FAA Flight Instructor Sport Glider Knowledge Test Practice Test
The FAA Flight Instructor Sport Glider Knowledge Test (SIG) practice material focuses on teaching glider flight and making sound instructional decisions. Its sample questions cover stall recovery, tow-position corrections, basic control effects, and explaining why low airspeed near the ground can reduce time to respond. Other items address lesson objectives, maintenance records, airport information, precipitation, and radio communication.
Exam overview
About the FAA Flight Instructor Sport Glider Knowledge Test Exam
Preparing to teach glider students involves translating aerodynamic principles into clear explanations and observable actions. Practice with stall recovery calls for recognizing angle-of-attack cues and prioritizing reducing the stall before returning to a desired flight path. Tow exercises require noticing the glider’s position relative to the towplane and responding without abrupt control inputs. Candidates also benefit from distinguishing elevator and rudder effects, connecting airspeed to available response time, and discussing weather-related planning concerns. Instructional tasks include checking whether a lesson objective was met, selecting current airport information for a briefing, and explaining where required inspection and maintenance entries are recorded. Radio scenarios call for concise listening and communication habits. Use these topics to rehearse both the underlying flight concepts and how to teach them in a way a student can apply.
Sample Practice Questions
Review a selection from this exam's published US Practice Tests practice bank.
When teaching a student to recover from a stall in a glider, which action is generally the first priority?
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Correct answer: BA stall results when the wing exceeds its critical angle of attack. Reducing angle of attack is the essential first step; subsequent control inputs should follow the glider’s approved procedures and the situation.
An instructor candidate asks a student to describe a good way to evaluate whether a lesson objective was met. Which approach is most useful?
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Correct answer: AAn observable demonstration or explanation provides evidence of learning and lets the instructor give specific feedback. Lesson duration and enjoyment may matter to lesson planning, but neither alone establishes mastery of the objective.
During a lesson, a student asks why flying too slowly near the ground can leave little time to correct a developing problem. Which explanation is most accurate?
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Correct answer: AAt low airspeed, control effectiveness may be reduced, and near the ground the pilot has little height or time available to respond to an upset or error. Sound training emphasizes maintaining appropriate airspeed and a safe margin during low-altitude operations.
A glider is being towed by an airplane. The glider pilot notices the towplane moving laterally relative to the glider’s nose. What is the most appropriate general response?
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Correct answer: ADuring aerotow, the glider pilot should maintain the trained tow position using smooth, coordinated control inputs and the applicable procedures. Abrupt or indiscriminate control inputs can create unsafe towline loads; release is reserved for circumstances requiring it under the operation’s procedures.
Which document is generally used to record required inspections and maintenance performed on a glider?
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Correct answer: AAircraft maintenance records document inspections, repairs, alterations, and other maintenance. A pilot should use the applicable records and aircraft documents to determine whether the glider is airworthy and eligible for flight.
An instructor candidate is planning a lesson at an unfamiliar airport. Which resource is most appropriate for checking current runway, lighting, and operational information that may change?
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Correct answer: ACurrent airport information is found in current aeronautical publications, including the Chart Supplement, together with applicable notices such as NOTAMs. Training notes and aircraft records do not provide reliable current airport status.
A student asks how a glider’s elevator primarily affects the aircraft. Which explanation is most accurate?
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Correct answer: AElevator movement changes the aerodynamic force at the tail, producing a pitching moment that changes the glider’s pitch attitude. The rudder primarily affects yaw, while ailerons primarily affect roll.
How to use this practice test
The free practice session presents up to 20 random questions from the 50-question SIG practice bank. Answer each item as you would when explaining a decision to a glider student; after the session, review the results to identify concepts that need another pass.
Preparation tips
- Talk through a stall-recovery sequence, stating the priority action and the cues that indicate the glider is recovering.
- Sketch the towplane and glider positions for lateral misalignment, then describe a measured correction and the reason to avoid abrupt inputs.
- Explain elevator and rudder effects separately, using a simple glider maneuver to show how each control changes the flight path or orientation.
- For a lesson on low-altitude airspeed, connect reduced airspeed to diminished energy and less time or distance available for correction.
- Build a short preflight lesson checklist that separates maintenance-record review, current airport information, precipitation concerns, and radio procedures.