Technical exercise · ~3 min a run · free
Aviation Physics
Reason about lift, altimetry, airspeed and the forces of flight.
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Aviation physics puts the science of flight into plain questions: how a wing makes lift, why the altimeter reads what it does, why true airspeed climbs with altitude, how the magnetic compass behaves, and how moments, load factor, simple circuits and gas laws work. Many questions come with an original diagram. It is the applied-physics reasoning that technical pilot-selection stages sample, and that underlies picking up aircraft systems in training.
About this test
About this test
What this test measures
This measures applied physics reasoning set in a flying context: how a wing makes lift, how altimetry and airspeed work, how the magnetic compass behaves, and how moments, load factor, simple circuits and gas laws play out. It rewards understanding the principle rather than memorising a formula, the reasoning that underlies grasping aircraft systems.
How to improve your score
- For each topic, hold one clear idea: lift comes from lower pressure over a faster-flowing upper surface, pressure falls with height, true airspeed grows as the air thins.
- Use the diagram to name the principle before you read the options, so you reason from the physics rather than the wording.
- On the harder items, be ready for a short calculation, such as the load factor rising to about 2 g in a 60-degree banked turn.
Good to know
Good to know
Name the principle first
Before weighing the options, decide which piece of physics a question turns on: a pressure difference, an angle of attack, air density, a moment about a pivot, Ohm's law, or a gas law. Naming the principle points you straight at the reasoning and stops you guessing from the wording. The diagrams are there to help you do exactly this, so read the picture before the answers.What good looks like
In our testing, a candidate with a sound feel for the physics scores highly on Easy and Medium and holds up well on Hard, where questions combine two effects or need a quick calculation, such as recognising that a 60-degree banked turn pulls about 2 g. As a rough guide, aim to explain each answer in a sentence of your own, since being able to teach it back is the sign you truly understand it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to have studied physics or the full ATPL theory?
Do I need to have studied physics or the full ATPL theory?
Is the science accurate?
Is the science accurate?
Is this a specific selection test?
Is this a specific selection test?
Training for an airline assessment?
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