50 foot obstacle requirement

braidkid

New Member
I'm getting a guy ready for his checkride and in looking through the private pilot PTS I can't find anything about a landing with a 50 foot obstacle requirement. I remember training for this requirement myself but now I can't find it anywhere in the PTS. Can someone tell me where this requirement came from or if it is required on the private pilot checkride?
 
[ QUOTE ]
I'm getting a guy ready for his checkride and in looking through the private pilot PTS I can't find anything about a landing with a 50 foot obstacle requirement. I remember training for this requirement myself but now I can't find it anywhere in the PTS. Can someone tell me where this requirement came from or if it is required on the private pilot checkride?

[/ QUOTE ]There =used to= be a requirement for a 50' obstacle in the private PTS. It was removed a few years ago. I suspect the reason was that despite FAA directives in favor of stabilized approaches, some CFIs were still teaching "chop and drop".

I still teach the short field approach as a steeper descent approach (which is what you are going to get anyway with full flaps and 60 KTS in a C172), which ends up clearing a measly 50' obstacle anyway.
 
Thanks a lot!!! I knew I trained for the maneuver and it threw me when I couldnt find it as a requirement in the private PTS. Thanks again for the clarification.
 
I can't believe they took it out of the PTS!! I'm glad to see that CFI's are still teaching it though. I don't know about about you guys but I've been to alot of small airports with short runways and obstructions at the end.

Jason
 
Back
Top