PLT349: Confined Area Operations
What code PLT349 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Confined Area Operations before your checkride.
Recall procedures for confined areas
What this means for your checkride
A confined area is one where flight is limited by terrain or obstructions such as a clearing, road, or rooftop. The pilot completes a high reconnaissance to plan the approach and takeoff, keeping forced landing areas in mind and keeping clearance between the rotors and obstacles, with special attention to the tail rotor since it may not be visible from the cabin. The approach angle should be no steeper than necessary to clear a barrier with the tail rotor and still land on a specific chosen spot. Because more power is usually required to take off than to land, the pilot must confirm adequate power for departure before committing to land.
Confined area work demands disciplined reconnaissance, obstacle clearance, and power planning that are routinely tested.
Clearing a barrier by a wide margin with dangerously low rpm is worse than clearing it by a few feet while maintaining normal operating rpm and a power reserve.
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.