Ex. 7 - Climbing - Quiz, Trivia & Questions

1.

When would it be wise to climb at Vx (the speed for the best angle of climb)?

A.

Whenever changing cruise altitudes on a long cross-country flight
B.

When air traffic control asks you to "expedite" your climb
C.

Right after take-off from a short runway with an obstacle near the end.
D.

Whenever overheating the engine is a concern

Correct Answer
C. Right after take-off from a short runway with an obstacle near the end.

Explanation
A. There is usually no reason to do steep climbs at altitude. Unless there are additional circumstances present, climbs at altitude are typically done in the normal or enroute speed range.

B. "Expediting" the climb means the ATC wants you at a higher altitude as soon as possible. To gain maximum altitude in the least amount of time, use climbing at best RATE.

C. This is a situation when maximizing the angle between the plane's flight path and the ground, so best angle of climb is indeed appropriate.

D. If your engine is close to overheating, climbing at best angle is a terrible thing to do to it! Due to the high angle of attack and low airspeed, engine cooling is poor when climbing at Vx.

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2.

What does climbing at Vy (best rate of climb) mean?

A.

You're gaining the maximum amount of altitude in a given time.
B.

You're gaining the maximum amount of altitude in a given distance over the ground.
C.

You're covering the least amount of ground distance per given altitude gain.
D.

You're gaining altitude at a leisurely rate, but are maximizing airspeed and forward visibility.

Correct Answer
A. You're gaining the maximum amount of altitude in a given time.

Explanation
A is correct. B and C are two different ways to say the same thing, and they refer to Vx (best angle of climb). D is enroute climb.

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3.

Two identical planes started a climb from two identical parallel runways at exactly the same time, under exactly the same conditions. Plane 1 was climbing at Vx. Plane 2 was climbing at Vy. 30 seconds later, which one will be at a higher altitude?

A.

Plane 1
B.

Plane 2
C.

They will be at the same altitude
D.

Not enough information

Correct Answer
B. Plane 2

Explanation
Plane 2 was climbing at Vy, which means it's gaining altitude at the fastest rate. So after 30 (or however many) seconds it'll be higher than Plane 1.

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4.

Two identical planes started a climb from two identical parallel runways at exactly the same time, under exactly the same conditions. Plane 1 was climbing at Vx. Plane 2 was climbing at Vy. At 3,000', which plane was closer to the runway it took off from?

A.

Plane 1
B.

Plane 2
C.

They were the same distance away from their respective runways
D.

Not enough information

Correct Answer
A. Plane 1

Explanation
Plane 1 would be closer, since it was climbing at Vx -- a type of climb that allows to cover the least amount of ground distance in a given amount of altitude gain.

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5.

Which of the following factors will decrease a plane's climb performance after take-off?

A.

High-altitude airport
B.

Low temperature
C.

Taking off with fuel tanks less than full
D.

Extra passengers
E.

Dry day

Correct Answer(s)
A. High-altitude airport
D. Extra passengers

Explanation
A. Air is thinner at a high-altitude airport, which reduces climb performance.
B. At low temperature the air is denser than at higher temperature, so low temperature will enhance plane's performance
C. As long as you have enough fuel to actually complete the flight, carrying less fuel will improve the plane's climb performance, since it will reduce its weight.
D. Extra passengers, on the other hand, increase the weight, making it harder to climb
E. Humid air slightly decreases peformance since it's less dense (and because water molecules cannot be burnt with fuel). Dry air, on the other hand, is beneficial to climbing.

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6.

On a beautiful, zero-wind day, you take off from a short runway with some power lines close to the far end. You climb out at Vx because of that obstacle. You did the take-off performance calculations (will be covered in later lessons), and are assured that you can make it. As you're climbing, you notice that the power lines look awfully close, and you are tempted to raise the nose just a touch higher. What would happen if you did that?

A.

You will immediately stall the plane.
B.

You might not stall right away if you don't raise the nose too much, but since you'll decrease your airspeed below Vx, your climb angle will actually be shallower and you'll be more likely to hit the power lines.
C.

Your airspeed will decrease, but you will get a better climb angle, so you're more likely to go over the power lines.
D.

Your airspeed will increase, but your rate of climb will decrease, so you're more likely to hit the power lines.

Correct Answer
B. You might not stall right away if you don't raise the nose too much, but since you'll decrease your airspeed below Vx, your climb angle will actually be shallower and you'll be more likely to hit the power lines.

Explanation
You will probably not stall right away -- Vx is typically quite a few knots above the plane's stall speed. However, you will decrease both your airspeed and your rate of climb and your angle of climb, so you'll be more likely to hit the power lines.

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7.

How do you keep the plane coordinated in a climb?

A.

Apply pressure to the left rudder pedal to bring and keep the turn coordinator ball in the far right corner
B.

Apply pressure to the left rudder pedal to bring and keep the turn coordinator ball in the centre
C.

Apply pressure to the right rudder pedal to bring and keep the turn coordinator ball in the far left corner
D.

Apply pressure to the right rudder pedal to bring and keep the turn coordinator ball in the centre

Correct Answer
D. Apply pressure to the right rudder pedal to bring and keep the turn coordinator ball in the centre

Explanation
The plane will want to yaw to the left in a climb due to what's called aircraft left-turning tendencies: http://avstop.com/ac/1-9.html. To counteract it, you need to apply steady pressure on the right rudder pedal, to bring the turn coordinator ball back to the centre.

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8.

Two identical aircraft, Plane 1 and Plane 2, are climbing under identical atmospheric conditions. We know that one of them is climbing at Vx and the other at Vy. We are also told, that Plane 1's Vertical Speed Indicator shows a climb at 700 feet per minute, while Plane 2's VSI is indicating a climb at 500 fpm. Which plane is climbing at Vy?

A.

Plane 1
B.

Plane 2
C.

There is not enough information to say with certainty

Correct Answer
A. Plane 1

Explanation
Vy means you're gaining altitude as fast as you can. Since gaining it at 700 feet per minute is faster than gaining it at 500 feet per minute, Plane 1 must be climbing at Vy.

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