How do you manage unstable approach criteria under pressure?

Define hard gates in advance, monitor trend, and execute go-around discipline when criteria fail.

How do you decide between holding and diversion in worsening weather?

Recalculate margin, set a hard decision point, and communicate early with ATC and crew.

Describe a case of automation mode confusion and recovery.

Show trigger detection, cross-check, mode correction, and CRM workload split.

Principles of Flight

Basic aerodynamics questions asked in interviews.

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Topic question bank: Principles of Flight

Questions and Answers

General POF

How can you maintain both altitude and airspeed during a turn?

In a banked turn, the total lift remains constant, but it is divided into two components: one vertical and one horizontal. The vertical component of lift becomes smaller as the bank angle increases, which would normally cause a descent. To maintain altitude, the angle of attack must be increased to restore the vertical lift component to match the aircraft’s weight. However, increasing the angle of attack also increases drag and may reduce airspeed. To counter this, additional thrust is required to maintain airspeed while sustaining the turn. Note: During a level turn, the total lift must be greater than the aircraft’s weight in order to maintain a vertical lift component equal to the weight. As a result, the load factor exceeds 1 G, since Load Factor = Lift / Weight .

Define the difference between $M_{crit}$ and MMO.

$M_{crit}$ (critical Mach number) is the lowest Mach number at which airflow over any part of the aircraft — typically the wing — first reaches Mach 1, leading to the onset of compressibility effects such as shock waves, drag rise, and flow separation. MMO (Maximum Mach Operating number) is the maximum authorized Mach number for safe operation of the aircraft. It ensures that the aircraft remains below speeds that could cause structural stress, control issues, or high-speed buffet. In summary: - $M_{crit}$ marks the start of transonic effects - MMO is a design limitation to avoid unsafe flight conditions - $M_{crit}$ is always lower than MMO Flying beyond MMO may result in loss of control or airframe damage, and must be avoided.

Define pitch angle.

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Define flight path angle.

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Define primary flight controls.

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Define secondary flight controls.

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Why are flaps used during takeoff and landing?

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Is more lift required during climb or during straight and level flight, assuming the same aircraft weight?

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Explain the purpose of slats.

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What are Krüger flaps?

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What are Fowler flaps?

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What are the functions of spoilers on an aircraft?

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Explain the function of the horizontal stabilizer.

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How does airspeed affect the effectiveness of flight controls?

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How is aileron effectiveness influenced by load factor?

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Why should pitch attitude be reduced before rolling wings level during a nose-high upset recovery?

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Why should wings be rolled level before pulling up during a nose-low upset recovery?

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Why is rudder input necessary to achieve a coordinated turn?

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Define Dutch roll.

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Define aspect ratio.

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Define wingtip vortices.

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What is the purpose of winglets (or sharklets on Airbus aircraft)?

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Explain the diifference between chordwise and spanwise airflow.

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Why do most jet aircraft have dihedral wings (with wingtips higher than the wing roots)?

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Define angle of incidence.

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Define wing washout.

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What is the primary advantage of a T-tail configuration?

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What is the primary disadvantage of a T-tail aircraft?

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Describe the function of vortex generators on the upper surface of the wing.

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Define center of pressure.

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How does extending trailing edge flaps affect the center of pressure?

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Aerodynamic Forces

What are the two main types of aerodynamic drag?

The two primary types of aerodynamic drag acting on an aircraft are: Parasite drag : Caused by the aircraft moving through the air. It includes form drag, skin friction, and interference drag. Parasite drag increases with the square of airspeed. Induced drag : Also called lift-induced drag, it results from the generation of lift. It is highest at low speeds and decreases as speed increases. Total drag is the sum of both: Total Drag = Parasite Drag + Induced Drag

Define angle of attack.

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What happens to lift as angle of attack increases?

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What happens to airspeed as angle of attack increases?

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What happens when you increase thrust on a jet aircraft with engines mounted under the wings?

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What happens to lift when airspeed is doubled?

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How does extending trailing edge flaps affect the angle of attack?

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Explain how lift is generated

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Define the high lift devices of an aircraft

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How does parasite drag and induced drag vary with speed during level flight?

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How do induced drag and parasite drag vary with angle of attack during level flight?

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When performing a steep turn at 45° bank while maintaining level flight, how much greater is the induced drag compared to straight and level (1 G) flight?

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How to reduce induced drag?

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How does weight affect induced drag?

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When does an aircraft experience minimum drag?

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What happens when flying below the minimum drag speed (on the backside of the drag curve)?

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If two aircraft with different weights glide at their respective minimum drag speeds, which one will have a greater glide range (assuming no wind)?

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How does aspect ratio affect induced drag?

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How does angle of attack affect the center of pressure?

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Stall and Stability

Define critical angle of attack.

The critical angle of attack is the angle above which aerodynamic stall occurs. At this point, the airflow can no longer remain attached to the upper surface of the wing, leading to a rapid loss of lift. At the critical angle, the lift coefficient ($C_{L}$) reaches its maximum. Beyond this point, even if the angle of attack increases, the wing can no longer generate sufficient lift to sustain flight. Note: - Every aircraft stalls at a specific angle of attack for a given configuration — not at a specific airspeed or attitude. - The critical angle of attack decreases at high altitude and high Mach numbers due to compressibility effects and aerodynamic limits. - Airframe icing can also lower the critical angle of attack significantly. - Wing configuration affects it as well: - Leading-edge slats and flaps, when extended, tend to increase the critical angle of attack. - Trailing-edge flaps, on the other hand, generally reduce it. - For this reason, in most jet aircraft, leading-edge devices extend automatically when trailing-edge flaps are deployed.

How is the term "coffin corner" defined in high-altitude jet operations?

Coffin corner is the altitude at which the aircraft’s stall speed equals its maximum operating speed . At this point, any decrease in speed will cause a low-speed stall due to airflow separation when the critical angle of attack is exceeded. On the other hand, any increase in speed will lead to a high-speed stall because airflow deceleration occurs due to shock waves forming on the aircraft’s wings.

Why does the critical angle of attack decrease when trailing edge flaps are extended?

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What is the first action to take at the onset of a stall?

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How does stall speed change during a banked turn?

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How does weight affect stall speed?

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What is the effect of icing on stall speed.

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How does extension of trailing edge flaps affect stall speed?

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Which part of a swept-back wing tends to stall first, and why?

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What are the consequences if the wingtip stalls before the wing root?

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Define deep stall (super-stall)

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High-Speed Flight

Define Mach number.

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Define Mach tuck.

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How does wing thickness affect the critical Mach number?

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Define critical Mach number ($M_{crit}$).

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What is the significance of the critical Mach number ($M_{crit}$)?

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Why do most jet aircraft have swept-back wings?

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Define Mach buffet.

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Powerplant

Define propeller feathering.

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Define torque effect in flight on a single-engine propeller aircraft.

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Define the P-factor (also known as asymmetric blade effect).

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Reviewed by Lucas, airline pilot and instructor.