SIFT practice test, the four text subtests

A NOTAR helicopter counters main rotor torque mainly by –

1. A second counter-rotating main rotor
   That is a coaxial or tandem helicopter, which needs no anti-torque system at the tail.
2. Blowing air out of slots in the boom
   NOTAR blows fan air out of slots along the boom; the downwash bends around it (Coanda effect) and pushes sideways.
3. Canting the main rotor mast sideways
   Mast tilt corrects drift, not torque.
4. A shrouded fan in the vertical fin
   That describes a Fenestron, a different anti-torque design.

ID 924515 · Report a problem

A helicopter in vortex ring state sinks faster each time the pilot raises the collective. The correct recovery is to –

1. Apply full aft cyclic to slow down
   Slowing down keeps the rotor inside its own downwash.
2. Raise the collective to full power
   Raising the collective alone only deepens the recirculation and the sink rate; the FAA's Vuichard recovery adds power only together with lateral cyclic.
3. Gain airspeed or lower collective
   Flying out of the descending air with forward (or lateral) cyclic, or reducing collective, ends the recirculation.
4. Reduce rotor rpm to cut drag
   Low rotor rpm reduces lift and control and makes the situation worse.

ID 924519 · Report a problem

Helicopter movement above the surface, in ground effect, at less than about 20 knots is called –

1. Hover taxi
   The AIM defines hover taxi as movement above the surface, in ground effect, at less than about 20 knots.
2. Air taxi
   Air taxi is above 20 knots or above ground effect, at the pilot's chosen altitude.
3. Ground taxi
   Ground taxi is moving on the surface, wheels on the ground.
4. Rotor taxi
   Rotor taxi is not an AIM term.

ID 924520 · Report a problem

From a hover, the pilot moves the cyclic forward without adding collective. The helicopter will –

1. Pitch up and slow down
   Forward cyclic pitches the nose down and speeds the helicopter up.
2. Accelerate and start to sink
   Tilting the rotor disc forward turns part of its thrust horizontal, so the vertical part drops and the helicopter settles.
3. Accelerate and climb
   A climb comes later, once translational lift builds at higher speed; at first the helicopter does not accelerate and climb.
4. Accelerate at a constant height
   Holding height needs more collective to make up for the tilted thrust.

ID 924706 · Report a problem

A helicopter with a counter-clockwise main rotor (viewed from above) accelerates through about 10–20 knots and rolls slightly right with some vibration. The main cause is –

1. Dissymmetry of lift
   Dissymmetry of lift is the left-right airspeed difference, which blade flapping evens out.
2. Retreating blade stall
   Retreating blade stall happens near high forward speed, not at 10–20 knots.
3. Translating tendency
   Translating tendency is a sideways drift at a hover caused by tail rotor thrust.
4. Transverse flow effect
   At 10–20 knots the rear of the disc gets more downflow than the front; precession shows this as a right roll with vibration.

ID 924712 · Report a problem

Mast bumping is mainly a hazard of which main rotor system?

1. Fully articulated (hinged)
   Articulated heads have separate flapping hinges for each blade, so the hub does not teeter against the mast.
2. Rigid
   A rigid rotor flexes its blades instead of teetering, so mast bumping does not occur.
3. Bearingless
   Bearingless rotors flex in composite parts; they have no teetering hub to strike the mast.
4. Two-blade semi-rigid (teetering)
   A two-blade semi-rigid (teetering) head can flap until the hub strikes the mast, especially in low-G flight.

ID 924449 · Report a problem

A transport aircraft can carry a maximum payload of 30,000 pounds. Each supply container weighs 450 pounds. What is the greatest number of containers it can carry?

1. 666
   666 slips a decimal place, dividing by 45 instead of 450.
2. 67
   67 rounds 66 2/3 up and would exceed the 30,000-pound limit by 150 pounds.
3. 66
   30,000 ÷ 450 = 66 2/3; a partial container cannot be loaded, so the limit is 66.
4. 60
   60 rounds each container up to 500 pounds before dividing.

ID 716149 · Report a problem

A cook feeds 150 soldiers 2 meat meals a day, using 0.3 pound of meat per meal. How many pounds of meat are needed for 5 days?

1. 90 pounds
   90 pounds covers one day; the question asks for 5 days.
2. 450 pounds
   150 soldiers × 2 meals × 0.3 pound × 5 days = 450 pounds.
3. 45 pounds
   45 pounds covers a single meal for the 150 soldiers.
4. 225 pounds
   225 pounds counts only one meat meal a day for 5 days.

ID 716326 · Report a problem

A unit's vehicle-maintenance budget is $360,000. If 40% of it has been spent, how much is left?

1. $216,000
   40% of $360,000 is $144,000 spent, so $216,000 (60%) is left.
2. $504,000
   $504,000 adds the 40% to the budget.
3. $144,000
   $144,000 is the amount already spent, not what is left.
4. $320,000
   $320,000 subtracts $40,000 instead of 40%.

ID 716333 · Report a problem

A square radar display has a perimeter of 64 inches. What is its area?

1. 1,024 square inches
   1,024 square inches takes half the perimeter, 32 inches, as the side.
2. 4,096 square inches
   4,096 square inches squares the whole perimeter, 64².
3. 256 square inches
   Each side is 64 ÷ 4 = 16 inches, so the area is 16² = 256 square inches.
4. 16 square inches
   16 is the side length in inches; it still has to be squared.

ID 813318 · Report a problem

(2¹⁰ − 1) ÷ (2⁵ − 1) = ?

1. 33
   2¹⁰ − 1 = (2⁵ − 1)(2⁵ + 1), a difference of squares, so the quotient is 2⁵ + 1 = 33.
2. 32
   32 subtracts exponents (2^{10 − 5}) as if the −1s were not there.
3. 4
   4 divides the exponents, 2^{10 ÷ 5} = 2².
4. 31
   31 is 2⁵ − 1, the divisor, not the quotient.

ID 858525 · Report a problem

If f(x) = x² − 2x + 3 and g(x) = 2x + 1, what is f(g(3))?

1. 66
   66 adds the middle term (49 + 14 + 3); f has −2x, so it is −14.
2. 38
   Work from the inside: g(3) = 2 × 3 + 1 = 7, then f(7) = 49 − 14 + 3 = 38.
3. 13
   13 reverses the order and computes g(f(3)) = g(6) = 13.
4. 7
   7 is g(3); f has not been applied yet.

ID 857652 · Report a problem

20 − 12 ÷ 4 × 3 + 6 = ?

1. 5
   5 subtracts 9 + 6 as a group; addition and subtraction also go left to right.
2. 17
   Division and multiplication come first, left to right: 12 ÷ 4 = 3 and 3 × 3 = 9; then 20 − 9 + 6 = 17.
3. 25
   25 multiplies 4 × 3 before dividing (12 ÷ 12 = 1); division and multiplication go left to right.
4. 12
   12 works strictly left to right from 20 − 12, ignoring that division and multiplication come first.

ID 858221 · Report a problem

A patrol boat leaves port at 10 knots. Three hours later a second boat leaves the same port on the same course at 15 knots. How many hours after it leaves will the second boat catch up?

1. 6 hours
   In 3 hours the first boat gets 30 nautical miles ahead; the second closes that gap at 15 − 10 = 5 knots, so 30 ÷ 5 = 6 hours.
2. 2 hours
   2 hours divides the 30-mile head start by the second boat's full 15 knots; the first boat keeps moving.
3. 3 hours
   3 hours assumes the second boat needs as long as the head start; it gains only 5 knots on the first boat.
4. 1.2 hours
   1.2 hours divides by the sum of the speeds (25 knots), which fits boats moving toward each other.

ID 858232 · Report a problem

On a chart, 1 inch represents 40 nautical miles. Two ports are 3 3/4 inches apart on the chart. What is the actual distance?

1. 140 nautical miles
   140 nautical miles treats 3/4 as 1/2 (3.5 × 40).
2. 120 nautical miles
   120 nautical miles drops the 3/4 inch (3 × 40).
3. 130 nautical miles
   130 nautical miles reads 3 3/4 as 3.25 (3 1/4 inches), confusing 3/4 with 1/4.
4. 150 nautical miles
   Multiply the chart distance by the scale: 3.75 × 40 = 150 nautical miles.

ID 858236 · Report a problem

Pump A can empty a flooded compartment in 6 hours, and pump B can empty it in 3 hours. Working together, how long do the two pumps take?

1. 3 hours
   3 hours is pump B alone; adding pump A can only make the job faster.
2. 4.5 hours
   4.5 hours averages the two times; work rates add, times do not average.
3. 9 hours
   9 hours adds the times, as if one pump worked after the other.
4. 2 hours
   Rates add: 1/6 + 1/3 = 1/2 compartment per hour, so together they need 2 hours.

ID 9410003 · Report a problem

Which statement can be inferred only from the passage?

1. Pilots are trained in instrument techniques for flying safely through cumulonimbus clouds.
   The passage says these clouds are "typically avoided whenever possible," not flown through.
2. Cumulonimbus clouds form when warm, moist air rises rapidly through an unstable atmosphere to great heights.
   This explains how the clouds form, which may be true but is not stated in the passage.
3. Small cumulus clouds carry the same hazards as cumulonimbus clouds.
   The passage describes cumulonimbus only and gives no hazards for other clouds.
4. Turbulence, strong vertical currents and possible icing make cumulonimbus clouds hazardous to aircraft.
   The passage lists severe turbulence, strong updrafts and downdrafts, and possible icing as the hazards of cumulonimbus clouds.

ID 813057 · Report a problem

Which statement can be inferred only from the passage?

1. Misreading a weather report puts a pilot at risk of flying into conditions beyond the aircraft's capabilities.
   The last sentence says misinterpreting these reports "can lead to inadvertent flight into dangerous conditions exceeding aircraft or pilot capabilities."
2. Standardized formats keep trained pilots from misreading weather reports.
   The passage warns that misinterpretation happens, so standard formats do not prevent it.
3. Pilots read METAR and TAF reports in plain language without decoding them.
   The passage says pilots "must decode" these formats, so they are not plain language.
4. METAR observations can predict expected changes, while TAF forecasts describe current conditions at a specific location.
   This swaps the two reports: METAR gives current conditions and TAF forecasts changes.

ID 813250 · Report a problem

Which statement can be inferred only from the passage?

1. Runway contamination improves braking action because it increases the rolling resistance of the tires.
   The passage says contamination "degrades braking action"; more rolling resistance does not improve braking.
2. On a hot day at a high-elevation airfield, an aircraft needs a longer takeoff roll.
   Higher temperature and higher field elevation both reduce air density, and the passage links less dense air to a longer takeoff roll.
3. Higher temperatures shorten the takeoff roll because warm air increases the engine's thrust.
   The passage says higher temperatures reduce air density and decrease thrust, which lengthens the roll.
4. Published takeoff performance data already include the effect of a contaminated runway surface.
   The passage says published data reflect optimal conditions, so contamination is not already included.

ID 813563 · Report a problem

Which statement can be inferred only from the passage?

1. Wake vortices are strongest when a heavy aircraft is flying fast with its flaps and gear extended.
   The passage says the strongest vortices come from heavy aircraft that are clean and slow, the opposite of fast with flaps and gear down.
2. Following standard separation minimums removes the need to watch for wake turbulence.
   The passage says separation provides margins but pilots "must remain vigilant" behind larger aircraft.
3. Wake vortices from a large aircraft remain a hazard for several minutes after it passes.
   The passage says vortices "persist for several minutes," so they remain a hazard after the generating aircraft has gone by.
4. Wake vortices rise slowly after forming, so the greatest danger lies above the generating aircraft's path.
   The passage says vortices drift with the wind while "gradually descending," not rising.

ID 813565 · Report a problem

Which statement can be inferred only from the passage?

1. Frequency saturation is caused by controllers' long clearances.
   The passage says disciplined radio use prevents saturation; it never blames controllers.
2. A pilot who starts speaking as soon as the microphone is keyed is making a common radio error.
   The passage lists "beginning transmissions immediately upon keying the microphone" among common errors.
3. Pilots should speak quickly on the radio so that they occupy the frequency for as little time as possible.
   The passage asks pilots to speak "at moderate pace," not quickly.
4. Nonstandard terminology is acceptable in congested airspace if it makes a transmission shorter.
   The passage calls nonstandard terminology a common error and asks for standard phraseology.

ID 813566 · Report a problem

Which statement can be inferred only from the passage?

1. For an engine fire, the crew discharges the agent first and shuts the engine down afterward.
   This reverses the order the passage gives: the engine is shut down first, and then the agent is discharged.
2. Electrical fires are more dangerous than engine fires because their smoke can incapacitate the crew.
   The passage never compares the danger of electrical and engine fires; smoke is a risk with any fire.
3. Whatever the type of inflight fire, the crew should be prepared to land as soon as possible.
   The passage says "regardless of fire type, crews must evaluate diversion options and prepare for immediate landing."
4. The crew should find the source of an inflight fire before taking the time to put on oxygen masks.
   The passage lists putting on oxygen masks first, before identifying the source.

ID 813567 · Report a problem

Which statement can be inferred only from the passage?

1. Independent hydraulic systems share one power source to stay synchronized.
   The passage says the hydraulic systems are powered by separate sources.
2. Redundant hardware takes the place of procedural safeguards against human error.
   The passage says the design philosophy extends to procedures that guard against human error.
3. Navigation systems use different physical principles to guard against a shared fault.
   Navigation systems use diverse technologies on different physical principles "to prevent common-mode failures," so one fault does not take them all down.
4. Redundant systems are installed for dispatch reliability rather than for safety.
   The passage names safety and dispatch reliability together as the goals.

ID 813568 · Report a problem

Which statement can be inferred only from the passage?

1. Naval aviators are designated section leads before they complete their combat qualification.
   The passage lists combat qualification before section lead, so this order is reversed.
2. An aviator becomes a mission commander automatically after logging a set number of flight hours.
   The passage says each level requires demonstrating skills and judgment, not logging hours.
3. Simulators can now replace most actual carrier qualification flights.
   The passage says some qualifications still require actual flight despite advances in simulation.
4. Even with better simulators, part of the qualification progression still requires actual flight.
   The last sentence says that despite advances in simulation, certain qualifications are "exclusively available through actual flight operations."

ID 813570 · Report a problem

Which statement can be inferred only from the passage?

1. Helicopters fly search patterns at the lowest possible altitude to improve visual detection.
   The passage calls for "proper altitude" for sensors and eyes, not the lowest possible altitude.
2. How well the last known position is known affects which search pattern a crew chooses.
   The passage lists the "certainty of the last known position" among the factors that decide the pattern.
3. Sector searches are used to cover large rectangular search zones.
   Rectangular zones call for parallel track patterns; sector searches are for a location that is somewhat known.
4. The expanding square pattern starts at the edge of the search area and works inward.
   The passage says the expanding square begins at the most probable location and covers an increasing area, outward.

ID 813697 · Report a problem

Which statement can be inferred only from the passage?

1. A hazard report is required even when nothing was damaged and no one was hurt.
   A report is required whenever a hazard is found "whether or not any damage or injury has occurred."
2. A hazard report is submitted by the unit that owns the equipment, not the unit that found the hazard.
   The passage says the unit that discovers the hazard submits the report.
3. Other units operating the same equipment must take corrective action as soon as they receive the report.
   Other units receive the report "for their information"; the passage sets no duty for them to act.
4. A hazard report is filed after the hazard has been corrected.
   The passage ties the report to finding the hazard, not to fixing it.

ID 813924 · Report a problem

A mechanic pushes with 40 lb at the end of a 12-inch wrench. A pipe extends the handle to 18 inches, and the mechanic pushes with the same 40 lb at its end. What torque is applied to the bolt now?

1. 240 lb-in
   240 lb-in uses only the 6 inches the pipe adds as the lever arm; the arm runs from the bolt to the hands, 18 in.
2. 480 lb-in
   480 lb-in is the torque with the original 12-inch wrench, ignoring the pipe.
3. 720 lb-in
   Torque = 40 lb × 18 in = 720 lb-in.
4. 1,080 lb-in
   1,080 lb-in multiplies 720 by the 1.5 length ratio again, counting the extension twice.

ID 813032 · Report a problem

A lamp draws 3 amperes from a 12-volt battery. It is replaced by a lamp with twice the resistance, on the same battery. What current flows now?

1. 0.75 A
   0.75 A divides by 4, as if current fell with the square of resistance.
2. 1.5 A
   The first lamp is 12 V ÷ 3 A = 4 Ω; twice that is 8 Ω, and 12 V ÷ 8 Ω = 1.5 A.
3. 3 A
   3 A assumes the current does not depend on resistance.
4. 6 A
   6 A doubles the current, as if more resistance let more current through.

ID 813137 · Report a problem

A capacitor is charged by a battery and then disconnected from it. A small lamp is then connected across the capacitor. What does the lamp do?

1. Lights only when the battery is reconnected
   Once charged, the capacitor can light the lamp briefly by itself.
2. Does not light at all
   The stored charge does drive a short current through the lamp.
3. Stays lit as long as it is connected
   A capacitor is not a battery; it has no chemical source to keep the current going.
4. Glows briefly and goes out
   The capacitor's small stored charge flows through the lamp, so it glows briefly and goes out as the voltage falls to zero.

ID 813139 · Report a problem

A 2,000-lb car moves at 30 mph and a 4,000-lb truck moves at 15 mph. Which has more momentum?

1. The truck
   The truck has twice the mass, but only half the speed.
2. The car
   The car has twice the speed, but only half the mass.
3. Cannot tell without the braking force
   Momentum depends only on mass and velocity; braking force is not needed.
4. They are equal
   2,000 × 30 = 60,000 and 4,000 × 15 = 60,000, so the two momenta are equal.

ID 813141 · Report a problem

A metal lid is stuck tight on a glass jar. Running hot water over the lid loosens it because the metal ____.

1. expands more than the glass
   Hot water warms the metal lid, which expands more than the glass rim and loosens its grip.
2. becomes softer and more flexible
   Hot tap water does not soften steel; the lid loosens because it grows.
3. expands exactly as much as the glass
   If both grew by the same amount, the fit would stay tight.
4. contracts when it is heated
   Metals expand when heated, not contract.

ID 813143 · Report a problem

On a cold morning, a metal bench and a wooden bench have both been outside all night. Why does the metal bench feel colder to the touch?

1. Wood makes a little heat of its own
   Dead wood makes no heat of its own.
2. Metal draws heat from the hand faster
   Both benches are at the same temperature, but metal conducts heat away from the skin much faster.
3. Metal holds more cold than wood does
   There is no "cold" to hold; what differs is how fast heat flows out of the hand.
4. Metal is at a lower temperature than wood
   After a night outside, both have reached the same air temperature.

ID 813149 · Report a problem

A hand windlass has a crank handle 12 in from the axle and a drum 6 in in diameter. Ignoring friction, what force on the handle lifts a 200-lb bucket?

1. 50 lb
   The drum radius is 3 in, so MA = 12 ÷ 3 = 4, and 200 ÷ 4 = 50 lb.
2. 100 lb
   100 lb uses the 6-inch diameter as if it were the radius.
3. 200 lb
   200 lb ignores the windlass's mechanical advantage.
4. 800 lb
   800 lb multiplies by the mechanical advantage instead of dividing.

ID 970276 · Report a problem

A wing fitting cracks after thousands of flights, although no single flight load ever exceeded its strength. The most likely cause is ____.

1. brittleness from cold at altitude
   Cold can make some metals brittle, but it does not explain damage building up over thousands of flights.
2. creep from high temperature
   Creep is slow stretching at high temperature, as in turbine blades, not in a wing fitting.
3. fatigue from repeated loading
   Fatigue cracks grow slowly under many cycles of load, even when each load is well below the part's strength.
4. a single overload during landing
   The stem says no single load ever exceeded the part's strength.

ID 813152 · Report a problem

Mountain roads often zigzag up a slope in switchbacks instead of running straight up. Why?

1. It lets vehicles climb with less force
   Switchbacks make the slope gentler, so a vehicle climbs with less force, spread over a longer distance; the work is the same.
2. It makes the vehicle's engine more efficient
   Engine efficiency is not what changes; the force needed does.
3. It lowers the total work needed to climb
   The work to raise the vehicle depends only on its weight and the height gained.
4. It shortens the distance to the top
   A zigzag road is longer than a straight one.

ID 857720 · Report a problem

A bucket of water is swung in a vertical circle fast enough that no water spills. At the very top of the circle, in which direction is the net force on the water?

1. Horizontal, along the direction of motion
   The velocity is horizontal at the top, but the net force is at right angles to it, toward the center.
2. There is no net force on the water
   Moving in a circle means the direction keeps changing, which needs a net force.
3. Straight down, toward the center
   At the top of the circle the center is below the water, so the net (centripetal) force points straight down.
4. Straight up, away from the center
   The water seems pressed outward, but that feeling is its inertia; the net force points inward, here downward.

ID 857804 · Report a problem

If the pitot tube and its drain hole are both blocked while the static port stays open, during a climb the airspeed indicator will ____.

1. Drop quickly to zero
   Dropping to zero happens when only the inlet is blocked and the drain stays open, letting the trapped pressure escape.
2. Show a decrease
   A decrease happens if the airplane descends with this blockage, not in a climb.
3. Show an increase
   Trapped pitot pressure stays fixed while static pressure falls in the climb, so the airspeed indicator reads higher like an altimeter.
4. Stay constant
   It would stay constant only at a constant altitude, because static pressure is still changing.

ID 813159 · Report a problem

In 1932 Amelia Earhart became the first woman to ____.

1. Fly solo across the Atlantic
   In May 1932 Earhart flew alone from Newfoundland to Northern Ireland, the first woman to do so.
2. Break the sound barrier
   Jacqueline Cochran was the first woman to break the sound barrier, in 1953.
3. Earn a U.S. pilot's license
   Harriet Quimby earned the first U.S. pilot's license held by a woman, in 1911.
4. Fly across the English Channel
   Quimby also made that crossing first, in 1912.

ID 813160 · Report a problem

Which set lists only primary flight controls?

1. Ailerons, flaps, rudder
   Flaps are secondary controls, so this set is not "only primary."
2. Ailerons, elevator, rudder
   These three control roll, pitch and yaw, the primary flight controls.
3. Elevator, rudder, trim tabs
   Trim tabs are secondary controls that relieve control pressure.
4. Flaps, slats, spoilers
   These are all secondary or high-lift devices.

ID 813176 · Report a problem

Compared with a forward center of gravity, an aft center of gravity (within limits) makes an airplane ____.

1. More stable, with a higher stall speed
   This describes a forward CG, the reverse case.
2. Less stable, with a higher stall speed
   Stability does fall, but the lighter tail load lowers the stall speed rather than raising it.
3. More stable, with a lower stall speed
   The stall speed does fall, but moving the CG aft reduces longitudinal stability.
4. Less stable, with a lower stall speed
   An aft CG shortens the tail's lever arm, so stability drops, and the tail needs less down-force, so the stall speed falls.

ID 813185 · Report a problem