Fun, unusual, or unexpected oral exam questions

jsstevens said:
That's the first one I thought of. And I'm pretty sure the clock in an R model is digital so no motor...
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Yeah, I don't drive a 172, so I am a little at a disadvantage there.
 
Though I think it's pushing the definition a bit, the fuel gauges and oil temperature gauge (not oil pressure, though) also convert mechanical energy into electrical. Well, they actually move by heat, but the heat is electrically generated.

Most pre-solid-state voltage regulators and anything with a relay (e.g., strobes) would fall in the same category.

Autopilot servos are more obvious. All 172Rs came from the factory with KAP140's, right?

If you want even more fun, count the computers in a late model car. It can get into the 100s.
 
If I remember correctly, he was looking for:

Flap motor
alternator
starter
aux fuel pump
hobbs meter
turn coordinator
electric trim motor/autopilot servos
avionics cooling fan

Clock was digital and rotating beacon was more of a strobe.
He didn't really care if I got all of them right, he just wanted to see how well I knew the airplane. He was big on, "If you are gonna fly this thing, you should know as much about it as you can"
Learned on the checkride that the autopilot was suppose to be tested before takeoff per the supplement. Learned a lot from him, and liked him so much I took 3 more checkrides with him.
 
PPC1052 said:
Hmm. Let's see.

Starter
(does the starter solenoid count, too? It converts electrical energy into mechanical motion, I think)
alternator (sort of, I guess, although it's kind of the opposite as it turns mechanical motion into electrical engergy)
Auxiliary Fuel pump
turn coordinator
clock
hobbs meter

Can't think of anything else. I am sure I missed something, though. (maybe a speaker? I don't know if you would call that a motor or not, although it does turn electrical energy into mechanical motion.)
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Steam gauge VOR/LOC/GS needles/flags, ADF/RMI, HSI, etc.
 
Commercial glider checkride: You're flying high and happy looking to head home and the electrical system has failed. There's class C airspace between you and home. How high do you have to be to fly over the airspace?
 
Regarding a reasonable distraction, my DPE dropped a pencil under my seat just after takeoff and politely asked for me to retrieve it. I was concentrating on keeping the wings level on the gusty day with thermals. I realized later that I probably sounded very impolite when I replied "not now, later".
I assume I passed that step of the PTS.
Come to think of it, how did he tick the checkbox "Reasonable cockpit distraction during critical phase of flight" if he didn't have his pencil??? :D
 
tlglenn said:
Commercial glider checkride: You're flying high and happy looking to head home and the electrical system has failed. There's class C airspace between you and home. How high do you have to be to fly over the airspace?
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Look at the paper sectional.....

My first guess would be 3000AGL....:dunno:
 
tlglenn said:
Hint: The sectional is a distraction...
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Yup. Transponders are required at ALL ALTITUDES within the lateral boundaries of Class B or C. You can't overfly it without prior permission from ATC. Unless you happen to have a transponder independent of the glider's electrical system.
 
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jordane93 said:
My guess is you wouldn't care about airspace and you would try to get the glider down as soon as practical.
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There aren't many emergencies that would require going into Class C. 91.3(b) only applies for actions necessary to deal with the emergency. If it even is an emergency. VFR flight in a glider doesn't require any electrical power or any other sort of power.
 
MAKG1 said:
Yup. Transponders are required at ALL ALTITUDES within the lateral boundaries of Class B or C. You can't overfly it without prior permission from ATC. Unless you happen to have a transponder independent of the glider's electrical system.
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You sure about all altitudes?
 
tlglenn said:
You sure about all altitudes?
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You're right. 14 CFR 91.215(b)(5) excludes gliders. 14 CFR 91.215(b)(4) does not, though, so the answer is 10,000 MSL, if you can get that high.

Us powered guys have to have transponders up to the top of Class A to overfly B or C.
 
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MAKG1 said:
You're right. 14 CFR 91.215(b)(5) excludes gliders. 14 CFR 91.215(b)(4) does not, though, so the answer is 10,000 MSL, if you can get that high.

Us powered guys have to have transponders up to the top of Class A to overfly B or C.
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I was about to post what you did earlier...but then did a re-read of 91.215 myself. Darn gliders!!

:D
 
It's disconcerting to realize that you can be overflying busy airspace above 10,000 MSL and come across a glider or balloon without a transponder. Balloons should be relatively easy to see and avoid, but gliders not so much.
 
Here's one question I made up: You're flying day VFR in class E airspace. The cloudbase is 10,500 MSL solid overcast. How high can you fly below the clouds?
 
tlglenn said:
Here's one question I made up: You're flying day VFR in class E airspace. The cloudbase is 10,500 MSL solid overcast. How high can you fly below the clouds?
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9,999 MSL
 
Can the cord line be outside of the Wing?
 
tlglenn said:
It's disconcerting to realize that you can be overflying busy airspace above 10,000 MSL and come across a glider or balloon without a transponder. Balloons should be relatively easy to see and avoid, but gliders not so much.
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It's REALLY disconcerting to realize that you can fly an instrument approach into a Class G airport, pop out of the clouds at 650 feet, and then encounter perfectly legal NORDO VFR traffic at 649 (in daytime) coming right at you.
 
tlglenn said:
It's disconcerting to realize that you can be overflying busy airspace above 10,000 MSL and come across a glider or balloon without a transponder. Balloons should be relatively easy to see and avoid, but gliders not so much.
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A friend of mine got that panic'd sounding call from a controller on the east coast once in a regional airliner...

"Blah blah 123, traffic 12 o'clock less than a mile, altitude unknown, recommend immediate right turn!"

He banked and pulled a bit while punching off the AP, as the glider went by on his left at the same altitude... He swears he saw the wide eyeballs of the other guy.

Mid teens. Short hop for the commuter, never made it to Class A. One of those short haul "gear up, descent checklist please" flights, as he jokes.

He also jokes that he didn't even spill any drinks or knock the cart into anyone. :)

Controller in a a more natural sounding octave and a much lower rate of speed said later it was a primary target only, but when he saw it maneuver sharply, he knew it was an aircraft, or one hell of a big bird. And he was glad he hadn't completely de cluttered his screen and dimmed away all the primary stuff that day.
 
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