PLT463: Alcohol and Drug Regulations
What code PLT463 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study Alcohol and Drug Regulations before your checkride.
Recall regulations alcohol or drugs
What this means for your checkride
Under 91.17 you may not act or attempt to act as a crewmember within 8 hours of consuming alcohol, while under the influence, while using any drug that affects safety, or with a blood or breath alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater. You also may not carry an intoxicated person aboard except in an emergency or a medical patient under care.
Impairment rules are strict and testable, so the FAA tests the 8-hour rule, the 0.04 limit, and the drug prohibition.
Pilots read the 8-hour rule as a full clearance. Even after 8 hours you may not act if still under the influence or at or above 0.04, and impairing medications are separately prohibited.
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.