PLT235: Aerodynamic Forces
What code PLT235 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Aerodynamic Forces before your checkride.
Recall forces acting on aircraft - aerodynamics
What this means for your checkride
The total aerodynamic force a wing produces acts relative to the relative wind, split into lift (perpendicular to it) and drag (parallel to it). Its size grows with angle of attack, airspeed, and air density, until the wing reaches the critical angle of attack and stalls.
How the aerodynamic force forms and changes is the basis of all performance, so the FAA tests the roles of relative wind, angle of attack, and air density.
Pilots think lift is entirely separate from drag. Both are components of one aerodynamic force resolved relative to the wind; increasing angle of attack raises lift but also drag, until the wing stalls.
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.