PLT186: Pitch Instruments
What code PLT186 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Pitch Instruments before your checkride.
Recall basic instrument flying - pitch instruments
What this means for your checkride
For pitch control on instruments you use the attitude indicator, altimeter, vertical speed indicator, and airspeed indicator together. The attitude indicator sets the pitch; the altimeter, VSI, and airspeed confirm and refine it. No single instrument tells the whole story.
Precise pitch control keeps altitude and airspeed under control on instruments, so the FAA tests which instruments show pitch and how to combine them.
Pilots chase the vertical speed indicator, which lags and invites overcontrol. Pitch is set on the attitude indicator and confirmed with the altimeter, using the VSI as a trend, not the target.
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.