Airplane LSA FAA Practical Test Standards

The FAA Practical Test Standards are the requirements for a weight-shift control light-sport aircraft sport pilot to pass a checkride. They are fundamental to a successful checkride and provide tasks and the tolerances for the skills and knowledge for flying a weight-shift control aircraft light-sport aircraft must be demonstrated.

The FAA Practical Test Standards (PTS) are used by trike instructors, students, and examiners to prepare for, review, take, or issue the checkride. Each PTS is written by the FAA and details the type and levels of skill and knowledge that must be demonstrated before an examiner can issue a certificate or rating to an applicant and describes background study and reference materials.

The ASA SPORT PILOT PRACTICAL TEST STANDARDS FOR AIRPLANE, WEIGHT-SHIFT CONTROL, POWERED PARACHUTE AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR is the FAA-S-8081-31 and Change 2 is the most current (effective February 2008).

Practical Test Standards Outline

ORAL exam:

First portion of Checkride
  • ____ Certificates and documents
  • ____ Airworthiness requirements
  • ____ Weather information
  • ____ Cross-country flight planning
  • ____ National airspace system
  • ____ Operation of systems
  • ____ Aeromedical Factors
  • ____ Performance and limitations
  • ____ Principles of flight

Flight exam:

Second portion Checkride

Pre-Flight procedures

  • ____ Assembly
  • ____ Wing Tuning
  • ____ Pre-flight Inspection
  • ____ Cockpit management
  • ____ Starting/Warm up
  • ____ Taxiing
  • ____ Before takeoff check

Airport operations

  • ____ Radio communications, light signals
  • ____ Traffic patterns
  • ____ Airport runway markings and lighting

Takeoffs, landings, and go-arounds

  • ____ Normal and Crosswind Takeoff and Climb
  • ____ Power-on and Crosswind Approach and Landing
  • ____ Steep Approach to Landing
  • ____ Go-around/rejected landings

Seaplane only

  • ____ Glassy water takeoff and climb
  • ____ Glassy water approach and landing
  • ____ Rough water takeoff and climb
  • ____ Rough water approach and landing

Performance maneuvers

  • ____ Steep turns

Ground reference maneuvers

  • ____ Rectangular course
  • ____ S–turns
  • ____Turns around a point

Navigation

  • ____ Pilotage and dead reckoning
  • ____Diversion
  • ____Lost procedures

Slow flight and stalls

  • ____ Maneuvering during slow flight
  • ____ Power-off stalls
  • ____ Whip Stall and Tumble Awareness

Emergency operations

  • ____ Emergency approach and landing
  • ____ Systems and equipment malfunctions
  • ____ Emergency equipment and survival gear

Post-flight procedures

  • ____ After landing, parking and securing

Seaplane only

  • ____ Anchoring
  • ____ Docking and mooring
  • ____ Ramping/beaching