Which device or system is mounted on the fuselage to sense ram air pressure?

• A. Static port
• B. Total air temperature probe
• C. Pitot-static system
• D. Angle of attack sensor

Answer: (C)

This question tests how ram air pressure is measured on an aircraft. Ram air pressure, or stagnation pressure, is the air pressure when the air is brought to rest by a forward-facing opening. That pressure is sensed by a pitot tube, which is mounted on the fuselage to face into the airstream so it encounters undisturbed, high-speed air.

The pitot tube is a key part of the pitot-static system, which uses both the stagnation (pitot) pressure and ambient static pressure (from a static port) to determine airspeed. The airspeed indicator converts the difference between stagnation pressure and static pressure into indicated airspeed, with calibration that accounts for air density.

Other devices listed don’t sense ram pressure: the static port measures only ambient static pressure; the total air temperature probe measures air temperature, not pressure; and the angle of attack sensor detects the aircraft’s angle relative to the airflow, typically via a vane or a pressure-sensing element, not ram pressure.