📌 Must Remember

• Helicopter alternate minimums:
  • Ceiling: 200 feet above the approach minimum ceiling.
  • Visibility: at least 1 statute mile, but not less than the approach minimum visibility.
• A black triangle with a white “A” signals non-standard IFR alternate minimums.
• “NA” after the “A” means alternate minimums are not authorized.
• Category A helicopters may reduce published visibility to one-half, but never below ¼ mile or 1,200 feet RVR.
• The airport elevation is in a box at the top left of the airport sketch; TDZE is shown at the approach end of the runway.
• White-on-black lighting symbols identify pilot-controlled lighting.
• An inoperative approach component may be permitted if the Inoperative Components Table allows it.
• An ILS with a malfunctioning MALSR may be flown when minimum visibility is increased by ¼ mile.
• RNAV chart minimums are published according to the applicable RNAV system.
• DA is used with vertical guidance; MDA is used for LNAV and circling procedures.
• Civilian VHF communication frequencies are 118.000–136.975 MHz.
• Radios must support 25 kHz channel spacing.
• Simplex uses one frequency for transmitting and receiving; duplex uses separate frequencies for transmitting and receiving.
• Mode C reports pressure altitude when the transponder is set to ALT.
• Transponders must be ON in controlled airspace; altitude reporting is required in Class B, Class C, and within 30 NM of a primary Class B airport.
• “Radar contact” does not relieve the pilot of terrain-clearance responsibility.
• The standard climb gradient is 200 feet per nautical mile unless a higher gradient is specified.
• ARTCC precipitation data may be up to 6 minutes old.
• ATC radar cannot detect turbulence, clouds, or the specific type of precipitation.
• Pilots should assume turbulence may exist near convective activity and within 20 miles of thunderstorms.
• Pilots may request a deviation, altitude change, or routing assistance for weather avoidance.
• Night vision uses rod receptors containing rhodopsin; strong light temporarily depletes rhodopsin.
• Off-center viewing and scanning improve night obstacle detection.
• The “leans” result from a slowly entered bank and an abrupt correction.
• The Coriolis illusion is associated with head movement during a prolonged turn.
• In a graveyard spiral, loss of turn sensation followed by an attempted correction can lead to a tightening, descending spiral.
• Rapid acceleration can create a nose-up illusion; rapid deceleration can create the opposite illusion.
• A narrower runway can create the illusion of being higher; a wider runway creates the opposite illusion.
• Upsloping terrain or runway can make the aircraft appear higher; downsloping terrain or runway can make it appear lower.
• The four fundamental forces are lift, weight, thrust, and drag.
• Induced drag increases with angle of attack and decreases as airspeed increases.
• Parasite drag increases with speed.
• The minimum-drag point is associated with \(L/D_{\max}\).
• The region above minimum drag is the region of normal command; below it is the region of reversed command.
• Standard-rate turn: 3° per second.
• Rule of thumb for bank angle:

\[\text{Bank angle} \approx \frac{\text{airspeed}}{10}+7^\circ\]

• In a coordinated turn, the ball is centered.
• Ice reduces \(C_{L\text{-MAX}}\), lowers stall angle of attack, increases drag, and can increase stall speed.
• A 30% reduction in \(C_{L\text{-MAX}}\) is common; horn ice can cause a 40%–50% reduction.
• Pitot blockage, static blockage, and alternate static-source use produce different instrument indications.
• “When flying from hot to cold or from high to low, look out below.”
• The compass memory aid ANDS means acceleration–north, deceleration–south.
• A heading indicator is not north-seeking and must be aligned with the magnetic compass about every 15 minutes.
• The heading indicator has approximately 15° per hour apparent drift from Earth’s rotation.
• The HSI combines a magnetic compass, navigation signals, and glideslope information.
• The flight director supplies steering commands that the pilot or autopilot follows.
• The FMS computes a “Best Computed Position” from navigation sensor inputs.
• TCAS I provides traffic advisories; TCAS II also provides resolution advisories.
• TAWS uses GPS position and a terrain database to provide predictive warnings.
• A HUD projects information into the pilot’s forward line of sight.
• Before engine start, check pitot/static openings, required inspections, charts, NOTAMs, instrument indications, trim, deicing equipment, and alternate static-source operation.
• An ODP is primarily for obstacle clearance and may be flown without ATC clearance when no SID is assigned.
• A SID requires ATC clearance and is designed for traffic management.
• Takeoff minimums under Part 91:
  • Two engines or fewer: 1 statute mile.
  • More than two engines: ½ statute mile.
• A 45° procedure turn has a maximum speed of 200 KIAS.
• A “NoPT” symbol means proceed directly inbound without a procedure turn.
• MSA provides 1,000 feet obstruction clearance.
• MEA provides navigation reception and obstacle clearance.
• MOCA provides the same obstacle clearance as MEA but navigation reception only within 22 NM of the nearest NAVAID.