PA.II.D — Taxiing (ASEL, AMEL)
PA.II.D for the Private Pilot Airplane ACS: official objective, references, and 23 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.
FAA-S-ACS-6C, 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 | Private Pilot |
|---|---|
| Aircraft category | Airplane |
| Area of operation | Area of Operation II. Preflight Procedures |
| Task | Task D. Taxiing (ASEL, AMEL) |
| Task code prefix | PA.II.D |
| Official references | AC 91-73; AIM; Chart Supplements; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-25; POH/AFM |
| FAA document | FAA-S-ACS-6C — Private Pilot 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 taxi operations, including runway incursion avoidance.
What the ACS code means
- PA identifies the ACS standard family used for this Private Pilot Airplane document.
- II identifies Preflight Procedures, the Area of Operation.
- D identifies Taxiing (ASEL, AMEL), 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 |
|---|---|---|
| PA.II.D.K1 | Current airport aeronautical references and information resources such as the Chart Supplement, airport diagram, and Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs). | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PA.II.D.K2 | Taxi instructions/clearances. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PA.II.D.K3 | Airport markings, signs, and lights. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PA.II.D.K4 | Visual indicators for wind. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PA.II.D.K5 | Aircraft lighting, as appropriate. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PA.II.D.K6 | Procedures for: | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PA.II.D.K6a | a. Appropriate flight deck activities prior to taxi, including route planning and identifying the location of Hot Spots | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PA.II.D.K6b | b. Radio communications at towered and nontowered airports | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PA.II.D.K6c | c. Entering or crossing runways | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PA.II.D.K6d | d. Night taxi operations | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PA.II.D.K6e | e. Low visibility taxi operations | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| PA.II.D.R1 | Activities and distractions. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PA.II.D.R2 | Confirmation or expectation bias as related to taxi instructions. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PA.II.D.R3 | A taxi route or departure runway change. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PA.II.D.R4 | Runway incursion. | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| PA.II.D.S1 | Receive and correctly read back clearances/instructions, 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. |
| PA.II.D.S2 | Use an airport diagram or taxi chart during taxi, if published, and maintain situational awareness. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PA.II.D.S3 | Position the flight controls for the existing wind, 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. |
| PA.II.D.S4 | Complete the appropriate checklist(s). | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PA.II.D.S5 | Perform a brake check immediately after the airplane begins moving. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PA.II.D.S6 | Maintain positive control of the airplane during ground operations by controlling direction and speed without excessive use of brakes. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PA.II.D.S7 | Comply with airport/taxiway markings, signals, and air traffic control (ATC) clearances and instructions. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PA.II.D.S8 | Position the airplane properly relative to hold lines. | 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.
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 Private Pilot Airplane ACS tasks
61 task-level resources from FAA-S-ACS-6C.
- PA.II.C — Engine Starting
Area of Operation II. Preflight Procedures
- PA.II.E — Taxiing and Sailing (ASES, AMES)
Area of Operation II. Preflight Procedures
- PA.II.A — Preflight Assessment
Area of Operation II. Preflight Procedures
- PA.II.B — Flight Deck Management
Area of Operation II. Preflight Procedures