One of the first things a newly minted private pilot enjoys doing is flying circles over the family home or a friend’s house. Sound familiar? That is one reason—but not the most important one—the FAA requires ground reference maneuvers as part of every private pilot checkride.
Usually one of the first skills that student pilots learn, ground reference maneuvers are also among the easiest to master for the checkride. But occasionally students struggle with this relatively benign task. The FAA has identified three distinct checkride maneuvers for this demonstration: rectangular courses, S-turns across a road, and turns around a point. In reality, a pilot relies on some form of these skills for every flight, even if making only one circuit in the pattern. Because these skills are so fundamental to flying, they form a critical link to flight safety.
In short, any ground reference maneuver is one that requires the pilot, with reference to ground-based objects, to connect where he is now to where he wants to be next, compensating for existing winds by adjusting aircraft heading and/or bank angle as needed to achieve the desired ground track. Something as basic as maintaining a straight-ahead ground track along the extended runway centerline following a crosswind takeoff is a very common way to immediately begin your flight with a ground reference maneuver. This can represent the first leg of the rectangular course you will fly in any traffic pattern on a windy day. The corrections you make (or don’t make) will quickly establish your level of ground-reference skills and awareness to any designated pilot examiner (DPE).
By practical test standards decree, the examiner may require only one of the three possible tasks for the test. But be prepared to accomplish any or all of them. I find the S-turns across a road the most challenging of the three because of the dynamic, timing-critical, course-reversing nature. If an applicant can perform S-turns well, the other two should be a breeze.
There are several commonalities that a successful applicant will want to mentally review prior to beginning the maneuver. First, as with all flight maneuvers, be sure the area is clear of conflicting traffic. Next, establish that you are between 600 and 1,000 feet above the ground to begin the maneuver. Then, while selecting the area you wish to perform the maneuver, make sure it is free of any undesirable obstacles that might threaten a safe operation. And, finally, be sure to develop a survival plan that would permit a safe landing should an engine suddenly fail during the maneuver. Too often, these considerations are ignored by the applicant and present a sloppy way to begin the maneuver.
Another set of specific actions the DPE will be looking for is the applicant’s ability to divide his attention throughout the maneuver as necessary to continue maintaining a safe traffic vigilance; consistent altitude control within 100 feet; airspeed control within 10 knots; and proper rudder coordination. It may feel a bit like juggling, but the ability to multitask during these maneuvers represents an important aspect of the purpose for requiring ground reference maneuvers during checkrides. Have you ever felt overloaded or task-saturated while turning base to final with a strong, gusty crosswind, as you attempted to adjust your flaps, reduce your airspeed/power, make a final trim adjustment, scan for traffic, and announce your position in the pattern—all at the same time?
As an extension of correlation-level learning of ground reference training, your examiner will be impressed by your unsolicited ability to fly a precise, rectangular traffic pattern, compensating for existing winds, and adjusting your bank angles accordingly, especially during turns from base to final, never requiring excessive bank angles, or overshooting the extended runway centerline—and in the process, maintaining proper rudder coordination all the way. Routinely accomplishing this demands good wind awareness and sensitivity, planning, visualization, and strong stick-and-rudder skills—the ingredients of a good checkride.
