11 EXPLAINED QUESTIONSLoading & Performance · explained practice
Part 107 loading and performance practice questions
Practice weight, balance, load factor, density altitude, battery margins, and performance decisions with explained answers.
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These are original Drone Authority questions, not active FAA test items. Use the explanation to understand why the correct choice wins and where to rebuild the concept.
01Adding a heavier payload to a small unmanned aircraft will most likely:
Reduce flight time and require more power to maintain altitude
Extra weight increases the power needed to stay aloft, reducing flight time, range, and maneuverability.
02How does flying in high-density-altitude conditions (hot, high elevation) affect a multirotor drone?
Thinner air reduces propeller efficiency and lift, degrading performance
High density altitude means thinner air, so propellers generate less lift and the drone must work harder; performance drops.
03An improperly balanced payload that shifts the drone's center of gravity is most likely to cause:
Unstable or unpredictable flight characteristics
A center of gravity outside limits makes the aircraft unstable and harder to control safely.
04What is the maximum groundspeed permitted for a small unmanned aircraft under Part 107?
87 knots (100 mph)
Part 107 limits groundspeed to 87 knots, which is 100 miles per hour.
05Flying a drone in cold temperatures most commonly affects performance by:
Reducing usable battery capacity and flight time
Cold reduces lithium-battery capacity, cutting available flight time and risking sudden voltage drops.
06When determining whether a planned flight is within the drone's capability, a remote pilot should primarily consult:
The manufacturer's operating limitations and performance data
Manufacturer operating limitations and performance specs are the authoritative source for what the aircraft can safely do.
07If the manufacturer publishes endurance, payload, wind, and temperature limits for a small UAS, the remote pilot should:
Use them for flight planning and stay within them
Manufacturer performance data and operating limits are the best source for safe planning with that aircraft.
08Why should a remote pilot plan a battery reserve instead of using the full advertised flight time?
Wind, cold, payload, rerouting, and landing needs can increase power use
Safe performance planning preserves reserve for unexpected wind, cold, payload demand, route changes, and landing.
09A payload mounted far to one side of the aircraft most directly creates a risk of:
An off-center center of gravity and degraded stability
Balance and CG affect stability. Off-center payload placement can make the drone harder to control.
10As bank angle increases in a level turn, the aircraft's load factor:
Increases
A steeper bank in a level turn increases load factor. That is why stall speed increases in steeper turns.
11A fixed-wing aircraft's normal stall speed is 40 knots. In a steep, level bank, what generally happens to stall speed?
It increases because load factor increases
The exam may use load-factor math, but the concept is simple: increasing bank angle in a level turn increases load factor and raises stall speed.
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