The five most frequently missed Private Pilot Written Test questions—August 2024

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Thousands of simulated Private Pilot written exams are completed every month in Sporty’s Learn to Fly Course, but certain topics consistently trip up aspiring aviators. These commonly missed questions often focus on nuanced regulations, meteorology, flight planning, and airspace rules. Understanding why these questions are frequently misunderstood can help test-takers better prepare and avoid making costly mistakes. Here are the five most often missed questions from August 2024 on the simulated Private Pilot Knowledge Test.

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Extending the flaps:
Correct! Wrong!
What is the purpose of the runway/runway hold position sign?
Correct! Wrong!
What condition applies when taking off at a high density altitude?
Correct! Wrong!
What is the difference between a normal landing and a crosswind landing?
Correct! Wrong!
If a pilot suspects that the engine (with a fixed-pitch propeller) is detonating during climb-out after takeoff, the initial corrective action to take would be to:
Correct! Wrong!

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Sporty's Most Frequently Missed Test Questions August 2024 You got out of 5 right!

Flight Training Central Staff
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12 replies
  1. Vince Fischer says:

    Your answer to the question on taking off at a high density altitude contains an error.

    First you state that the air is less dense (correct) but then you go on to say “to compensate for the higher air density … “. This should read “to compensate for the lower air density … “

    Reply
  2. Don Golding says:

    The question on high density altitude takeoffs is misleading. Lift and drag are always a function of, and proportional to, air density. A better question for a Private Pilot would be; To achieve a required climb angle on takeoff, the angle of attack required will be A) Increased, or B) Decreased, at higher density altitudes?

    Reply
    • Don W says:

      You’re right, but this is a great example of how terrible many of the questions are on the FAA written test — poorly worded, misleading, and very often irrelevant.

      Reply
      • Pete K says:

        Yes, some of those questions are deliberately confusing. Such “trick questions” don’t accomplish much to test understanding, let alone promote safety. Sporty’s quiz not only should explain why a particular answer is “correct” but also why it frequently gets misunderstood.

        Reply
  3. Shary says:

    Answer to question #4 is BS —> in high density altitude situations, the operator must increase airspeed (TRUE AIRSPEED) to offset the reduced density. Increasing AoA kills pilots, but is a common flatlander response.

    Reply
    • Doug says:

      Yes, but indicated airspeed makes this adjustment as DA increases. (due to the fact the air going into the pitot system is less dense. Just don’t forget that as DA increases, Vx increases and Vy decreases. This is why you take DA and temperature to calculate True Airspeed, which is going to be different than Indicated Airspeed in most all cases.

      Reply
  4. JOHN P. says:

    The answer for the Q re: detonation is poor. The cause is a too lean mixture raising temperatures too high inside the cylinder. The real answer is to richen the mixture. Since this answer is not provided, the best answer is to apply carb heat which automatically richens the mixture by providing less dense warm air, raising the fuel/air ratio. By the time cooling the outside of the engine a few degrees by raising airspeed slightly during a climb affects combustion temperatures (which it probably doesn’t anyway), the cylinder is already damaged, possibly fatally.

    Reply
    • Chris Hay says:

      Thank you. I was like what do you mean adding carb heat wouldn’t work.. The other two answers don’t really make sense to me. While technically yes, you could gain more airspeed to push more air over the cylinders. That doesn’t really help with detonation.. your mixture is off. Richen it!

      Reply
  5. JOHN P. says:

    Density altitude Q is misleading. The Q is about the CONDITION, not what is required for takeoff. High density altitude causes low air density which creates less lift for any given airspeed. Since induced drag is directly proportional to lift, the high density altitude creates the CONDITION of lower induced drag for any given airspeed.

    Reply
    • John D says:

      The formula for induced drag is: K x Wt^2➗ 1/2 air density x V^2 x b^2 where K is the planform proportionalality constant, Wt is aircraft weight, V is calibrated airspeed and b is aircraft wingspan. The factors that increase induced drag such as lower air density (high altitude) become obvious.

      Reply

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