Free FAA Helicopter Instrument Practice Test

Recovering from a nose-low, banked unusual attitude in a helicopter by reference to instruments, the correct order is:

• A. raise the nose first, then level the aircraft and adjust power.
• B. increase collective to arrest the descent, then roll level.
• C. reduce collective, level the aircraft laterally with cyclic, then smoothly raise the nose to the level-flight attitude. ✓
• D. apply pedal to stop the turn, then correct pitch and power together.

Power back, level, then pitch: raising the nose while still banked only tightens the spiral and steepens the descent. Make the pitch change smoothly: abrupt cyclic at high airspeed risks overstressing the rotor system.

Reference: FAA-H-8083-15B

During straight-and-level instrument cruise in a helicopter, airspeed and altitude are normally controlled with:

• A. cyclic for both airspeed and altitude.
• B. collective for both, with cyclic used only for heading.
• C. cyclic (pitch attitude) for airspeed, and collective pitch for altitude. ✓
• D. collective pitch for airspeed, and cyclic for altitude.

Pitch attitude sets airspeed and collective (power) holds altitude, and because a collective change also yaws and pitches the aircraft, every power adjustment needs coordinated pedal and cyclic. The reversed pairing is the trap.

Reference: FAA-H-8083-15B

The difference between a decision altitude (DA) and a minimum descent altitude (MDA) is that:

• A. a DA is a decision point passed through momentarily during a missed approach, while an MDA is a floor that may not be crossed until the visual requirements are met. ✓
• B. a DA applies to circling approaches and an MDA to straight-in approaches.
• C. an MDA provides vertical guidance and a DA does not.
• D. they are interchangeable terms for the same altitude.

On a glidepath, the miss is decided at the DA and a momentary descent below it during the go-around is expected. An MDA is a hard floor: level off and hold it to the missed approach point unless the 91.175 conditions are satisfied.

Reference: AIM 5-4-5

Compared with airplanes, attitude instrument flying in most helicopters:

• A. requires no scan changes; the technique transfers directly.
• B. relies on the trim system to hold attitude while the pilot manages navigation.
• C. is easier because slower approach speeds allow more time to interpret the instruments.
• D. demands continuous attention because the helicopter is inherently less stable and cannot be trimmed for hands-off flight. ✓

A trimmed airplane tends to return to its attitude; most helicopters diverge instead, so the cross-check can never pause. Force trim relieves control pressures but does not hold an attitude the way airplane trim does.

Reference: FAA-H-8083-15B

Selecting the alternate static source vented inside an unpressurized cabin will normally cause:

• A. the altimeter and airspeed to read slightly high, and the VSI to show a momentary climb. ✓
• B. the altimeter and airspeed to read slightly low, and the VSI to show a momentary descent.
• C. no change, since cabin pressure equals outside static pressure.
• D. the airspeed to read high and the altimeter to read low.

Cabin pressure is slightly lower than outside static pressure, so the instruments interpret the switch as a small climb. Know the direction of the error before you need the source: the flight manual gives correction values.

Reference: FAA-H-8083-15B