PLT020: Turbulent Air Penetration
What code PLT020 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Turbulent Air Penetration before your checkride.
Calculate turbulent air penetration
What this means for your checkride
Turbulent air penetration means slowing to maneuvering speed (Va) before entering turbulence. At or below Va, a strong gust or full control input stalls the wing before it can overstress the airframe; above Va, the same gust can exceed the structural limit.
Flying the right speed in turbulence protects the airframe, so the FAA tests why you slow to maneuvering speed and how that speed changes with weight.
Pilots treat maneuvering speed as fixed. Va is lower at lighter weights, so a light airplane must slow down more in turbulence than the full-gross number suggests.
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.