IFR Oral Exam Guide
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What is Needed to Apply for an Instrument Rating?
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50 hours Cross Country 40 hours Instrument Time 15 Hours Instructor Training 3 Hours Ground Instruction 250 NM Cross Country
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When is an Instrument Rating Required?
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Under IFR Flight Plan In Weather Less than VFR Class A Airspace Special VFR Class B,C,D,E at Night
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What are Recency Requirements for IFR Flight?
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Biennial Flight Review Passengers = 3 t/o Landings Last 90 Days Last 6 Months Approaches Including HIT - Holding/Intercepting/Tracking
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Define Appropriate Safety Pilot
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Private Pilot Certificate Current Medical Current in Category and Class
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What Must Pilot be Familiar With Before Flight?
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All Available Information Weather Fuel Alternates if Required Known ATC Delays Runways T/O and Landing Distances
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What are Fuel Requirements for IFR Flight?
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At Normal Cruise Intended Airport + Alternate (if required) plus 45 Minutes
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What Aircraft Instruments are Required for IFR Flight
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Those Required for VFR Plus - GRABCARD Generator Radios Altimiter Ball Clock Attitude Indicator Rate or Turn Indicator Directional Gyro
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What are the Required Aircraft Tests and Inspections to be IFR Legal
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Annual Inspection Pitot Static 24 Month Transponder 24 Month Altimeter 24 Months ELT 12 Months VOR 30 Days
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What Documents Are Required to be Onboard to be Legal for IFR Flight?
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ARROW Airworthiness Certificate Registration Certificate Radio License (if International) Owners Manual (POH) Weight and Balance Data
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When Using GPS How Often Does it Need to be Updated?
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Every 28 Days
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When Can You Cancel an IFR Flight Plan?
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Anytime You Are Operating in VFR Conditions Outside of Class A Airspace
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What is a Composite Flight Plan?
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VFR for One Portion and IFR for Another
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What Type of Equipment Determines Your Equipment Suffix
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Transponder DME TACAN RNAV - Loran, INS GPS
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The Requested Altitude on the FAA Flight Plan Block Represents What?
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Initial Altitude Only
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What are the Alternate Airport Requirements?
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1-2-3 Rule One Hour Before and One Hour After You Must Have 2,000' Ceiling and 3 Miles Visibility OR an Alternate is Required
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Alternate Minimums if None Are Specified?
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600/2 Precision 800/2 NonPrecision
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What is the Definition of the Term Ceiling?
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Lowest Layer of Clouds that is Broken or Overcast
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What are Preferred Routes and Where Can they be Found?
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Established Between Busy Airports Found in AFD
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What are Enroute Low Altitude Charts?
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Provide Information for IFR Navigation Below 18,000'. Updated Every 28 Days.
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What are High-Altitude Charts?
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Provide Information for IFR Navigation Above 18,000'. Updated Every 28 Days.
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What Are Area Charts?
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Show Congested Terminal Areas
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Where Can Information on Possible Navigation Aid Limitations be Found?
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Notams
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What Helpful Information Does AFD Contain?
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EFAS Locations ARTCC Locations and Sectors Preferred IFR Routes VOR Checkpoints and Frequencies
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What are NOTAM's?
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Time Critical Aeronautical Information that Could Affect a Pilots Decision to Make a Flight
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What are the 3 Categories of Notams
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Distant (D) Local (L) - Airport Flight Data Center (FDC) - Amend Approachs - TFR
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Which Type of NOTAM is Typically Omitted from Briefing?
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D and FDC
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Where can NOTAM Information be Obtained?
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Nearest FSS DUATS Briefing FAA Website
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Will a Briefer Provide GPS NOTAM's as Part of Briefing?
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No - They Must be Requested
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What Instruments Operate From the Pitot Static System?
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Airspeed Indicator Altimeter VSI
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What are the Limitations that a Pressure Altimeter is Subject To?
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Nonstandard Pressure and Temperature Pressure Level is Higher on a Warm Day. Altimeter Indicates Lower than Actual Altitude. Opposite on a Cold Day.
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For IFR Flight What is Maximum Allowable Altimeter Error?
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75 Feet
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Define How to Determine the Following Altitudes: Indicated Pressure True Density Absolute
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Indicated - Off Altimeter Pressure - Altitude with 29.92 in KW True - Height above Sea Level Density - Pressure Corrected for Nonstandard Temp Absolute - Height Above Ground
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How Does the Airspeed Indicator Work?
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Difference Between Ram Air Pressure and Static Air Pressure
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What are the Limitations of the Airspeed Indicator?
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Needs Proper Flow. Pitot cant be Clogged.
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What are the Different Types of Airspeeds?
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Indicated - Off Instrument Calibrated - Indicated Corrected for Pitch True - Calibrated Corrected for Nonstandard Temp and Pressure Groundspeed - True Corrected for Wind
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What Airspeeds Are Indicated by the Various Colors?
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White Arc - Flap Operating Range Bottom White Arc - Flaps Down Stall Speed Top White Arc - Maximum Flaps Down Speed Green Arc - Normal Operating Range Bottom Green Arc - Va Yellow Arc - Structural Warning Speed Bottom Yellow Arc - Maximum Speed Rough Air Top Yellow Arc - Never Exceed Speed Red Radial Line - Never Exceed Speed
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How Does the VSI Work?
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Differential Pressure
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What are the Limitations of the VSI?
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It Lags Due to the Calibrated Leak
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What Instruments are Affected When the Pitot Tube and Drain Hole Freezes?
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Airspeed Indicator Freezes and Becomes and Altimeter. Climb and A/S Goes Up.
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What Instruments are Affected When the Static Port Freezes?
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Airspeed Indicator - Climb = Lower A/S. Descent = Higher A/S Altimeter - Freezes at Altitude where Blocked VSI - Will Indicate Level Flight
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If the Air Temp is +6 C at Airport Elevation of 1,200 Feet with Standard Lapse Rate What is the Freezing Level?
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4,200 Feet
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What Corrective Action is Needed if the Pitot Tube Freezes? How About Static System Freeze?
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Turn on Pitot Heat Alternate Static
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What Indications Would You Expect While Using Alternate Air?
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Altimeter - Will Indicate Higher Than Actual Airspeed - Will Indcate Greater Than Actual VSI - Will Indicate a Climb While in Level Flight
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What Instruments Contain Gyroscopes?
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Attitude Indicator Heading Indicator Turn Coordinator
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What Are Two Important Concepts of Gyroscopes?
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Rigidity In Space - Fast Spinning Objects Resists Deflection Precession - Applied Force is Felt 90 Degrees From Point
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What Information Does the Turn Coordinator Provide?
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Rate of Roll and Direction of Turn Quality of Turn Slip - Ball Inside of Turn Skid - Ball to Outside of Turn
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How Does the Heading Indicator Work?
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Works on the Principle of Rigidity in Space
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What Are the Limitations of The Heading Indicator?
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It You Go Beyond Limits (50+ degrees) it Will Tumble and May Need to be re-caged
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What Type of Error is a Heading Indicator Subject To
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3 Degrees in 15 Minutes is Normal Due to Precession
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How Does the Attitude Indicator Work?
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Rigidity in Space
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What are the Limitations of the Attitude Indicator?
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Limits Depend Upon Instrument Bank Limit Typically 100 Degrees Pitch Limits Typically 60 Degrees Exceed Limit = Instrument Tumbles
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Is the Attitude Indicator Subject to Errors?
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Some May Be Slight Nose Up During Rapid Acceleration Slight Nose Down During Rapid Deacceleration After 180 Degree Turn On Rollout = Slight Climb and Turn in Opposite Direction
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How Does a Magnetic Compass Work?
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Magnets Mounted on the Compass Card Align Themselves Parallel to the Earth's Lines of Magnetic Force
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What Limitations Does the Magnetic Compass Have?
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Steeper than 18 Degrees of Bank = Errors
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What are the Various Compass Errors?
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Oscillation Error - Erratic Movement Caused by Turbulence Deviation Error - Due to Electrical or Magnetic Disturbances Variation Error - Angular Differences Between True and Magnetic North
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What Are Compass Dip Errors?
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Acceleration Error - ANDS E/W Heading While Accelerating Compass Indicates a Turn to the North Northerly Turning Error - UNOS Compass Lags on North Compass Leads on South
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What Rate Does Atmospheric Pressure Decrease with Altitude
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Approximately 1\" per 1,000 Feet
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What are Standard Temp and Pressure at Sea Level?
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29.92 15 Celsius
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What is General Flow on Low and High Pressure Systems?
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Low - Air Flows Inward, Upward and CC High - Air Flows Out, Down, and Clockwise
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What Causes Winds Aloft to Parallel Isobars?
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Coriolis Force
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Why do Winds Aloft Generally Flow Across the Isobars at and Angle?
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Surface Friction
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When the Temperature and Dewpoint are within 5 Degrees What Type of Weather is Likely?
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Visible Moisture Clouds, Dew, Fog
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What Factor Primarily Determines the Types and Vertical Extent of Clouds?
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Stability of the Atmosphere Determine Type and Vertical Extent of Clouds
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What is the Difference Between a Stable and an Unstable Atmosphere?
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Unstable - If Air is Displaced Vertically it will Continue to Move Vertically Stable - Resists Vertical Movement
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How Do You Determine the Stability of the Atmosphere?
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Uniform Temperature Decrease with Altitude 3 Degrees C per 1,000 Feet
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List the Effects of Stable and Unstable Air on Clouds
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Stable Unstable Clouds Stratiform Cumuliform Turbulence Smooth Rough Precip Steady Showery Visibility Poor Good
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What are the Two Main Types of Icing?
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Clear - Forms when Large Drops Strike Aircraft and Slowly Freeze Rime - Small Drops and Freezes Rapidly
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What Conditions are Necessary for Structural Icing to Occur?
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Visible Moisture and Below Freezing Temps
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Which Type of Ice is More Dangerous?
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Clear Ice
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What Factors Must be Present for a Thunderstorm?
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Moisture Unstable Air Lifting
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What are Squall Line Thunderstorms?
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Non Frontal Narrow Band Generally Ahead of a Cold Front Severe in Nature
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State Two Basic Ways in Which Fog can Form?
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Cooling the Air to the Dew Point Adding Moisture to the Air
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Name Types of Fog
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Radiation Advection Upslope Precipitation Induced Ice Fog
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What Causes Radiation Fog to Form?
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Clear Sky, Calm and Small Temp Dew Point Spread Usually at Night or Daybreak
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What is Advection Fog and Where Does it Typically Form?
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Forms when Moist Air Moves Over Colder Ground or Water Common Along Coastal Areas
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Define Upslope Fog?
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Moist Stable Air Cools as it Moves up Sloping Terrain
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Define Ice Fog?
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Occurs when Temps is Much Below Freezing and Water Vapor Changes Directly to Ice Crystals
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What is Precipitation Induced Fog?
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Warm Rain Falls thru Cool Air and Air Becomes Saturated
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Other Than Fog What are Several Other Examples of IFR Weather Producers?
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Low Clouds - Stratus Haze and Smoke
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What is the Primary Sources of Obtaining a Weather Briefing?
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Flight Service DUATS
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What Pertinent Information Should a Weather Briefing Include?
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Adverse Conditions VFR Flight not Recommended Synopsis Current Conditions Enroute Forecast Destination Forecast Winds Aloft NOTAM's ATC Delay
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What is EFAS?
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Enroute Flight Advisory Service AKA Flight Watch Central Collection Point for Pireps Frequency 122.0
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What is HIWAS?
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Hazardous In-Flight Weather Advisory Service Sigmets, Convective Sigmets, Center Weather Advisories Airmets
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What is a Metar?
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Routine Weather Report Determines Flying Category - VFR/MVFR/IFR
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Describe Elements of a Metar
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Type of Report - Routine or Speci Station Identifier Date and Time of Report Modifier - Auto = Not Human Wind Visibility RVR Sky Condition Temp/Dew Point Altimeter Remarks
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Describe Types for Automated Surface Reports?
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ASOS AWOS
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Format of Pirep
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Type of Report Location Time Flight Level Aircraft Type Weather Element Encountered
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What are TAF's?
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Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts Gives Expected Forecast w/in 5 Miles of Airport Same Information found in METAR
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What is an Area Forecast?
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Forecast of VMC Visual Meteorological Conditions over Several States Issued 3 Times per Day
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What Info is Found in an Area Forecast?
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Area it is Issued For Synopsis Section - Fronts, Pressure Systems, Circulation Patterns. References to Ceilings, Visibility, Winds May be Included VFR Forecasts
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What Are In-Flight Weather Advisories?
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Convective Sigmets Sigmets Airmets
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What is a Convective Sigmet?
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Severe Turbulance Severe Icing Low Level Wind Shear All Associated with Severe Thunderstorms, Embedded Thunderstorms Other Conditons: Surface Winds > 50 Hail > 3/4\" Tornadoes
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What is a Sigmet?
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Advises of non-Convective Weather that is Hazardous to ALL Aircraft Issued for Areas Corresponding to FA Maximum Forecast Period is 4 Hours NOT Associated with Thunderstorms Severe Icing Extreme Turbulance Dust Storms/Sand Storms Volcanic Ash
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What is an Airmet?
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Less Intense Advisories than Sigmets Applicable to Light Aircraft
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What is a TWEB?
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Transcribed Weather Forecast for a Route 50 NM Wide
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What Valuable Information can be Obtained from a Winds and Temperature Aloft Forecast?
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Most Favorable Altitude Areas of Possible Icing Temperature Inversions Turbulance
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What is a Center Weather Advisory (CWA)?
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Aviation Warning of Adverse Weather - Generally Good for 2 Hours
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What is a Convective Outlook?
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Describes the Outlook for General Thunderstorm Activity in the next 24 Hours Day One is Issued 4 Times per Day
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Give Some Examples of Current Weather Charts Used in Flight Planning
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a) Surface Charts b) Weather Depiction Chart c) Radar Charts d) Prog Charts e) Winds and Temp Aloft Chart f) Convective Outlook Chart
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What is a Surface Analysis Chart
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Provides a means for identifying pressure systems and fronts. It also gives an overview of winds, temps and dew points
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What information does a Weather Depiction Chart provide?
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Chart based upon METAR reports Transmitted every 3 hours Shows Sky Cover, Cloud Height, Visibility
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Define the Following Terms: 1. IFR 2. Marginal VFR 3. VFR
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Instrument Flight Rules - Ceilings < 1,000' and/or visibility 3,000' and visibility > 5 miles
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What are Radar Summary Charts
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Displays areas of precip Available hourly Valid at 35 minutes after each hour
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What are Significant Weather Prog Charts
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Shows forecasts for 12/24/36/48 hour intervals Low Level - Up to 24,000 feet Hi Level - 24-60,000 feet
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Describe a Low Level Prog Chart
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One day forecast for weather from surface to 24,000 feet Two forecast periods of 12/24 hours Issued 4x per day Pressure systems, fronts, precip, freezing levels, turbulance
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What Info is Obtained in High Level Prog Charts?
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Flying conditions above 24,000 feet Jet streams Cumulonimbus clouds Turbulence Tropopause height etc
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Describe Temperature and Winds Aloft Chart
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Winds and temps for 8 flight levels to help determine best flight level
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What is a Convective Outlook chart?
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Depicts areas forecast to have thunderstorms Day one and Day two chart
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What are Constant Pressure Analysis Charts?
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Shows areas of equal pressure Contours will then show areas of instability
