PLT354: Radio
What code PLT354 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Radio before your checkride.
Recall radio - GPS / RNAV / RAIM
What this means for your checkride
This covers area navigation (RNAV) with GPS: how the receiver builds direct and airway courses, and Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM), the receiver's own check that enough usable satellites are in view to trust the position it is showing you.
GPS is the backbone of modern navigation, so the FAA tests whether you understand RNAV capability and, above all, RAIM: without it, the position cannot be relied on for the operation you are flying.
Pilots tend to assume GPS is always trustworthy. RAIM can be unavailable because of satellite geometry or outages, which is why availability has to be checked, particularly for approaches.
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.