Loading & Performance practice questions

Answer: A) The aircraft becomes harder to control; move or remove weight before flight

With the CG outside limits, the aircraft is difficult to control. The remote PIC must move or remove weight to bring the CG within limits before flight.

• ACorrect. The FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide says operating with the CG outside approved limits results in control difficulty. If the CG is not within limits after loading, weight must be moved or removed before flight.
• BIncorrect. CG limits apply separately from the maximum weight. An out-of-limits CG causes control difficulty even when the aircraft is under its maximum weight.
• CIncorrect. The FAA says the remote PIC must make sure the CG is within limits, and must move or remove weight before flight if it is not. The pilot cannot rely on the autopilot to fix it.
• DIncorrect. The main hazard of an out-of-limits CG is control difficulty, not just reduced endurance. Shortening the flight does not fix the problem.

Answer: C) The manufacturer's operating manual or other documentation for the aircraft

Model-specific weight, balance and performance limits come from the manufacturer's (or builder's) documentation. Part 107 sets only the general 55-pound ceiling.

• AIncorrect. Part 107 sets a 55-pound maximum for all small UA. It does not give the weight or balance limits of a particular model.
• BIncorrect. The registration certificate shows registration and ownership information, not performance or weight-and-balance limits.
• CCorrect. The manufacturer or builder sets the aircraft's weight-and-balance limits and performance data, and the remote PIC should follow them closely.
• DIncorrect. The Chart Supplement gives airport and facility information, not aircraft-specific limits.

Answer: C) 111 Wh

• AIncorrect. Multiply, don't divide.
• BIncorrect. Multiply, don't add.
• CCorrect. 22.2 V × 5 Ah.
• DIncorrect. Recheck the decimal place.

Answer: A) Extra battery for the headwind

• ACorrect. Returning into a headwind takes more power and time.
• BIncorrect. A headwind needs more power.
• CIncorrect. Wind affects endurance.
• DIncorrect. This does not address the headwind.

Answer: C) 1.5 pounds

• AIncorrect. Subtract, don't add.
• BIncorrect. Subtract the drone's weight.
• CCorrect. 9 − 7.5 pounds.
• DIncorrect. Recheck: 9 − 7.5.

Answer: B) It is no longer reliable for predicting how the aircraft will perform

Manufacturer performance data assumes the aircraft is within its published weight and balance limits. Above maximum takeoff weight the data can't be relied on, and performance such as climb, endurance and control margin will degrade.

• AIncorrect. No tolerance band exists. Published data assumes the aircraft is within the manufacturer's weight and balance limits, and any exceedance takes it outside the conditions the data was based on.
• BCorrect. Manufacturer performance figures are only valid when the aircraft is loaded within its published weight and balance limits. Above maximum takeoff weight, actual performance can't be predicted from that data and will generally be worse.
• CIncorrect. Shortening the flight does not bring the aircraft back within its limits. Climb, controllability and structural margins are still unknown when the aircraft is overweight.
• DIncorrect. No phase of flight is exempt. Hovering an overweight multirotor needs more thrust and power than the data assumes, so even hover performance can't be predicted.

Answer: A) Confirm the total weight and CG location remain within the manufacturer's limits

Any change in payload has to keep the aircraft's total weight and CG within the manufacturer's limits. Exceeding them hurts performance and controllability, and the 55-pound Part 107 limit applies to the whole aircraft, not the payload alone.

• ACorrect. FAA guidance says weight and balance limits set by the manufacturer or builder should be closely followed and are critical to flight safety. A heavier payload changes both the total weight and where the CG is.
• BIncorrect. The 55-pound limit is not a payload limit. It applies to the whole aircraft at takeoff, including everything on board or attached. The manufacturer's weight and CG limits must also be met.
• CIncorrect. Moving weight forward shifts the CG and can push it outside the manufacturer's limits, which degrades control. Mounting position does not replace a weight and balance check.
• DIncorrect. Changing an altitude setting does not make up for exceeding weight or CG limits. The loaded aircraft still has to be within the manufacturer's weight and balance limits.

Answer: C) It can swing like a pendulum, especially in wind or during maneuvers, and destabilize the aircraft

A slung load can swing and destabilize a small UA. Section 107.49(e) requires the remote PIC to confirm before flight that any carried object is secure and does not adversely affect flight characteristics.

• AIncorrect. Staying under the 55-pound limit keeps the aircraft a small UAS, but it does nothing to stop the load from swinging. Section 107.49(e) still requires confirming that the load does not adversely affect flight characteristics.
• BIncorrect. A load on a line can move freely. Instead of steadying the aircraft like a fixed low weight, it can act like a pendulum and push back on the airframe.
• CCorrect. A suspended load can oscillate when the aircraft accelerates, turns, or flies in gusts, and that motion can upset control. Under 107.49(e), the remote PIC must make sure any carried object is secure and does not adversely affect flight characteristics.
• DIncorrect. Speed changes, turns, and gusts in forward flight can all start the load swinging, so the effect is not limited to hovering.

Answer: C) About 20 pounds, because a 60° bank produces about 2 G

Load factor is the ratio of the load the structure carries to the aircraft's weight. A coordinated level turn at 60° bank produces 2 G, so a 10-pound aircraft's structure must support about 20 pounds.

• AIncorrect. The aircraft's mass stays the same, but in a level turn the wings must make extra lift. That raises the load factor above 1 G, so the structure carries more than the static weight.
• BIncorrect. About 1.5 G goes with a much shallower bank (roughly 45°). In a coordinated level turn at 60°, the load factor is 2 G.
• CCorrect. In a coordinated level turn at 60° bank the load factor is 2 G, so effective weight doubles: 10 lb × 2 = 20 lb.
• DIncorrect. Load factor climbs steeply at higher bank angles, but at 60° it is 2 G, not 4 G. About 4 G would take a bank of roughly 75°.

Answer: D) 4,000 feet

• AIncorrect. Recheck: 400 × 10.
• BIncorrect. Multiply by 10.
• CIncorrect. Multiply by 10.
• DCorrect. 10 feet forward per foot of altitude.