AA.VI.C — Arrival Procedures
AA.VI.C for the Airline Transport Pilot Airplane ACS: official objective, references, and 20 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 VI. Instrument Procedures |
| Task | Task C. Arrival Procedures |
| Task code prefix | AA.VI.C |
| 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; IFR Enroute Charts; POH/AFM; STARs; Terminal Procedures Publications |
| 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 Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) arrival procedures.
What the ACS code means
- AA identifies the ACS standard family used for this Airline Transport Pilot Airplane document.
- VI identifies Instrument Procedures, the Area of Operation.
- C identifies Arrival Procedures, 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.VI.C.K1 | Standard Terminal Arrival (STAR) charts, U.S. Terminal Procedures Publications, and IFR En Route High and Low Altitude Charts. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.VI.C.K2 | Use of a Flight Management System (FMS) or GPS to follow a STAR. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.VI.C.K3 | Pilot/controller responsibilities, communication procedures, and ATC services available to pilots. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.VI.C.K4 | Two-way radio communication failure procedures during an arrival. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| AA.VI.C.K5 | Ground-based and satellite-based navigation systems (orientation, course determination, equipment, tests and regulations, interference, appropriate use of navigation data, signal integrity). | 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.VI.C.R1 | ATC communications and compliance with published procedures. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.VI.C.R2 | Limitations of traffic avoidance equipment. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.VI.C.R3 | Responsibility to use "see and avoid" techniques when possible. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.VI.C.R4 | Automation management. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| AA.VI.C.R5 | ATC instructions that modify an arrival or discontinue/resume the aircraft's lateral or vertical navigation on an arrival. | 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.VI.C.S1 | In actual or simulated instrument conditions, select, identify (as necessary) and use the appropriate communication and navigation facilities associated with the arrival. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VI.C.S2 | Set FMS and avionics, including flight director and autopilot controls for the arrival, if applicable. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VI.C.S3 | Coordinate with crew, if applicable, and complete the appropriate checklist(s) in a timely manner. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VI.C.S4 | Use current and appropriate navigation publications or databases for the proposed 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.VI.C.S5 | Establish two-way communications with the proper controlling agency, use proper phraseology and comply, in a timely manner, with all ATC instructions and airspace restrictions as well as exhibit adequate knowledge of communication failure procedures. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VI.C.S6 | Intercept all courses, radials, and bearings appropriate to the procedure, route, clearance, or as directed by the evaluator in a timely manner. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VI.C.S7 | Comply with all applicable charted procedures. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VI.C.S8 | Adhere to airspeed restrictions required by regulation, procedure, aircraft limitation, ATC, or 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.VI.C.S9 | Establish rates of descent consistent with the route segment, airplane operating characteristics and safety. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| AA.VI.C.S10 | Maintain the appropriate airspeed/V-speed ±10 knots, but not less than reference landing approach speed (VREF) if applicable, heading ±10°, altitude ±100 feet, and accurately track radials, courses, and bearings. | 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.VI.B — Departure Procedures
Area of Operation VI. Instrument Procedures
- AA.VI.D — Non-precision Approaches
Area of Operation VI. Instrument Procedures
- AA.VI.A — Instrument Takeoff
Area of Operation VI. Instrument Procedures
- AA.VI.E — Precision Approaches
Area of Operation VI. Instrument Procedures