PLT038: Cruise Power Setting Chart
What code PLT038 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Cruise Power Setting Chart before your checkride.
Interpret aircraft Power Schedule Chart
What this means for your checkride
A cruise power setting chart, provided in the AFM/POH, tells you what to set for a chosen percent of power at a given pressure altitude and temperature. You enter with cruise pressure altitude and outside air temperature, then read across to the power column to find the rpm and manifold pressure, along with the resulting fuel flow and airspeed. It lets you trade power for range and fuel burn during flight planning.
Selecting the correct power setting for altitude and temperature is how you predict fuel consumption and true airspeed for a leg.
Pilots read the rpm or manifold pressure without matching both the altitude row and the temperature column, so the resulting fuel flow and airspeed do not apply.
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.