EAST AFRICAN CIVIL AVIATION ACADEMY

Soroti Airport, Block M19, Elangot Road, Northern Division, Soroti Municipality
P.O. Box 333, Soroti, Uganda. Tel: +256-45-4461245
Email: training@flysoroti.ac.ug, Web site: www.flysoroti.ac.ug

PRIVATE PILOTS LICENCE

SCHOOL FINAL EXAM

SUBJECT: PRINCIPLES OF FLIGHT

COURSE No: ……………………………………………………………….………
NAME: ……………..……………………………………………………………….
MARKS: ……………%
DURATION: 1 HOUR

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Do not write or mark on this examination paper
2. Use a separate answer sheet provided to indicate the correct answers.
3. Calculators and whiz wheels may be used in attempting this exam
4. Do not use cell phones in the exam room.
5. This paper consists of 40 questions with equal marks.
6. Put a cross or tick in the box to indicate the correct answer for the respective
question.
7. Do not mark or circle more than 1 answer.
8. All questions should be attempted.
9. The pass mark is 70%.

1. The phenomenon of flutter is described as:

(a) Rapid movement of the airframe caused by vibration from the engines.
 (b) Reversal of the ailerons caused by wing torsional flexibility.
(c) Oscillatory motion of part or parts of the aircraft relative to the remainder of the
structure.
(d) Rapid oscillatory motion involving only rotation of the control surfaces, associated
with the shock waves produced around the control surfaces.
2. The purpose of a differential ailerons is to:
(a) Reduce the opposite yawing moment when making a turn.
(b) Increase the yawing moment which opposes a turn.
(c) Induce a pitching moment to prevent the nose from dropping in the turn.
(d) Improve the rate of roll.
3. The respective primary and secondary effects of the rudder control are:
(a) Yaw and pitch.
(b) Pitch and yaw
(c) Roll and yaw.
(d) Yaw and roll.
4. That portion of the aircraft's total drag created by the production of lift is called:
(a) Parasite drag, which is inversely proportional to the square of the airspeed.
(b) Induced drag, which is greatly affected by changes in airspeed.
(c) Parasite drag, which is greatly affected by changes in airspeed.
(d) Induced drag, which is not affected by changes in airspeed.
5. By changing the Angle of Attack of a wing, the pilot can control the aeroplane's:
(a) Lift and drag, but not airspeed.
(b) Lift, airspeed, and drag.
(c) Lift and airspeed, but not drag.
(d) Lift, gross weight, and drag.
6. Resistance, or skin friction, due to the viscosity of the air as it passes along the surface of a
wing, is a type of:
(a) Parasite drag.
(b) Induced drag.
(c) Form drag.
(d) Interference drag.
7. If the Indicated Air Speed of an aircraft is increased from 50 kts to 100 kts, parasite drag will
be:
(a) Two times greater.
(b) One quarter as much.
(c) Four times greater.
(d) Six times greater.
8. Density:-
(a) Reduces with altitude increase.
(b) Is unaffected by temperature change.
(c) Increases with altitude increase.
(d) Reduces with temperature reduction.

9. If, on a given day, the actual outside air temperature at 4000 ft is 23°C, what is the
approximate difference between the actual and ISA temperature?
(a) 7°C.
 (b) 15°C.
(c) 8°C.
(d) 16°C.
10. On an aerofoil section, the force of lift acts perpendicular to, and the force of drag acts
parallel to, the:
(a) Aerofoil section upper surface.
(b) Flightpath.
(c) Longitudinal axis.
(d) Chord line.
11. The definition of lift is:
(a) The aerodynamic force that results from the pressure differentials about an aerofoil.
(b) The upward moving force on an aircraft
(c) The aerodynamic force which acts at 90° to the relative airflow.
(d) The aerodynamic force which acts perpendicular to the chord line of the aerofoil.
12. The aerodynamic force which acts perpendicular to the upper surface of the aerofoil. Full
flaps should be selected when:
(a) Commencing final approach.
(b) On go-around.
(c) Landing into a strong headwind.
(d) Committed to land.
13. A wing which is inclined downwards from root to tip is said to have:
(a) Taper.
(b) Sweep.
(c) Anhedral.
(d) Washout.
14. If the Angle of Attack and other factors remain constant, and the airspeed is doubled, lift will
be:
(a) Quadrupled.
(b) Doubled.
(c) One quarter of what it was.
(d) The same.
15. When the C of G is close to the forward limit:
(a) Very high stick forces are required to pitch because the aircraft is very stable.
(b) Very small forces are required on the control column to produce pitch.
(c) Longitudinal stability is reduced.
(d) Stick forces are the same as for an aft C of G.
16. After a disturbance in pitch, an aircraft oscillates in pitch with increasing amplitude. It is:
(a) Statically unstable but dynamically stable.
(b) Statically and dynamically stable.
(c) Statically stable but dynamically unstable.
(d) Statically and dynamically unstable.
17. With the flaps lowered, the stalling speed will:
(a) Increase, but occur at a higher angle of attack.
(b) Remain the same.
(c) Decrease.
(d) Increase.
18. With a forward Centre of Gravity, an aircraft will have:
(a) Decreased elevator effectiveness when flaring.
 (b) Reduced longitudinal stability.
(c) Lighter forces for control movements.
(d) Shorter take off distances.
19. Longitudinal stability is given
(a) The ailerons.
(b) The horizontal tailplane.
(c) The fin.
(d) The wing dihedral.
20. The respective percentages of the four most abundant gases that make up the atmosphere
are?
(a) Oxygen 78% Nitrogen 21% Argon 0.95% Carbon Dioxide 0.05%
(b) Nitrogen 78% Oxygen 21% Argon 0.95% Carbon Monoxide 0.05%
(c) Oxygen 78% Nitrogen 21% Argon 0.95% Carbon Monoxide 0.05%
(d) Nitrogen 78% Oxygen 21% Argon 0.95% Carbon Dioxide 0.05%
21. A piston engine aircraft fiies in that layer of the atmosphere called:
(a) The Troposphere.
(b) The Stratosphere.
(c) The Mesosphere.
(d) The Tropopause.
22. The air flow over the wing's upper surface in straight and level flight, when compared
with the airflow that is unaffected by the wing, will have:
(a) A reduced velocity.
(b) The same velocity.
(c) A higher velocity.
(d) A higher density.
23. An aircraft rotates about:
(a) Its centre of gravity.
(b) Its wings.
(c) Its main undercarriage.
(d) Its rudder.
24. The boundary layer consists of:
(a) Laminar flow.
(b) Turbulent flow.
(c) Laminar and Turbulent flow.
(d) Turbulent flow at low speeds only.
25. As airspeed increases, induced drag:
(a) Increases.
(b) Decreases.
(c) Is dependant on the weight of the aircraft?
(d) Remains unchanged.

26. The surface that gives an aircraft directional stability is:

(a) The rudder trim tab.
(b) The fin.
(c) The rudder.
(d) The horizontal tailplane.
27. The maximum speed at which the aircraft can be flown with flaps extended is called:
(a) VYSE.
 (b) VNE.
(c) VNO.
(d) VFE.
28. Yawing is movement around the_____axis.
(a) Lateral.
(b) Horizontal.
(c) Normal.
(d) Longitudinal.
29. An aft Centre of Gravity will give:
(a) Increased longitudinal stability.
(b) Heavy forces for control movements.
(c) Longer take-off distances.
(d) Increased elevator effectiveness when flaring.
30. If a disturbing force causes an aircraft to roll:
(a) Wing dihedral will cause a yawing moment which tends to correct the sideslip.
(b) Wing dihedral will cause a nose up pitching moment
(c) Wing dihedral will cause a rolling moment which tends to correct the sideslip.
(d) The fin will cause a yawing moment which reduces the sideslip.
31. Loading an aircraft so that the C of G exceeds the aft limits could result in:
(a) High stick forces.
(b) Loss of longitudinal stability and the nose pitching up at slow speeds.
(c) Excessive upward force on the tail, and the nose pitching down.
(d) Excessive load factor in turns.
32. Movement of the aircraft about its normal (vertical) axis is known as:-
(a) Side slipping.
(b) Yawing.
(c) Rolling.
(d) Pitching.
33. Controls are mass balanced in order to:
(a) Provide equal control forces on all three controls.
(b) Return the control surface to neutral when the controls are released.
(c) Eliminate control flutter.
(d) Aerodynamically assist the pilot in moving the controls.
34. A control surface may be mass balanced by:
(a) Attaching a weight acting forward of the hinge line.
(b) Fitting a balance tab.
(c) Fitting an anti-balance tab.
(d) Attaching weight acting aft of the hinge line.
35. The maximum angle of climb of an aeroplane is determined by:
(a) The aircraft weight.
(b) Wind speed.
(c) Excess airspeed.
(d) Excess engine thrust.
36. Which wing shape has the greatest induction drag?
(a) Taper.
(b) Elliptical.
(c) Double taper.
(d) Rectangular.
37. What is the load factor in a 60° banked level turn? (See Fig. PPL PoF-1)
(a) 0.5 G
(b) 1 G
(c) 2.0 G
(d) 1.5 G
38. The best angle of attack on the wing polar diagram is marked as: (See Fig. PPL PoF-2)
(a) 4.
(b) 2.
(c) 5.
(d) 6.
39. Which flying control surface(s) give(s) control about the aircraft's normal axis?
(a) The ailerons.
(b) The elevator.
(c) The flaps.
(d) The rudder.
40. The primary and secondary effects of applying the left rudder alone are:
(a) Left yaw and left roll.
(b) Left yaw and right roll.
(c) Right yaw and left roll.
(d) Right yaw and right roll.
Principle of flight

APPENDIX:

Fig. PPL PoF-1.

Fig. PPL PoF-2.