Air Facts

MAY 5, 2025

After all, I had just aced my checkride. Our NIFA team of pilots would travel to other colleges and compete in sanctioned competition involving precise navigation, pre-flight inspections, accuracy landings, and simulated bomb drops into a barrel from 100 AGL feet using bean bags as bombs. What else was there to know? I didnt know.

VOR 52

VOR Weather Approach Runway 52

Northstar VFR

AUGUST 11, 2024

Slow Flight Fundamentals To practice slow flight , first you’ll climb to an altitude where the whole maneuver can be completed no lower than 1,500’ AGL. The standards for slow flight on a Private Pilot checkride are: maintain the specified altitude, ±100 feet; specified heading, ±10°; airspeed, +10/-0 knots; and specified angle of bank, ±10°.

Checkride 52

Checkride Airplanes Pilot AGL 52

Pilot Institute

OCTOBER 2, 2024

So you may have to discuss and demonstrate this during your checkride. Perform a power reduction to reach the desired descent rate when landing. For example, a Cessna 172 with a 36-foot wingspan will begin to experience ground effect between 30 and 36 feet Above Ground Level (AGL).

Ground Effect 52

Ground Effect Drag Lift Runway 52

Pilot Institute

MARCH 29, 2024

Additionally, both private and commercial pilot checkrides require the demonstration of slow flight. Fly at least 1,500 above ground level (AGL) to allow room for recovery in case you stall the aircraft. For a greater margin of safety, select an altitude that leaves you 1,500 feet AGL after recovery from a stall.

Lift 52

Lift Rudder Drag Checkride 52

Pilot Institute

MARCH 26, 2024

Going into a checkride (or a grass strip) without solid soft field skills is asking for trouble. If you’re not stabilized at 200 feet AGL, go around. On a normal landing, you’d pull the power over the threshold, begin your roundout, and flare around 10 feet AGL. Soft field landings are widely misunderstood. Well, not exactly.

NOTAMs 52

NOTAMs Runway Approach Descent 52

Pilot Institute

MAY 4, 2024

They are also one of the most feared maneuvers during the private pilot checkride. Any substantial changes to speed and descent rate will destabilize the landing. x V SO (or POH recommendation) by around 500 feet AGL. The drag allows for a steeper descent, which is particularly helpful when avoiding obstacles.

Weight-Shift-Control 52

Weight-Shift-Control Runway Approach Density Altitude 52

Pilot Institute

MAY 9, 2024

Lazy eights sound like the least challenging commercial checkride maneuver to learn. It’s just S-turns with climbs and descents, right? For a dual flight, the minimum altitude is 1,500ft AGL (above ground level). If practicing these maneuvers solo, raise the minimum altitude to 2,000ft AGL.

Rudder 52

Rudder Lift Aileron Drag 52