# AA.VI.J — Holding Procedures — Airline Transport Pilot Airplane ACS

> AA.VI.J from FAA-S-ACS-11A, including the official objective, references, notes, and 19 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.

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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 J. Holding Procedures
- Task code prefix: AA.VI.J
- Official references: 14 CFR part 91; AC 91-74; 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 holding procedures.

## Knowledge elements

- **AA.VI.J.K1** — Elements related to holding procedures, including reporting criteria, appropriate speeds, and recommended entry procedures for standard, nonstandard, published, and non-published holding patterns.
- **AA.VI.J.K2** — Determining holding endurance based upon factors, including an expect further clearance (EFC) time, fuel on board, fuel flow while holding, fuel required to destination and alternate, etc., as appropriate.
- **AA.VI.J.K3** — When to declare minimum fuel or a fuel-related emergency.
- **AA.VI.J.K4** — Use of automation for holding, including autopilot and flight management systems, if equipped.

## Risk management elements

- **AA.VI.J.R1** — Recalculating fuel reserves if assigned an unanticipated expect further clearance (EFC) time.
- **AA.VI.J.R2** — Scenarios and circumstances that could result in minimum fuel or the need to declare an emergency.
- **AA.VI.J.R3** — Scenarios that could lead to holding, including deteriorating weather at the planned destination.
- **AA.VI.J.R4** — Holding entry and wind correction while holding.
- **AA.VI.J.R5** — Holding while in icing conditions.
- **AA.VI.J.R6** — Automation management.

## Skills elements

- **AA.VI.J.S1** — Correctly identify instrument navigation aids associated with the assigned hold.
- **AA.VI.J.S2** — Use an entry procedure appropriate for a standard, nonstandard, published, or non-published holding pattern.
- **AA.VI.J.S3** — Change to the appropriate holding airspeed for the aircraft and holding altitude to cross the holding fix at or below maximum holding airspeed.
- **AA.VI.J.S4** — Comply with the holding pattern leg length and other restrictions, if applicable, associated with the holding pattern.
- **AA.VI.J.S5** — Comply with ATC reporting requirements.
- **AA.VI.J.S6** — Use proper wind correction procedures to maintain the desired pattern and to arrive over the fix as close as possible to a specified time.
- **AA.VI.J.S7** — Maintain specified airspeed ±10 knots, altitude ±100 feet, headings ±10°, and accurately track a selected course, radial, or bearing.
- **AA.VI.J.S8** — If available, use automation, including autopilot, flight director controls, and navigation displays associated with the assigned hold.
- **AA.VI.J.S9** — Update fuel reserve calculations based on EFC times.

## 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.