PLT030: False Lift
What code PLT030 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study False Lift before your checkride.
Define false lift
What this means for your checkride
False lift, also called uncommanded buoyancy, comes from air flowing over the top of a static or slow moving envelope, which forces the flow to compress and creates a low pressure area that adds lift the pilot never commanded. It can feel like strong performance on the ground, but the balloon is not fully under the pilot's control. When that airflow component goes away, for example once the balloon accelerates to match the surface wind after launch, the extra lift disappears and the balloon can settle or descend unexpectedly. Treat it as a hazard, not a bonus.
A pilot who mistakes false lift for real buoyancy may launch under heated and then sink once the airflow component vanishes.
False lift is not sustainable lift from added heat. It is a temporary product of air moving over the envelope, so it cannot be relied upon to keep the balloon flying.
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.