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
- Steep turns
- Rectangular course
- S –turns
- Turns around a point
- Pilotage and dead reckoning
- Diversion
- Lost procedures
- Maneuvering during slow flight
- Power-off stalls
- Whip Stall and Tumble Awareness
- Emergency equipment and survival gear
- After landing, parking and securing
- Anchoring
- Docking and mooring
- Ramping/beaching
