PLT337: Pitot
What code PLT337 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Pitot before your checkride.
Recall pitot-static system - components / operating principles / characteristics
What this means for your checkride
The pitot-static system feeds the airspeed indicator, altimeter, and vertical speed indicator. Ram air from the pitot tube drives airspeed; static pressure drives all three. A blocked pitot or static port produces specific, predictable errors.
Because a single blockage causes a known failure in each instrument, the FAA tests how the system works and how it fails.
A frequent mix-up is which instrument fails when. A blocked static port affects the altimeter, VSI, and airspeed indicator together; a blocked pitot affects only the airspeed indicator.
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.