PLT126: Cold Weather Operations
What code PLT126 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Cold Weather Operations before your checkride.
Recall aircraft performance - cold weather operations
What this means for your checkride
Cold weather operations demand extra care: preheating the engine, removing all frost, ice, and snow, watching for water in the fuel that can freeze, and remembering that a cold altimeter reads higher than true altitude. Engine and cabin warmup and control checks all take longer.
Cold conditions add failure modes on the ground and in the air, so the FAA tests preheat, contamination removal, and the cold-temperature altimeter error.
Pilots skip preheat to save time. Starting a very cold engine without preheat gives poor oil circulation and can damage it, so the POH cold-weather procedures exist for a reason.
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.