PLT401: Dropping Objects and Towing Restrictions
What code PLT401 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Dropping Objects and Towing Restrictions before your checkride.
Recall regulations - dropping / aerial application / towing restrictions
What this means for your checkride
No pilot in command may allow any object to be dropped from an aircraft in flight that creates a hazard to persons or property, though dropping is permitted if reasonable precautions are taken to avoid injury or damage. Separately, no pilot may tow anything with a civil aircraft, other than a glider or unpowered ultralight under the specific towing rule, except under the terms of a certificate of waiver.
Aerial dropping and towing create risks on the ground and in the air, so both are restricted.
Dropping objects is not outright banned; it is permitted when reasonable precautions prevent hazard to persons or property.
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.