AA.I.B — Performance and Limitations
AA.I.B for the Airline Transport Pilot Airplane ACS: official objective, references, and 35 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.
FAA-S-ACS-11A, November 2023. This study page does not replace the current FAA publication or an examiner's plan of action.
Official task context
| Certificate or rating | Airline Transport Pilot |
|---|---|
| Aircraft category | Airplane |
| Area of operation | Area of Operation I. Preflight Preparation |
| Task | Task B. Performance and Limitations |
| Task code prefix | AA.I.B |
| Official references | 14 CFR parts 1, 91; AC 20-117, AC 61-107, AC 61-138, AC 91-74, AC 91-79, AC 120-27, AC 120-58, AC 120-60, AC 135-17; AIM; Chart Supplements; FAA-H-8083-1, FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-23, FAA-H-8083-25; POH/AFM; SAFO 19001 |
| FAA document | FAA-S-ACS-11A — Airline Transport Pilot and Type Rating for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards |
| FAA source library | Open the official ACS library |
Official task objective
To determine that the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with operating an aircraft safely within its operating envelope.
What the ACS code means
- AA identifies the ACS standard family used for this Airline Transport Pilot Airplane document.
- I identifies Preflight Preparation, the Area of Operation.
- B identifies Performance and Limitations, the Task within that Area.
- K, R, and S identify knowledge, risk-management, and skill elements. The number selects the item; a trailing lowercase letter identifies a listed sub-element.
Knowledge elements
| ACS code | Official description | How a mock oral can probe it |
|---|---|---|
| AA.I.B.K1 | Elements related to performance and limitations by explaining the use of charts, tables, and data to determine performance. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K2 | How to determine the following, as applicable to the class sought: | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K2a | a. Accelerate-stop / accelerate-go distance | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K2b | b. Takeoff performance [e.g., balance field length and Velocity, Minimum Control (ground) (VMCG)] | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K2c | c. Climb performance | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K2d | d. Cruise performance (e.g., optimum and maximum operating altitudes) | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K2e | e. Descent performance | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K2f | f. Landing performance | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K2g | g. Performance with an inoperative powerplant for all phases of flight (AMEL, AMES) | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K2h | h. Weight and balance and how to shift weight | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K3 | Factors affecting performance, including: | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K3a | a. Atmospheric conditions | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K3b | b. Pilot technique | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K3c | c. Aircraft configuration (e.g., flap setting) | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K3d | d. Airport environment (e.g., runway condition, land and hold short operations (LAHSO)) | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K3e | e. Loading (e.g., center of gravity) | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K3f | f. Aircraft weight | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K4 | Aerodynamics and how it relates to performance. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K5 | Adverse effects of exceeding an airplane limitation or the aircraft operating envelope. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K6 | Effects of icing on performance. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K7 | Clean wing concept; deicing and anti-icing procedures, including use of appropriate deice fluid, holdover tables, calculating hold-over times, and pre-takeoff contamination checks. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K8 | Air carrier weight and balance systems (e.g., average weight program). Air Transport Pilot (ATP) (AMEL, AMES). | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.I.B.K9 | Runway assessment and condition reporting and use of the Runway Condition Assessment Matrix (RCAM). (ATP)(AMEL, AMES). | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
Risk management elements
| ACS code | Official description | How a mock oral can probe it |
|---|---|---|
| AA.I.B.R1 | Use of performance charts, tables, and data. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.I.B.R2 | Airplane limitations. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.I.B.R3 | Possible differences between calculated performance and actual performance. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.I.B.R4 | Airplane icing and its effect on performance and stall warning. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.I.B.R5 | Runway excursions. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
Skills elements
| ACS code | Official description | How a mock oral can probe it |
|---|---|---|
| AA.I.B.S1 | Describe the airspeeds used during specific phases of flight. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.I.B.S2 | Describe the effects of meteorological conditions on performance for all phases of flight and correctly apply these factors to a specific chart, table, graph, or other performance data. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.I.B.S3 | Describe the procedures for wing contamination recognition and any deice/anti-ice procedures prior to takeoff. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.I.B.S4 | Explain the adverse effects of airframe icing during all phases of flight. Describe any operating limitations for flight in icing conditions. If equipped, describe the procedures for deicing and anti-icing system use and their effects on performance. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.I.B.S5 | Compute weight and balance, including practical techniques to resolve out-of-limits calculations for a representative scenario, as specified by the evaluator. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.I.B.S6 | Determine the computed center-of-gravity is within the acceptable limits and the lateral fuel balance is within limits for takeoff and landing. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.I.B.S7 | Demonstrate proficient use of appropriate performance charts, tables, graphs, or other data to determine airplane performance and limitations for all phases of flight. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
Difficulty data
Difficulty calibration is ongoing for this Task. A difficulty estimate is published only with a sufficiently large, privacy-preserving first directly recorded assessment sample. Any observed difficulty comes from Checkride AI mock-oral practice assessments and is a practice-data proxy, not an FAA practical-test pass or fail rate.
Difficulty calibration remains ongoing until an item clears the private reporting threshold. Percentages, when available, describe the share who needed review on their first directly recorded assessment. Underlying sample sizes are never published, and historical final states are not backfilled into this measure.
Official task notes
- See Appendix 3: Aircraft, Equipment, and Operational Requirements & Limitations for information
- related to this Task.
How to use this in a mock oral
A mock examiner can ask you to explain the published elements, apply them to the configured aircraft and airport scenario, identify risks, and defend a decision. The prompts are practice scenarios; they are not claimed to be actual FAA examiner scripts or a prediction of the questions you will receive.
Related ACS tasks
- All Airline Transport Pilot Airplane ACS tasks
48 task-level resources from FAA-S-ACS-11A.
- AA.I.A — Operation of Systems
Area of Operation I. Preflight Preparation
- AA.I.C — Weather Information (ATP)
Area of Operation I. Preflight Preparation
- AA.I.D — High-Altitude Aerodynamics (ATP) (AMEL, AMES)
Area of Operation I. Preflight Preparation
- AA.I.E — Air Carrier Operations (ATP) (AMEL, AMES)
Area of Operation I. Preflight Preparation