Prepare for: Basic Attitude Instrument Flying (Private)
Controlling the airplane by instruments alone, the skill that gets you out of accidental clouds.
Your CFI's syllabus and your airplane's POH come first. This page is a general study aid to help you show up prepared.
What you'll do
- Wear a view-limiting device with your instructor as safety pilot.
- Scan: the attitude indicator is the hub; cross-check altimeter, heading and airspeed.
- Fly straight-and-level, turns, climbs and descents within ±200 ft, ±20° and ±10 knots.
- Unusual attitudes: nose high = add power, lower nose, level wings; nose low = reduce power, level wings, raise nose.
The standard you'll be held to
Quoted from the current FAA Airman Certification Standards for each level that tests this.
Private Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6C)Task PA.VIII.A · Straight-and-Level Flight
- Maintain straight-and-level flight using proper instrument cross-check and interpretation, and coordinated control application.
- Maintain altitude ±200 feet, heading ±20°, and airspeed ±10 knots.
Private Pilot ACS (FAA-S-ACS-6C)Task PA.VIII.E · Recovery from Unusual Flight Attitudes
- Use proper instrument cross-check and interpretation to identify an unusual attitude (including both nose-high and nose-low) in flight, and apply the appropriate flight control, power input, and aircraft configuration in the correct sequence, to return to a stabilized level flight attitude.
- Use single-pilot resource management (SRM) or crew resource management (CRM), as appropriate.
Read it in the FAA handbooks
The official chapters behind this page. Each link opens the exact chapter, free on faa.gov. See the full Study Library.
Prepare the night before
- Learn the six-pack instruments (see the instruments lesson).
- Chair-fly the unusual-attitude recoveries.
Common mistakes
- Fixating on one instrument.
- Over-controlling: make small, smooth changes.
Questions to ask your instructor
- How many hours of hood time will I get before the checkride?
- What's the 180° turn plan if I fly into clouds?
Related lessons
Check yourself
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