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EASA Part-66 Module 8 Cats A · B1 · B2 · B2L · B3

Basic Aerodynamics EASA Part-66 — Module 8 Practice Questions

Module 8 covers the physics of the atmosphere, how lift and drag are generated, the theory of flight and how aircraft remain stable about all three axes. Below: what's covered, exam format, and seven sample questions in the same style you'll meet on exam day.

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Every question comes with a worked, EASA-grounded explanation — understand why, don't just memorise.
1 120
Questions in bank
4
Syllabus sections
30 min
Exam time (B1/B2)
75 %
EASA pass mark

Syllabus at a glance

Full Module 8 syllabus
Section 8.1
Physics of the Atmosphere
  • International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) & its use in aerodynamics
  • Temperature, pressure & density variation with altitude
  • Regions & layers of the atmosphere
Section 8.2
Aerodynamics
  • Airflow, boundary layer, laminar & turbulent flow
  • Camber, chord, angle of attack & centre of pressure
  • Profile & induced drag, aspect ratio, lift & drag coefficients
  • Aerofoil contamination — ice, snow & frost
Section 8.3
Theory of Flight
  • Relationship between lift, weight, thrust & drag
  • Glide ratio, steady-state flight & theory of the turn
  • Load factor, flight envelope & structural limitations
  • Lift augmentation — flaps, slats & stall inducers
Section 8.4
Flight Stability and Dynamics
  • Longitudinal stability (pitch axis)
  • Lateral stability — dihedral & sweepback
  • Directional stability — fin & rudder area

Three classic exam-day traps

Centre of pressure moves the wrong way

As angle of attack increases (up to the stall), the centre of pressure moves forward, not aft. Many candidates reverse this because they confuse it with the rearward shift seen after the stall.

Induced drag vs airspeed

Induced drag is inversely proportional to airspeed-squared — it is highest at low speed and high angle of attack. Profile (parasite) drag is the opposite. Mixing these up is the classic Module 8 pitfall.

Dihedral, sweepback & fin area

Dihedral provides lateral (roll) stability via side-slip recovery, sweepback assists lateral stability too, and the fin gives directional (yaw) stability. Each axis has its own contributor — don't swap them.

What Module 8 covers — in plain English

Module 8 of the EASA Part-66 syllabus introduces the physical principles that make controlled flight possible: how the atmosphere behaves with altitude, how an aerofoil generates lift, what drag costs you, and how an aircraft remains stable about its three axes. It is a relatively short syllabus compared with the systems modules, but the concepts feed directly into Module 11 (Aeroplane Aerodynamics, Structures and Systems) and Module 13 (Aircraft Aerodynamics, Structures and Systems), so a weak grasp here tends to compound later.

The four sub-sections trace a logical progression. 8.1 Physics of the Atmosphere establishes the International Standard Atmosphere — the reference temperature, pressure and density profile every performance calculation is built on. 8.2 Aerodynamics covers airflow around a body, the boundary layer, the geometric terms (camber, chord, aspect ratio) and how lift and drag coefficients vary with angle of attack up to the stall. 8.3 Theory of Flight ties the four forces together, looks at steady-state flight, the turn and load factor, and the role of high-lift devices. 8.4 Flight Stability and Dynamics closes the module with longitudinal, lateral and directional stability and the design features (tailplane, dihedral, fin) that provide each.

All licence categories — A, B1, B2, B2L and B3 — sit the same 24-question paper with 30 minutes allowed. Category A candidates need only knowledge level 1 (basic familiarisation) across all four sub-sections; B1, B2, B2L and B3 candidates need knowledge level 2 (general knowledge) throughout, meaning you must be able to apply the principles rather than just recognise them. The full per-section breakdown is on our Module 8 syllabus page.

These samples are drawn from our live Module 8 question bank of 1 120 questions. The full timed practice quiz draws 24 questions per attempt (or 24 for Cat A), scored against the official EASA 75 % pass mark, with weak-area tracking across attempts.

7 free sample questions

Click "Reveal answer + explanation" after you've picked.

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Q1 Atmosphere · ISA Layers

At what altitude is the tropopause?

  1. A 36,000 ft.
  2. B 57,000 ft.
  3. C 63,000 ft.
Reveal answer + explanation Hide answer
Correct answer: A — 36,000 ft.
The ISA tropopause sits at 36,090 ft (11 km), where the temperature lapse rate ends and the atmosphere becomes isothermal at -56.5 °C. Above the tropopause is the stratosphere; performance and cabin-pressurisation calculations both reference this boundary.
Q2 Aerodynamics · Aspect Ratio

A high aspect ratio wing will give

  1. A high profile and low induced drag.
  2. B low profile and high induced drag.
  3. C low profile and low induced drag.
Reveal answer + explanation Hide answer
Correct answer: A — high profile and low induced drag.
A long, slender wing (high aspect ratio) reduces wingtip vortices and therefore induced drag, but its larger wetted area increases profile (parasite) drag. Gliders use very high aspect ratios; supersonic fighters use the opposite.
Q3 Aerodynamics · Boundary Layer

The layer of air over the surface of an aerofoil which is slower moving, in relation to the rest of the airflow, is known as

  1. A transition layer.
  2. B camber layer.
  3. C boundary layer.
Reveal answer + explanation Hide answer
Correct answer: C — boundary layer.
The boundary layer is the thin film of air slowed by skin friction. It starts laminar near the leading edge and transitions to turbulent further aft; managing where it separates is central to high angle-of-attack behaviour and stall onset.
Q4 Theory of Flight · Lift Equation

If the density of the air is increased, the lift will

  1. A remain the same.
  2. B increase.
  3. C decrease.
Reveal answer + explanation Hide answer
Correct answer: B — increase.
Lift = ½ × ρ × V² × S × CL. Density (ρ) appears as a direct multiplier, so increasing density increases lift for the same airspeed and angle of attack. This is why hot-and-high airfields demand longer take-off runs — lower ρ, less lift.
Q5 Theory of Flight · Stall

Stall inducers may be fitted to a wing

  1. A at the root to cause the root to stall first.
  2. B at the tip to cause the root to stall first.
  3. C at the root to cause the tip to stall first.
Reveal answer + explanation Hide answer
Correct answer: A — at the root to cause the root to stall first.
Stall strips or stall inducers are placed at the wing root to ensure the root stalls before the tip. This preserves aileron authority through the stall and gives a pronounced buffet warning, because the disturbed root airflow shakes the tailplane.
Q6 Stability · Longitudinal Axis

An aircraft, which is longitudinally stable, will tend to return to level flight after a movement in which axis?

  1. A Pitch.
  2. B Yaw.
  3. C Roll.
Reveal answer + explanation Hide answer
Correct answer: A — Pitch.
Longitudinal stability is stability about the lateral axis — i.e. resistance to pitch displacement. It is provided primarily by the tailplane (horizontal stabiliser) acting as a damping surface and by the position of the centre of gravity relative to the neutral point.
Q7 Stability · Dihedral

Dihedral wings combat instability in

  1. A yaw.
  2. B side-slip.
  3. C pitch.
Reveal answer + explanation Hide answer
Correct answer: B — side-slip.
When a dihedral-winged aircraft side-slips, the lower wing meets the relative airflow at a higher effective angle of attack and generates more lift, rolling the aircraft back toward level. Dihedral therefore provides lateral (roll) stability via the side-slip recovery mechanism.
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Module 8 — frequently asked questions

How many questions are in the EASA Part-66 Module 8 exam?
The EASA Part-66 Module 8 (Basic Aerodynamics) exam is a 24-question multiple-choice paper. This is the same paper for every category — Category A candidates sit 24 questions and B1, B2, B2L and B3 candidates sit the same 24 questions. There is no separate longer version for the higher categories on this module.
What is the pass mark for EASA Part-66 Module 8?
The pass mark is 75%, the same threshold that applies to every EASA Part-66 module. On a 24-question paper that means you must answer at least 18 questions correctly. Each question is worth the same, so consistent accuracy across all four sub-sections matters more than mastering any single topic.
How long is the Module 8 exam?
You are allowed 30 minutes for the 24-question Module 8 paper. That works out to roughly 75 seconds per question, which is comfortable for well-drilled aerodynamics knowledge but tight if you have to reason from first principles under pressure. Practising until the core concepts are automatic is the best way to stay ahead of the clock.
Which EASA licence categories require Module 8?
Module 8 is required across Cats A · B1 · B2 · B2L · B3. Every one of these categories sits the same 24-question paper. Category A needs only knowledge level 1 (basic familiarisation), while B1, B2, B2L and B3 need knowledge level 2 (general knowledge), meaning you must be able to apply the principles rather than simply recognise them.
What does Module 8 cover, and what do students find hardest?
Module 8 covers the physics of the atmosphere (the International Standard Atmosphere and how temperature, pressure and density vary with altitude), aerodynamics (airflow, the boundary layer, camber and chord, profile and induced drag, aspect ratio), theory of flight (the four forces, the turn, load factor and high-lift devices) and flight stability about all three axes. The traps candidates fall into most are the direction the centre of pressure moves — it moves forward as angle of attack increases up to the stall, not aft — and the relationship between induced drag and airspeed, since induced drag is highest at low speed and high angle of attack, the opposite of profile drag. Students also frequently swap the stability contributors: dihedral and sweepback give lateral (roll) stability while the fin gives directional (yaw) stability.
How should I revise for EASA Part-66 Module 8?
Focus your revision on the relationships that examiners test repeatedly rather than on rote facts. Nail the lift equation and how density, airspeed and angle of attack each affect lift; be certain that induced drag falls as airspeed rises while profile drag increases; and fix in your memory that the centre of pressure moves forward with increasing angle of attack up to the stall. Keep the stability axes straight — dihedral and sweepback for roll, fin for yaw, tailplane for pitch. The fastest way to expose these confusions is repeated practice questions, so work through our Module 8 practice questions until each concept is automatic.

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Module 8 study resources

Module 8 detailed syllabus
Per Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/989
Module 8 study notes
Topic-by-topic explanations
Q&A forum
Ask about tricky Module 8 questions
EASA licence categories
A · B1 · B2 · B2L · B3 overview

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