Transport Canada Drone Pilot Exam: Small Basic (Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems - Basic Operations)
Theory of flight: practice questions
Our Canada drone Basic exam bank has 16 questions on this topic. Here are 5 of them with answers; the full mock exam draws from every topic, like the real one.
Question 1
Bernoulli's principle explains lift because:
- Air is heavier above the wing
- Faster airflow over a curved surface has lower pressure
- Propellers push the ground away
- Gravity pulls less on moving objects
Show the answer
B. Faster airflow over a curved surface has lower pressure — Lower pressure above the airfoil and higher below produce lift.
Question 2
Trim on an aeroplane is used to:
- Increase top speed
- Relieve control pressures for steady flight
- Steer on the ground
- Change the propeller pitch for takeoff and landing
Show the answer
B. Relieve control pressures for steady flight — Trim holds a control position so the pilot doesn't need constant input.
Question 3
A multirotor moves forward by:
- Increasing the speed of all motors equally
- Tilting forward so part of the thrust pushes it ahead
- Stopping the rear motors
- Reversing the direction of the rear propellers so they pull the aircraft forward
Show the answer
B. Tilting forward so part of the thrust pushes it ahead — Increasing rear-motor speed pitches the aircraft nose-down so thrust has a forward component.
Question 4
The vertical fin (stabilizer) of a fixed-wing aircraft provides:
- Lift
- Thrust
- Pitch control
- Directional stability
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D. Directional stability — The vertical fin keeps the aircraft pointed into the relative wind.
Question 5
The four forces acting on an aircraft in flight are:
- Lift, weight, thrust and drag
- Lift, gravity, speed and torque
- Power, weight, drag and spin
- Lift, pressure, thrust and yaw
Show the answer
A. Lift, weight, thrust and drag — Steady flight balances lift against weight and thrust against drag.