PLT278: Engine and Flight Indicating Systems
What code PLT278 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Engine and Flight Indicating Systems before your checkride.
Recall indicating systems - airspeed / angle of attack / attitude / heading / manifold pressure / synchro / EGT
What this means for your checkride
Engine and flight indicating systems show what the airplane and engine are doing: airspeed, attitude, and heading for flight; manifold pressure, RPM, and exhaust gas temperature (EGT) for the engine; and, where fitted, an angle of attack indicator. EGT helps lean the mixture, and manifold pressure shows power on a constant-speed installation.
Reading the right instrument for the task is basic airmanship, so the FAA tests what each indicating system shows and how to use it, such as leaning by EGT.
Pilots try to lean by RPM on a constant-speed prop. RPM is held by the governor, so you set power with manifold pressure and lean by the EGT, not by listening for an RPM change.
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.