PLT015: Range and Endurance
What code PLT015 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Range and Endurance before your checkride.
Calculate flight performance / planning - range / endurance
What this means for your checkride
Range is how far the airplane can fly on its usable fuel; endurance is how long it can stay aloft. Range is greatest near the best lift-to-drag speed, while endurance is greatest at a slower speed that gives the lowest fuel flow.
Fuel planning and reserves depend on range and endurance, so the FAA tests how airspeed, altitude, and configuration change them.
Pilots think flying faster always gives more range. Beyond the best-range speed, higher speed burns fuel faster than the extra distance is worth, cutting total range.
Where to study it
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.