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PAR · 13% of the exam

Performance, Limitations and Aerodynamics practice questions

10 free Performance, Limitations and Aerodynamics questions for the Private Pilot Airplane (PAR) Knowledge Test exam, each with the correct answer and an explanation for every option.

Start the questionsFree 10-question PAR quiz

What this domain covers

Aerodynamics and aircraft performance: how the aeroplane flies and how conditions change what it can do.

Exam weight
13%
On a real exam
≈ 8 questions
In our bank
80 questions

Topics that come up most

  • Four forces and stability
  • Stalls, spins and load factor
  • Density altitude effects
  • Takeoff and landing performance charts
  • Weight and balance

How to study it

Work through the performance and weight-and-balance charts in the test supplement; chart questions reward practice.

Sample Performance, Limitations and Aerodynamics questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Original questions written to the official exam objectives.

  1. Question 1

    A forward center of gravity results in:

    • AHigher stall speed
    • BLower stall speed
    • CHigher cruise speed
    • DLess stability
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Higher stall speed

    • ACorrect. More tail-down force is needed, raising stall speed and lowering cruise speed.
    • BIncorrect. An aft CG lowers stall speed.
    • CIncorrect. Cruise speed is lower.
    • DIncorrect. A forward CG is more stable.

  2. Question 2

    Which two conditions must exist for a spin to develop?

    • AFull flaps and gear extended
    • BHigh speed and a steep climb
    • CA stalled wing and yaw
    • DPower at idle and wings level
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) A stalled wing and yaw

    • AIncorrect. Configuration alone doesn't cause a spin.
    • BIncorrect. A spin requires a stall.
    • CCorrect. Without a stall, a spin can't develop.
    • DIncorrect. A stall plus yaw are needed.

  3. Question 3

    How does an upsloping runway affect takeoff distance?

    • AIt only affects landing distance
    • BIt decreases the distance
    • CIt has no effect
    • DIt increases the distance
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) It increases the distance

    • AIncorrect. Slope affects both.
    • BIncorrect. Upslope lengthens the takeoff roll.
    • CIncorrect. Runway slope affects acceleration.
    • DCorrect. The airplane must accelerate uphill.

  4. Question 4

    A pilot flying well below maximum gross weight runs into moderate turbulence in cruise. Which airspeed best protects the airplane from structural overstress?

    • ABelow the maneuvering speed for the current weight, while staying well above stall speed
    • BAt the published maneuvering speed for maximum gross weight, because VA rises as weight decreases
    • CNear the top of the green arc, since the green arc is the normal operating range
    • DJust above the stall speed, so that gust loads on the wing stay as small as possible
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Below the maneuvering speed for the current weight, while staying well above stall speed

    In turbulence, fly well above stall speed but below maneuvering speed. Because VA decreases as weight decreases, a lightly loaded airplane needs a speed below the published max-gross-weight VA.

    • ACorrect. The FAA recommends a speed well above stall speed and below maneuvering speed in moderate or severe turbulence. Maneuvering speed is lower at lower weight, so the speed for the actual weight is the one that applies.
    • BIncorrect. VA goes down, not up, as weight goes down. At a light weight, the published max-gross VA is faster than the speed that actually protects the structure.
    • CIncorrect. The top of the green arc is VNO (maximum structural cruising speed). That is well above VA, and a strong gust at that speed can overstress the airframe.
    • DIncorrect. The FAA advises a speed well above stall speed. Flying just above stall leaves little margin, and gusts can cause an inadvertent stall and loss of control.

  5. Question 5

    How does high density altitude affect takeoff performance?

    • AFaster climb rate
    • BShorter takeoff roll
    • CNo change in performance
    • DLonger takeoff roll
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) Longer takeoff roll

    • AIncorrect. Climb rate decreases.
    • BIncorrect. Performance gets worse.
    • CIncorrect. Density altitude matters greatly.
    • DCorrect. Thinner air reduces engine power, propeller efficiency and lift.

  6. Question 6

    Field elevation is 1,000 feet and the altimeter setting is 30.42 inHg. What is the pressure altitude?

    • A1,000 feet
    • B1,500 feet
    • C500 feet
    • D420 feet
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) 500 feet

    • AIncorrect. Pressure altitude differs from field elevation here.
    • BIncorrect. A higher setting than 29.92 lowers pressure altitude.
    • CCorrect. (29.92 − 30.42) × 1,000 = −500, so 1,000 − 500 = 500 feet.
    • DIncorrect. Each 0.01 inch is 10 feet: 0.50 inch is 500 feet.

  7. Question 7

    Wind is 30 knots at 60° to the runway. About what is the headwind component?

    • A30 knots
    • B26 knots
    • C15 knots
    • D10 knots
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) 15 knots

    • AIncorrect. Only part of the wind acts along the runway.
    • BIncorrect. That is the crosswind component.
    • CCorrect. Headwind = 30 × cos 60° = 15 knots.
    • DIncorrect. Recheck: cos 60° is 0.5.

  8. Question 8

    In a coordinated turn, what makes the airplane turn?

    • AThe horizontal component of lift
    • BThe rudder alone
    • CThrust from the propeller
    • DGravity pulling the low wing
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) The horizontal component of lift

    • ACorrect. Banking tilts lift sideways.
    • BIncorrect. The rudder coordinates; lift turns the airplane.
    • CIncorrect. Thrust acts forward.
    • DIncorrect. Gravity acts downward.

  9. Question 9

    Which of the following describes the cause of the left-turning tendency known as spiraling slipstream?

    • AThe descending propeller blade meeting the air at a greater angle of attack than the ascending blade
    • BThe reaction to the propeller's rotation trying to roll the airplane in the opposite direction
    • CPrecession of the spinning propeller when the pitch attitude changes, such as raising the tail
    • DPropeller slipstream corkscrewing around the fuselage and striking the left side of the vertical fin
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) Propeller slipstream corkscrewing around the fuselage and striking the left side of the vertical fin

    Spiraling slipstream happens when the propeller's slipstream corkscrews around the fuselage and strikes the left side of the vertical fin, yawing the nose left. P-factor, torque and gyroscopic precession are separate left-turning tendencies.

    • AIncorrect. This describes P-factor (asymmetric propeller loading), which shows up at high angles of attack. It is a separate left-turning tendency.
    • BIncorrect. This describes torque reaction, which follows Newton's third law and acts in roll. It is not spiraling slipstream.
    • CIncorrect. This describes gyroscopic precession, which matters most in tailwheel airplanes when the tail is raised. It is a separate effect.
    • DCorrect. The propeller's slipstream spirals around the fuselage and strikes the left side of the vertical fin. That side force yaws the nose to the left.

  10. Question 10

    VSO is the stall speed:

    • AIn landing configuration
    • BIn clean configuration
    • CAt maximum weight only
    • DIn a 60° bank
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) In landing configuration

    • ACorrect. VSO is stall speed with gear and flaps in landing configuration.
    • BIncorrect. That is VS1.
    • CIncorrect. This is not the definition.
    • DIncorrect. This is not the definition.

Performance, Limitations and Aerodynamics: FAQs

How much of the PAR exam is Performance, Limitations and Aerodynamics?

Performance, Limitations and Aerodynamics is 13% of the PAR exam by the official exam guide's weighting, which on a 60-question form works out to roughly 8 questions. The real exam's exact split varies by form.

What does the Performance, Limitations and Aerodynamics domain cover?

Aerodynamics and aircraft performance: how the aeroplane flies and how conditions change what it can do.

How should I study Performance, Limitations and Aerodynamics for PAR?

Work through the performance and weight-and-balance charts in the test supplement; chart questions reward practice.

Where can I practise more Performance, Limitations and Aerodynamics questions?

This page has 10 free Performance, Limitations and Aerodynamics questions with answers. The ExamWize PAR question bank has 80 questions in this domain. Every practice exam result breaks your score down by domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

Other PAR topics

Also: 15 free questions across all topics, the PAR cheat sheet and the study guide.

Get Performance, Limitations and Aerodynamics exam-ready

The full PAR bank has 80 Performance, Limitations and Aerodynamics questions. Timed practice exams match the real exam's length and domain weights, every result shows your score per domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

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Not affiliated with FAA; questions are original, written from the official exam outline, and never copied from the real exam.