IFR Quiz #1, Mark Boyd, WVI, 9-5-2002


1.  Flying IFR, something's not right.  You notice
the vacuum gauge is much lower than normal, and the
attitude indicator is showing a turn to the
right, but the DG says you're turning left.  Which
is correct?

2.  On takeoff in rain, you reach rotation speed, and upon
rotation, your airspeed starts to drop below stall
speed, but the stall warning horn (which you checked
on preflight) doesn't come on.  The AI and engine instruments
indicate climb power.  What do you do?

3.  Flying through cold rain and 50 knot headwinds
over the Oregon mountains, you are suddenly descending at 
1000 ft/min despite full power.  At 2000AGL, what do you do?

4.  You're just entering Bravo airspace when you get the
update that every airport in fuel range has closed in,
with calm wind and thick fog all the way to the ground.  
Since the forecast is for 1500 scattered and 10 miles 
visibility, and you have enough fuel to miss the approach at 
both your primary and alternate, you are still legal.  I guess
the forecaster forgot that with the approaching nightfall,
the clouds might come down.  What do you do? 
 
5.  You're flying along on autopilot perfectly straight for a few
hours.  Your 55 passengers in the back are having an uncrowded time,
and you are glad not to be just a cargo pilot (HINT).  When it 
comes time to descend, you find all of the control surfaces
are completely unresponsive.  You can maintain
level cruise, but reducing engines results in a pitch down past
Vne (also no good for landing).  How do you regain pitch 
and roll control?

6.  You're flying level along IFR and you're airspeed starts to
fluctuate wildly, but the altimeter is rock steady.  You cover
the offending instrument, and start your descent on the
localizer.  With power off, the altimeter is still steady,
and when you declare an emergency and ask ATC for your 
altitude, they say you are level also.  Are you level or
descending?

7.  Is it more likely an inexperienced pilot will enter
an unusual attitude in a complex airplane or an airplane with
fixed gear and fixed-pitch prop?  Why?

8.  You've decided to try shooting IFR approaches inverted
in your Pitts.  Would you rather have a turn and bank indicator
or a turn coordinator?  Why?

9.  You are shooting the VOR approach into Lakeway, Austin,
which is DME 22.3 from the Lake Hughes VOR.  You get to DME 18 
at 500 feet, well below the 2000 overcast, with 1 mile vis in rain
and the VOR needle starts to twitch, then give full deflections.
What do you do?

10.  You get the alternate ATIS from Salinas reporting
clear, but Salinas obviously has thunderstorms as you start the
IFR approach to minimums at Monterrey.  Any problems?

answers:  http://www.soe.ucsc.edu/~mjboyd/cfi/IFRquizanswers