FAA-S-8081-4E U.S. Department (with Changes 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5) of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Instrument Rating Practical Test Standards for Airplane, Helicopter, and Powered Lift January 2010 Flight Standards Service Washington, DC 20591 (this page intentionally left blank) Instrument Rating Practical Test Standards for Airplane, Helicopter, and Powered Lift 2010 Flight Standards Service Washington, DC 20591 (this page intentionally left blank) Note Material in FAA-S-8081-4E will be effective January 2010. All previous editions of the Instrument Rating—Airplane, Helicopter, Powered Lift Practical Test Standards will be obsolete as of this date. FAA-S-8081-4E (this page intentionally left blank) FAA-S-8081-4E Foreword The Instrument Rating Practical Test Standards (PTS) book is published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to establish the standards for instrument rating certification practical tests for the airplane, helicopter, and powered lift, category and classes. These practical test standards shall also be used for the instrument portion of the Commercial Pilot—Airship practical test. FAA inspectors and designated pilot examiners shall conduct practical tests in compliance with these standards. Flight instructors and applicants should find these standards helpful during training and when preparing for practical tests. /s/ January 2010 ________________________________________ Debra J. Entricken, Acting Manager Regulatory Support Division, AFS-600 Flight Standards Service FAA-S-8081-4E (this page intentionally left blank) FAA-S-8081-4E Record of Changes Change 1 (2/5/2010) • Added the following to page 10 of the Introduction under Use of FAA-Approved Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD): o In order to do so, such devices must be used pursuant to and in accordance with a curriculum approved for use at a 14 CFR part 141 pilot school or 14 CFR part 142 training center. Practical tests or portions thereof, when accomplished in an FSTD, may only be conducted by FAA aviation safety inspectors, designees authorized to conduct such tests in FSTDs for part 141 pilot school graduates, or appropriately authorized part 142 Training Center Evaluators (TCE). Change 2 (3/16/2010) • Introduction—clarification of Aircraft and Equipment Required for the Practical Test • VI. Area of Operation: Instrument Approach Procedures, Task A. Nonprecision Approach (NPA), Note—clarification. Change 3 (5/3/2012) • Deleted Appendix 2: Non-FSTD Device Credit Change 4 (5/6/2013) • Added language to the General Information section of the Introduction regarding combined practical tests (page 1) o Reason: Change in Federal Aviation Regulation (14 CFR part 61, section 61.65). Change 5 (9/11/2013) • Added Risk Management Handbook, FAA-H-8083-2 to reference list in Practical Test Book Description section of the Introduction (page 3). • Revised Note for the Rating Task Table. • Added IPC AATD Credit Table as new Appendix 2. FAA-S-8081-4E (this page intentionally left blank) FAA-S-8081-4E Major Enhancements to Version FAA-S-8081-4E Introduction • Added abbreviations • Deleted Practical Test Prerequisites: Instrument Rating • Added guidance to conform to current guidance in FAA Orders 8900.1 and 8900.2 • Added special emphasis area of icing hazards, anti-icing and deicing equipment and operations • Replaced APV note with LPV verbiage in Aircraft and Equipment Required for the Practical Test section • Replaced Aeronautical Decision Making, Risk Management, and Single Pilot Resources Management with new Single-Pilot Resource Management Areas of Operations • Area of Operation I: Preflight Preparation, added new Task A: Pilot Qualifications, which: o Moved Task A: Weather Information to Task B o Moved Task B: Cross-Country Flight Planning to Task C • Modified task items to standardize phraseology as contained in the Aeronautical Information Manual when reading back clearances and communicating with ATC • Area of Operation I: Preflight Preparation, Task B: Cross- Country Flight Planning, added points 8, 9, and 10 • Area of Operation VI: Instrument Approach Procedures, Task A: Nonprecision Approach (NPA) o NOTE: added sentence that NPA will have no vertical guidance o Modified Objective 11 to emphasize stabilized approach profile Appendices • Appendix 1 introduction updated • Added Appendix 2, Judgment Assessment Matrix FAA-S-8081-4E (this page intentionally left blank) FAA-S-8081-4E Table of Contents Introduction General Information .................................................................... 1 Practical Test Standard Concept .................................................. 2 Practical Test Book Description ................................................... 2 Abbreviations ............................................................................... 4 Use of the Practical Test Standards ............................................. 6 Use of the Judgment Assessment Matrix .................................... 7 Special Emphasis Areas ................................................................ 7 Aircraft and Equipment Required for the Practical Test .............. 8 Use of FAA-Approved Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD) .................................................................................. 10 Flight Instructor Responsibility .................................................. 11 Examiner Responsibility ............................................................. 11 Satisfactory Performance ........................................................... 12 Unsatisfactory Performance ...................................................... 13 Letter of Discontinuance ............................................................ 13 Single-Pilot Resource Management ........................................... 14 Crew Resource Management..................................................... 17 Applicant’s Use of Checklists ..................................................... 17 Use of Distractions During Practical Tests ................................. 17 Positive Exchange of Flight Controls .......................................... 18 Emphasis on Attitude Instrument Flying and Emergency Instrument Procedures ........................................................ 18 Rating Task Table ....................................................................... 21 Applicant’s Practical Test Checklist ............................................ 23 Examiner’s Practical Test Checklist ............................................ 25 Areas of Operation: I. Preflight Preparation ........................................................... 27 Task A: Pilot Qualifications ................................................ 27 Task B: Weather Information ............................................ 27 Task C: Cross-Country Flight Planning ............................... 28 II. Preflight Procedures ............................................................ 29 Task A: Aircraft Systems Related to IFR Operations .......... 29 Task B: Aircraft Flight Instruments and Navigation Equipment ............................................................. 29 i FAA-S-8081-4E Task C: Instrument Cockpit Check ..................................... 30 III. Air Traffic Control Clearances and Procedures.................... 31 Task A: Air Traffic Control Clearances ............................... 31 Task B: Compliance with Departure, En Route, and Arrival Procedures and Clearances ....................... 31 Task C: Holding Procedures ............................................... 32 IV. Flight by Reference to Instruments ..................................... 33 Task A: Basic Instrument Flight Maneuvers (IA, IH, PL, AA, HA, PLA, PC) .............................................. 33 Task B: Recovery from Unusual Flight Attitudes ............... 33 V. Navigation Systems ............................................................. 34 Task A: Intercepting and Tracking Navigational Systems and DME Arcs .......................................... 34 VI. Instrument Approach Procedures ....................................... 35 Task A: Nonprecision Approach (NPA) .............................. 35 Task B: Precision Approach (PA) ....................................... 36 Task C: Missed Approach .................................................. 38 Task D: Circling Approach .................................................. 38 Task E: Landing From a Straight-In Or Circling Approach ............................................................... 39 VII. Emergency Operations ........................................................ 40 Task A: Loss of Communications ....................................... 40 Task B: One Engine Inoperative during Straight-and- Level Flight and Turns (Multiengine Airplane)................................................................ 40 Task C: One Engine Inoperative—Instrument Approach (Multiengine Airplane) ......................... 41 Task D: Approach with Loss of Primary Flight Instrument Indicators ........................................... 42 VIII. Postflight Procedures .......................................................... 43 Task A: Checking Instruments and Equipment .................. 43 Appendix 1: Flight Simulation Training Device Credit Task vs. Flight Simulation Training Device (FSTD) Credit ........... 45 FAA-S-8081-4E ii Use of Chart ............................................................................... 45 Appendix 2: IPC AATD Credit Advanced Aviation Training Device Allowances for the Instrument