airport up to 2,500 ft AGL (dimensions vary)
• Two-way radio communication with ATC is required before entry (91.129)
• Satellite airports inside the boundary do not exempt pilots from this requirement

Memory trick: Inside the dashed blue box, always check in with the tower—no matter where you land

A recurrent training requirement under 14 CFR 61.56 consisting of at least 1 hour ground and 1 hour flight training, completed every 24 calendar months.

• Required every 24 calendar months to act as PIC
• Minimum 1 hour ground + 1 hour flight instruction
• Certain training/checks can substitute (e.g., practical test, WINGS program)
• No specific maneuvers are mandated by regulation — instructor discretion

Memory trick: 'Every 2 years, review your gears' — BFR = 24 months.

A maximum-performance climbing turn entered at approximately 30° of bank, which is maintained constant through the first 90° of turn while pitch is increased.

• Bank angle held at ~30° throughout the maneuver
• Bank begins decreasing after the 90° point while pitch remains at maximum
• Airspeed should reach just above stall speed at completion (180°)

Memory trick: Chandelle = 'thirty and steady' bank while pitch climbs.

A graph relating airspeed to load factor, showing structural and aerodynamic limits; corner velocity is where the stall speed line meets the positive limit load factor line.

• Below corner velocity, a stall occurs before exceeding limit load factor
• Above corner velocity, structural limits can be exceeded before stalling
• Corner velocity corresponds closely to maneuvering speed (Va)

Memory trick: Corner velocity is the fork in the road: below it the wing quits first, above it the airframe might

A warm, dry, often gusty wind that descends the leeward slopes of a mountain range, caused by adiabatic compression as air sinks and warms, common on the eastern slopes of the Rockies.

• Warms and dries adiabatically as it descends
• Can cause rapid, significant temperature rises
• Known as foehn in Europe, chinook in North America

Memory trick: Chinook chews snow away with warm dry breath

Structural icing forms when supercooled water droplets freeze on an aircraft; droplet size and cloud type determine whether clear, rime, or mixed ice forms.

• Clear ice: large droplets, cumuliform clouds/freezing rain, hard and smooth
• Rime ice: small droplets, stratiform clouds, rough and opaque
• Mixed ice: combination of both types, common in mixed cloud droplet sizes
• All types disrupt airflow and increase weight and drag

Memory trick: Small drops freeze fast and rough — that's RIME; big drops spread smooth and CLEAR.

A dashed magenta line on a sectional chart depicts Class E airspace extending to the surface, typically to support instrument approaches at non-towered airports.

• No ATC clearance or radio contact required for VFR
• Extends control to the surface for IFR arrivals/departures
• VFR pilots must meet Class E visibility and cloud clearance minimums

Memory trick: 'Dashed magenta = down to the ground, but no ground rules for VFR'

A cold front is the leading edge of a cold air mass; passage brings a wind shift, temperature drop, rising pressure, and often rapid clearing.

• Steep frontal slope causes sharp, brief weather changes
• Cumuliform clouds and possible thunderstorms along the front
• Wind shifts (often clockwise, NH)
• Pressure rises and visibility improves after passage

Memory trick: Cold front kicks the door shut — wind shifts, temp drops, pressure pops up.

Methods to renew an expiring flight instructor certificate without retaking a practical test, including a FIRC or activity-based criteria.

• FIRC must be completed within preceding 3 calendar months
• Alternative: 80% first-time pass rate for 5+ recommended applicants in preceding 24 months
• Can also renew by practical test
• Renewal extends certificate for 24 more calendar months

Memory trick: FIRC in the final 3 months keeps your CFI alive.

A student pilot's logbook solo endorsement authorizing solo flight is valid for 90 calendar days from the date it is signed by the instructor.

• Endorsement must be renewed after 90 days for continued solo flight
• Separate from the repeated solo cross-country endorsement to the same airports
• Instructor must reassess student proficiency before re-endorsing

Memory trick: 'Ninety days, then reassess' — solo privileges expire like a carton of milk.

The total runway distance required to accelerate to a specified speed and then stop the airplane if the takeoff is aborted, important for runway length planning at critical fields.

• Combines acceleration distance plus braking/stopping distance
• Contrasted with accelerate-go distance (continuing takeoff after an engine failure)
• Commonly required for balanced field length calculations in performance planning

Memory trick: Stop the show before the obstacle grows.

A descending maneuver requiring a constant radius turn around a ground point, completing at least three 360° turns while clearing the engine periodically and maintaining a specified airspeed.

• Minimum of three 360° turns required
• Constant radius maintained by varying bank angle
• Engine must be cleared periodically; bank not to exceed 60°

Memory trick: Steep spiral = 'spiral staircase down,' constant circle, clear the engine as you go.

Angle of incidence is the fixed angle between the wing chord line and the fuselage's longitudinal axis, set at manufacture. Angle of attack is the variable angle between the wing chord line and the relative wind, changing continuously in flight.

• Angle of incidence: fixed, structural, does not change in flight
• Angle of attack: variable, aerodynamic, changes with pitch and relative wind
• Angle of attack determines lift and stall, not angle of incidence

Memory trick: Incidence is 'installed' (fixed); attack is 'active' (variable)

The Lifted Index is a stability index comparing a lifted parcel's temperature at 500mb to the environmental temperature; negative values indicate instability, with more negative values indicating greater instability.

• LI near 0: neutral stability
• LI slightly negative (0 to -3): marginal instability
• LI strongly negative (below -6): severe thunderstorm potential

Memory trick: Lower the LI, higher the sky-high instability

Flaps increase wing camber (and in some designs, wing area) to increase the maximum coefficient of lift, allowing lower stall speeds and steeper approach angles.

• Plain flaps primarily increase camber
• Fowler flaps increase both camber and wing area
• Increased camber raises maximum lift coefficient (CL max)
• Flaps also increase drag, aiding steeper descents

Memory trick: 'Flaps curve it more' — increased camber means more lift at lower speed

The lazy eight is divided into four 45° segments per 180° turn, each with specific pitch, bank, and airspeed characteristics that peak at the 90° point.

• Symmetrical figure-eight pattern using 45°, 90°, 135°, 180° references
• 90° point = highest altitude, lowest airspeed, maximum bank
• 180° point = wings level, entry airspeed/altitude restored
• Two 180° turns in opposite directions complete one lazy eight

Memory trick: 'Ninety is the peak' — top of climb, bottom of speed, top of bank, all at 90°.

Each occupant must be secured by an approved seat belt (and shoulder harness if installed) during taxi, takeoff, and landing, except a child under age 2 may be held by an adult.

• PIC must brief passengers on seat belt use
• Applies during taxi, takeoff, and landing
• Exception: child under 2 may be held instead of belted

Memory trick: Buckle everyone up — except babies still in arms.

A spring-loaded mechanism on one or both magnetos that retards timing and delivers a rapid, high-energy spark during engine starting.

• Produces a strong spark at low cranking RPM
• Retards timing to prevent kickback during start
• Often makes an audible clicking sound during hand propping

Memory trick: 'Wind it up, snap it loose—hot spark for a slow start'

Class C airspace generally consists of a 5 NM radius core from the surface to 4,000 ft AGL and a 10 NM radius shelf from 1,200 to 4,000 ft AGL.

• Two-way radio and radar contact required before entry.
• Depicted with solid magenta circles.
• No specific pilot certification required, unlike Class B.

Memory trick: 'Core to 4, shelf from 1.2 to 4' — think of an upside-down wedding cake.

Objects may be dropped from an aircraft in flight if the pilot in command takes reasonable precautions to avoid injury or damage to persons or property on the surface.

• No blanket prohibition on dropping objects
• PIC must take 'reasonable precautions'
• No requirement for FAA-designated drop zones

Memory trick: Drop it? Fine — just don't drop it on someone's head.

The tendency of the airplane to roll opposite to the direction of propeller rotation, resulting from Newton's third law (equal and opposite reaction to the propeller's rotational force).

• Most noticeable at high power/low airspeed, e.g., takeoff
• Clockwise-rotating props (viewed from cockpit) cause left roll tendency
• Corrected with aileron input
• Distinct from P-factor, precession, and spiraling slipstream, which cause yaw

Memory trick: 'Torque = twist back' — Newton pushes the plane opposite the prop

A graph showing how the coefficient of lift rises with angle of attack up to a maximum value (CLmax) at the critical angle of attack, beyond which lift drops sharply as the airfoil stalls.

• CL increases nearly linearly through most of the useful AOA range
• CLmax and critical AOA occur at the same point
• Beyond critical AOA, CL decreases rapidly as flow separates

Memory trick: The peak of the CL curve IS the stall point — climb the hill, then fall off the cliff

The approximate height of cumuliform cloud bases can be estimated by dividing the surface temperature/dew point spread by 2.5°C (or 4.4°F) per 1,000 feet.

• Temperature decreases ~2°C/1,000 ft (dry adiabatic lapse rate, actually 3°C/1,000ft dry, dew point decreases ~0.5°C/1,000ft)
• Convergence rate of temp and dew point is about 2.5°C per 1,000 ft (4.4°F per 1,000 ft)
• Formula: spread(°C) ÷ 2.5 × 1,000 = cloud base AGL
• Useful for predicting cumulus cloud base height for flight planning

Memory trick: Spread ÷ 2.5, times a thousand — that's where the cotton balls start.

A maneuver used to rapidly lose altitude in response to an in-flight emergency such as fire, smoke, or depressurization, while remaining within the airplane's structural and operating limits.

• Performed at maximum safe descent rate, often near Vno or as specified by AFM
• Configuration (gear/flaps) may be adjusted per manufacturer procedure
• Maintains positive control and situational awareness throughout descent

Memory trick: 'Down fast, stay safe' captures the emergency descent goal.

The property of a spinning gyroscope that causes its axis of rotation to remain fixed in space unless acted upon by an outside force.

• Basis for attitude and heading indicators
• Erecting mechanisms correct small drift
• Precession is the gyro's response when a force is applied

Memory trick: 'Rigid gyro stays put until pushed'

14 CFR 91.17 prohibits crewmembers from operating an aircraft within 8 hours of consuming alcohol, while under the influence, or with a BAC of 0.04 or greater.

• 8-hour minimum after any alcohol consumption
• BAC limit: 0.04 or greater is prohibited
• Also prohibits use of any drug affecting safety of flight

Memory trick: '8 hours bottle to throttle.'

L = CL × 0.5ρV²S; lift depends on the lift coefficient, air density, the square of velocity, and wing area.

• Lift varies with the square of velocity
• Doubling velocity quadruples lift (all else constant)
• CL depends primarily on angle of attack

Memory trick: 'CLR-V²-S': CL times half Rho times V-squared times Surface area.

Stall speed in a turn increases with the square root of the load factor: Vs(accel) = Vs(unaccel) × √n.

• 60° bank level turn produces 2 G load factor
• Stall speed increases by factor of √n, not n
• Steeper turns dramatically raise stall speed and risk of accelerated stall

Memory trick: Square root the G's to find the new stall speed

Adjustable panels that control airflow through the engine compartment to regulate cylinder head temperature; typically open for climb/high power and closed for cruise/descent.

• Open increases cooling airflow (used in climb, ground ops)
• Closed reduces cooling airflow and drag (used in cruise, descent)
• Closing during descent helps prevent shock cooling from rapid temperature drop

Memory trick: Descend and close — keep the engine cozy, not shocked.

To roll out precisely on a target heading, a pilot begins the rollout before reaching that heading by an amount approximately equal to half the bank angle in use.

• Rule of thumb: lead = about 1/2 the bank angle
• For 45° bank, lead rollout by roughly 20-25°
• Prevents overshoot of the entry heading
• Applies broadly to turns to headings, not just steep turns

Memory trick: 'Half the bank, start the lag' — lead the roll-out by half your bank angle.

Isogonic lines connect points of equal magnetic variation; the agonic line specifically connects points where variation is zero.

• Magnetic variation is the angle between true north and magnetic north
• Isogonic lines are labeled with variation values (e.g., 4°W)
• The agonic line in the U.S. runs roughly through the Great Lakes/Midwest

Memory trick: 'Iso = same, Agonic = agony-free (zero variation)'

A local wind that blows from sea to land during the day due to differential heating between land and water surfaces.

• Land heats faster than water during the day, lowering pressure over land
• Reverses at night as land cools faster than water (land breeze)
• Most pronounced on clear, calm days with strong sun heating

Memory trick: Day: Sea to land (land is hot); Night: Land to sea (land is cold)

Under 61.93(c)(2), an instructor may endorse a student for repeated solo flights over a specified route to airports within 50 nm, valid if training occurred within the preceding 90 days.

• Applies to a specific route and airport(s), not more than 50 nm away
• Endorsement based on training within the preceding 90 days
• Different from a single cross-country endorsement required for each new flight

Memory trick: '50 miles, 90 days' — the repeat-route rule for student solo XC.

An airplane in steady, unaccelerated flight has balanced forces (lift=weight, thrust=drag), so it continues at constant velocity per Newton's first law of inertia.

• Newton's first law: object at constant velocity unless acted on by net force
• Balanced forces = zero net force = no acceleration
• Any imbalance (e.g., thrust>drag) causes acceleration

Memory trick: Balanced forces = boring, steady flight (inertia at work)

An uncommanded nose-down pitching moment occurring near critical Mach number, caused by shock wave formation shifting the wing's center of pressure aft and disturbing tail airflow.

• Occurs near or above critical Mach number (Mcrit)
• Caused by aft shift of center of pressure due to shock wave
• Often countered by Mach trim systems in high-speed aircraft

Memory trick: Mach tuck: the shock wave shoves the lift center back, tucking the nose down

High density altitude (low air density) reduces the lift produced at a given TAS and AOA, requiring a higher AOA or higher TAS to maintain the same lift.

• Lift is directly proportional to air density
• High density altitude = reduced air density = reduced performance
• Pilots compensate with higher AOA or greater ground speed for takeoff

Memory trick: 'Thin air, thick trouble' — less density means the wing must work harder (higher AOA).

To carry passengers at night, a pilot must have made 3 takeoffs and landings to a full stop during the night period within the preceding 90 days.

• Night period: 1 hour after sunset to 1 hour before sunrise
• Must be to a full stop (not touch-and-go)
• Separate from day currency requirement (61.57(a))
• Applies only when carrying passengers

Memory trick: Ninety days, night, full stop — three landings after dark to carry a spark (passenger).

The maximum speed at which full, abrupt control deflection can be applied without exceeding the airplane's limit load factor, because the wing stalls first.

• Va decreases with decreasing gross weight
• Protection applies to a single abrupt control input, not repeated inputs
• Above Va, structural damage can occur before the wing stalls

Memory trick: 'Stall before you break' — Va lets the wing quit before the airframe does

Soft/grass runways increase takeoff distance due to added rolling resistance; downhill slopes decrease takeoff distance by aiding acceleration. Both corrections must be applied together using POH data.

• Grass, soft, or wet surfaces increase takeoff roll (commonly 7-25% depending on POH)
• Downhill slope decreases takeoff distance; uphill slope increases it
• Corrections must be applied independently and combined, not assumed to cancel

Memory trick: Grass grabs, slope shoves — check which wins

Alternators produce AC current via a rotating field and stationary stator, then rectify it to DC, allowing rated output at idle RPM; generators produce DC directly via a rotating armature and require higher RPM for full output.

• Alternators are lighter and more efficient than generators for the same output
• Alternators maintain output at idle, critical for electrical loads on the ground
• Generators use brushes/commutators, which wear faster than alternator slip rings

Memory trick: Alternator = 'always on,' even idling, thanks to its spinning field design.

The tendency of an airplane's nose to yaw toward the outside of a turn due to greater induced drag on the wing with the down-deflected aileron.

• Caused by differential aileron drag
• Corrected with coordinated rudder input
• More pronounced at low airspeed and large aileron deflections
• Frise-type ailerons help reduce adverse yaw

Memory trick: 'Adverse' = drag drags nose the wrong way

A chandelle is a maximum-performance climbing turn where bank is constant while pitch increases in the first 90°, then pitch is held constant while bank decreases in the second 90°.

• Entry at maneuvering speed with a constant bank (commonly ~30°)
• Max pitch reached by the 90° point
• Second 90°: bank rolls to level while pitch stays constant
• Rollout occurs just above stall speed at max climb power

Memory trick: 'Bank first, pitch second' — hold the bank, build the pitch, then hold the pitch and lose the bank.

Best glide speed, like stall speed, varies with the square root of the weight ratio; lower weight requires a lower best glide speed for maximum glide distance.

• New speed = old speed × √(new weight ÷ old weight)
• Applies the same relationship used for stall speed changes with weight
• Using the wrong glide speed reduces glide ratio and range during an emergency

Memory trick: Lighter plane, slower glide — square root the weight to find your ride.

Stability is determined by comparing the environmental lapse rate to the dry and moist adiabatic lapse rates; a steeper environmental rate promotes instability.

• Dry adiabatic lapse rate ≈ 3°C/1,000 ft
• Moist adiabatic lapse rate ≈ 1.5°C/1,000 ft (varies)
• Environmental rate > dry adiabatic = absolutely unstable

Memory trick: Steeper than dry adiabatic = sky's the limit (unstable).

Radiation fog forms at night over land when the ground cools rapidly under clear skies and light winds, cooling the surface air to its dew point.

• Requires clear skies for radiational cooling
• Needs light or calm wind (too much wind mixes the layer)
• Forms over land, typically dissipates after sunrise
• Common in valleys where cold air settles

Memory trick: Radiation fog: clear night, calm air, cool ground — nature's blanket settles in.

Sets minimum age requirements for a student pilot certificate: 16 years for most categories, but 14 years for gliders and balloons.

• General minimum age: 16 years
• Reduced minimum age: 14 years for glider and balloon
• Applicant must also read, speak, write, and understand English

Memory trick: 14 for gliders/balloons floats lower than the 16-year bar.

A station model uses a circle with proportional shading to depict total sky cover, ranging from clear (empty) to overcast (completely filled).

• Clear = empty circle
• Few/Scattered = partial fill (1/8 to 4/8)
• Broken = mostly filled (5/8 to 7/8)
• Overcast = completely filled black circle

Memory trick: Empty circle = clear skies; full black circle = totally covered.

Medical certificate validity periods depend on class and the pilot's age at the time of examination, always expiring at the end of the appropriate month.

• Third-class, under 40: 60 calendar months
• Third-class, 40 or older: 24 calendar months
• First-class: 12 months (or 6 months for ATP privileges under 40 for some ops); Second-class: 12 months for commercial privileges

Memory trick: 'Under 40, five years to fly.'

The difference between maximum gross weight and empty weight; available for crew, passengers, baggage, and usable fuel.

• Useful Load = Max Gross Weight − Empty Weight
• Includes usable fuel, oil (if not already in empty weight), pilot, passengers, baggage
• Found on the aircraft's weight and balance data sheet

Memory trick: Useful = Usable stuff after subtracting the empty shell

New CG = Total Moment ÷ Total Weight, where total moment is the sum of each item's weight times its arm.

• Moment = Weight × Arm
• Sum all moments and divide by total weight to find new CG
• Always verify the result falls within the CG envelope limits

Memory trick: Moment in, moment out, divide by the total weight throughout

TIT gauges monitor exhaust gas temperature entering the turbocharger turbine; enriching the mixture reduces TIT by cooling combustion gases, protecting the turbine from thermal damage.

• TIT/EGT rises as mixture is leaned toward peak, then falls past peak
• Enriching the mixture is the standard corrective action for approaching TIT redline
• Sustained overtemperature can damage turbine blades and reduce engine life

Memory trick: Rich cools the fire, lean feeds it hotter

The angle of attack at which airflow separation over the wing becomes so great that further increases in AOA produce a rapid decrease in lift, causing a stall.

• Stall occurs at critical AOA, independent of airspeed
• Can happen in any attitude or airspeed
• Typically 16-20 degrees for most wings
• Load factor and weight change the speed at which critical AOA is reached, not the angle itself

Memory trick: 'Angle, not speed' decides the stall

Flight instructors must sign each trainee's logbook and separately retain a record of all training and endorsements given for at least 3 years.

• Sign trainee's logbook for training given
• Maintain separate record of endorsements/training
• Retain records for at least 3 years
• Record must include name, address, and dates of training

Memory trick: Three years of paperwork proves the training happened.

Va is the maximum speed at which full, abrupt control deflection can be applied without exceeding structural load limits; it decreases with the square root of decreasing weight.

• New Va = old Va × √(new weight ÷ old weight)
• At lower weights, the wing stalls at a lower speed before load limits are exceeded, so Va decreases
• Flying at the gross-weight Va when lighter can allow speeds that exceed structural limits before stalling

Memory trick: Lighter plane, lower Va — don't fly turbulence at the heavy-weight number.

Class G airspace VFR minimums vary by altitude (above/below 1,200 ft AGL) and time of day (day/night).

• Below 1,200 ft AGL, day: 1 SM, clear of clouds
• Below 1,200 ft AGL, night: 3 SM, clear of clouds
• Above 1,200 ft AGL (below 10,000 MSL): 1 SM day/3 SM night, 500 below/1,000 above/2,000 horizontal

Memory trick: 'Night triples the miles' in Class G below 1,200 ft.