PLT180: Lift And False Lift
What code PLT180 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Lift And False Lift before your checkride.
Recall balloon gas/hot air - lift / false lift / characteristics
What this means for your checkride
Real lift in a hot air balloon comes from buoyancy: heating the air inside the envelope until it is light enough that the balloon reaches neutral buoyancy and then positive buoyancy. While the balloon is static on the ground, a second and temporary source can appear when air flowing over the top creates a low pressure area, which is the false lift component. Because false lift depends on that airflow rather than on added heat, it is not dependable and disappears when the relative airflow stops.
Pilots must separate genuine buoyant lift from false lift so they do not launch relying on lift that will vanish.
Feeling strong lift on the ground does not confirm the balloon is hot enough. Part of that lift can be false lift that leaves once the balloon matches the wind.
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.