Preflight Preparation

Certification requirements, recent flight experience, and recordkeeping.

Privileges and limitations.

Medical eligibility and temporary disqualifications.

Documents required to exercise sport pilot privileges.

Proficiency versus currency.

Flying an unfamiliar helicopter-simplified flight controls or operating with unfamiliar flight display systems and avionics.

Apply requirements to act as pilot-in-command (PIC) under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in a scenario given by the evaluator.

General airworthiness requirements and compliance for a helicopter-simplified flight controls, including:

a. Location and expiration dates of required aircraft certificates

b. Required inspections and aircraft logbook documentation

c. Airworthiness Directives and Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins (as applicable to the aircraft presented for the practical test)

d. Purpose and procedure for obtaining a special flight permit

e. Owner/Operator and pilot-in-command responsibilities

Pilot-performed preventive maintenance.

Equipment requirements for day VFR flight, including:

a. Flying with inoperative equipment

b. Using an approved Minimum Equipment List (MEL)

c. Kinds of Operation Equipment List (KOEL)

d. Required discrepancy records or placards

Special airworthiness certificate aircraft operating limitations, as applicable.

Inoperative equipment discovered prior to flight.

Locate and describe helicopter-simplified flight controls airworthiness and registration information.

Determine the helicopter-simplified flight controls is airworthy in the scenario given by the evaluator.

Apply appropriate procedures for operating with inoperative equipment in the scenario given by the evaluator.

Sources of weather data (e.g., National Weather Service, Flight Service) for flight planning purposes.

Acceptable weather products and resources required for preflight planning, current and forecast weather for departure, en route, and arrival phases of flight such as:

a. Airport Observations (METAR, SPECI, AWOS, ASOS) and Pilot Weather Reports (PIREPs)

b. Surface Analysis Chart, Ceiling and Visibility Chart (CVA)

c. Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAF)

d. Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA)

e. Wind and Temperature Aloft Forecast (FB)

f. Convective Outlook (AC)

g. Inflight Aviation Weather Advisories including Airmen's Meteorological Information (AIRMET), Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET), and Convective SIGMET

Meteorology applicable to the departure, en route, alternate, and destination under visual flight rules (VFR) in Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC), including expected climate and hazardous conditions such as:

a. Atmospheric composition and stability

b. Wind (e.g., windshear, mountain wave, factors affecting wind, etc.)

c. Temperature, heat exchange, and temperature inversion

d. Moisture/precipitation

e. Weather system formation, including air masses and fronts

f. Clouds

g. Turbulence

h. Thunderstorms and microbursts

i. Icing and freezing level information

j. Fog/mist

k. Frost

l. Obstructions to visibility (e.g., smoke, haze, volcanic ash, etc.)

Flight deck instrument displays of digital weather and aeronautical information.

Making the go/no-go and continue/divert decisions, including:

a. Circumstances that would make diversion prudent

b. Personal weather minimums

c. Hazardous weather conditions, including known or forecast icing or turbulence aloft

Use and limitations of:

a. Installed onboard weather equipment

b. Aviation weather reports and forecasts

c. In-flight weather resources

Use available aviation weather resources to obtain an adequate weather briefing.

Analyze the implications of at least three of the conditions listed in K3a through K3l, using actual weather or weather conditions provided by the evaluator.

Correlate weather information to make a go/no-go decision.

Route planning, including consideration of different classes and special use airspace (SUA) and selection of appropriate and available navigation/communication systems and facilities including the use of:

a. Use of an electronic flight bag (EFB), if used

b. Chart Supplements

c. Aeronautical charts

d. Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs)

Altitude selection accounting for terrain and obstacles, autorotation requirements of the helicopter- simplified flight controls, VFR cruising altitudes, and the effect of wind.

Calculating:

a. Time, climb and descent rates, course, distance, heading, pressure altitude, density altitude, true airspeed, and groundspeed

b. Estimated time of arrival, including conversion to universal coordinated time (UTC)

c. Fuel requirements, including reserve

Elements of a VFR flight plan.

Procedures for filing, activating, and closing a VFR flight plan.

In-flight intercept procedures.

Pilot.

Aircraft.

Environment (e.g., weather, airports, airspace, terrain, obstacles, including wire strike hazards).

External pressures.

Limitations of air traffic control (ATC) services.

Fuel planning.

Use an electronic flight bag (EFB), as applicable.

Prepare, present, and explain a cross-country flight plan assigned by the evaluator, including a risk analysis based on real-time weather, to the first fuel stop.

Apply pertinent information from appropriate and current aeronautical charts, Chart Supplements; Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs) relative to airport/heliport/helipad/landing area, runway and taxiway closures; and other flight publications.

Create a navigation plan and simulate filing a VFR flight plan.

Recalculate fuel reserves based on a scenario provided by the evaluator.

Use an electronic flight bag (EFB), as applicable.

Airspace classes and associated requirements, sport pilot privileges, and limitations.

Chart symbols.

Special use airspace (SUA), special flight rules areas (SFRA), temporary flight restrictions (TFR), and other airspace areas.

Various classes and types of airspace.

Identify and comply with the requirements for basic VFR weather minimums and flying in particular classes of airspace.

Correctly identify airspace and operate in accordance with associated communication and equipment requirements.

Identify the requirements for operating in SUA or within a TFR. Identify and comply with special air traffic rules (SATR) and SFRA operations, as applicable.

Elements related to performance and limitations by explaining the use of charts, tables, and data to determine performance.

Factors affecting performance, including:

a. Atmospheric conditions

b. Pilot technique

c. Helicopter-Simplified Flight Control configuration

d. Airport, heliport, helipad, or unprepared surface environment

Loading and weight and balance.

Aerodynamics.

Height/Velocity (H/V) diagram according to the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM), as applicable.

Use of performance charts, tables, and data.

Limitations of helicopter-simplified flight controls.

Possible differences between calculated performance and actual performance.

Exceeding weight limits.

Operating outside of CG limits.

Shifting, adding, and removing weight.

Retreating blade stall, as applicable.

Situations that lead to loss of tail rotor/antitorque effectiveness (LTE), as applicable.

Compute the weight and balance, correct out-of-center of gravity loading errors and determine if the weight and balance remains within limits during all phases of flight.

Use appropriate helicopter-simplified flight controls performance charts, tables, and data.

Helicopter-Simplified Flight Control systems, including:

a. Flight controls, trim, and if installed, stability control

b. Powerplant(s)

c. Main rotor(s) and antitorque systems, as applicable

d. Transmission and associated drive shafts

e. Fuel, oil, and hydraulic

f. Avionics

g. Landing gear, brakes, steering, skids, or floats, as applicable

h. Electrical

i. Pitot-static, vacuum/pressure, and associated flight instruments

j. Environmental

k. Anti-icing and deicing, including carburetor heat, as applicable

Indications of and procedures for managing system abnormalities or failures.

Detection of system malfunctions or failures.

Management of a system failure.

Monitoring and management of automated systems.

Operate at least three of the helicopter-simplified flight control’s systems listed in K1a through K1k.

Complete the appropriate checklist(s).

Symptoms, recognition, causes, effects, and corrective actions associated with aeromedical and physiological issues, including:

a. Hypoxia

b. Hyperventilation

c. Middle ear and sinus problems

d. Spatial disorientation

e. Motion sickness

f. Carbon monoxide poisoning

g. Stress

h. Fatigue

i. Dehydration and nutrition

j. Hypothermia

k. Optical illusions

l. Dissolved nitrogen in the bloodstream after scuba dives

Regulations regarding use of alcohol and drugs.

Effects of alcohol, drugs, and over-the-counter medications.

Aeronautical Decision-Making (ADM) to include using Crew Resource Management (CRM) or Single- Pilot Resource Management (SRM), as appropriate.

Aeromedical and physiological issues.

Hazardous attitudes.

Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.

Confirmation and expectation bias.

Associate the symptoms and effects for at least three of the conditions listed in K1a through K1l with the cause(s) and corrective action(s).

Perform self-assessment, including fitness for flight and personal minimums, for actual flight or a scenario given by the evaluator.