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FAA Airline Transport Pilot Single Engine Airplane (135) Knowledge Test Practice Test

This practice page covers knowledge used in single-engine airplane operations, including instrument-clearance handling, airport traffic instructions, flight instruments, weather planning, and preflight compliance. Its sample questions present operational situations that call for interpreting information and choosing a safe, procedurally sound response, with some scenarios framed around Part 135 flights.

Exam overview

Exam providerFederal Aviation Administration
Exam codeATS
CategoryAviation

About the FAA Airline Transport Pilot Single Engine Airplane (135) Knowledge… Exam

The sampled questions ask pilots to manage IFR clearances and holding instructions, respond to tower directions, and recognize when a clearance conflicts with a published procedure or aircraft limitation. Instrument items address pitot-static indications and drift in a vacuum-driven directional gyro, requiring pilots to distinguish instrument behavior from reliable navigation references. Planning scenarios involve checking NOTAMs, assessing forecast ceiling and visibility against an intended approach, and considering how a headwind changes groundspeed and operational options. A Part 135 scenario tests whether a pilot recognizes an overdue required inspection as a reason not to dispatch the aircraft. Together, these situations emphasize clearance verification, instrument cross-checking, regulatory awareness, weather judgment, and timely decisions when conditions or aircraft status do not support the planned flight.

Sample Practice Questions

Review a selection from this exam's published US Practice Tests practice bank.

Question 1

When a pilot receives an amended instrument clearance, what should the pilot do before relying on it for navigation?

  1. ARead back and verify the amended route and altitude, then update the navigation setup as needed
  2. BAssume the amendment affects only the next waypoint
  3. CContinue on the previous clearance unless ATC repeats the amendment twice
  4. DChange the route immediately without checking that the clearance was understood
Show answerCorrect answer: A

The pilot should ensure the amended clearance is understood, read back required elements, and revise navigation equipment or charts accordingly. If any part is uncertain, ask ATC to clarify before proceeding on the assumption that the clearance is understood.

Question 2

While approaching an airport with a control tower, a pilot is instructed to extend downwind. What should the pilot do?

  1. ATurn base immediately to maintain the usual pattern spacing
  2. BAcknowledge and comply if able, maintaining awareness of traffic and aircraft limits
  3. CIgnore the instruction because pattern spacing is solely the pilot’s decision
  4. DClimb above the traffic pattern until the tower gives a new clearance
Show answerCorrect answer: B

Pilots should acknowledge and comply with ATC instructions when able. If an instruction cannot be safely followed or is unclear, the pilot should promptly advise ATC; traffic awareness and aircraft operating limits remain important.

Question 3

When a pilot receives a clearance to hold at a fix, what is the principal purpose of the holding pattern?

  1. ATo keep the aircraft in a protected area while delaying its progress
  2. BTo establish a mandatory descent profile to the runway
  3. CTo indicate that radar service has automatically terminated
  4. DTo authorize flight below the minimum altitude for the route
Show answerCorrect answer: A

A holding pattern provides a defined, protected path for aircraft to remain near a fix while awaiting further clearance or sequencing. Pilots must comply with the clearance and applicable holding procedures.

Question 4

In an airplane with a conventional vacuum-driven directional gyro, the pilot notices that its heading slowly drifts from the magnetic compass. What is the appropriate response?

  1. AUse the directional gyro without correction because it is unaffected by instrument errors.
  2. BPeriodically compare and realign the directional gyro with the magnetic compass as appropriate.
  3. CTurn off the magnetic compass to prevent conflicting indications.
  4. DApply rudder until the two instruments show the same heading.
Show answerCorrect answer: B

A conventional directional gyro is subject to drift and must be periodically checked against the magnetic compass and reset as needed. The compass remains the reference for magnetic heading, though it has its own errors and limitations.

Question 5

For an airplane with a serviceable pitot-static system, which instrument primarily indicates vertical speed?

  1. AVertical speed indicator
  2. BAltimeter
  3. CMagnetic compass
  4. DTurn coordinator
Show answerCorrect answer: A

The vertical speed indicator uses changes in static pressure to indicate the rate of climb or descent. The altimeter indicates altitude, while the compass and turn coordinator provide different information.

Question 6

Before a Part 135 flight, the pilot discovers that a required aircraft inspection is overdue. What is the appropriate action?

  1. ADepart if the aircraft appears to be operating normally.
  2. BDepart only if the flight is short and remains near the departure airport.
  3. CDo not operate the aircraft unless the inspection is completed or a legally applicable provision permits the operation.
  4. DAsk the passengers to acknowledge the inspection discrepancy.
Show answerCorrect answer: C

Required inspections must be current for the aircraft to be operated, subject only to specific regulatory provisions that may apply. A normal appearance, short flight, or passenger acknowledgment does not make an overdue required inspection acceptable.

Question 7

A pilot is considering a flight into an airport whose forecast weather is below the visibility and ceiling requirements for the intended approach. What is the most sound planning approach?

  1. APlan to descend below the published minimums to look for the runway.
  2. BIdentify a feasible alternative plan, such as delaying, diverting, or using an approach and airport with suitable conditions and legal minima.
  3. CAssume the forecast will improve because forecasts are not exact.
  4. DPlan to continue the approach regardless of conditions if fuel is adequate.
Show answerCorrect answer: B

The pilot should plan for weather that may prevent a legal or safe landing, including suitable diversion or delay options. Fuel availability alone does not authorize flight below applicable approach minima.

How to use this practice test

The free practice bank contains 50 published questions; each session presents up to 20 random questions. Complete a session to see your results, then use missed or uncertain items to identify which operational decisions and concepts need further review.

Preparation tips

  • For clearance scenarios, practice identifying what must be clarified or verified before navigating, and how to respond when an instruction conflicts with a published procedure or aircraft limitation.
  • Review the purpose and operation of the pitot-static instruments, and practice recognizing directional-gyro drift through comparison with other heading references.
  • Work through approach-planning examples by comparing forecast ceiling and visibility with the intended approach, while accounting for NOTAM changes to airport or procedure availability.
  • For Part 135 dispatch scenarios, distinguish an aircraft discrepancy from an overdue required inspection and identify when the aircraft cannot be used for the planned flight.
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