FIA Knowledge Exam Questions

[HPNPilot1200]

I took the Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA) knowledge exam today and saw a few unusual questions show up that I hadn't seen anywhere else (Gleim, internet, published FAA documents, etc).

One of the questions asked why it is dangerous to start a downwind turn early in the traffic pattern. The first answer had something to the effect that it would increase the speed at which the rotor would stall. Huh? Rotor? This is an FIA exam. I couldn't understand why the question was being asked.

Another question had to do with informing your foreign student whether he/she could credit his/her previous dual and solo flight time from a different country toward a U.S. private pilot certificate. I can't find any guidance on this. I said as long as the flight time meets 14 CFR 61, the time could be credited toward a U.S. certificate and it didn't say that was wrong so I'm assuming that is the correct answer.

Knowledge exams now display the questions answered incorrectly at the end of the exam. The two questions it displayed at the end had the same answer, "60 days," which I correctly selected during the exam. I am going to call the FAA tomorrow to see what happened. I called LaserGrade, but they just turned around and gave me a number for the FAA.

I passed with a 98%, but there were a few curveballs in there I wasn't expecting. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

 

[tonycondon]

were they extra questions? don't they sometimes through "test" questions in there? either way with a 98% you don't have much to complain about Mr. Smarty Pants.

 

[poadeleted20]

The rotary-wing question sounds like an error. Ask the test center about that.

You answered the foreign student question correctly as far as it goes. The full answer for the dual part of that is found in 61.41 "Flight training received from flight instructors not certificated by the FAA." And yes, that's fair game on an FIA test, since you have to know what can be credited in order to endorse folks for certificate/ratings.

 

[HPNPilot1200]

were they extra questions? don't they sometimes through "test" questions in there? either way with a 98% you don't have much to complain about Mr. Smarty Pants.

I know, haha. No extra questions.

The rotary-wing question sounds like an error. Ask the test center about that.

You answered the foreign student question correctly as far as it goes. The full answer for the dual part of that is found in 61.41 "Flight training received from flight instructors not certificated by the FAA." And yes, that's fair game on an FIA test, since you have to know what can be credited in order to endorse folks for certificate/ratings.

The test center told me to contact LaserGrade who told me to contact the FAA. So I will give them a ring tomorrow.

I understand the foreign student is fair game, I just hadn't seen it in my Gleim knowledge exam prep book or anywhere else. Good to know where it is though, thanks for the reference.

 

[TMetzinger]

One of the questions asked why it is dangerous to start a downwind turn early in the traffic pattern. The first answer had something to the effect that it would increase the speed at which the rotor would stall. Huh? Rotor? This is an FIA exam. I couldn't understand why the question was being asked.

I can't understand what the position in the traffic pattern has to do with rotor stall speed. How does turning downwind 1/2 mile from the airport differ from turning downwind 5 miles from the airport, assuming the same bank angles and airspeeds?

 

[HPNPilot1200]

I can't understand what the position in the traffic pattern has to do with rotor stall speed. How does turning downwind 1/2 mile from the airport differ from turning downwind 5 miles from the airport, assuming the same bank angles and airspeeds?

IIRC the three options were:

• Increase in rotor stall speed
• More difficult to handle an emergency power failure
• Reduction in climb rate

 

[nosehair]

Oh, sounds like they changed that from "increases flux-capacitator flutter".