Oxygen: - Pilots Must Use it Above 12,500’ MSL if Airspace, Altitudes, and Weather

more than 30 minutes.

Pilots Must Always Use it Above 14,000’ MSL.
Class A Airspace Begins at 18,000’ MSL
PAX Must be Provided Oxygen Above 15,000’ MSL.

Class E Airspace is everything above Class Minimum Altitude over cities and towns: Minimum Altitude over other areas:
G and outside of Class A, B, C, and D 1,000’ Above Highest Obstacle 500’ above ground and 500’ from
Airspace 2,000’ From Highest Obstacle people and vehicles

Shaded Magenta Shaded Magenta

Line on Sectional VFR Altitudes (Based on Magnetic Course) Line on Sectional
Eastbound - 0° to 179° - Odd Altitudes + 500’ (Ex. 3,500’ MSL)
Westbound - 180° to 359° - Even Altitudes + 500’ (Ex. 4,500’ MSL)
Class B
Need permission before entering -
Class C “N1234 you are cleared into the
Class Class Bravo airspace”
Need 2-way
G Class D communication with ATC
before entering Remain clear of clouds
Need 2-way 3 SM Visibility
communication
Class G Class E with ATC Class G Class G Class G
before entering

Outside the Inside the Shaded

Inside the Class E drops to Class D is Class C is Inside of the Shaded Class B is
Shaded Magenta Area
Shaded the surface inside shown as a shown as a Magenta Area Class shown as
Magenta Area, Class G goes from
Magenta the Dashed Dashed Solid G goes from the a Solid
Class G goes the Surface to 700’
Area Class Magenta Line Blue Line Magenta line Surface to 700’ AGL Blue Line
from the AGL
G goes
Surface to from the
1,200’ AGL Weather in Class C, D, E (below 10,000’ MSL): 3 SM Visibility, 500’ Below Cloud, 1,000’ Above Cloud, 2,000’ From Cloud
Surface to Weather in Class E, G (above 10,000’ MSL): 5 SM Visibility, 1,000’ Below Cloud, 1,000’ Above Cloud, 1 SM From Cloud
700’ AGL Weather in Class G (above 1,200’ AGL): 1 SM Visibility (3 SM Night), 500’ Below Cloud, 1,000’ Above Cloud, 2,000’ From Cloud
 Are You Current and Are You Ready to Fly?

Are You Ready to Fly? Are You Ready to Fly the Airplane?
- Is your Medical Current? - Have you completed a Weight and Balance
- Have you completed a Flight check?
Review in the Last 24 Months? - Do you have recent flight experience in the
- Have You Reviewed IMSAFE? airplane?
- Illness - Have you studied the POH, Checklists and
- Medication reviewed Airspeeds and Traffic Pattern
- Stress procedures?
- Alcohol - Have you reviewed the airports and
- Fatigue airspace you will fly through?
- Emotion
Have You Reviewed the Weather?

Is the Airplane Ready to Fly?

Are You Ready to Take Passengers? - Has an Annual Inspection been completed?
- Have you completed 3 Takeoffs and - Has the engine been inspected in the last
Landings in the past 90 days? 100 hours? (usually only for airplanes that
- Have you completed 3 Takeoffs and Full are rented for hire)
Stop Landings at night in the past 90 - Has the Pitot-Static system, Transponder
days if you are flying at night? VOR been checked as necessary?

Does the Airplane Have Enough Fuel for the Flight?

- For VFR flights you must have enough fuel to get to your destination plus 30 minutes during
the day, or plus 45 minutes during the night
 Radio Calls at Towered and Non-Towered Airports
What to Say on the Radio: About 8-10 NM from the airport, say on the CTAF
1. Who you are calling frequency: “<Airport> traffic, Cessna N1234 is 8
NM <direction from airport>, will enter 45 degree
2. Who you are
downwind (or another pattern entry) for Runway 9,
3. Where you are at <Airport> Traffic”
4. What is your request

When you are in the pattern at a non-towered airport,

Before you enter Class B, C, or D airspace,
it’s good practice to announce each leg of the pattern:
Contact Tower (or Approach if necessary) and tell
“<Airport> traffic, Cessna N1234 is Right or Left Traffic
them where you are are and the ATIS you have:
Departing/Crosswind/Downwind/Base/Final Runway 9
“<Airport> Tower, Cessna 1234 is 5 miles
<Airport>”
<direction from airport>, at <altitude>, with <ATIS
letter>”
Also, Report exiting the Runway: “<Airport> traffic,
Cessna N1234 is clear of Runway 9, <Airport>”
9

27
When you are near the Runway and After landing at a
ready to takeoff Contact the Tower Towered Airport, listen
and Ask for Takeoff Clearance: After listening to ATIS, Contact Ground to Tower for
“<AIrport> Tower, Cessna 1234 is and Ask for Taxi Instructions: “<Airport> instructions to taxi to
holding short of Runway 9, Ready Ground, Cessna 1234 is at <location> parking
for Departure” Ready for Taxi with <ATIS letter>”
Airspeed Attitude Indicator Altimeter*
Indicator* About 5 minutes after engine Adjust Altimeter
Uses Pitot start, place airplane on setting regularly
System, if Pitot artificial horizon throughout the flight
Tube is by listening to ATC,
obstructed use ATIS, or
Pitot Heat. AWOS/ASOS.
Check: Before Check: on ground
takeoff Airspeed Altimeter should be
Indicator should within 75’ of Airport
read 0. elevation.

*Required for Vertical Speed

Day and Night Indicator (VSI)
VFR flights VSI may lag 9
seconds during flight.
If VSI does not read
zero before takeoff,
note what is indicated.

Turn Coordinator and Slip/Skid

Indicator Heading Indicator
Shows Roll Direction and Rate Adjust Heading Indicator
regularly during straight Blue - uses Pitot system and
and Slip/Skid information. Bottom Static system
line shows 3 degrees per second and level unaccelerated
flight to match Compass Red - uses Static system
roll rate. Check: During taxi turns Black - gyroscopic instruments
the wings will turn in the direction but note Compass
Deviation for airplane which use vacuum system or
of the turn, but the ball will move electrical system to operate
outside of the turn
 Airspeed - Types of Airspeed and Airspeeds You Should Know for Your Airplane
Indicated Airspeed Calibrated Airspeed (CAS) -
(IAS) - Indicated Airspeed corrected
What you see on the for installation errors on
Airspeed indicator. airplane. See POH Section 5
Used during flight or to find conversion from IAS to
when talking to ATC. Calibrated Airspeed

Groundspeed (GS) - True Airspeed (TAS) -

How fast the airplane is How fast you are travelling
travelling over the through the air you are in.
ground. Use GS = Increases as you climb in
Distance/Time or GPS altitude because of less
to find it, or ask ATC. dense air. Use E6-B
computer to find TAS or use
Knots = Nautical Miles the Airspeed Indicator or
per Hour cockpit displays to find it if
able. Use this number for
Cross Country planning.

Speeds You Should Know for Your Airplane (see POH for some of these numbers)
VR (rotation speed) - ______ VY (best rate of climb) - ______ Vx (best angle of climb) - ______
VGLIDE (best glide speed) - ______
VA (design maneuvering speed-do not make abrupt control movements above this speed) - ______
VYCRUISE (best rate of climb during cruise for better engine cooling and increased visibility) - ______
VS0 (stall speed in landing configuration) - Shown on Airspeed Indicator as Top of White Arc
VS1 (stall speed in other configuration) - Shown on Airspeed Indicator as Top of Green Arc
VFE (maximum speed with Flaps Extended) - Shown on Airspeed Indicator at Bottom of White Arc
VNO (do not exceed except in smooth air) - Shown on Airspeed Indicator at Top of Yellow Arc
VNE (maximum do not exceed speed) - Shown on Airspeed Indicator at Red Line
 Density Altitude -
ISA Standards: 150C and 29.92” Hg at It is the environment the
Sea Level, 20C lapse rate temperature Types of Altitude
airplane is really flying in. High
decrease for every 1,000’ Altitude gain. Altitudes, High Temperatures
and Humid air reduce the
Indicated Altitude - performance of the airplane.
What you see on the METARs, ATIS/AWOS report
Altimeter. Altitude Density Altitude. Use Density
corrected for Altitude factors when
non-standard ISA computing airplane
pressure. Regularly performance.
update the barometric
pressure setting using
ATIS/AWOS or ATC. To find Pressure Altitude
Pressure Altitude = [(29.92 - current
Pressure Altitude - altimeter setting) * 1000] + Current
Altitude when the elevation
Altimeter is set to
29.92” Hg ISA standard To find True Altitude use E6-B
pressure. computer to convert Pressure
Altitude to True Altitude.

Absolute Altitude -
The height Above
Ground Level (AGL)
the airplane is flying True Altitude - Pressure Altitude that is corrected for non-standard ISA pressure
above the terrain and non-standard ISA temperature. The Altimeter assumes standard ISA
below. Cloud Bases standard temperature lapse rate. When the air is warmer than ISA standard, you
are shown in AGL in are higher than the altimeter indicates. When the air is colder than ISA standard,
METARs and TAFs. you are lower than indicated. “Hot to Cold, look out below!”
True Altitude is shown on VFR Sectional Charts.
 Runway Markings

Do Not Enter
Taxi Allowed Taxi and Takeoff
Taxi, Takeoff,
Allowed.
No Taxi, Takeoff, and Landing
No Takeoff or
or Landing Allowed
Landing Allowed Do Not Land.
Allowed

9
Hold Short Line

Stop on the side of the

Solid Lines (Area A) until
you receive permission
A from ATC to cross.

ILS Holding Position

 The Basics of Flying in the Traffic Pattern
Note: make sure to
factor in the wind
direction and speed
in each leg of the Climb out at VY and fly the
traffic pattern Runway Heading to at least
On Crosswind 300’ below Traffic Pattern
continue to climb to Altitude.
On Downwind Traffic Pattern Altitude Use Right Rudder to
reduce power and (1,000’ AGL). counteract P-factor.
maintain Traffic
Pattern Altitude. Fly 18
parallel to the
runway about ½ Reduce throttle During Departure
mile or 1 mile from when crossing the use Rudders to
the runway. Threshold and stay on Centerline
begin Flare when and use Ailerons to
around 10 feet counteract
above the runway Crosswind.
When Abeam the
touchdown point,
reduce power, extend
the first notch of flaps On Base extend On Final extend 3rd notch of
36 Flaps, maintain Final
and fly a reduced 2nd notch of Flaps
airspeed. Turn Base and reduce Approach Speed (1.3*VSO),
when 45 degrees Airspeed further use Ailerons to counteract
from touchdown Crosswinds, and use Rudder
point. to longitudinally line airplane
up with Centerline.
 Wake Vortices, Calculate Cloud Base and Calculate top of Descent
Wake Vortices:

ove
- St ay Ab r
ng
ti
- rge
ding th of La d Beyon
d
ar La n a n
p e nd tP La
De otat e a ove Fligh ne and n Point
R efor Ab l a w
Airp uchdo
B limb r its T
o
C rge ne
La pla
r
Ai

Cloud Base - to calculate the approximate cloud base Above Ground Level (AGL)
Using Fahrenheit:
Cloud Base AGL = [(Temperature in Fahrenheit - Dew Point in Fahrenheit) ÷ 4.4] × 1000

Using Celsius:
Cloud Base AGL = [(Temperature in Celsius - Dew Point in Celsius) ÷ 2.5] × 1000

Top of Descent - the distance (NM) at which you begin your normal descent rate to arrive at your desired
altitude such as the Traffic Pattern Altitude or Runway.

Top of Descent = [(Current Altitude - Desired Altitude) × 3 ] ÷ 1000

When Taxiing - Climb into the wind with elevator and ailerons when wind is coming from ahead. Dive away
from the wind with elevator and ailerons if it is coming from behind
 How to Read a METAR
KORD 151200Z 14013G19KT 4SM RA BKN024 OVC030 10/04 A3002
KORD – Station identifier where the METAR was recorded

151200Z – Date and time of record

First two digits are day of the month it was recorded and the last four digits are the time it was recorded. These times are Zulu.

14013G19KT – Wind Direction and Speed

First three digits are magnetic heading of direction wind is coming from. Next two digits (13) is speed of wind in Knots. And G
denotes speed of Wind Gusts in Knots.

4SM – Visibility in statute miles

RA – Weather

Codes include: RA = Rain, BR = Mist, TS = Thunderstorm, FG = Fog, SN = Snow, HZ = Haze

+/- = Heavy or light intensity, VC = Vicinity

BKN024 OVC030 – Cloud Coverage and heights listed in hundreds of feet Above Ground Level (AGL) (ex. Broken Cloud Cover at
2,400 feet AGL).

Can also say “CLR” if sky conditions are clear.

Types of Cloud Coverage: Few = Few, SCT = Scattered, BKN = Broken, OVC = Overcast

10/04 – Temperature and Dewpoint

First two digits is the temperature in degrees C, last two digits is the Dew Point in degrees C. If the numbers are within 3 degrees
C, beware of possible Fog. An “M” before the number denotes minus.

A3002 – Altimeter reading in inches Hg