PLT247: Four Forces Of Flight
What code PLT247 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Four Forces Of Flight before your checkride.
Recall forces acting on aircraft - thrust / drag / weight / lift
What this means for your checkride
Four forces act on an airplane in flight: thrust, drag, weight, and lift. Thrust from the powerplant opposes drag, and lift generated by the wings opposes weight. In steady, unaccelerated flight these opposing forces are in balance.
Understanding how these forces interact is the basis for all performance and control, so it is fundamental knowledge.
Students often assume thrust always equals drag and lift always equals weight, but that balance holds only in steady, unaccelerated flight.
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.