tion. The fuselage of a powered parachute contains the aircraft engine, a seat for each occupant and is attached to the aircraft’s landing gear. 

POWER-OFF DESCENT—Aircraft configuration where a descent occurs with power at idle. 

POWERPLANT—A complete engine and propeller combination with accessories. 

PPC—See POWERED PARACHUTE. 

PPCL—Powered parachute land. 

PPCS—Powered parachute sea. 

PRACTICAL TEST—Flight test administered by an FAA examiner or designated examiner as a pre- requisite for pilot certification. Successful comple- tion of the practical test is required to earn a pilot certificate or rating. 

PRACTICAL TEST STANDARDS (PTS)—An FAA published document of standards that must be met for the issuance of a particular pilot certificate or rating. FAA inspectors and designated pilot exam- iners use these standards when conducting pilot practical tests, and flight instructors use the PTS while preparing applicants for practical tests. 

PREFLIGHT INSPECTION—Aircraft inspection conducted to determine if an aircraft is mechani- cally and legally airworthy. 

PRESSURE ALTITUDE—The altitude indicated when the altimeter setting window (barometric scale) is adjusted to 29.92. This is the altitude above the standard datum plane, which is a theoretical plane where air pressure (corrected to 15ºC) equals 29.92 in. Hg. Pressure altitude is used to compute density altitude, true altitude, true airspeed, and other performance data. 

PRIVATE AIRPORT—Airport that is privately owned and not available to the public without prior permission. They are depicted on aeronauti- cal charts for emergency and landmark purposes. 

PRIVATE PILOT CERTIFICATE—An FAA-issued pilot certificate permitting carriage of passengers on a not-for-hire basis. Reference 14 CFR part 61. 

PROFICIENCY CHECK—An evaluation of aero- nautical knowledge and flight proficiency. Refer- ence part 61. Upon successful completion of the proficiency check the authorized instructor will endorse the applicant’s logbook indicating the added category/class of equipment that the appli- cant is authorized to operate. 

PROPELLER—A device for propelling an aircraft that, when rotated, produces by its action on the air, a thrust approximately perpendicular to its plane of rotation. It includes the control compo- nents normally supplied by its manufacturer. 

PROPELLER BLAST—The volume of air acceler- ated behind a propeller producing thrust. 

PTS—See PRACTICAL TEST STANDARDS. 

PUBLIC AIRPORT—Airport that is available to the aviation public. 

PUSHER CONFIGURATION—Propeller configura- tion where the propeller shaft faces the rear of the aircraft. Thrust produced by the propeller pushes the aircraft, rather than pulling it. 

RAM-AIR WING—Also known as a parafoil. An airfoil designed with an aerodynamic cell structure which is inflated by the wind, forming a classic wing cross-section that generates lift. 

RECIPROCATING ENGINE—An engine that converts the heat energy from burning fuel into the reciprocating movement of the pistons. This movement is converted into a rotary motion by the connecting rods and crankshaft. 

REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE—A federal cer- tificate that documents aircraft ownership. 

RELATIVE WIND—The direction the wind strikes an airfoil. 

RIBS—The parts of an aircraft wing structure that give the wing its aerodynamic cross section. Fabric covers the ribs and gives the PPC wing its airfoil shape. 

RISERS—One of several straps that attach the cart to the suspension lines. Sometimes referred to as “V lines,” risers are the intermediate link between the suspension lines and the aircraft. 

RISK ELEMENTS—The four fundamental areas of exposure to risk: the pilot, the aircraft, the envi- ronment, and the type of operation that comprise any given aviation situation. 

RISK MANAGEMENT—The part of the decision making process which relies on situational aware- ness, problem recognition, and good judgment to reduce risks associated with each flight. 

ROLL—The rotation of an aircraft about its longitu- dinal axis. 

ROUNDOUT (FLARE)—A pitch-up during landing approach to reduce rate of descent and forward speed prior to touchdown. 

RPM—Revolutions per minute. A measure of rota- tional speed. One RPM is one revolution made in one minute. 

RUNWAY—A defined rectangular area on a land airport prepared for the landing and takeoff run of aircraft along its length. Runways are normally numbered in relation to their magnetic direction rounded off to the nearest 10 degrees; e.g., Run- way 1, Runway 25. 

