Private pilot licence · Cessna 172 · CYLW

C172 flight test reference

One page for the last few weeks before the ride. Four tabs: the speeds and tolerances with a card per exercise in test order, the ground-brief memory items, the emergency handling summary, and the systems descriptions. Skim a tab the night before, and take the numbers into the chair-fly.

Read this next to the POH, not instead of it. Every speed here is either a published figure with its source shown, or is flagged as a technique number. Pick your aeroplane on the Chair-fly tab before you read anything else: the speeds and the airspeed indicator scale both change with the airframe and the panel. The tolerances in the chips are the published flight test standards.

Chair-fly reference in test order · chips are the flight test tolerances

Short & soft appr
60 kt69 mph70 mph
Gusty add
+ xwind ÷ 2
Slow flight
50 kt (47 clean)58 mph (54 clean)60 mph
Steep turn
95 kt109 mph109 mph · 45°
Forced keys
HK 1000 · LK 500
Touchdown zone
first ⅓, always
Aim → touchdown
~600 ft
Winds
spoken MAG · written TRUE
C-GDZQ · C172M (1976) · V-speedsC-GNFX · C172M (1976) · V-speeds, convertedC-FCIY · C172K (1969) · V-speeds KIAS · C172M POH figs 2-1 / 2-2KIAS × 1.151 · C172M POH figs 2-1 / 2-2mph CAS · C172K POH §III
Vx64 → 6274 → 7168best angle · SL → 10,000 ftSL → 10,000 ftone figure, all altitudes
Vy78 → 6890 → 7882best rate · SL → 10,000 ftSL → 10,000 ft82 SL, 79 at 10,000
Va97 / 89 / 80112 / 102 / 92122@ 2300 / 1950 / 1600 lb@ 2300 / 1950 / 1600 lbone figure, no weight buckets
Vso414752stall, flaps down · white arc low
Vs1475459stall, clean · green arc low
Vfe8598100max flap extended · white arc high
Vno128147140top of green / bottom of yellow
Vne160184174never exceed · red line
Highlighted: Vx · Vy · Va. Know these three cold.
Working speeds · C172M POH §3–4 checklists (KIAS)C172M POH §3–4 checklists, KIAS × 1.151C172K POH §I checklists (mph)
Rotate556360lift nose wheel, normal T/O
Climb-out70–8081–9285normal · enroute 70–9081–10480–90
Obst. climb647468Vx, flaps up · hold to the obstacle, then Vy
Best glide657580@ 2300 lb · C172M POH fig 3-1@ 2300 lb · C172M POH fig 3-1IAS, flaps up · C172K POH fig 5-6
Forced ldg65 / 6075 / 6980 / 75flaps up / down · same after-T/O failure · the K POH gives glide only
Precaut.606970with power · same as the short/soft approach
Approach60–70 / 55–6569–81 / 63–7570–80 / 65–75flaps up / flaps down
Overshoot789082Vy · flaps 20°, then retract slowly from 65
Cockpit placard reads Va 97 kt at gross weight. Green arc 47–128 · white arc 41–85 · yellow 128–160 · red line 160. The laminated checklist card prints single figures, Vx 63 and Vy 76, which are mid-altitude averages rather than the book. Quote the POH ranges above; the number you fly down low is Vx 64.This aeroplane's ASI is mph only. There is no knots scale on the dial, so every figure above is the C172M POH's KIAS × 1.151, rounded: derived, not published. The placard reads Va 97 kt, which on this panel is 112 mph. Green arc 54–147 · white arc 47–98 · yellow 147–184 · red line 184. Watch the trap: the aircraft's own checklist card prints KIAS the panel cannot display, so 64 on that card is the 74 mph you actually fly.Va is a single POH figure, 122 mph, with no weight buckets: the M's 2300 / 1950 / 1600 split does not exist in the K book. Green arc 59–140 · white arc 52–100 · yellow 140–174 · red line 174.
Max-performance / obstacle takeoff: hold Vx 64→6274→7168, best angle of climb and the same figure that answers "what is Vx?", until the obstacle is cleared, then lower the nose to Vy. One speed to hold, not two.

Ground & paperwork

Documents & journey log

  • CoA · CoR · POH · W&B · journey log · insurance. Does the insurance cover this pilot on this flight?
  • Journey log: outstanding snags, and hours to the next inspection. Know how your operator schedules it, and whether a grace window applies.
  • Answer style everywhere: one complete sentence. Answer what was asked, then stop.

Walkaround

  • Record fuel L/R + oil, endurance in minutes.
  • Say marginal things out loud. Oil near the minimum, a soft tire, a weeping drain: name it, then say what you are going to do about it.

Passenger briefing

before boardingall 7
  1. Emergency exits: location and use, including the windows and the rear cargo door. Muster point. Demonstrate the doors locking open.
  2. Safety belts, including the shoulder strap.
  3. Seat operation.
  4. Air vents.
  5. Baggage and carry-on stowage.
  6. Smoking restrictions: ask about vapes too.
  7. Emergency equipment: first-aid kit, survival gear and extinguisher, ELT (what it is and what to do with it), life raft.

Taxi, run-up, briefing

  • Brake check before the run-up, every time.
  • Specific roll check every time, even rushed. Turning left: wing left · ball right · heading indicator decreasing · everything else holding steady.
  • Conscious crosswind input from the first foot of taxi, every taxi. Don't ride the brakes.
  • Pre-takeoff checklist out and early; takeoff brief on the apron, before calling ground.
  • Loose items stowed in the side pockets. The examiner's hands are full, and nothing should end up loose under the seat rails.

Takeoffs

Normal takeoff

rotate 55 ktrotate 63 mphrotate 60 mphclimb 70–80 ktclimb 81–92 mphclimb 85 mph (+10/−5 kt)
  • Takeoff brief and GO/NO-GO point spoken on every takeoff, not just the first one of the day.
  • Crosswind: taxi input → bleed to neutral by rotation → crab to hold centreline. Two modes: taxiing vs flying.
  • No turns below 500 AGL. On the Oyama departure, stay tight to the ridge: IFR traffic comes up the lake.

Short-field takeoff

Vx 64 ktVx 74 mphVx 68 mphclimb pwr ±50 RPM
  • Use every inch: line up on the edge of the paved surface, not the painted lines. It is easy to leave 150 ft of runway behind you.
  • Hold brakes → confirm static power → roll.
  • Rotate, then chase Vx deliberately: pitch up, and keep pitching. Hold it to 50 ft or the obstacle, then Vy.

Soft-field takeoff

  • Once you go, you go: continuous roll, never stop. It does not need a full backtrack.
  • Full back pressure, nose light onto the runway; off at the slowest speed.
  • Level in ground effect ~5 ft, nose down, accelerate to Vy. Expect more right rudder.
  • No flap changes below 400 AGL.

Cross-country

Departure & set heading

  • Note takeoff time; open the flight plan (or simulate).
  • SHP outside the zone (top of Kal Lake). At SHP: set HI to compass, note time, give initial ETA.
  • Convert starting fuel to time right away.

Enroute

±200 ft±10°3 nm of track
  • Fly the planned heading on the compass card and trust it; confirm with map features.
  • Off each turn: 10 nm GS check → speed, revised ETA, fuel reserve (slower = more burn).
  • TAS check on the wheel; the question it answers: faster or slower than plan?
  • Within 15 min of SHP: verify position, correct track, confirm ETA + fuel.

Diversion

±10°±10 kt±200 ft
  • Kneeboard card out. Circle present position + time.
  • Pick the alternate; track line or chain of features.
  • Estimate heading · time enroute · fuel on arrival as time ("2 h 15 min").
  • Highest MEF → safe altitude. ETA at set-heading, revise once enroute. Simulated ATS call.

Instrument

Hood work

±15°±200 ft±15 kt
  • Script: 2 min straight & level → rate-1 turn 180° → 2 min straight & level.
  • Altitude slipping? Fix it with intent: a deliberate climb or descent, not a slow fight.
  • Power changes swing the nose, so be strict on heading.

Unusual attitudes

  • Name it out loud: "it is a spiral dive."
  • Nose-down: power off → wings level → ease out → power back.
  • Nose-up: power in → pitch forward → wings level → adjust.
  • Recover to the original altitude, not 200 below it.

Airwork

Steep turn

95 kt109 mph109 mph · 45°±100 ft±10 ktbank ±10°rollout ±10°
  • Lookout first, pick the rollout reference.
  • Lean with the turn; cowling reference on the horizon (left: rivets · right: cowling edge).
  • ~2200 RPM as a starting point; confirm it in the aeroplane you fly. Nip the power off if the speed builds. Trim it. Eyes outside.

Slow flight

50 kt58 mph60 mph±100 ft±10°15° bank turn
  • HASEL + safety check. ~1500 RPM, decelerate to 50 kt58 mph60 mph, power back in to hold altitude.
  • 50 kt58 mph60 mph is the exercise: fly the number, not the horn. Some airframes chirp all the way through and some barely chirp at all, so check the stall warning on the walkaround, then fly the airspeed and ignore it.
  • Announce "we're in slow flight" + the symptoms. Prompt recovery on command.

Stalls

script: 1700 RPM · 20 flap
  • HASEL. Announce the onset (horn, buffet, mushy controls) on every stall.
  • Power-off: wings level, positive recovery, minimum height loss.
  • Power-on banked: ailerons migrating to neutral by the stall; wing drop = rudder only. Opposite aileron is disqualifying.
  • Brisk entry, actually stall it. Return to assigned altitude / heading / speed.

Spiral dive & slips

  • Spiral: name it, power off, wings level, ease out, back to the original altitude.
  • Forward slip: ask for the descent first; smooth in, smooth out.
  • No skidding, ever.

Forced & precautionary

Forced landing: the field

first ⅓≤1000 ft past TDZ
  • Near · behind · below. Flat beats familiar; roads and hills beside it don't matter.
  • Pre-pick a field whenever the ground below you changes. Never be caught without one.
  • Watch true elevation. A hilltop field can sit hundreds of feet above the valley floor you are judging your height against.
  • Declare the touchdown zone in the first third, no matter what. Change fields only while the original is still makeable.

Forced landing: flying it

glide 65 ktglide 75 mphglide 80 mphfinal 65 kt up / 60 flapfinal 75 mph up / 69 flapfinal 80 mph up / 75 flap
  • Best glide 65 kt75 mph80 mph first; after that, cheat the profile with flap and slip as needed.
  • Orbit around the field, never on top; keep it in sight. High key 1000 AGL downwind → low key 500 AGL.
  • Clock the wind, land into it: downwind leg carries you far, upwind eats glide.
  • COWLS the field: surface, obstacles, wind, length, slope.

Forced landing: the drill

  • Vitals from memory → pull the emergency checklist → mayday (don't let it steal the field) → pax review.
  • Engine clears at intervals: in and out, quick but smooth. Don't baby it, and don't park it at 1300.
  • Finish the S in GLIDES, crisply: fuel off · mixture lean · throttle idle · mags off · master off.

Precautionary

insp. pass 60 ktinsp. pass 69 mphinsp. pass 70 mph
  • Announce the inspection height and the reason for any speed deviation; the flight test standards call for it.
  • Sort the wind first: upwind → crosswind → downwind.
  • On the pass: hold speed and altitude, and actually read the surface and the slope rather than just flying the pattern.
  • Tight terrain? Pull the power and the turn tightens. Then overshoot, fly the circuit, and declare the landing type.

Circuit & landings

Circuit & entries (Vernon)

±100 ft
  • Runway undecided = stay 2,900: cross midfield, windsock check, descend non-active side to 2,400.
  • Square every entry: base at circuit altitude, no diagonal slides onto downwind.
  • Confirm the wind on every takeoff and landing, then make a conscious runway decision instead of carrying on with the one you started with.
  • High on the approach? Regain a normal glide slope, or take an orbit. Never let anyone rush you into a bad approach.

Normal landing & overshoot

+400/−100 ft15 ft of centreline
  • Aim at the edge of the paved surface, not the threshold: aiming at the threshold lands you long.
  • No flap 40 until the runway is made.
  • Trust the speed: flare, nose up, hold it off. Holding off does not balloon you; arriving flat plants the aeroplane.
  • Overshoot: max power smoothly, pitch to stop the descent, flaps 20° → Vy 78 kt90 mph82 mph, then retract slowly (climb +10/−5 kt).

Short-field landing (obstacle)

+200/−50 ftno chop-and-drop
  • Declare up front: aim point (basically at the obstacle) + touchdown point (~600 ft past aim).
  • Clear it, power off, fly it down stable. An abrupt descent once past the obstacle takes the mark down.
  • Flare fully; landing flat puts you short.
  • Down = committed: flaps up, brakes without lockup, wheel back, stop.

Soft-field landing

  • A breath of power through the flare; slowest possible touch on the mains.
  • Nose wheel off as long as possible; if the nose starts to drop, add a little power.
  • Trim effort varies between airframes of the same type. Feel the trim out on the first circuit, and use two hands on the back pressure if it is stiff.
  • Hold the wheelie, mind the remaining runway.

Crosswind: every landing

gusty: 20 flap · 70 ktgusty: 20 flap · 81 mphgusty: 20 flap · 80 mph
  • Put the reported wind on the heading indicator on final: hear it, see it, then conscious input all the way down, every landing.
  • Gusty rule: normal 60 kt69 mph70 mph + crosswind÷2. Let it float long; be patient.
  • Wheels down = taxi crosswind input immediately.
  • Heavy in the flare: more elevator than you expect. Two airframes of the same type can differ by 90 lb empty and still land within 30 lb of each other once fuel is counted, so don't assume a lighter logbook weight means a lighter flare.

Return & headspace

Coming home (CYLW)

  • Comms established before the zone: call at Fintry or earlier, and accept an orbit if the tower is busy.
  • Rwy 16: aim a little past the numbers; stay well clear of the shortened-runway end.
  • Square pattern unless cleared otherwise and traffic wants speed.
  • After landing: flaps up · carb cold · brakes · crosswind input. Park: locks, chocks, pitot cover.

Headspace

  • Slow, deep breaths.
  • Decisive PIC: one call, fewer options.
  • Radio a beat earlier than feels natural.
  • Aim above the standard, so that one ordinary bad moment still lands inside it.