# AA.I.A — Operation of Systems — Airline Transport Pilot Airplane ACS

> AA.I.A from FAA-S-ACS-11A, including the official objective, references, notes, and 27 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.

Canonical HTML: [https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/airplane/airline-transport-pilot/aa-i-a](https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/airplane/airline-transport-pilot/aa-i-a)

Site reference: [https://www.check-ride.ai/llms.txt](https://www.check-ride.ai/llms.txt)

## Official Task context

- FAA document: Airline Transport Pilot and Type Rating for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards
- Identifier: FAA-S-ACS-11A
- Published source date: November 2023
- Aircraft category: Airplane
- Certificate or rating: Airline Transport Pilot
- Area of Operation: Area of Operation I. Preflight Preparation
- Task: Task A. Operation of Systems
- Task code prefix: AA.I.A
- Official references: AC 90-117, AC 91.21-1, AC 91-78, AC 120-76; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-23, FAA-H-8083-25; FSB Report (type specific); POH/AFM
- FAA source library: https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/acs

## Official Task objective

To determine the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with aircraft systems and their components; and their normal, abnormal, and emergency procedures.

## Knowledge elements

- **AA.I.A.K1** — Landing gear–extension/retraction system(s), indicators, float devices, brakes, antiskid, tires, nosewheel steering, and shock absorbers.
- **AA.I.A.K2** — Powerplant–controls and indications, induction system, carburetor and fuel injection, turbocharging, cooling, mounting points, turbine wheels, compressors, deicing, anti-icing, and other related components.
- **AA.I.A.K3** — Propellers–type, controls, feathering/unfeathering, auto-feather, negative torque sensing, synchronizing, synchrophasing, and thrust reverse, including uncommanded reverse procedures.
- **AA.I.A.K4** — Fuel system–capacity, drains, pumps, controls, indicators, cross-feeding, transferring, jettisoning, fuel grade, color and additives, fueling and defueling procedures, and fuel substitutions.
- **AA.I.A.K5** — Oil system–capacity, allowable types of oil, quantities, and indicators.
- **AA.I.A.K6** — Hydraulic system–capacity, pumps, pressure, reservoirs, allowable types of fluid, and regulators.
- **AA.I.A.K7** — Electrical system–alternators, generators, batteries, circuit breakers and protection devices, controls, indicators, and external and auxiliary power sources and ratings.
- **AA.I.A.K8** — Pneumatic and environmental systems–heating, cooling, ventilation, oxygen, pressurization, supply for ice protection systems, controls, indicators, and regulating devices.
- **AA.I.A.K9** — Avionics and communications–autopilot, flight director, Electronic Flight Instrument Systems (EFIS), Flight Management System (FMS), Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), Radar, Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Space-Based Augmentation System (SBAS), Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS), ground-based navigation systems and components, Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) In and Out, Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Contract (ADS-C), traffic awareness/warning/avoidance systems, terrain awareness/warning/alert systems, communication systems (e.g., data link, Ultra High Frequency (UHF)/Very High Frequency (VHF)/High Frequency (HF), satellite), Controller Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC), indicating devices, transponder, and emergency locator transmitter, Head Up-Display (HUD).
- **AA.I.A.K10** — Ice protection–anti-ice, deice, pitot-static system protection, turbine inlet, propeller, windshield, airfoil surfaces, and other related components.
- **AA.I.A.K11** — Crewmember and passenger equipment–oxygen system, survival gear, emergency exits, evacuation procedures and crew duties, quick donning oxygen mask for crewmembers, passenger oxygen system.
- **AA.I.A.K12** — Flight controls–ailerons, elevator(s), rudder(s), control tabs, control boost/augmentation systems, flaps, spoilers, leading edge devices, speed brakes, stability augmentation system (e.g., yaw damper), and trim systems.
- **AA.I.A.K13** — Pitot-static system–associated instruments and the power source for those flight instruments. Operation and power sources for other flight instruments.
- **AA.I.A.K14** — Fire & smoke detection, protection, and suppression–powerplant, cargo and passenger compartments, lavatory, pneumatic and environmental, electrical/avionics, and batteries (on aircraft and personal electronic devices).
- **AA.I.A.K15** — Envelope protection–angle of attack warning and protection, and speed protection.
- **AA.I.A.K16** — The contents of the Pilot Owner's Handbook (POH) or Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) with regard to the systems and components in the airplane.
- **AA.I.A.K17** — How to use a Minimum Equipment List (MEL) and a Configuration Deviation List (CDL).

## Risk management elements

- **AA.I.A.R1** — Detection of system malfunctions or failures.
- **AA.I.A.R2** — Management of a system failure.
- **AA.I.A.R3** — Monitoring and management of automated systems.
- **AA.I.A.R4** — Following checklists or procedures.

## Skills elements

- **AA.I.A.S1** — Explain and describe the operation of the aircraft systems and components using correct terminology.
- **AA.I.A.S2** — Recall immediate action items or memory items, if appropriate.
- **AA.I.A.S3** — Identify system or component limitations listed in the POH/AFM.
- **AA.I.A.S4** — Demonstrate or describe, as appropriate, the process for deferring inoperative equipment (e.g., MEL) and using a CDL.
- **AA.I.A.S5** — Comply with operations specifications, management specifications, and letters of authorization, if applicable.
- **AA.I.A.S6** — Through the use of the appropriate checklists and normal and abnormal procedures, demonstrate the proper use of the aircraft systems, subsystems, and devices, as determined by the evaluator.

## Difficulty methodology

Difficulty calibration is ongoing for this Task. Observed difficulty is a privacy-thresholded check-ride.ai mock-oral practice proxy, not an FAA practical-test pass or fail rate. Underlying sample sizes and the private reporting threshold are not published.

## Official Task notes

- See Appendix 3: Aircraft, Equipment, and Operational Requirements & Limitations for information related to this Task.

## Use in practice

A mock examiner can ask a pilot to explain the published elements, apply them to the configured aircraft and airport context, identify risks, and defend a decision. Practice prompts are not represented as actual FAA examiner scripts or predictions of the questions a candidate will receive.