PLT311: Load Factor And Airspeed
What code PLT311 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Load Factor And Airspeed before your checkride.
Recall load factor - effect of airspeed
What this means for your checkride
Load factor and airspeed together determine how close the airplane is to a structural or aerodynamic limit. Maneuvering speed is the maximum speed at which full deflection of a control will stall the wing before it overstresses the structure. Above maneuvering speed, an abrupt full control input or strong gust can impose loads beyond the design limit.
The FAA tests this so pilots slow to maneuvering speed in turbulence and understand how airspeed changes the allowable load.
Students think maneuvering speed is a fixed number, but it decreases at lighter weights, so a lower speed is required when lightly loaded.
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.