# AI.II.I — Navigation and Cross-Country Flight Planning — Flight Instructor Airplane ACS

> AI.II.I from FAA-S-ACS-25, including the official objective, references, notes, and 28 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.

Canonical HTML: [https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/airplane/flight-instructor/ai-ii-i](https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/airplane/flight-instructor/ai-ii-i)

Site reference: [https://www.check-ride.ai/llms.txt](https://www.check-ride.ai/llms.txt)

## Official Task context

- FAA document: Flight Instructor for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards
- Identifier: FAA-S-ACS-25
- Published source date: November 2023
- Aircraft category: Airplane
- Certificate or rating: Flight Instructor
- Area of Operation: Area of Operation II. Technical Subject Areas
- Task: Task I. Navigation and Cross-Country Flight Planning
- Task code prefix: AI.II.I
- Official references: 14 CFR part 91; AIM; Chart Supplements; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-9, FAA-H-8083-25, NOTAMs; VFR Navigation Charts
- FAA source library: https://www.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/acs

## Official Task objective

To determine the applicant understands navigation and cross-country flight planning, can apply that knowledge, manage associated risks, demonstrate appropriate skills, and provide effective instruction.

## Knowledge elements

- **AI.II.I.K1** — Route planning, including consideration of different classes and special use airspace (SUA) and selection of appropriate and available navigation/communication systems and facilities.
- **AI.II.I.K2** — Altitude selection accounting for terrain and obstacles, glide distance of airplane, visual flight rules (VFR) cruising altitudes, and effect of wind.
- **AI.II.I.K3** — Plotting a course.
- **AI.II.I.K4** — Power setting selection.
- **AI.II.I.K5** — Calculating:
- **AI.II.I.K5a** — Time, climb and descent rates, course, distance, heading, true airspeed, and groundspeed
- **AI.II.I.K5b** — Estimated time of arrival, including conversion to universal coordinated time (UTC)
- **AI.II.I.K5c** — Fuel requirements, including reserve
- **AI.II.I.K6** — Elements of a VFR flight plan.
- **AI.II.I.K7** — Correlate weather information to make a go/no-go decision.
- **AI.II.I.K8** — Procedures for activating and closing a VFR flight plan.
- **AI.II.I.K9** — Magnetic compass errors.
- **AI.II.I.K10** — Pilotage and dead reckoning.
- **AI.II.I.K11** — Planned calculations versus actual results and required corrections.
- **AI.II.I.K12** — Diversion and lost procedures.
- **AI.II.I.K13** — Inflight intercept procedures.
- **AI.II.I.K14** — Use of an electronic flight bag (EFB), if used.
- **AI.II.I.K15** — Chart symbols.

## Risk management elements

- **AI.II.I.R1** — Pilot.
- **AI.II.I.R2** — Aircraft.
- **AI.II.I.R3** — Environment (e.g., weather, airports, airspace, terrain, obstacles).
- **AI.II.I.R4** — External pressures.
- **AI.II.I.R5** — Limitations of air traffic control (ATC) services.
- **AI.II.I.R6** — Fuel planning.

## Skills elements

- **AI.II.I.S1** — Prepare, present, and explain a cross-country flight plan assigned by the evaluator, including a risk analysis to the first fuel stop.
- **AI.II.I.S2** — Apply pertinent information from appropriate and current aeronautical charts, Chart Supplements; Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs) relative to airport, runway and taxiway closures; and other flight publications.
- **AI.II.I.S3** — Create a navigation plan and simulate filing a VFR flight plan.
- **AI.II.I.S4** — Recalculate fuel reserves based on a scenario provided by the evaluator.

## 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.