PLT346: Primary Flight Controls
What code PLT346 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Primary Flight Controls before your checkride.
Recall primary / secondary flight controls - types / purpose / functionality / operation
What this means for your checkride
The primary flight controls, ailerons, elevator (or stabilator), and rudder, move the airplane about its three axes: roll, pitch, and yaw. They work by changing the camber or angle of a surface to deflect airflow, and they are designed so the airplane responds predictably and tends back toward stable flight.
The primary controls are the foundation of maneuvering, so the FAA tests which surface controls which axis and how they work.
Pilots think more deflection always means more control. At low airspeed the controls are less effective, and past the critical angle of attack aileron can aggravate a stall, which is why rudder coordinates the recovery.
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.