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AI.X.I — Spin Awareness and Spins

AI.X.I for the Flight Instructor Airplane ACS: official objective, references, and 23 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.

FAA-S-ACS-25, November 2023. This study page does not replace the current FAA publication or an examiner's plan of action.

Official task context

AI.X.I official ACS context
Certificate or ratingFlight Instructor
Aircraft categoryAirplane
Area of operationArea of Operation X. Slow flight, Stalls, and Spins
TaskTask I. Spin Awareness and Spins
Task code prefixAI.X.I
Official referencesAC 61-67; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-9, FAA-H-8083-25; POH/AFM
FAA documentFAA-S-ACS-25 — Flight Instructor for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards
FAA source libraryOpen the official ACS library

Official task objective

To determine the applicant understands spins, can apply that knowledge, manage associated risks, demonstrate appropriate skills, and provide effective instruction.

What the ACS code means

  • AI identifies the ACS standard family used for this Flight Instructor Airplane document.
  • X identifies Slow flight, Stalls, and Spins, the Area of Operation.
  • I identifies Spin Awareness and Spins, 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

Official ACS knowledge items and mock-oral treatment
ACS codeOfficial descriptionHow a mock oral can probe it
AI.X.I.K1Purpose of and procedures for spin awareness and spins.Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
AI.X.I.K2Aerodynamics associated with spins in various airplane configurations, including the relationship between angle of attack, airspeed, load factor, power setting, airplane weight and center of gravity, airplane attitude, and yaw effects.Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
AI.X.I.K3What causes a spin and how to identify the entry, incipient, and developed phases of a spin.Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
AI.X.I.K4Spin recovery procedure.Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
AI.X.I.K5Human factors associated with spin instruction.Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
AI.X.I.K6How to determine if an airplane approved for the spin maneuver based on airworthiness category and type certificate.Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
AI.X.I.K7Flight situations where unintentional spins may occur.Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
AI.X.I.K8Entry procedure and minimum entry altitude for intentional spins.Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
AI.X.I.K9Control procedure to maintain a stabilized spin.Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
AI.X.I.K10Recognize conditions that lead to a spin for future avoidance.Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
AI.X.I.K11Orientation during a spin, including which instrument(s) are reliable for determining the directions of spin.Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
AI.X.I.K12Recovery procedure and minimum recovery altitude for intentional spins.Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
AI.X.I.K13Common errors related to this Task.Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.

Risk management elements

Official ACS risk management items and mock-oral treatment
ACS codeOfficial descriptionHow a mock oral can probe it
AI.X.I.R1Factors and situations that could lead to inadvertent spin and loss of control.Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision.
AI.X.I.R2Range and limitations of stall warning indicators (e.g., aircraft buffet, stall horn, etc.).Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision.
AI.X.I.R3Spin recovery procedure.Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision.
AI.X.I.R4Effect of environmental elements on airplane performance related to spins (e.g., turbulence, microbursts, and high-density altitude).Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision.
AI.X.I.R5Collision hazards.Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision.
AI.X.I.R6Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision.

Skills elements

Official ACS skills items and mock-oral treatment
ACS codeOfficial descriptionHow a mock oral can probe it
AI.X.I.S1Clear the area.Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test.
AI.X.I.S2Select an entry altitude that allows the Task to be completed no lower than 4,000 feet AGL.Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test.
AI.X.I.S3Enter and recover from an intentional spin if requested by 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.
AI.X.I.S4Analyze and correct common errors related to this Task.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

  • At the discretion of the evaluator, a logbook record attesting applicant instructional competency in spin entries, spins, and spin recoveries may be accepted in lieu of this Task. The flight instructor who conducted the spin instruction must certify the logbook record.
  • See Appendix 2: Safety of Flight and 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.

Practice in a mock oral

Related ACS tasks