Practical Test Standards

<p>Practical Test Standards or PTS are sets of guidelines, standards, and criteria formerly used in the United States by <a href="/facts/Federal_Aviation_Administration/PYsXt3YT">Federal Aviation Administration</a> (FAA) Safety Inspectors or <a href="/facts/Designated_Pilot_Examiner/Y1IDnXTF">Designated Pilot Examiners</a> to determine the suitability of airmen to be issued an <a href="/facts/Airman_Certificate/RNgywb4U">airman certificate</a> by conducting a <a href="/facts/Checkride/N6hTwaIb">checkride</a>.  Each certification level features unique criteria published by the FAA both electronically and in <a href="/facts/Hard_copy/uUBR0yad">hard copy</a> format.  The system was partially superseded, beginning on June 15, 2016 (2016-06-15), by a new set of publications called <a href="/facts/Airman_Certification_Standards/9kUBd4IP">Airman Certification Standards</a>, though the PTS is still used for select FAA practical tests.: 3 
</p><p>A list of the following common "Special Emphasis Areas" was shared by all certification levels:
</p>
<ol><li>Positive aircraft control;</li>
<li>Positive exchange of the flight controls procedure;</li>
<li>Stall/spin awareness;</li>
<li>Collision avoidance;</li>
<li>Wake turbulence avoidance;</li>
<li>LAHSO (Land and Hold Short Operations);</li>
<li>Runway incursion avoidance;</li>
<li>CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain);</li>
<li>ADM (Aeronautical Decision Making) and risk management;</li>
<li>wire strike avoidance;</li>
<li>checklist usage;</li>
<li>Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs)</li>
<li>Special Use Airspace</li>
<li>Aviation Security</li>
<li>Single Pilot Resource Management (SRM)</li>
<li>Other areas deemed appropriate to any phase of the practical test.</li></ol>

Practical Test Standards open-in-new

Practical Test Standards