SIFT Army Aviation Information Test (AAIT)

Format and timing

Source: SIFT FAQ V2.0.

Scoring: answer every question

The AAIT has a fixed number of questions, and the SIFT FAQ says any you leave unanswered are scored as incorrect. A wrong answer counts the same as a blank, so a guess can only help. Rule out what you can and choose from what's left, especially as time runs short.

Your AAIT result goes into one SIFT score from 20 to 80 (mean 50), and 40 is the minimum to apply to Army aviation. The formula is proprietary and compensatory, so strong aviation knowledge can offset a weaker subtest. Any SIFT score in our app is an estimate.

What it covers

Helicopter flight first, then the rest of basic aviation. Our practice questions cover:

• Controls: collective, cyclic, anti-torque pedals and throttle, and what each one changes.
• Rotor aerodynamics: dissymmetry of lift, translating tendency, effective translational lift, hovering in and out of ground effect.
• Hazards: retreating blade stall, settling with power (vortex ring state), dynamic rollover, ground resonance.
• Emergencies: autorotation.
• General flight: the four forces, instruments, airport markings, airspace and weather basics.

Our explanations follow the FAA's Helicopter Flying Handbook and Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, both free to download.

Three worked examples

1. Controls. A pilot in a steady hover wants to climb straight up. Which control does the pilot raise? A. cyclic B. collective C. anti-torque pedals D. elevator E. rudder trim. Answer: B. The collective changes the pitch of all main rotor blades at once, which changes total lift. The cyclic tilts the rotor disk to move the helicopter in a direction, and the pedals control heading. D and E are airplane terms. Raising the collective also adds torque, so the pilot adds anti-torque pedal to keep the nose straight.

2. Aerodynamics. In fast forward flight, which part of the main rotor is closest to a stall? A. the advancing blade B. the retreating blade C. the blade over the nose D. the rotor hub E. the tail rotor. Answer: B. The advancing blade meets the air at rotor speed plus airspeed; the retreating blade at rotor speed minus airspeed. To make the same lift, the retreating blade works at a higher angle of attack, so at high speed it reaches the critical angle first. Retreating blade stall is a major reason helicopters have a never-exceed speed.

3. Emergencies. After an engine failure, what keeps the main rotor turning in an autorotation? A. the battery B. the freewheeling unit C. air flowing up through the rotor as the helicopter descends D. the tail rotor E. fuel left in the engine. Answer: C. The freewheeling unit only disconnects the engine so it doesn't drag the rotor. The upward flow of air is what drives the blades.

Traps

• Collective vs cyclic. Collective: all blades together, more or less lift. Cyclic: pitch changes as each blade goes around, tilting the disk.
• Airplane answers in a helicopter question. Elevator, ailerons and rudder are airplane controls.
• Look-alike terms. Translating tendency is the sideways drift caused by tail rotor thrust in a hover. Transverse flow effect is uneven airflow across the rotor disk as the helicopter starts moving forward.
• Blanks. An unanswered question scores the same as a wrong one, so never leave one.

Pacing

30 minutes for 40 questions is 45 seconds each, which is generous for a knowledge test. Recall questions take 10 to 20 seconds; spend the savings on the ones you can reason through. With a few minutes left, make sure every remaining question gets your best answer.

Study plan and practice

Learn the four helicopter controls cold, then the named aerodynamic effects and hazards, then airplane and airport basics. Short daily sets beat one long session.

Try the five questions above, then practice mode for an explanation after every answer, and a timed set: 40 questions in 30 minutes. Our questions are original and never taken from the SIFT. Applying to Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard aviation instead? See the ASTB-E's Aviation & Nautical Information Test.

FAQ