Is your aircraft suitable?
Federal Aviation Regulation 61.45 sets out the requirements for the aircraft and the equipment. Generally, you must furnish an aircraft of U.S. registry that is of the category, class, and type appropriate for the certificate or rating you are applying for, and it must have a current standard, limited, or primary airworthiness certificate. Therefore, you'll want to be prepared to show the examiner the aircraft's registration certificate, airworthiness certificate, and logbooks showing at least the date of the aircraft's last annual or 100-hour inspection. And, you'll need to demonstrate to the examiner that you have conducted a thorough and complete preflight of the aircraft. If you need to use an aircraft of foreign registry, a military aircraft, or an aircraft with another sort of airworthiness certificate, the regulations may allow you to do so, at the discretion of the examiner.
You'll also need to have the required equipment in the aircraft for each area of operation required for the practical test, and there must not be any prohibitions or limitations that prevent the use of the aircraft in any areas of operation required for the practical test. Otherwise, you may still be permitted to take the test, but your certificate or rating will be issued with a limitation that prevents you from conducting certain tasks that you were unable to demonstrate. So if, for example, you don't have any radio navigation aids present and working in the aircraft, such as a VOR, you will not be able to demonstrate your ability to navigate by recognizing and interpreting radio signals.
Your aircraft will also have to be properly configured. There must be two pilot stations with adequate visibility for each person-you and the examiner-to operate the aircraft safely. If the examiner must occupy a jumpseat, there must be adequate cockpit and outside visibility to evaluate your performance of the maneuvers during the test. The aircraft, except for a lighter-than-air aircraft, must have engine power controls and flight controls that are easily reached and operable in a conventional manner by each person in each of the two pilot stations, except that the examiner may determine that the practical test can be conducted safely without the controls being easily reached by the person who is not being tested. A practical test can be conducted in an aircraft with a single set of controls if the examiner agrees, if the test does not involve a demonstration of instrument skills, and if the examiner is in a position to observe your proficiency.
It may seem that getting ready to begin the practical test is more challenging that actually taking the test. You have to put together all the paperwork to show that you have been properly trained and tested and you are now ready to take the practical test with the examiner, and you also have to assemble all of the paperwork which shows that the aircraft is safe and ready to fly.
While it's true that all this preparation for the test can be cumbersome and time-consuming, it is necessary and it helps to keep you practiced to be ready for each flight you take after receiving your certificate. After all, making sure that you have the necessary paperwork and logbook records for both yourself and your aircraft-and making sure that the aircraft is airworthy-are important parts of every preflight checklist.
Kathy Yodice is an attorney with Yodice Associates in Washington, D.C., which provides legal counsel to AOPA and administers AOPA's Legal Services Plan. She is an instrument-rated private pilot.
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