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Find a lesson plan →Trivia of the Day
Trivia rolls over daily at midnight, Mountain Standard Time.
Private Pilot Question of the Day
One helicopter instrument shows an abnormal indication while the aircraft remains controllable. What is the best initial method for determining whether a system has failed?
Maintain aircraft control, then cross-check related instruments, annunciations, system indications, control response, and expected behavior. Confirm the condition, apply the RFM or POH checklist, and do not let troubleshooting compromise control or situational awareness.
Commercial Pilot Question of the Day
Why is forcing an early liftoff hazardous on a short runway?
It can leave the airplane below a safe climb speed in ground effect, using runway distance while it accelerates and unable to climb over obstacles.
Instrument Rating Question of the Day
What automation-management hazards can arise during helicopter IFR flight?
Hazards include selecting or misunderstanding the active and armed modes, coupling the wrong source, incorrect data entry, mode reversion, automation surprise, excessive heads-down time, skill degradation, failure to monitor flightpath and power, and continuing with automation that is not producing the intended result. These can create navigation errors, unstable flight, limit exceedances, or loss of control.
Sport Pilot Question of the Day
A landing calculation leaves inadequate stopping margin. What should the pilot do before committing to the approach?
Choose a runway, airport, time, weight, or other condition that provides supported performance and adequate margin rather than force the original plan.
Flight Instructor Question of the Day
A fictional TAF header reads TAF KXYZ 151730Z 1518/1618. What issue time and validity period does it show?
Issued on the 15th at 1730 UTC; valid from 1800 UTC on the 15th through 1800 UTC on the 16th.
Flight Instructor Instrument Question of the Day
What is hypoxic hypoxia, and why can it occur at altitude even though oxygen remains approximately 21 percent of the atmosphere?
Hypoxic hypoxia occurs when insufficient oxygen is available to the body. As altitude increases, atmospheric pressure decreases. Although oxygen remains approximately 21 percent of the atmosphere, its partial pressure decreases, reducing the amount of oxygen transferred from the lungs into the bloodstream.
Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Question of the Day
In the DECIDE model, what does the Do step require the pilot to accomplish?
Implement the selected action deliberately using appropriate resources.
Advice of the Day
Maintain a consistent flight training schedule. Long breaks in any kind of training, but especially aviation, will cause a dramatic loss of progress.
System of the Day
Cabin Heating and Cooling Systems: Cabin Heating and cooling systems provide conditioned air for comfortable operations during various weather conditions
Maneuver of the Day
Instrument Reference Climbs And Descents: Climbs and descents by instrument reference demonstrate the skills necessary to fly without visual reference to the horizon.
Emergency of the Day
Engine Failure: The total loss of power requires immediate actions which depend upon speed (life) and altitude (life insurance)
Mishap of the Day
ERA14LA450: The NTSB determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in a takeoff with the airplane's center of gravity aft of its limit and led the airplane to exceed its critical angle of attack and experience an aerodynamic stall during the initial climb.
