# IP.III.A — Compliance with Air Traffic Control Clearances — Instrument Rating Powered Lift ACS

> IP.III.A from FAA-S-ACS-3, including the official objective, references, notes, and 14 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.

Canonical HTML: [https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/powered-lift/instrument-rating/ip-iii-a](https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/powered-lift/instrument-rating/ip-iii-a)

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

## Official Task context

- FAA document: Instrument Rating – Powered-Lift Airman Certification Standards
- Identifier: FAA-S-ACS-3
- Published source date: November 2023
- Aircraft category: Powered Lift
- Certificate or rating: Instrument Rating
- Area of Operation: Area of Operation III. Air Traffic Control (ATC) Clearances and Procedures
- Task: Task A. Compliance with Air Traffic Control Clearances
- Task code prefix: IP.III.A
- Official references: 14 CFR parts 91; AIM; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-15, FAA-H-8083-16, FAA-H-8083-25
- 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 ATC clearances and procedures while operating solely by reference to instruments.

## Knowledge elements

- **IP.III.A.K1** — Elements and procedures related to ATC clearances and pilot/controller responsibilities for departure, en route, and arrival phases of flight, including clearance void times.
- **IP.III.A.K2** — Pilot-in-Command (PIC) emergency authority.
- **IP.III.A.K3** — Lost communication procedures and procedures for flights outside of radar environments.

## Risk management elements

- **IP.III.A.R1** — Less than full understanding of an ATC clearance.
- **IP.III.A.R2** — Inappropriate, incomplete, or incorrect ATC clearances.
- **IP.III.A.R3** — ATC clearance inconsistent with aircraft performance or navigation capability.
- **IP.III.A.R4** — ATC clearance intended for other aircraft with similar call signs.

## Skills elements

- **IP.III.A.S1** — Correctly copy, read back, interpret, and comply with simulated or actual ATC clearances in a timely manner using standard phraseology as provided in the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM).
- **IP.III.A.S2** — Correctly set communication frequencies, navigation systems (identifying when appropriate), and transponder codes in compliance with the ATC clearance.
- **IP.III.A.S3** — Use the current and appropriate paper or electronic navigation publications.
- **IP.III.A.S4** — Intercept all courses, radials, and bearings appropriate to the procedure, route, or clearance in a timely manner.
- **IP.III.A.S5** — Maintain the applicable airspeed ±10 knots, headings ±10°, altitude ±100 feet; track a course, radial, or bearing within ¾-scale deflection of the course deviation indicator (CDI).
- **IP.III.A.S6** — Use single-pilot resource management (SRM) or crew resource management (CRM), as appropriate.
- **IP.III.A.S7** — Perform the appropriate checklist items relative to the phase of flight.

## 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.