Correct: D)
Explanation: The standard glider circuit targets are 150-200 m AGL abeam the landing threshold (on the downwind leg) and approximately 100 m AGL after completing the final turn onto the approach. These altitudes provide sufficient margin for a stabilized approach while allowing the pilot to manage energy with airbrakes. Option A (300 m/150 m) is too high and wastes altitude. Option B (500 m/50 m) starts excessively high downwind and arrives too low on final. Option C (100 m/50 m) is dangerously low, leaving almost no margin for error.
Correct: C)
Explanation: Placing the windward (upwind) wing on the ground prevents the wind from getting underneath it and lifting the aircraft. The wing should be weighted down, and the rudder must be secured to prevent wind-induced control surface flutter that could damage the hinges. Option A (airbrakes extended) may help but does not secure the wings against lift. Option B (downwind wing down) is wrong — the wind would blow under the raised windward wing and flip the aircraft. Option D (weighting the tail) does not prevent the wings from lifting.
Correct: B)
Explanation: When crossing mountain ridges, the pilot should expect turbulence from mechanical lift, rotor effects, and wind shear near the ridge line. Increasing speed slightly provides additional control authority and reduces vulnerability to sudden gusts and turbulence. Option A (national parks) is a noise abatement consideration, not a ridge-crossing safety concern. Option C (circling birds) is a thermal-finding technique, not specific to ridge crossing. Option D (minimum speed) is dangerous — flying slowly in turbulence reduces control margins and risks stalling in a downdraft.
Correct: D)
Explanation: Buffeting through the control stick is a pre-stall warning sign indicating that the wing airflow is beginning to separate from the upper surface at high angle of attack (low speed). The turbulent wake from the separating airflow hits the tail surfaces, transmitting vibrations through the elevator linkage to the stick. Option A (dirty aircraft) would cause higher drag but not stick buffeting. Option B (forward CG) affects trim but not buffeting. Option C reverses the speed relationship — buffeting occurs at low speed, not high speed.
Correct: C)
Explanation: A pre-flight check must be performed before the first flight of the day to verify the aircraft's airworthiness after sitting overnight, and after every pilot change because each pilot must personally verify the aircraft condition and cockpit setup. Option A (monthly) is far too infrequent. Option B (after assembly only) misses the daily check requirement. Option D (before every individual flight) is more conservative than required — while good practice, the regulatory requirement is before the first flight and after pilot changes.
Correct: D)
Explanation: For gliders, flight time is defined as the total time from the aircraft's first movement for the purpose of flight until it finally comes to rest after the flight. This comprehensive definition includes ground handling, taxiing, and all phases of flight. Option A applies to powered aircraft with engines, not gliders. Option B covers only the airborne portion between takeoff and landing. Option C is too narrow, capturing only the takeoff roll to touchdown and excluding ground movement.
Correct: D)
Explanation: With a 10-knot gust factor (25 minus 15 kt), the pilot must add extra speed to the approach (typically half the gust factor) and use firm, decisive control inputs to maintain attitude in the turbulent, gusting conditions. Positive handling is essential when gusts can rapidly change the aircraft's attitude. Option A (minimum speed) is extremely dangerous in gusty conditions as gusts can instantly reduce airspeed below stall. Option B avoids spoilers unnecessarily. Option C maintains normal speed without gust compensation.
Correct: D)
Explanation: Stick buffeting is a classic pre-stall warning: as the aircraft slows and the angle of attack increases toward the critical value, airflow begins separating from the wing's upper surface. This turbulent separated airflow passes over the tail, causing the elevator and stick to vibrate. The pilot should respond by reducing the angle of attack (lowering the nose). Option A (dirty aircraft) increases drag but does not cause buffeting. Option B describes a non-existent phenomenon — turbulence "bubbles" hitting ailerons at high speed. Option C (forward CG) is unrelated to buffeting.
