Free FAA Helicopter Instrument Practice Test

Recovering from a nose-low, banked unusual attitude in a helicopter by reference to instruments, the Instrument Flying Handbook technique is to:

• A. raise the nose first, then level the aircraft and adjust power.
• B. increase collective to arrest the descent, then roll level.
• C. correct bank and pitch and adjust power almost simultaneously, with little lead of one over the other. ✓
• D. apply pedal to stop the turn, then correct pitch and power together.

For helicopters the IFH calls for correcting bank and pitch and adjusting power almost together, with little lead of one over the other, because the helicopter's instability makes any unusual attitude critical. Pulling the nose up before the bank is off tightens the descending turn, and adding collective nose-low only builds speed. Recovery inputs may be larger than normal, so adjust carefully as level flight approaches to avoid overcontrolling.

Reference: FAA-H-8083-15B ch.8

During straight-and-level instrument cruise in a helicopter, the Instrument Flying Handbook treats which instruments as primary for pitch and for power?

• A. The attitude indicator for both pitch and power.
• B. The VSI for pitch and the heading indicator for power.
• C. The altimeter for pitch (cyclic) and the airspeed indicator for power (collective). ✓
• D. The airspeed indicator for pitch and the altimeter for power.

In level flight the altimeter is the primary pitch instrument and the airspeed indicator the primary power instrument: with altitude held, power sets the airspeed and pitch attitude corrects altitude. The IFH uses collective for altitude errors over 100 feet or airspeed errors over 10 knots and a slight cyclic climb or descent for smaller ones, and every collective change needs coordinated pedal and cyclic.

Reference: FAA-H-8083-15B ch.8

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