PLT350: Propeller Operations
What code PLT350 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Propeller Operations before your checkride.
Recall propeller operations - constant / variable speed
What this means for your checkride
A constant-speed propeller holds a selected RPM by changing blade pitch through a governor, taking a bigger or smaller bite of air as conditions change. You set RPM with the prop control and manifold pressure with the throttle.
Constant-speed props appear on commercial and complex aircraft, so the FAA tests how the governor works and the correct order of power changes.
The classic error is the power-change order. Increasing power is prop (RPM) first then throttle; reducing power is throttle first then prop, to avoid over-boosting.
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.