PLT389: Air Carrier Certification and OpSpecs
What code PLT389 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Air Carrier Certification and OpSpecs before your checkride.
Recall regulations - commercial operation requirements / conditions / OpSpecs
What this means for your checkride
Under Part 119, a person authorized to conduct direct air carrier operations is issued an Air Carrier Certificate, while a person authorized to operate as a U.S. commercial operator is issued an Operating Certificate. Each certificate holder is issued operations specifications that contain the authorizations, limitations, and procedures under which each kind of operation is conducted. The operations specifications define the conditions and scope of the commercial operation and must be complied with.
Air carrier and commercial operator pilots must understand that the certificate type and its operations specifications set the legal authorizations and limits for the operation.
Operations specifications are not merely internal company policy; they are FAA-issued authorizations and limitations that carry regulatory force.
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.