QUIZ: UNDERSTANDING THE AIRPLANE PITOT-STATIC SYSTEM ....

Acknowledgements: Sporty’s Student Pilot News (Author Chris Clarke)

 (Ed. note: One of many useful memory-joggers and training tips to be found on Sporty’s Student Pilot News website. Check it out!)

The pitot-static system is the source of valuable flight information for the pilot. But how does it work and what instruments are affected? Take this quiz to find out if you have mastered the finer details of the pitot-static system. 

1. Which instrument(s) will become inoperative if the static vents become clogged?

1.    Airspeed only. 

2.    Airspeed and altimeter. 

3.    Airspeed, altimeter, and vertical speed. 

2. If a flight is made from an area of low pressure into an area of high pressure without the altimeter setting being adjusted, the altimeter will indicate:

1.    lower than the actual altitude above sea level. 

2.    the actual altitude above sea level. 

3.    higher than the actual altitude above sea level.  

3. What does the red line on an airspeed indicator represent?

1.    Turbulent or rough-air speed. 

2.    Never-exceed speed. 

3.    Manoeuvring speed. 

4. Which instrument will become inoperative if the pitot tube becomes clogged?

1.    Altimeter. 

2.    Airspeed. 

3.    Vertical speed. 

5. The pitot system provides impact pressure for which instrument(s)?

1.    Airspeed indicator. 

2.    Vertical-speed and airspeed indicators. 

3.    Vertical-speed indicator, airspeed indicator, and altimeter. 

6. Altimeter setting is the value to which the barometric pressure scale of the altimeter is set so the altimeter indicates:

1.    absolute altitude at field elevation. 

2.    calibrated altitude at field elevation. 

3.    true altitude at field elevation. 

7. Which condition would cause the altimeter to indicate a lower altitude than true altitude?

1.    Air temperature lower than standard. 

2.    Air temperature warmer than standard. 

3.    Atmospheric pressure lower than standard. 

8. If, while in level flight, it becomes necessary to use an alternate source of static pressure vented inside the airplane, which of the following should the pilot expect?

1.    The gyroscopic instruments to become inoperative. 

2.    The vertical speed to momentarily show a climb. 

3.    The altimeter and airspeed indicator to become inoperative. 

(Want to learn more about the pitot-static and other aircraft systems? Check out Sporty’s Learn To Fly Course for more in-depth training on this subject)