PI.VI.G — Steep Turns

PI.VI.G for the Flight Instructor – Instrument Powered Lift ACS: official objective, references, and 20 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.

FAA-S-ACS-28, November 2023. This study page does not replace the current FAA publication or an examiner's plan of action.

Official task context

PI.VI.G official ACS context
Certificate or rating	Flight Instructor – Instrument
Aircraft category	Powered Lift
Area of operation	Area of Operation VI. Flight by Reference to Instruments
Task	Task G. Steep Turns
Task code prefix	PI.VI.G
Official references	FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-9, FAA-H-8083-15, FAA-H-8083-25
FAA document	FAA-S-ACS-28 — Flight Instructor – Instrument Rating Powered-Lift Airman Certification Standards
FAA source library	Open the official ACS library

Official task objective

To determine the applicant understands attitude instrument flying during steep turns, can apply that knowledge, manage associated risks, demonstrate appropriate skills, and provide effective instruction.

What the ACS code means

PI identifies the ACS standard family used for this Flight Instructor – Instrument Powered Lift document.
VI identifies Flight by Reference to Instruments, the Area of Operation.
G identifies Steep Turns, 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 code	Official description	How a mock oral can probe it
PI.VI.G.K1	Elements related to attitude instrument flying during steep turns.	Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
PI.VI.G.K2	The relationship of pitch, bank, power, and configuration during steep turns.	Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
PI.VI.G.K3	Full and partial panel procedures for entry and completion of steep turns.	Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
PI.VI.G.K4	Normal and abnormal instrument indications and operations.	Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
PI.VI.G.K5	Instrument cross-check techniques.	Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant.
PI.VI.G.K6	Common 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 code	Official description	How a mock oral can probe it
PI.VI.G.R1	Fixation and omission.	Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision.
PI.VI.G.R2	Instrument Interpretation.	Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision.
PI.VI.G.R3	Control application solely by reference to instruments.	Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision.
PI.VI.G.R4	Aircraft coordination.	Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision.
PI.VI.G.R5	Situations that can affect physiology and degrade instrument cross-check.	Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision.
PI.VI.G.R6	Flying unfamiliar aircraft or operating with unfamiliar flight display systems and avionics.	Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision.
PI.VI.G.R7	Distractions, 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 code	Official description	How a mock oral can probe it
PI.VI.G.S1	Use proper instrument cross-check and interpretation, and apply the appropriate pitch, bank, power, configuration, and trim corrections when applicable.	Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test.
PI.VI.G.S2	Demonstrates and simultaneously explains steep turns from an instructional standpoint.	Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test.
PI.VI.G.S3	Establish the manufacturer's recommended airspeed; or if one is not available, an airspeed not to exceed maneuvering speed (VA).	Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test.
PI.VI.G.S4	Conduct an Instrument cross check using full and/or partial panel instruments.	Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test.
PI.VI.G.S5	Perform the Task in the opposite direction.	Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test.
PI.VI.G.S6	Maintain the entry altitude ±100 feet, airspeed ±10 knots, bank ±5°, and roll out on the entry heading ±10°.	Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test.
PI.VI.G.S7	Analyze 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.

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

All Flight Instructor – Instrument Powered Lift ACS tasks
37 task-level resources from FAA-S-ACS-28.
PI.VI.F — Timed Turns to Magnetic Compass Headings
Area of Operation VI. Flight by Reference to Instruments
PI.VI.H — Recovery from Unusual Flight Attitudes
Area of Operation VI. Flight by Reference to Instruments
PI.VI.A — Straight-and-Level Flight
Area of Operation VI. Flight by Reference to Instruments
PI.VI.B — Turns
Area of Operation VI. Flight by Reference to Instruments
PI.VI.C — Change of Airspeed in Straight-And-Level and Turning Flight
Area of Operation VI. Flight by Reference to Instruments
PI.VI.D — Constant Airspeed Climbs and Descents
Area of Operation VI. Flight by Reference to Instruments