Practical Test Standards

Practical Test Standards or PTS are the guidelines used by FAA Safety Inspectors or Designated Pilot Examiners to determine the suitability of airmen to be issued an Airman Certificate by conducting a checkride. These Standards are published by the FAA and can be obtained from most pilot shops. Each license has its own set of standards but these special emphasis areas are the same.

Special Emphasis Areas for any airplane certification:

1. Positive aircraft control;
2. Positive exchange of the flight controls procedure;
3. Stall/spin awareness;
4. Collision avoidance;
5. Wake turbulence avoidance;
6. LAHSO (Land and Hold Short Operations);
7. Runway incursion avoidance;
8. CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain);
9. ADM (Aeronautical Decision Making) and risk management;
10. wire strike avoidance;
11. checklist usage;
12. Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs)
13. Special Use Airspace
14. Aviation Security
15. Single Pilot Resource Management (SRM)
16. Other areas deemed appropriate to any phase of the practical test.

External links

• FAA Practical Test Standards