# PA.X.B — VMC Demonstration (AMEL, AMES) — Private Pilot Airplane ACS

> PA.X.B from FAA-S-ACS-6C, including the official objective, references, notes, and 22 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.

Canonical HTML: [https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/airplane/private-pilot/pa-x-b](https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/airplane/private-pilot/pa-x-b)

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

## Official Task context

- FAA document: Private Pilot for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards
- Identifier: FAA-S-ACS-6C
- Published source date: November 2023
- Aircraft category: Airplane
- Certificate or rating: Private Pilot
- Area of Operation: Area of Operation X. Multiengine Operations
- Task: Task B. VMC Demonstration (AMEL, AMES)
- Task code prefix: PA.X.B
- Official references: FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-3, FAA-H-8083-25; FAA-P-8740-66; POH/AFM
- 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 VMC demonstration.

## Knowledge elements

- **PA.X.B.K1** — Factors affecting VMC and how VMC differs from stall speed (VS).
- **PA.X.B.K2** — VMC (red line), VYSE (blue line), and safe single-engine speed (VSSE).
- **PA.X.B.K3** — Cause of loss of directional control at airspeeds below VMC.
- **PA.X.B.K4** — Proper procedures for maneuver entry and safe recovery.

## Risk management elements

- **PA.X.B.R1** — Configuring the airplane.
- **PA.X.B.R2** — Maneuvering with one engine inoperative.
- **PA.X.B.R3** — Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.

## Skills elements

- **PA.X.B.S1** — Configure the airplane in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations, in the absence of the manufacturer’s recommendations, then at safe single-engine speed (VSSE/VYSE), as appropriate, and:
- **PA.X.B.S1a** — Landing gear retracted
- **PA.X.B.S1b** — Flaps set for takeoff
- **PA.X.B.S1c** — Cowl flaps set for takeoff
- **PA.X.B.S1d** — Trim set for takeoff
- **PA.X.B.S1e** — Propellers set for high revolutions per minute (rpm)
- **PA.X.B.S1f** — Power on critical engine reduced to idle and propeller windmilling
- **PA.X.B.S1g** — Power on operating engine set to takeoff or maximum available power
- **PA.X.B.S2** — Establish a single-engine climb attitude with the airspeed at approximately 10 knots above VSSE.
- **PA.X.B.S3** — Establish a bank angle not to exceed 5° toward the operating engine, as required for best performance and controllability.
- **PA.X.B.S4** — Increase the pitch attitude slowly to reduce the airspeed at approximately 1 knot per second while applying increased rudder pressure as needed to maintain directional control.
- **PA.X.B.S5** — Recognize and recover at the first indication of loss of directional control, stall warning, or buffet.
- **PA.X.B.S6** — Recover promptly by simultaneously reducing power sufficiently on the operating engine, decreasing the angle of attack as necessary to regain airspeed and directional control, and without adding power on the simulated failed engine.
- **PA.X.B.S7** — Recover within 20° of entry heading.
- **PA.X.B.S8** — Advance power smoothly on the operating engine and accelerate to VSSE/VYSE, as appropriate, +10/-5 knots during recovery.

## 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 2: Safety of Flight and 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.