PLT018: Load Factor
What code PLT018 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Load Factor before your checkride.
Calculate load factor / stall speed / velocity / angle of attack
What this means for your checkride
Load factor is the ratio of the lift the wings produce to the aircraft's weight, measured in Gs. It climbs with bank angle in a level turn, and because stall speed rises with the square root of load factor, a steeper turn raises the speed at which the wing stalls.
This links bank angle, Gs, and stall speed, the numbers behind accelerated stalls and the limits shown on the velocity versus load-factor (Vg) diagram, so the FAA tests both the calculation and its meaning.
Candidates assume stall speed barely changes in a turn. At 60 degrees of bank the load factor is 2 Gs and the stall speed is about 41 percent higher.
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.