PLT184: Launch And Landing
What code PLT184 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Launch And Landing before your checkride.
Recall balloon flight operations - launch / landing
What this means for your checkride
Launch follows the weigh off: once the balloon is at equilibrium and the crew confirms equipment and clearance, excess buoyancy is set for the desired ascent and the balloon is released. For landing, the pilot plans an approach to arrive at the lowest practical altitude, because the lowest approach generally yields the gentlest touchdown. Common approaches include the stair step, straight line, and steep descent, and the overriding priority throughout is preventing injury to occupants.
Launch and landing are the phases with the least margin, and the landing sequence is where the most injuries occur.
A high, fast approach is not safer. The gentlest landings come from arriving low and slow, not from carrying extra altitude into the field.
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.