Free Private Pilot Glider Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the Private Pilot Glider practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1A private glider pilot and one passenger share a rental flight costing $180, all of which is an eligible rental fee. What is the minimum amount the pilot must pay under the expense-sharing rule?

   1. A. $45
   2. B. $60
   3. C. $90
   4. D. $180

   Answer: C

   Explanation: Section 61.113(c) states, "A private pilot may not pay less than the pro rata share of the operating expenses of a flight with passengers". Two occupants divide $180 into equal $90 shares. Paying the whole bill is permitted, but $90 is the minimum.

   Reference: 14 CFR 61.113 — §61.113(c)

2. 2During a glider landing, a passenger sustains one of the following isolated fractures. Which fracture meets the NTSB definition of serious injury without requiring additional injury findings?

   1. A. A simple fracture of a toe
   2. B. A simple fracture of the nose
   3. C. A simple fracture of a finger
   4. D. A fracture of the femur

   Answer: D

   Explanation: Section 830.2 includes an injury that "results in a fracture of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, toes, or nose)". A femur fracture is included; the three isolated simple fractures specified in the other choices are expressly excepted.

   Reference: 49 CFR Part 830 — Aircraft Accident and Incident Notification and Reporting — §830.2, Serious injury

3. 3A glider pilot matches a distinctive river bend and railroad junction on the sectional chart to the features seen below. Which navigation method is the pilot using?

   1. A. Dead reckoning
   2. B. Radio navigation
   3. C. Celestial navigation
   4. D. Pilotage

   Answer: D

   Explanation: The FAA defines pilotage as "navigation by reference to landmarks or checkpoints." Matching the observed junction and river bend to the chart is pilotage.

   Reference: Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge — Chapter 16, Navigation — Pilotage

4. 4A glider pilot makes the first radio call to a ground facility. What should be spoken first in the AIM initial-contact format?

   1. A. The pilot's full aircraft identification
   2. B. The name of the facility being called
   3. C. The requested service or clearance
   4. D. The aircraft's altitude or surface position

   Answer: B

   Explanation: AIM 4-2-3 begins the initial-contact format with "Name of the facility being called". Aircraft identification and the other relevant information follow.

   Reference: Aeronautical Information Manual — Radio Communications Phraseology and Techniques — 4-2-3, Initial Contact

5. 5A glider pilot examines a sounding showing a strong temperature inversion above the surface-heated layer. What effect should the pilot expect on rising thermals as they reach the inversion?

   1. A. The thermals tend to develop greater vertical depth through the layer.
   2. B. The thermals tend to have their upward development capped by the layer.
   3. C. The thermals tend to maintain an unchanged climb rate through the layer.
   4. D. The thermals tend to accelerate upward while crossing the layer.

   Answer: B

   Explanation: The handbook states, "an inversion also effectively caps any thermal activity." The warmer layer aloft opposes continued buoyant ascent rather than strengthening or automatically eliminating the cap.

   Reference: Glider Flying Handbook — Chapter 9, Glider Flight & Weather — Thermals — atmospheric stability and temperature inversion paragraphs

6. 6While evaluating launch performance, a glider pilot obtains pressure altitude and corrects it for nonstandard temperature. What performance-related altitude has been determined?

   1. A. True altitude
   2. B. Absolute altitude
   3. C. Density altitude
   4. D. Indicated altitude

   Answer: C

   Explanation: The handbook defines "Density altitude —pressure altitude corrected for nonstandard temperature variations." This is a performance criterion rather than height above terrain or mean sea level.

   Reference: Glider Flying Handbook — Chapter 4, Flight Instruments — Types of Altitude — Density altitude

7. 7A glider weighs 600 pounds empty with an empty moment of 48,000 pound-inches. A 200-pound pilot sits at an arm of 40 inches aft of the same datum. With no other load, where is the loaded CG?

   1. A. 80 inches aft of datum
   2. B. 60 inches aft of datum
   3. C. 40 inches aft of datum
   4. D. 70 inches aft of datum

   Answer: D

   Explanation: The handbook directs, "divide the total moment by the total weight". The pilot moment is 200 × 40 = 8,000 pound-inches; (48,000 + 8,000)/(600 + 200) = 70 inches. The distractors use empty CG, an unweighted average of the two arms, or the pilot arm alone.

   Reference: Glider Flying Handbook — Chapter 5, Glider Performance — Weight & Balance > Sample Weight & Balance Problems — total-moment calculation

8. 8A glider's airspeed doubles while configuration and air density remain unchanged. By what factor does parasite drag increase under the square-law relationship?

   1. A. Two times
   2. B. Three times
   3. C. Eight times
   4. D. Four times

   Answer: D

   Explanation: The handbook states, "Parasite drag increases with the square of speed." A speed ratio of 2 gives a drag ratio of 2² = 4. Two ignores the square, three adds the original to a doubled increment incorrectly, and eight uses a cube.

   Reference: Glider Flying Handbook — Chapter 3, Aerodynamics of Flight — Drag > Parasite Drag

9. 9A glider pilot feels compelled to launch in marginal conditions because a passenger has promised friends an arrival time. In the PAVE framework, which category contains that schedule pressure?

   1. A. Pilot
   2. B. Aircraft
   3. C. External pressure
   4. D. Environment

   Answer: C

   Explanation: The handbook identifies "Any external pressure to take a particular flight" as a hazard and lists PAVE as Pilot, Aircraft, enVironment, External pressure. The promised arrival creates an external incentive rather than an aircraft or weather property.

   Reference: Glider Flying Handbook — Chapter 13, Human Factors — Risk Management — PAVE and external pressure

10. 10During preflight planning, a glider pilot wants a VFR chart showing airport field elevation, paved-runway orientation and length, and surrounding topography. Which chart provides that combination?

    1. A. An IFR high-altitude en route chart
    2. B. An instrument approach chart
    3. C. An airport obstruction chart
    4. D. A sectional aeronautical chart

    Answer: D

    Explanation: The glider handbook describes sectionals and states, "Charted information on airports includes field elevation, orientation and length of all paved runways". Sectionals also show terrain and landmarks for this VFR planning task.

    Reference: Glider Flying Handbook — Chapter 11, Cross-Country Soaring — Flight Preparation & Planning > Getting Ready for Cross-Country Glider Flights — sectional charts