How to use this deck

FAA Airman Knowledge Tests are computer-based, multiple-choice exams, and the question bank depends on the certificate or rating. The deck below is for Private Pilot—Airplane study; it is not a universal deck for every FAA test. Check the FAA’s current handbooks and regulations, and use the current test supplement for any chart or figure questions.

In a MySummaries deck, turn each card, say the answer before revealing it, then choose a grade that reflects how readily and accurately you recalled it. The first card is open; work through the remaining cards in order. Keep units in your answers, and be especially careful to distinguish statute miles from nautical miles, and magnetic course from heading.

A Private Pilot—Airplane deck on these topics looks like this:

Cards — Private Pilot — Airplane18 due

What are the VFR weather minimums in Class B airspace?

3 statute miles visibility and clear of clouds.

All 18 cards
What are the VFR weather minimums in Class B airspace?3 statute miles visibility and clear of clouds.
For VFR flight under 14 CFR 91.151, what fuel reserve is required for an aeroplane by day?Enough to fly to the first point of intended landing and then for at least 30 minutes at normal cruising speed.
What fuel reserve is required for an aeroplane on a VFR flight at night under 91.151?Enough to fly to the first point of intended landing and then for at least 45 minutes at normal cruising speed.
What passenger-carrying take-off and landing currency is required under 91.57?Within the preceding 90 days, 3 take-offs and 3 landings in the same category, class and type if a type rating is required.
What extra landing requirement applies to passenger-carrying currency in a tailwheel aeroplane?The landings must be to a full stop.
What additional currency is required to carry passengers at night?Within the preceding 90 days, 3 take-offs and 3 landings to a full stop during the period from 1 hour after sunset to 1 hour before sunrise.
For VFR cruising altitudes more than 3,000 feet AGL, what altitude applies on magnetic courses from 000° through 179°?An odd thousand-foot MSL altitude plus 500 feet, such as 5,500 feet MSL.
What altimeter setting is used when operating at or above 18,000 feet MSL in the United States?29.92 inches of mercury.
What is the approximate scale conversion for a 1-inch measurement on a 1:500,000 sectional chart?About 6.86 nautical miles.
What does runway designation 27 indicate?A runway aligned approximately with a magnetic heading of 270°; the number is based on magnetic direction rounded to the nearest 10 degrees, with the final digit omitted.
What must a pilot have before entering Class B airspace?An explicit ATC clearance to enter.
What radio condition is required before entering Class C airspace?Two-way radio communication must be established with ATC before entry; ATC’s use of the aircraft’s call sign acknowledges the communication.
What radio condition is required before entering Class D airspace?Two-way radio communication must be established with ATC before entry.
How many feet are in 1 statute mile?5,280 feet.
How many feet are in 1 nautical mile?Approximately 6,076 feet.
At a groundspeed of 120 knots, how far will an aircraft travel in 30 minutes?60 nautical miles: 120 nautical miles per hour × 0.5 hour.
At a fuel burn of 8 gallons per hour, how much fuel is used in 1.5 hours?12 gallons: 8 gallons per hour × 1.5 hours.
In a coordinated, level turn at 60° of bank, what is the approximate load factor?2 G, since load factor is approximately 1 divided by the cosine of the bank angle.

That is a MySummaries deck, filled with FAA Knowledge Tests material. Yours is written from your own notes. Start free

Study the cards, not just the answers

On each card, try to retrieve the complete fact before you look at the answer. For a regulation card, include the condition as well as the number. “Thirty minutes” is incomplete unless you know it is the daytime VFR reserve after reaching the first point of intended landing, at normal cruising speed. Likewise, passenger-carrying currency is not just “three landings”: remember the preceding 90 days and the applicable category, class and, where required, type.

For calculation cards, state the units aloud and show the operation. Convert 30 minutes to 0.5 hour before multiplying by a groundspeed in knots; the result is nautical miles. If a question gives fuel burn in gallons per hour, multiply by hours to get gallons. These are deliberately short examples: on a real performance problem, use the aircraft-specific data and conditions supplied in the question rather than assuming these example numbers apply to your aircraft.

Chart and airspace cards test distinctions that are easy to blur under time pressure. A sectional chart’s scale conversion is approximate, so measure carefully and use the chart’s scale. A runway number refers to magnetic direction rounded to the nearest ten degrees, not an exact heading. For airspace entry, keep the different requirements separate: Class B requires a clearance; Class C and Class D require two-way communications to be established before entry. Do not substitute one phrase for another.

When grading yourself, choose “Again” if you could not recall the answer or gave a materially wrong value. Choose “Hard” if you reached it slowly or needed a prompt. “Good” means you recalled it accurately without undue delay; reserve “Easy” for an accurate, immediate answer. If you get the rule but omit a condition, count that as a weak recall rather than a fully correct answer.

Must not miss core

The deck is cut from a short core of values and distinctions. Learn these precisely, then check each against the current official source where a rule or chart interpretation is involved. The core below groups facts that commonly cause avoidable errors; it is not a substitute for studying the rest of the applicable test material.

The board’s Must not miss core looks like this:

Must not miss corePrivate Pilot — Airplane
Class B VFR minimum: 3 statute miles visibility and clear of clouds.
VFR fuel reserve under 91.151: first point of intended landing, then 30 minutes by day or 45 minutes at night at normal cruising speed.
Passenger currency: 3 take-offs and 3 landings within the preceding 90 days in the same category and class, and type if required; tailwheel landings must be full stop.
At or above 18,000 feet MSL, use 29.92 inches of mercury; above 3,000 feet AGL, VFR cruising altitude depends on magnetic course.
Class B entry needs an explicit clearance; Class C and D entry require two-way communications established before entry.

Turn missed marks into targeted review

Do not treat every wrong answer as the same kind of error. A missed fuel question might be a forgotten reserve, a mistaken time conversion or a unit mix-up. A missed airspace question might mean you know the rule but confused “clearance” with “communication established.” Name the error, then practise the exact distinction again.

For chart and calculation questions, use a repeatable order: identify what the stem asks for, note the units and conditions, find the relevant chart, table or rule, calculate, then check whether the result is operationally plausible. If the question gives a specific aircraft, weather condition or chart figure, those details matter. Never transfer performance values from one aircraft to another.

A remediation card from a repeatedly missed airspace distinction could read:

Remediation tray

You lost this mark twice: before entering Class B airspace, what must you receive from ATC? Answer with the required term, not the Class C or D radio requirement.

Add cardDismiss

Re-test the missed fact later without looking at the core checklist. If you still miss it, return to the applicable regulation or FAA study reference and correct the underlying misunderstanding before memorising the card again. Check current FAA materials for rule wording, and follow the relevant test supplement for charts and figures.

How MySummaries helps

MySummaries turns your own FAA study material into a revision board and spaced-repetition cards, so you can practise rules, chart facts and calculations from the sources you are actually using. Start at portal.mysummaries.app.