Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

This course is designed to present the student with the aeronautical knowledge areas necessary for obtaining an endorsement to take the Commercial Pilot Airplane FAA knowledge test.  Lectures, discussions, videos, handouts, and written tests will provide the student the information needed to accomplish this.  Class participants will be expected to invest time outside of class to master the course content.  

Upon completion of the course students should be able to:

• Qualify to take the FAA Commercial Airplane Pilot knowledge test.
• Plan and explain a flight that would require exercising the privileges of a Commercial Pilot Airplane certificate.

At the beginning of the course, the instructor will explain the methods used to evaluate and record student progress, and the criteria for assigning a course grade.  Evaluation methods may include one or more of the following: Tests and quizzes, attendance, participation, class assignments, and class projects. 

Aeronautical knowledge training will be provided in the following areas appropriate to the category and class rating for this course as outlined in FAR 61.125 (b) and FAR 141 appendix D (3) (b):

1. Federal Aviation Regulations that apply to commercial pilot privileges, limitations, and flight operations;
2. Accident reporting requirements of the National Transportation Safety Board;
3. Basic aerodynamics and the principles of flight;
4. Meteorology, to include recognition of critical weather situations, windshear recognition and avoidance, and the use of  aeronautical weather reports and forecasts;
5. Safe and efficient operation of aircraft;
6. Weight and balance computations;
7. Use of performance charts;
8. Significance and effects of exceeding aircraft performance limitations;
9. Use of aeronautical charts and a magnetic compass for pilotage and dead reckoning;
10. Use of air navigation facilities;
11. Aeronautical decision making and judgment;
12. Principles and functions of aircraft systems;
13. Maneuvers, procedures, and emergency operations appropriate to the aircraft;
14. Night and high-altitude operations;
15. Descriptions of and procedures for operating within the national Airspace System; and
16. Procedures for flight and ground training for lighter-than-air ratings.