Private Pilot Syllabus Section 8
8A - Cross Country Aircraft Performance
Calculate Flight Time and Fuel Burn for Cross Country Flights
- 4½
- 4
- 0
Activities
- Climb and Cruise Performance Challenge
- Cross-Country Time and Fuel Challenge
- Managing In-flight Workload
- Prepare navigation log for 8B flight
Completion Standards
When complete, the pilot
- is able to calculate pressure and density altitude and understands their role in determining aircraft performance.
- is able to use and understand climb and cruise performance charts.
- understands the function of VORs and their use in navigation.
- is able to complete a navigation log and calculate compass heading, time en-route, and fuel burn for each leg of the flight.
8B - Dead Reckoning and VORs
Cross-Country Flight Using a Navigation Log and VOR Course Tracking
- 0
- 3½
- 2
Activities
- Revise navigation log based on current weather conditions
- First time filing/opening/closing VFR flight plans
- Dead reckoning outbound
- VOR course tracking on return
- VOR In-Flight Challenge
Reference
Completion Standards
When complete, the pilot
- is able to use a calculated navigation log in flight.
- can use time and fuel data in flight to evaluate flight performance and revise arrival time.
- is able to correctly tune and identify a VOR station.
- is able to identify a course toward a given VOR.
- is able to determine the radial that the aircraft is located on.
- selects appropriate headings that successfully track a VOR course.
- is able to recognize VOR station passage.
- is able to correctly identify headings to intercept any desired VOR course.
8C - Flight Automation & Diversion
Using Advanced Avionics for Cross-Country Flight and Diversion to an Alternate
- 2
- 2½
- 1½
Activities
- GPS In-Flight Challenge
- Use of autopilot for S&L, climbs, descents, and course tracking
- Lost procedures
- Diverting to an alternate airport
Completion Standards
When complete, the pilot
- is able to use GPS to determine course to and distance from the nearest airport.
- is able to enter a GPS flight plan with multiple waypoints.
- understands course guidance information provided by the GPS.
- is able to retrieve airport and other information from the GPS database.
- is able to quickly engage the autopilot to maintain current heading and altitude.
- is able to use the autopilot to track a course.
- is able to demonstrate procedures to use in the event of becoming lost.
- can safely divert to a new destination in flight and adjust flight planning appropriately.
8D - ATC Facility Visits (optional)
Get Context for the People on the Other Side of the Radio
- 0
- 0
- 0
Activity
- Schedule and visit SFO control tower, NorCal TRACON, or Oakland Center
Completion Standards
When complete, the pilot
- has visited local ATC facilities and met air traffic controllers.
8E - Associated Ground Topics
Acquire the Knowledge Needed to Support the Flight Skills of This Section
- 2½
- 2
- 0
Completion Standards
When complete, the pilot
- understands situations in which the altimeter reads incorrectly.
- understands how pilot failure to set the altimeter correctly can result in altimeter indication errors.
- understands the situations in which the magnetic compass reads incorrectly.
- understands the content of the POH supplements and how to incorporate limitations, normal procedures, and system descriptions from supplements into the rest of the POH.