AA.II.D — Taxiing and Sailing (ASES, AMES)
AA.II.D for the Airline Transport Pilot Airplane ACS: official objective, references, and 33 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 II. Preflight Procedures |
| Task | Task D. Taxiing and Sailing (ASES, AMES) |
| Task code prefix | AA.II.D |
| Official references | 14 CFR part 91, 121, 135; AC 91-73, AC 120-57, AC 120-74; AIM; Chart Supplements; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-23, FAA-H-8083-25; POH/AFM |
| 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 the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with safe taxi and sailing operations.
What the ACS code means
- AA identifies the ACS standard family used for this Airline Transport Pilot Airplane document.
- II identifies Preflight Procedures, the Area of Operation.
- D identifies Taxiing and Sailing (ASES, AMES), 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.II.D.K1 | Current airport/seaplane base aeronautical references and information resources, including Chart Supplements, airport diagram, and appropriate references. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.D.K2 | Taxi instructions/clearances, if applicable. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.D.K3 | Airport/seaplane base markings, signs, and lights. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.D.K4 | Appropriate aircraft lighting for day and night operations. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.D.K5 | Sailing elements and techniques and when sailing should be used. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.D.K6 | Considerations for determining the most favorable sailing course. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.D.K7 | Airport/seaplane base procedures, including: | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.D.K7a | a. Appropriate flight deck activities prior to taxi or sailing, including route planning, and coordinating with crew, if applicable | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.D.K7b | b. Communications at towered and nontowered seaplane bases | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.D.K7c | c. Entering or crossing runways (land operation) | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.D.K7d | d. Night taxi and sailing operations | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.II.D.K7e | e. Low visibility taxi and sailing operations | 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.II.D.R1 | Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.II.D.R2 | Porpoising and skipping. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.II.D.R3 | Partial completion of checklist(s). | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.II.D.R4 | Low visibility taxi and sailing operations. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.II.D.R5 | Other aircraft, vessels, and hazards. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.II.D.R6 | Gear position in an amphibious airplane. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.II.D.R7 | Confirmation or expectation bias as related to taxi instructions. | 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.II.D.S1 | Receive/record taxi instructions, read back/acknowledge taxi clearances, and review taxi routes on the airport diagram. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.D.S2 | Use an appropriate chart during taxi, if published. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.D.S3 | Comply with ATC clearances, as appropriate, and seaplane base/airport/taxiway markings, signals and signs. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.D.S4 | Depart the dock/mooring buoy or beach/ramp in a safe manner, considering wind, current, traffic, and hazards. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.D.S5 | Coordinate with crew, if applicable, and complete the appropriate checklist(s) prior to and during taxi or sailing, as appropriate. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.D.S6 | Maintain situational awareness. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.D.S7 | Maintain correct and positive airplane control, proper speed, appropriate use of reverse thrust, and separation between other aircraft, vehicles, vessels, and persons to avoid an incursion or right-of-way violation. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.D.S8 | Position the flight controls, flaps, doors, water rudders, and power correctly for the existing conditions to follow the desired course while sailing and to prevent or correct for porpoising and skipping during step taxi. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.D.S9 | Use the appropriate idle, plow, or step taxi technique. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.D.S10 | Exhibit procedures for steering and maneuvering while maintaining proper situational awareness and desired orientation, path, and position. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.D.S11 | Plan and follow the most favorable taxi or sailing course for current conditions. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.D.S12 | Demonstrate taxi or sailing during day and night operations. If either condition is not available, the applicant explains the differences between day and night taxi or sailing. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.D.S13 | Demonstrate proper use of aircraft exterior lighting for day and night operations. If either condition is not available, the applicant explains the differences between exterior aircraft lighting used for day and night operations. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.II.D.S14 | Explain the hazards of low visibility taxi and sailing operations. | 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.
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.II.C — Taxiing (ASEL, AMEL)
Area of Operation II. Preflight Procedures
- AA.II.E — Before Takeoff Checks
Area of Operation II. Preflight Procedures
- AA.II.A — Preflight Assessment
Area of Operation II. Preflight Procedures
- AA.II.B — Powerplant Start
Area of Operation II. Preflight Procedures