What is the typical procedure for performing an air data system check on maintenance?

• A. Visual inspection of all components.
• B. Connect test equipment that applies known pressures to the pitot and static ports and verify instrument outputs.
• C. Replace pitot tube every 6 months.
• D. Run the engine at high power.

Answer: (B)

Testing the air data system uses specialized equipment that can apply precise pressures to the pitot and static ports. By feeding known dynamic pressure into the pitot line and known static pressure into the static system, you can see whether the cockpit instruments—airspeed, altitude, and vertical speed—respond exactly to those inputs. This direct validation checks every part of the sensing path from the ports through the transducers or air data computer to the indicators, making leaks, blockages, or calibration drift easy to spot as mismatches. Visual inspection can reveal physical damage, but it won’t confirm instrument accuracy or reveal hidden faults in the sensing lines. Routine replacement of the pitot tube and running the engine at high power aren’t part of this check and don’t directly test the air data system’s accuracy.