Mixed Deck — All GPC Topics Flashcards

A steady green light gun signal directed at a glider on the ground means:

Answer: Cleared for takeoff

A steady green light from the tower to an aircraft on the ground means cleared for takeoff.

What weather condition is indicated by lenticular clouds?

Answer: Strong mountain wave activity.

Lenticular clouds form in mountainous regions and indicate strong, turbulent winds aloft.

What is the recommended action if a glider’s canopy opens unexpectedly in flight?

Answer: Reduce speed and secure the canopy if possible.

If a glider's canopy opens unexpectedly in flight, the immediate recommended action is to reduce airspeed. This minimizes the aerodynamic forces acting on the canopy, making it safer and easier to attempt to close and secure it. Maintaining control and addressing the immediate hazard is paramount for pilot safety and flight stability.

When should a pilot consider deploying the emergency parachute system?

Answer: When control is irrecoverable and terrain impact is imminent.

The parachute is a last resort for unrecoverable situations (e.g., structural failure or mid-air collision).

If the static port on a glider becomes blocked during flight, how will the altimeter and airspeed indicator be affected?

Answer: The altimeter will freeze at the altitude where the blockage occurred, and the airspeed indicator will be inaccurate.

If the static port becomes blocked, the altimeter will no longer sense changes in ambient air pressure and will remain fixed at the altitude of the blockage. The airspeed indicator will also be affected; it will read lower than the actual airspeed as the glider descends and higher than the actual airspeed as it climbs from the altitude where the blockage occurred, because the trapped static pressure is no longer correct for the current altitude.

A pilot is flying a glider with a published best glide ratio of 40:1 in still air. From an altitude of 5,280 feet above the ground, what is the maximum horizontal distance the glider can travel?

Answer: 211,200 feet

A glide ratio of 40:1 means the glider can travel 40 feet horizontally for every 1 foot of altitude lost. From 5,280 feet (1 statute mile) of altitude, the maximum horizontal distance is 40 times the altitude: 40 * 5,280 feet = 211,200 feet. This is equivalent to 40 statute miles.

What is the significance of the 'best glide speed' for a glider?

Answer: The airspeed that gives maximum distance for altitude lost

This speed provides the maximum distance for altitude lost in still air.

Which of the following airspace classes in Canada requires all aircraft, including gliders operating under VFR, to receive an ATC clearance before entry?

Answer: Class C

Class C airspace requires that all VFR flights receive a clearance from Air Traffic Control before entering. ATC provides separation between IFR and VFR aircraft.

What is the primary aerodynamic effect a glider experiences when flying very close to the ground, such as during the final flare for landing?

Answer: A reduction in induced drag, causing the glider to 'float' further.

When a glider flies within approximately one wingspan of the ground, it enters 'ground effect'. This phenomenon interferes with the formation of wingtip vortices, which are a primary cause of induced drag. The reduction in induced drag makes the wing more efficient, causing the glider to float a longer distance than it would otherwise.

When preparing a VFR Navigation Chart (VNC) for a cross-country glider flight, which of the following is a critical planning step unique to soaring?

Answer: Identifying and circling potential safe land-out fields along the intended route.

Unlike powered aircraft, gliders cannot simply fly to the nearest airport if they run out of lift. A key part of cross-country planning for glider pilots is pre-identifying and marking suitable fields for a safe off-airport landing (a 'land-out' or 'outlanding') along the entire route. This is a primary safety consideration.

What does the 'P' in the PAVE risk assessment checklist stand for?

Answer: Pilot in command

PAVE stands for Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, and External pressures, and is used to identify risk factors before flight.

What is the FAA-recommended mnemonic for assessing a pilot's fitness to fly?

Answer: IMSAFE

IMSAFE stands for Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, and Eating/Emotion, and is used to evaluate personal fitness before flight.

Which cognitive bias causes pilots to continue a plan despite changing conditions that suggest they should abort?

Answer: Continuation bias (get-there-itis)

Continuation bias, often called get-there-itis, leads pilots to press on with a flight plan despite evidence that stopping or diverting is the safer choice.

What is the primary purpose of a glider's flight computer?

Answer: To calculate glide ratios and wind corrections

A glider's flight computer, often called a variometer or flight management system, is primarily used to optimize flight performance. It calculates critical data such as the glider's current glide ratio, provides information on thermal strength, and helps pilots make wind corrections to maximize distance and efficiency during cross-country flights. It does not control radio systems or monitor engine performance, as gliders are engineless.

How should spoilers be used during final approach?

Answer: Used progressively to adjust glide path

Spoiler management is crucial for precision landings.

How does increasing the all-up weight of a glider (e.g., by adding water ballast) affect its performance, assuming the pilot flies at the correct corresponding airspeeds?

Answer: It has no effect on the best glide ratio but increases the best glide speed.

A glider's lift-to-drag ratio (L/D max), which determines its best glide angle, is an aerodynamic property of its design and is not affected by weight. However, to achieve that same L/D ratio at a higher weight, the glider must fly at a higher airspeed. The minimum sink rate will also increase, but the glide ratio for a given starting altitude remains the same.

What is the purpose of a 'speed-to-fly' calculation in gliding?

Answer: To calculate the optimal airspeed for best glide ratio

Speed-to-fly calculations are critical for glider pilots to optimize their flight path. This involves determining the optimal airspeed to fly between thermals to achieve the best possible glide ratio, minimizing altitude loss and maximizing distance covered. It helps pilots efficiently transition between areas of lift, conserving energy for longer flights.

Before entering Class D airspace, a glider pilot is required to:

Answer: Establish two-way radio communication with ATC

Class D airspace requires that two-way radio communication be established with the tower before entry.

A glider pilot is on a cross-country flight and becomes disoriented after circling in a thermal for an extended period. They are unsure of their exact position. What is the most appropriate initial action?

Answer: Circle to conserve altitude, confess the situation to oneself, and then use prominent visual features to re-orient with the map.

The standard lost procedure is often remembered by the '5 Cs': Climb (or Conserve for gliders), Confess, Communicate, Comply, and Conserve fuel (not applicable to gliders). For a glider pilot, the priority is to conserve altitude by circling in neutral or rising air. The pilot should then admit they are lost and begin a systematic process of re-orientation by comparing prominent ground features like lakes, towns, and highways to their chart. Descending reduces options, and a PAN PAN call is premature before attempting to self-locate.

A VFR-rated glider pilot inadvertently flies into a cloud and loses all outside visual references. To prevent a spiral dive and exit the instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), what is the most appropriate course of action?

Answer: Trust the instruments, make a gentle 180-degree turn, and maintain a constant airspeed, keeping control inputs smooth.

When a VFR pilot enters IMC, spatial disorientation is the greatest threat. The correct procedure is to trust the instruments, not bodily sensations. The primary goal is to initiate a gentle, standard-rate 180-degree turn to reverse course and fly out of the cloud. The pilot should make only small, smooth control inputs while focusing on the basic instruments to maintain a constant airspeed and prevent over-controlling, which can lead to a spiral dive.