High-Performance & Complex Endorsement: Systems, Props & Procedures
intermediate 40 lessons ~14h total 70 practice questions 8 units Certificate on completion
Master the constant-speed prop, retractable gear, and big-engine management behind the 61.31(e) and (f) endorsements.
About this course
Stepping into a Bonanza, Arrow, Mooney, Cessna 182RG, or Cirrus-class airplane changes how you think about an engine and airframe. This course prepares you for the **logbook endorsements required by 14 CFR 61.31(e) (high-performance, more than 200 horsepower) and 61.31(f) (complex — retractable gear, flaps, and a controllable-pitch propeller)**, and just as importantly, for safe operation of the systems those endorsements unlock. We go deep on the **constant-speed propeller and its governor** — how oil pressure, flyweights, and the speeder spring hold a commanded RPM, and why you set manifold pressure and RPM in a deliberate order. You will learn to read and respect engine limitations, manage **mixture and fuel flow** at altitude, operate **cowl flaps** for cylinder-head temperature control, and understand **turbocharging and turbonormalizing**, including overboost, bootstrapping, and critical altitude. The **retractable landing gear** chapters cover hydraulic and electric systems, gear-position and warning logic, the V-speeds that protect the gear (VLE and VLO), and a calm, methodical approach to **emergency gear extension**. The back half of the course is built around the failures that actually bite step-up pilots: a runaway or feathering-failure prop, a partial-power loss from a sticking wastegate, a gear that will not indicate down, and the human-factors traps — checklist discipline, the gear-warning horn you learn to ignore, and the speed at which everything happens. By the end you will be ready for a confident endorsement flight and for real-world operation of a capable, demanding airplane.
What you'll learn
Explain and demonstrate constant-speed propeller operation, including governor function and the correct order for setting manifold pressure and RPM.
Operate a retractable landing gear system normally and perform a methodical emergency extension when the gear fails to indicate down.
Manage a turbocharged or turbonormalized engine within limits, recognizing overboost, bootstrapping, and critical altitude.
Use cowl flaps, mixture, and power settings to keep cylinder-head and oil temperatures within green-arc limits in climb, cruise, and descent.
Identify the regulatory basis for the high-performance and complex endorsements under 61.31(e) and (f) and what each airplane category requires.
Diagnose and respond to systems-specific emergencies — propeller, gear, turbocharger, and power-loss failures — with disciplined checklist use.
CM
Your instructor
Captain Marcus Hale
ATP · CFI · CFII · MEI · AGI · IGI
ATP and Gold Seal CFII with 7,200 hours across complex piston singles, light twins, and turboprops, and several thousand hours instructing transition pilots in Bonanzas, Mooneys, and turbocharged Cessnas.
Summary
Skill level
Intermediate
Lessons
40
Duration
6h 50m
Practice bank
70 questions
Certification
Yes
Language
English