# AA.VI.B — Departure Procedures — Airline Transport Pilot Airplane ACS

> AA.VI.B from FAA-S-ACS-11A, including the official objective, references, notes, and 17 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.

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

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 VI. Instrument Procedures
- Task: Task B. Departure Procedures
- Task code prefix: AA.VI.B
- Official references: 14 CFR part 91; AC 90-100; AIM; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-15, FAA-H-8083-16, FAA-H-8083-25; POH/AFM; Terminal Procedures Publications
- 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 instrument departure procedures (DPs).

## Knowledge elements

- **AA.VI.B.K1** — Takeoff minimums; (Obstacle) Departure Procedure (ODP), including Visual Climb over the Airport (VCOA) and Diverse Vector Area (Radar Vectors); Standard Instrument Departure (SID), including Area Navigation (RNAV) departure; required climb gradients; U.S. Terminal Procedures Publications; and En Route Charts.
- **AA.VI.B.K2** — Use of a Flight Management System (FMS) or Global Positioning System (GPS) to follow a DP.
- **AA.VI.B.K3** — Pilot/controller responsibilities, communication procedures, and ATC services available to pilots.
- **AA.VI.B.K4** — Two-way radio communication failure procedures after takeoff.
- **AA.VI.B.K5** — Ground-based and satellite-based navigation systems (orientation, course determination, equipment, tests and regulations, interference, appropriate use of navigation data, signal integrity).

## Risk management elements

- **AA.VI.B.R1** — Following published procedures and required climb gradients or ATC Instructions.
- **AA.VI.B.R2** — Limitations of air traffic avoidance equipment and use of see and avoid techniques.
- **AA.VI.B.R3** — Automation management.

## Skills elements

- **AA.VI.B.S1** — Select the appropriate instrument departure procedure. Then select, identify (as necessary), and use the appropriate communication and navigation facilities associated with the procedure.
- **AA.VI.B.S2** — Program the FMS prior to departure and set avionics, including flight director and autopilot controls, as appropriate, for the departure, if applicable.
- **AA.VI.B.S3** — Coordinate with crew, if applicable, and complete the appropriate checklist(s) in a timely manner.
- **AA.VI.B.S4** — Use current and appropriate navigation publications or databases for the proposed flight.
- **AA.VI.B.S5** — Establish two-way communications with the proper controlling agency, use proper phraseology, comply, in a timely manner, with all ATC instructions and airspace restrictions, and exhibit adequate knowledge of communication failure procedures.
- **AA.VI.B.S6** — Intercept all courses, radials, and bearings appropriate to the procedure, route, clearance, or as directed by the evaluator in a timely manner.
- **AA.VI.B.S7** — Comply with all applicable charted procedures.
- **AA.VI.B.S8** — Maintain the appropriate airspeed ±10 knots, headings ±10°, and altitude ±100 feet, and accurately track a course, radial, or bearing.
- **AA.VI.B.S9** — Conduct the departure phase to a point where, in the opinion of the evaluator, the transition to the en route environment is complete.

## 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.