Friday

Sport Pilot Training - Maneuver checklist

In preparation for the Sport Pilot practical test students will have been practicing the PTS maneuvers, but it has been my experience that many can not remember the parameters of each maneuver. Whether it is the pressure to perform or they have not understood the maneuver it can become a problem. Everyone wants to shine when flying and not appear incompetent, especially to the Designated Pilot Examiner, so what methodology can be developed to help students with this problem?

The PTS requirements are straight forward and if the student finds they can not remember the names of the maneuvers or the parameters the solution is simple. Suggest they use something the FAA likes to their advantage. The FAA is big on checklists, they like checklists and believe them to be useful pilot tools. Unfortunately in open cockpit weight shift aircraft their usefulness can be debated but never the less there is nothing in the regulations I can find preventing a student from creating a PTS maneuver checklist and taping it to the dash or front tube. Have them put as much information on it as they like. Then during the practical test all they must do is follow the directions in front of them. In one fell swoop they have demonstrated good aeronautical decision making by using a check list and they have descriptions of the PTS maneuvers in front of them during the test. You can't make it any simpler than that. The other day I had another student who kept busting the maneuvers, I suggested he do this and it worked, he stayed within parameters. Eventually the student will remember the maneuver and not need the checklist crutch.

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