Sport Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Sport Pilot (Airplane) • PTS Area I, Task B

The Sport Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan covers the knowledge and skills required by FAA-S-8081-29A.

Sport Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Introduction

  • Schedule

    Topic:
    Time:
    Attention/Motivator:
    0:05
    Part 1, Lesson Introduction:
    0:05
    Part 2, Airworthiness Overview:
    0:15
    Part 3, Airworthiness Documentation:
    0:15
    Part 4, Compliance:
    0:15
    Part 5, Preventive Maintenance:
    0:15
    Part 6, Airworthiness Risk Management:
    0:15
    Part 7, Airworthiness Guided Scenario(s):
    0:20
    Part 8, Lesson Conclusion:
    0:05
    Remotivation/Closure:
    0:05
    Total Ground Time:
    0:00

  • Attention Getter:

    • Research and present a mishap case study:
    • Discuss how the initial conditions developed into an incident/accident/mishap.
    • Relate similar personal experiences of the same type of incident/accident/mishap.
    • Consider incorporating a case study as a guided scenario.

  • Motivator:

    • Federal Aviation Regulation 91.7 states, "No person may operate a civil aircraft unless it is in an airworthy condition."
    • To understand airworthiness requirements, we must define what it means to be airworthy.
    • To determine airworthiness, the pilot must examine several documents and inspection records.
    • The pilot must have certain documents that demonstrate they are legal to fly.
    • Aircraft can be flown with inoperative equipment.

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Sport Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Materials

Sport Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Instructor Actions

  • Before the lesson, review reference materials.
  • Part 1, Lesson Introduction:
  • Part 2, Airworthiness Overview:
    • Define and discuss how to determine airworthiness.
    • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of the roles and responsibilities of the owner and operator, assuming they are not the same individual or entity.
    • Introduce the documents required for an aircraft to be considered airworthy.
      • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of airworthiness documents in the context of the acronym "ARROW" or "airworthiness certificate, registration certificate, radio station license, operating handbook, and weight and balance."
      • Contrast the responsibilities for maintaining airworthiness and determining airworthiness.
  • Part 3, Airworthiness Documentation:
    • Introduce the registration certificate:
      • Elicit prior knowledge about aircraft registration, then have the learner explain how it applies to airworthiness requirements.
      • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of registration certificate eligibility, issuance, and validity.
      • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of the location and expiration of registration certificates.
      • Present a missing-document scenario, then have the learner determine how to obtain a replacement and what qualifies as one.
    • Introduce airworthiness certificates:
    • Introduce the Pilot Operating Handbook:
      • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of the difference between PIM, POH (Pilot's Operating Handbook), and AFM.
      • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of the location and expiration of POH.
      • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of the location of any flight manual supplements (i.e., avionics equipment).
    • Introduce the radio station license:
      • Introduce operations that require a radio station license.
      • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of the location and expiration of a radio station license.
    • Introduce weight and balance:
      • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of the location and expiration of an aircraft's weight and balance.
      • Discuss how the performance and limitations lesson plan will go into more depth.
  • Part 4, Compliance:
  • Part 5, Preventive Maintenance:
    • Introduce preventive maintenance.
      • Ask the learner to define and relate to operational decisions preventive maintenance.
      • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of preventive maintenance items.
      • Introduce who can perform preventive maintenance.
      • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of preventive maintenance procedures in the context of the acronym "MC-PLT," or "manuals, craftsmanship, parts, logged, and tools."
      • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of logging preventive maintenance.
      • Use guided questioning to have the learner explain and apply considerations for flights following preventive maintenance.
  • Part 6, Airworthiness Risk Management:
    • Elicit prior knowledge, then establish the operational relevance of records as legal documents, discussing substantiating work and the dangers of making or receiving falsified aircraft records.
  • Required teaching coverage:
    • Determine required instruments and equipment from every controlling source, including the aircraft's certification basis, operating limitations, approved documents or equipment list, and the rules applicable to the proposed operation; do not treat § 91.205 as the sole list for every aircraft. (SP.1)
    • Distinguish FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Airworthiness Directives from manufacturer-issued safety information and determine when manufacturer action is binding through the aircraft's governing standards, procedures, instructions, equipment list, airworthiness certificate, or operating limitations; verify compliance in the maintenance records. (SP.2)
  • Part 7, Airworthiness Guided Scenario(s):
  • Part 8, Lesson Conclusion:
    • Tie lesson back to previous lessons to reinforce past experiences (law of readiness).
    • Present the remotivation, conclude, and provide guidance for follow-on lessons.
    • Review student actions required ahead of the next lesson.
  • Update the instructor log and student progress. Select the student and sign off completed objectives. If the student does not have a connected account, record the update manually in the instructor log and student training record.
Sport Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Guided Scenario(s)

  • Discuss scenarios and solutions to inoperative equipment discovered before flight.
  • Discuss case studies.
  • While conducting a preflight, the pilot realizes there is a flat tire.
    • Who's responsibility is it to repair? Who can repair it?
  • While conducting a preflight, the pilot realizes there is no oil.
    • Who's responsibility is it to repair? Who can repair it?
  • While conducting a preflight, the pilot realizes the EGT (exhaust-gas temperature) guage is inoperative.
    • Who's responsibility is it to repair? Who can repair it?
    • If it is not repaired, what steps must be taken before flight?
  • While conducting a preflight, the pilot realizes the vertical speed indicator is inoperative.
    • Who's responsibility is it to repair? Who can repair it?
    • If it is not repaired, what steps must be taken before flight?
  • While conducting a preflight, the pilot realizes the airworthiness certificate is missing, but they saw it the other day and have a picture from a previous lesson.
    • Who's responsibility is it to replace?
    • Can the pilot legally fly?
  • In conjunction with a preflight:
    • Locate and review the documents required: airworthiness and registration certificate, radio station license (if applicable), operators manual, and weight and balance for accuracy and expiration.
      • Discuss the types of airworthiness certificates.
    • Review an aircraft maintenance logbook with an A&P and discuss:
      • What the required inspections are and how they can be found/are logged in the aircraft logbook.
      • What Airworthiness Directives exist, how to find them, and how they've been complied with and logged.
      • What Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins exist, how to find them, and how they've been complied with and logged.
  • Still with an A&P, while conducting a preflight discuss provide examples of what maintenance requirements may be discovered and who must perform them.
  • Discuss inoperative equipment found during preflight:
    • Do the items appear on a minimum equipment list? (if applicable).
    • Do the items appear on a kinds of equipment list? (if applicable).
    • What are the items required for VFR (Visual Flight Rules) operations?
    • In any case, how must these items be placarded when found?
  • Discuss if a discrepancy was noted on the ground, but could not be fixed, how a special airworthiness certificate could be obtained?
  • Provide a scenario where the pilot has determined the aircraft is airworthy, but various items start to fail.
    • At what point must the aircraft be legally terminated? (VFR required equipment/unairworthy).
    • What are other considerations to an aircraft that has multiple pieces of equipment fail together or on the same flight?
  • Related scenarios:
Sport Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Student Actions

Sport Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Airman Certification Standards

Sport Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Practical Test Standards

  • Source: FAA-S-8081-29A, Section 1 - Sport Pilot Airplane.
  • Task: AIRWORTHINESS REQUIREMENTS (ASEL and ASES).
  • References: 14 CFR part 91; FAA-H-8083-25; Aircraft Operating Limitations.
  • Objective: To determine that the applicant exhibits knowledge of the elements related to airworthiness requirements by:
Objective Elements 2 PTS Elements
Sport Pilot (Airplane) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Conclusion

  • Re-Motivation:

    • Airworthiness Requirements reinforces that safe flight begins with an aircraft that is properly documented, inspected, maintained, and determined to be airworthy.
    • Understanding the responsibilities of manufacturers, mechanics, owners, and the pilot in command helps pilots recognize discrepancies and make defensible no-go decisions.
    • Careful records review, systematic inspections, and disciplined use of regulations and aircraft limitations make airworthiness an active safety practice on every flight.
    • Continued study of Airworthiness Requirements prepares sport pilots to evaluate more complex maintenance, equipment, and operational questions with confidence.

  • Closure:

    • Advise students that this lesson will be used as a starting point for the next lesson.
    • Assign study materials for the next lesson.