# AA.II.D — Taxiing and Sailing (ASES, AMES) — Airline Transport Pilot Airplane ACS

> AA.II.D from FAA-S-ACS-11A, including the official objective, references, notes, and 33 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.

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

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 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 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 safe taxi and sailing operations.

## Knowledge elements

- **AA.II.D.K1** — Current airport/seaplane base aeronautical references and information resources, including Chart Supplements, airport diagram, and appropriate references.
- **AA.II.D.K2** — Taxi instructions/clearances, if applicable.
- **AA.II.D.K3** — Airport/seaplane base markings, signs, and lights.
- **AA.II.D.K4** — Appropriate aircraft lighting for day and night operations.
- **AA.II.D.K5** — Sailing elements and techniques and when sailing should be used.
- **AA.II.D.K6** — Considerations for determining the most favorable sailing course.
- **AA.II.D.K7** — Airport/seaplane base procedures, including:
- **AA.II.D.K7a** — a. Appropriate flight deck activities prior to taxi or sailing, including route planning, and coordinating with crew, if applicable
- **AA.II.D.K7b** — b. Communications at towered and nontowered seaplane bases
- **AA.II.D.K7c** — c. Entering or crossing runways (land operation)
- **AA.II.D.K7d** — d. Night taxi and sailing operations
- **AA.II.D.K7e** — e. Low visibility taxi and sailing operations

## Risk management elements

- **AA.II.D.R1** — Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
- **AA.II.D.R2** — Porpoising and skipping.
- **AA.II.D.R3** — Partial completion of checklist(s).
- **AA.II.D.R4** — Low visibility taxi and sailing operations.
- **AA.II.D.R5** — Other aircraft, vessels, and hazards.
- **AA.II.D.R6** — Gear position in an amphibious airplane.
- **AA.II.D.R7** — Confirmation or expectation bias as related to taxi instructions.

## Skills elements

- **AA.II.D.S1** — Receive/record taxi instructions, read back/acknowledge taxi clearances, and review taxi routes on the airport diagram.
- **AA.II.D.S2** — Use an appropriate chart during taxi, if published.
- **AA.II.D.S3** — Comply with ATC clearances, as appropriate, and seaplane base/airport/taxiway markings, signals and signs.
- **AA.II.D.S4** — Depart the dock/mooring buoy or beach/ramp in a safe manner, considering wind, current, traffic, and hazards.
- **AA.II.D.S5** — Coordinate with crew, if applicable, and complete the appropriate checklist(s) prior to and during taxi or sailing, as appropriate.
- **AA.II.D.S6** — Maintain situational awareness.
- **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.
- **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.
- **AA.II.D.S9** — Use the appropriate idle, plow, or step taxi technique.
- **AA.II.D.S10** — Exhibit procedures for steering and maneuvering while maintaining proper situational awareness and desired orientation, path, and position.
- **AA.II.D.S11** — Plan and follow the most favorable taxi or sailing course for current conditions.
- **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.
- **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.
- **AA.II.D.S14** — Explain the hazards of low visibility taxi and sailing operations.

## 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.

## 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.