PLT340: Positive Exchange of Controls
What code PLT340 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Positive Exchange of Controls before your checkride.
Recall positive exchange of flight controls
What this means for your checkride
The positive exchange of flight controls is a three-step verbal procedure that keeps it clear who is flying: one pilot says you have the flight controls, the other replies I have the flight controls, and the first confirms you have the flight controls. Each step pairs the words with a check for the handoff.
Confusion over who is flying has caused accidents, so the FAA tests the positive three-step exchange procedure.
Pilots hand off controls with a nod or an assumption. Without the explicit three-way exchange, both pilots may think the other is flying, or neither is, at a critical moment.
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.