What is the primary, lethal hazard directly associated with a physical crack in the exhaust heat exchanger?An 'Aerodynamic Balance' (such as a Horn Balance projecting ahead of the hinge line) is used to:Operating an aircraft with the Centre of Gravity (CG) dangerously aft of the approved limit:A completely blocked fuel tank vent in a high-wing aircraft can aggressively cause:The mechanical Airspeed Indicator (ASI) operates by physically measuring:Severely overfilling the engine oil tank will highly likely result in:The critical performance abbreviation 'MCTOW' stands strictly for:How does increasing the physical weight of the aircraft affect its aerodynamic glide performance?In aircraft performance calculations, 'ISA Deviation' is formally defined as:Aggressively lowering the flaps massively increases the Maximum Lift Coefficient, which fundamentally results in:Applying a heavy Bonding (Earthing) wire during refuelling operations explicitly protects the aircraft against:Observing Low Oil Pressure combined with extremely High Oil Temperature on the gauges suggests:The Ailerons directly control the aircraft's aerodynamic movement about which specific axis?A mathematical 'Moment' in aircraft weight and balance is calculated precisely as:An violently rough-running engine in flight is best diagnosed initially by:Violent 'Shimmy' in an aircraft's nosewheel assembly is usually caused physically by:Applying aggressive opposite aileron to lift a violently dropped wing very near the stall can dangerously:The Rudder directly controls the aircraft's aerodynamic movement about which specific axis?The structural aircraft limit known as 'Zero Fuel Weight' refers explicitly to:Aviation fuel tanks are specifically vented to the outside atmosphere to:Distinct 'Creep marks' (painted white or red stripes) on a main landing gear tyre visually indicate:The advanced Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) successfully detects other threat aircraft entirely by:The official International System (SI) metric base unit for measuring pure physical Mass is the:The 'Critical Stalling Angle' of an aircraft wing:The highly destructive engine phenomenon of 'Detonation' is characterized physically by:'Adverse Yaw' occurring immediately during a turn entry is aerodynamically caused by:In the classic four-stroke Otto cycle, the critical 'Power Stroke' is strictly defined as the phase where:During a steep, descending turn, the inner wing aerodynamically has a:The primary engineering purpose of 'Mass Balancing' a control surface is to:The violent gyroscopic 'toppling' of a traditional mechanical artificial horizon typically occurs specifically when:The absolute primary mechanical function of the massive, forged Crankshaft in a piston aero-engine is to:In high-performance piston aircraft, the massive cooling Cowl Flaps are typically operated:Accumulation of rough frost on the wings prior to takeoff will definitively:Aerodynamic 'Profile Drag' is specifically composed of:Landing on a heavily wet runway surface directly:Aerodynamically, the critical 'Angle of Attack' is exclusively the measured angle between:The safest, most correct management of the fuel selector valve during a cross-country flight typically involves:In aviation physics, the term 'Velocity' is explicitly defined as:The primary fuel strainer (commonly called the gascolator) is strategically located:The critical, mandatory pre-flight fuel drain check is performed specifically to physically detect and remove:The geometric 'Blade Angle' (or Pitch) of a propeller is explicitly the angle measured between:The absolute fundamental mathematical formula required to calculate the exact Center of Gravity (CG) position is:Turning the cockpit ignition switch to the 'OFF' position stops the engine by:A steady negative (discharge) reading on the Ammeter during cruise flight explicitly indicates:Why are aircraft propeller blades physically twisted (known as Washout) from the root to the tip?An absolute aerodynamic stall physically occurs whenever:A standard 'Rate 1' turn physically corresponds to a turn rate of exactly:Total Engine Power Output is mathematically and physically proportional to:In critical takeoff performance calculations, the highly specific term TORA explicitly refers to the:Traditional aluminum alloy airframes are primarily structurally susceptible to:In the pitot-static system, 'Position Error' is an inherent aerodynamic flaw caused explicitly by:The mechanical Oil Pressure Relief Valve is designed explicitly to:In aerodynamics, a 'Spin' is formally defined as:The catastrophic condition known as 'Thermal Runaway' is a severe operational hazard uniquely associated with:By total volume, the single most abundant gas in the Earth's entire atmosphere is:In a perfectly steady, unaccelerated climb, the total aerodynamic Lift produced by the wings is mathematically:In engine design, the primary mechanical purpose of 'Valve Overlap' is to:Under which specific atmospheric conditions is severe Carburetor Icing notoriously most likely to rapidly occur?Immediately after a successful engine start, the cockpit Ammeter should clearly show:In engine lubrication, the physical property of 'Viscosity' refers explicitly to:To safely increase engine power on an aircraft fitted with a Constant Speed Unit (CSU), the strict, correct sequence is:When actuated by the pilot, an aerodynamic 'Trim Tab' physically moves:To achieve absolute Maximum Range (the greatest physical distance per litre of fuel), the aircraft must be flown at:The fundamental physical property of Gyroscopic 'Rigidity in Space' is massively increased by:The internationally recognized standard ISA Mean Sea Level atmospheric conditions are strictly defined as:The physical aerodynamic force that actively pulls an aircraft through a banked level turn is:Conducting a takeoff roll on a runway with a significant upslope will:The specific airspeed known as Vx is the precise speed that aerodynamically provides:A structural 'Baffle' built deeply inside an aircraft fuel tank is explicitly engineered to:Attempting a takeoff with a significant tailwind component will violently:What is the correct, sequential operation of the four-stroke Otto cycle engine?A true 'Monocoque' fuselage structure derives its immense structural strength primarily by relying on:

Home / PPL exams / Aircraft Tech

Private Pilot Licence · Subject 12, AC61-3

NZ PPL Aircraft Technical Knowledge exam.

Tech is the longest PPL exam at 45 questions in 90 minutes and it has the widest spread: piston engines, fuel and ignition, the pitot-static and gyro instruments, airframe structure, weight and balance, performance and the aerodynamics of the stall, the turn and the glide. Our bank of 260 questions covers Subject 12 of AC61-3 item by item.

45questions90minutes70%pass mark260in the bank

156syllabus items tested · the questions in the background are from the bank

Sit a PPL Aircraft Tech exam · $5.99 Try the free exam first

Try three

Engines, structures, and the centre of gravity.

Tech is broad by design. These three are cooling, structures and centre of gravity; the de-brief below picks up the speed for maximum endurance, which is the kind of aerodynamics the exam folds in.

Answer each one and you see what the de-brief shows after a paid exam: the correct option, the reasoning and the syllabus item it came from.

0 of 3 answered

PPL · Syllabus 12.52.6Question 1 / 3

In high-performance piston aircraft, the massive cooling Cowl Flaps are typically operated:

Why

Engine temperature management is a critical pilot responsibility. The pilot must manually pull a lever or flick a switch to aggressively open the massive cowl flaps for high-power, low-speed climbs, and close them manually during high-speed cruise to eliminate immense aerodynamic drag.

Choose an answerSyllabus 12.52.6

PPL · Syllabus 12.70.6Question 2 / 3

Traditional aluminum alloy airframes are primarily structurally susceptible to:

Why

Aluminum alloys do not 'rust' like iron, but they are highly susceptible to oxidation corrosion (especially in salty, coastal environments) and structural metal fatigue (cracking) caused by repeated aerodynamic stress cycles.

Choose an answerSyllabus 12.70.6

PPL · Syllabus 12.110.4Question 3 / 3

Operating an aircraft with the Centre of Gravity (CG) dangerously aft of the approved limit:

Why

An aft CG physically shortens the lever arm of the tail elevator. In a deep stall, the pilot may physically lack the aerodynamic authority to push the heavy nose down, making recovery impossible.

Choose an answerSyllabus 12.110.4

The de-brief

What the system was doing when the question was set.

Tech de-briefs explain the system, not just the setting: why the mixture is leaned with altitude, what a blocked static line does to each instrument, why an aft centre of gravity makes recovery harder. Understand the system and the next question about it is free.

After a paid exam it is emailed to you as well, so it is still there the night before the real sitting.

The Flying Kiwi · Knowledge deficiency reportPPL Aircraft Tech

Result

82%37 of 45 correct · pass mark 70%

What you missed

Q21 To achieve absolute Maximum Endurance (the greatest physical Time airborne), the aircraft must be flown at:

What you picked

Your answerThe speed for Best aerodynamic Lift/Drag Ratio

CorrectThe speed requiring Minimum Power

Why

Maximum Endurance means simply staying airborne in the sky for the absolute longest clock time. This strictly requires burning fuel at the lowest possible rate, which occurs exactly at the speed requiring Minimum Power.

Revise

Syllabus 12.60.10 · Aircraft Technical Knowledge · AC61-3

What the exam covers

Subject 12, the widest syllabus of the six.

Because the syllabus is wide, the practice value is in the coverage. Three or four fresh exams will touch nearly every item at least once.

Airframe structure, materials, corrosion and fatigue
Flight controls, trim and control surface aerodynamics
The four-stroke piston engine, engine handling and cooling
Carburation, carburettor icing and fuel injection
Fuel grades, fuel systems, contamination and refuelling
Ignition, magnetos, electrical systems and batteries
Lubrication systems and oil
Propellers, fixed and constant speed
Pitot-static instruments: ASI, altimeter, VSI and their errors
Gyroscopic instruments and the magnetic compass
Weight and balance and the effect of the centre of gravity
Lift, drag, stalling, load factor and performance in the climb, glide and turn

Watch for

Where the marks go in Tech.

Carburettor icing conditions. The temperature and humidity band is asked directly, and so is the first symptom in a fixed-pitch aircraft.
ASI and altimeter errors when the static or pitot line blocks. Work out what each instrument reads in the climb and the descent.
Aft centre of gravity effects. Learn the full chain: less stable, lighter in pitch, lower stall speed, harder stall recovery.
Speeds for maximum range versus maximum endurance. One is minimum drag, the other is minimum power; the exam asks which.

Preparation

How to prepare for PPL Aircraft Technical Knowledge.

Coverage is the whole problem. Each system is small on its own; the exam is hard only because there are so many of them, and because the aerodynamics half is easy to leave until last.

Work by system: fuel, ignition, lubrication, cooling, electrical, pitot-static, gyros. One evening each, then mix them.
Carburettor icing gets its own hour: the conditions, the first symptom in a fixed-pitch aircraft, the recovery. It is a syllabus item on its own and it turns up reliably in our exams.
Blocked pitot and static: draw the table of what the ASI, altimeter and VSI each do in a climb and in a descent. The question is always one cell of that table.
Do not skip the aerodynamics. Lift, drag, the stall, load factor in the turn and the speeds for range and endurance all sit inside Subject 12 for the PPL.

Aircraft Tech questions

Questions about this exam.

If yours is not here, email support.

Our exam is 45 questions in 90 minutes, matched to the Aspeq sitting. Pass mark 70%.

Yes. In the New Zealand PPL syllabus the aerodynamics topics sit inside Subject 12, Aircraft Technical Knowledge, alongside engines, systems and instruments.

Some questions refer to instrument indications or system layouts. Where a picture is needed our question includes it; otherwise the stem describes the situation fully.

How it works

Sit PPL Aircraft Tech here, timed like the real exam.

The widest PPL exam is the one that most rewards full-length practice. Sit it here two or three times and you will have seen most of the syllabus.

01Buy a code

Checkout takes a minute on Stripe and the code is emailed instantly. A PPL code works on any PPL subject; you choose when you sit down.

02Sit the exam

45 questions on a 90-minute clock, drawn fresh from the Aircraft Tech bank. Bookmark, skip, come back, submit when you are done. Progress survives a dropped connection.

03Read the de-brief

Score and pass or fail on screen straight away, then the full de-brief by email: every question you got wrong, what you chose, the correct answer, the reasoning and the syllabus reference to revise.

Before the real one

Sit PPL Aircraft Tech here first. Then sit it for real.

Forty-five questions in ninety minutes across the whole of Subject 12, every wrong answer explained. The gaps show up here rather than at Aspeq.

The same format as the Aspeq sitting: 45 questions, 90 minutes, 70% to pass.
Drawn fresh from 260 Aircraft Tech questions each time, options shuffled. Never the same exam twice.
Every wrong answer explained, with the syllabus reference to revise, on screen and by email.
Code emailed instantly. Sit it tonight or in three months; unused codes never expire.

45 questions · 90 minutes · 70% to pass

$5.99PPL Aircraft Tech examNZD · one full-length exam · Other NZ practice exams typically charge about $8.00

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