Private Pilot EOC Stage-Check Oral – Comprehensive Bullet-Point Notes

References and Study Materials

2024 FAR/AIM
Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (PHAK)
FAA-H-8083-25 (PHAK edition reference)
AC 00-45G Change 2 – Aviation Weather Services
AIM – Aviation Weather Information Manual
Cessna 152/172 POH (Information/Operating Manuals)
- 152 POH Revision info
- 172R & 172SP POH (Revision 5, 15 Jul 2004)

Stage-Check / Checkride – Required Items to Bring

Physical or online POH (aircraft specific)
Current FAR/AIM
Current sectional chart & Chart Supplement
Recent weather briefing printout/notes
Completed weight-&-balance + performance sheet
VFR nav-log (fully computed)
“Toy” aircraft or model (for teaching/explaining)
View-limiting device
Cash for examiner fee
Logbook tabbed & endorsements marked
Printed IACRA application with highlighted FTN
Required PIC docs: government ID, FAA medical, student cert.
Knowledge-exam report with ACS-coded missed questions

Certificates & Documents

Required on-person to act as PIC (61.3)
- Pilot certificate
- Medical certificate
- Government photo ID
- Student pilots additionally need logbook with endorsements
Student Pilot Limitations (61.89)
1. No passengers
2. No carriage of property for compensation/hire
3. No flight in furtherance of a business
4. Visibility ≥ $3\,sm$ day / $5\,sm$ night; must remain with surface reference
Private-Pilot Privileges & Limitations (61.113 / 91.146)
• May act as PIC & carry passengers
• May conduct SAR ops, charity/community flights, airplane sales demo (> $200$ hrs)
• Must pay no less than pro-rata share; no hire/compensation
Certificate duration (61.19)
• Student certs issued after 1 Apr 2016 – no expiration, superseded by higher rating
• PPL, CPL, CFI, ATP, Ground Instructor – no expiration
Keeping Certificate Current (61.56/61.57)
• Student = valid medical
• PPL = Flight Review every 24 calendar months + valid medical
Passenger-Currency (61.57)
• $3$ TO&L within preceding $90$ days, same cat/class/type
• At night: full-stop & between $1$ hr after sunset ↔ $1$ hr before sunrise
Medical validity (61.23)
• <40 yr: 1st =12 mo (ATP), 2nd =12 mo (Commercial), 3rd =60 mo (PPL)
• ≥40 yr: 1st =6 mo, 2nd =12 mo, 3rd =24 mo

Aircraft Documents – “ARROW” (91.9 / 91.203)

Airworthiness certificate (never expires if maintained)
Registration (expires every 3 yr; 7 yr on new issue post-2023)
Radio station license (only for international)
Operating limitations ( POH / placards )
Weight & Balance data list (updated equipment list in POH/AFM)

Certification Terminology (61.5 / 61.31)

Category – e.g. Airplane, Rotorcraft, Glider, LTA
Class – e.g. SEL, SES, MEL, MES
Type – specific model requiring type rating: > $12,500$ lbs MTOW, turbojet, or FAA-designated
Address change: may fly $30$ days without notifying FAA (61.60)

Airworthiness & Required Inspections – “AVIATES”

Annual – 12 cal mo, IA/CRS (91.409)
VOR – 30 days (IFR only) (91.171)
100-hr – if for hire; tach time (may overfly ≤ $10$ hrs en-route to inspection)
Altimeter/Static – 24 cal mo (IFR) (91.411)
Transponder – 24 cal mo (91.413)
ELT – 12 cal mo, or after $1$ hr cumulative use, or ½ battery life (91.207)
Service bulletins & ADs – comply as required
Airworthiness Directives (PHAK 8-12)
• Emergency (immediate) • One-time • Recurring
Annual may NOT be over-flown except by Special Flight Permit (FSDO)
ELT not required within $50\,nm$ training radius

Required VFR Equipment

Day (91.205 b) – “ATOMATOFLAMES”
• Altimeter | Tachometer | Oil-Temp | Manifold-Pressure (CS prop) | Airspeed | Temperature (liquid-cooled) | Oil-Pressure | Fuel-Quantity | Landing-gear position | Anti-collision lights (post-11 Mar 1996) | Magnetic compass | ELT | Seat-belts
Night (91.205 c) – “FLAPS”
• Fuses (spares) | Landing light (for-hire) | Anti-collision lights | Position (nav) lights | Source of power
Inoperative equipment procedure (91.213 d)
• If no MEL: check 91.205, ADs, Kind-of-Ops list (POH Eqpt List), Placard & deactivate
• MEL: Cessna 152/172 do NOT have FAA-approved MEL; use regs.

Aerodynamics & Performance

Four forces: Lift | Weight | Thrust | Drag
Primary controls: Ailerons, Elevator/Stabilator, Rudder
Secondary: Flaps, Trim (servo tab)
Lift production
• Newton 3rd Law (downwash) • Bernoulli (↑velocity ↓pressure)
Drag types
• Parasite = form + skin-friction + interference (↑ with speed)
• Induced = byproduct of lift, ↓ with speed; wingtip vortices, rear-tilted lift vector
• L/D max = $V_G$ (best glide)
Airfoil terms: camber (changeable via flaps); chord; angle of incidence (fixed); CG
CG shifts
• Fwd: ↓cruise spd, ↑stall spd, ↑stability, easier recovery, long flare required
• Aft: ↑cruise spd, ↓stall spd, ↓stability, poor stall/spin recovery
Stall cause: critical AoA exceeded
Density-altitude formulas
• $PA = h{field} + (29.92 - altimeter) \times 1000$ • $DA = PA + 120 \times (OAT - ISA{temp})$
Factors reducing air density: Heat ↑, Height ↑, Humidity ↑
C152 Weights (POH 1-5) – Ramp $1675$ lb | TO/Ldg $1670$ lb
C172R – Ramp $2457$ lb | TO/Ldg $2450$ lb; 172SP – Ramp $2558$ lb | TO/Ldg $2550$ lb
Fuel weight: $6\,lb/gal$ (100LL blue)
V-Speeds (example)
• $V{SO}$ (152) $35\,kt$ | $V{S1}$ $40\,kt$
• $VX$ $—$ best angle | $VY$ best rate
• $VA$ varies with weight (heavier → higher) • $VFE, VNO, VNE$ per POH
$V_G$ glide: 152 = $60\,kt$ , 172R = $65\,kt$ , 172S = $68\,kt$ (slower at lower weight)
Use $VX$ to clear obstacles; $VY$ for quickest climb to altitude
Left-Turning Tendencies “TGAS”
1. Torque 2. Gyroscopic precession 3. Asymmetric (P-factor) 4. Spiraling slipstream – ↑ at high power, high AoA, low airspeed
Stability
• Lateral: dihedral, fuel balance
• Longitudinal: proper CG, tail-down force
• Vertical: vertical stabilizer aft CG
• Static vs Dynamic; Positive / Neutral / Negative

Instruments & Compass

Pitot-Static • ASI uses pitot + static; Altimeter static vs sealed $29.92$ wafer; VSI static vs delayed static (calibrated leak) • Blockages quick-ref:
- Pitot & drain blocked → ASI acts as altimeter
- Pitot blocked, drain open → ASI reads 0
- Static blocked → ASI reverse-trend, Alt & VSI frozen
Gyros (vacuum except electric turn coordinator)
• Principles: Rigidity in space; Precession (force felt $90^{\circ}$ ahead)
• Attitude Ind – pendulous vanes keep erect
• Heading Ind – must align w/ mag compass every ≈15 min (precession drift)
• Turn Coordinator – canted gyro shows rate-of-roll & rate-of-turn
Magnetic-Compass Errors “V.D.M.O.N.A.”
• Variation, Deviation, Magnetic Dip (N/S turning; ANDS acceleration), Oscillation

Engines & Aircraft Systems

Engines
• C152 – Lycoming O-235-L2C $110\,hp$
• 172R – IO-360-L2A $160\,hp$ | 172SP – $180\,hp$
• Horiz-opposed, Air-cooled, Normally-aspirated, Direct-drive, 4-stroke
4 strokes: Intake → Compression → Power (ignition) → Exhaust
Oil (C152 4-6 qt, 172 6-8 qt): lubricates, cools, seals, cleans
Propellers: fixed-pitch (152 67.5-69"; 172R 74-75"; 172S 75-76")
Mixture control: maintains optimal fuel/air as density ↓ with altitude (prevents fouling)
Fuel system (C152): two vented wing tanks $24.5\,gal$ each, selector ON/OFF, engine-driven pump + gravity, fuel strainer, taped-primer lines
• 100LL = blue; 100/130 = green; Jet-A = clear/straw; mixing grades → clear
Fuel-sumping: water (≈ $8\,lb/gal$ ) sinks; check grade/contaminants
Brakes: single-disc hydraulics, toe-operated
Vacuum: engine pump, suction gauge 4.5-5.5" Hg; filters → gyros → relief → vent
Electrical: 28-V, 60-A alternator; 24-V battery; buses & circuit breakers; engine‐ignition via magnetos (independent)

Airspace Overview

Controlled vs uncontrolled (Class G only uncontrolled)
Class summary (enter, equip, Wx):
• A = $FL180$ - $FL600$ IFR only, Mode C, no Wx mins
• B = up to $10,000'$ MSL; ATC clearance, Mode C veil $30\,nm$ ; $3\,sm$ & clear-of-clouds
• C = 5/10 nm sectors SFC- $4,000'$ AGL; two-way comm, Mode C; $3\,152$ rule
• D = ≈4 nm r, SFC- $2,500'$ AGL; two-way comm; $3\,152$
• E = varied floors to but not incl $FL180$ (and > $FL600$ ); < $10,000'$ MSL $3\,152$ ; > $10,000'$ $5\,111$
• G = SFC to E-floor or $14,500'$ ; Day < $1,200'$ AGL: $1\,sm$ clr-cloud; Night $3\,152$
KCRQ: Class D surface → $2,800'$ MSL; above is Class E to $18,000'$

Special Use & Other Airspace “TTMCPRAWNSS”

TFR, TRSA, MOA, CFA, Prohibited, Restricted, Alert, Warning, NSA, SFRA, SFR/TRSA specific
Other:
• Military Training Routes (IR/VR), Parachute Jumps, Published VFR corridors
Mode C transponder required: Class A/B/C, inside $30\,nm$ veil, above Class C upper ceilings, > $10,000'$ MSL

Weather Theory & Hazards

ISA: $15^{\circ}C$ , $29.92"Hg$ ( $1013.2\,mb$ ) at sea level
Isobars: close spacing ⇒ strong gradient ⇒ strong winds; surface winds cross isobars (friction); aloft ≈ parallel (Coriolis)
Stable vs Unstable air characteristics
Pressure systems: Low (cyclone CCW, rising) vs High (anticyclone CW, descending)
Ridge = elongated high; Trough = elongated low
Thunderstorm requirements: Moisture, Unstable lapse-rate, Lifting action
• Stages: Cumulus (updraft) → Mature (precip, up & down) → Dissipating (downdrafts)
Wind shear: rapid wind velocity/direction change; hazardous on takeoff/landing
Fog types: Advection, Radiation, Upslope, Precip-induced
Icing
• Structural: Rime, Clear, Mixed
• Induction: carb ice, intake icing
• Instrument: pitot/static blockage
• Effect: ↑weight, ↓lift, ↑drag, ↓thrust → stalls possible

Weather Information & Briefings

FSS Briefings (AIM 7-1-4): Standard, Abbreviated, Outlook
METAR: routine or SPECI; issued hourly, valid point-obs ≤1 hr
TAF: issued 4×/day; valid 24-30 hr; $5\,sm$ radius
• Codes: FM (rapid ≤1 hr); BECMG (gradual within 2 hr window); TEMPO (≤1 hr in period); PROBXX
AIRMET (Sierra IFR/mt-obs, Tango turb/30kts, Zulu moderate icing) – valid 6 hr
SIGMET (severe turb/icing, dust, ash) – valid 4 hr
Convective SIGMET: severe T-storm, hail ≥ $3/4"$ , winds ≥ $50$ kt; hourly +55, valid 2 hr.
Winds/Temps Aloft (FD): 2×/day; temps negative above $24,000'$ ; code example $710556$ at $30,000'$ → wind $210^{\circ}/105kt$ , temp $-56^{\circ}C$
• No wind within 1,500' of station; no temp within 2,500'.
Charts
• Surface Analysis (8×/day, valid 3 hr)
• Weather Depiction (8×/day, valid 8 hr)
• SIGWX Prog (4×/day, 12 & 24 hr forecasts)
• Radar Summary (each hr+35, valid 1 hr)

Flight-Planning & Regulations

Pre-flight required info “NWKRAFT” (91.103)
• NOTAMs, Weather, Known ATC delays, Runway lengths, Alternates, Fuel req., Takeoff/Landing data
Fuel minimums (91.151): Day → dest. + $30$ min; Night → dest. + $45$ min (at normal cruise)
Right-of-Way hierarchy “EBGAAR”
• Emergency, Balloon, Glider, Refueling, Airship, Rotor/Fixed-wing
• Same cat: Converging–yield to right; Head-on–both right; Overtake–pass right side
Max IAS < $10,000'$ MSL: $250\,kt$ (91.117)
Minimum safe altitudes (91.119)
• Congested: $1000'$ above highest within $2000'$ horizontal
• Elsewhere: $500'$ AGL; sparsely populated: $500'$ from person/vessel/structure
Light-gun signals (steady green = cleared land / takeoff; flashing green = return for land; steady red = give way; flashing red = unsafe; etc.)
LAHSO, Wake turbulence spacing, Stall/Spin recovery (PARE)

Navigation & Lost Procedures

Pilotage: visual landmarks; Dead-reckoning: time & heading computations
Magnetic variation: angle between true & magnetic north (“East is least, West is best”)
VOR limitations: line-of-sight; service volume 25-130 nm per class
Lost – “5 Cs”: Climb, Circle, Conserve, Communicate, Confess
Chart Supplement (A/FD): update 56-day; full airport info

Aeromedical Factors

Three orientation systems: Vestibular (inner ear), Somatosensory, Visual
Ear/sinus pressure – avoid flying ill; use Valsalva
Hypoxia types: Hypoxic, Hypemic, Histotoxic, Stagnant – symptoms: euphoria, cyanosis, headache, poor judgment
Hyperventilation – treat by controlled breathing, talking, paper-bag
Spatial illusions “ICEFLAGS” (Inversion, Coriolis, Elevator, False horizon, Leans, Autokinesis, Graveyard spiral, Somatogravic)
Runway illusions: narrow/runway-up-slope looks high → low approach; etc.

Aeronautical Decision Making & Risk Management

ADM = systemic risk-assessment & stress-management
Hazardous Attitudes “RAIIM” + antidotes
• Resignation – “I can make a difference.”
• Anti-authority – “Follow the rules.”
• Impulsivity – “Think first.”
• Invulnerability – “It could happen to me.”
• Macho – “Taking risks is foolish.”
IMSAFE personal checklist; PAVE & 5-Ps (Pilot, Passengers, Plane, Programming/Plan) to evaluate risk
DECIDE model: Detect → Estimate → Choose → Identify → Do → Evaluate
Positive exchange of controls (3-way verbal) – “You have,” “I have,” “You have.”

Special Emphasis Quick-Refs

Stall/Spin Recovery “PARE”: Power idle, Ailerons neutral, Rudder opposite, Elevator forward
Wake turbulence: takeoff rotate prior to preceding rotation point; land past touchdown point; avoid below/behind heavy
LAHSO: must read back “will comply”; declining is pilot’s prerogative