# PL.IV.B — Hover Taxi — Private Pilot Powered Lift ACS

> PL.IV.B from FAA-S-ACS-13, including the official objective, references, notes, and 30 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.

Canonical HTML: [https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/powered-lift/private-pilot/pl-iv-b](https://www.check-ride.ai/acs/powered-lift/private-pilot/pl-iv-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 Powered-Lift Category Airman Certification Standards
- Identifier: FAA-S-ACS-13
- Published source date: November 2023
- Aircraft category: Powered Lift
- Certificate or rating: Private Pilot
- Area of Operation: Area of Operation IV. Hovering Maneuvers
- Task: Task B. Hover Taxi
- Task code prefix: PL.IV.B
- Official references: AC 91-73; AIM; Chart Supplements; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-25; Flight Manual
- 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 hover taxi operations, including runway incursion avoidance.

## Knowledge elements

- **PL.IV.B.K1** — Current airport aeronautical references and information resources such as the Chart Supplement, airport diagram, and Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs).
- **PL.IV.B.K2** — Hover taxi instructions, clearances, and limitations.
- **PL.IV.B.K3** — Airport/heliport/helipad/landing area, signs, markings, and lighting.
- **PL.IV.B.K4** — Visual indicators for wind.
- **PL.IV.B.K5** — Aircraft lighting, as appropriate.
- **PL.IV.B.K6** — Procedures for:
- **PL.IV.B.K6a** — a. Pilot activities during taxiing
- **PL.IV.B.K6b** — b. Safe hover taxi at towered and non-towered airports/heliports/helipads/landing areas
- **PL.IV.B.K6c** — c. Entering or crossing runways
- **PL.IV.B.K7** — Aircraft configuration.
- **PL.IV.B.K8** — Aircraft operating limitations.

## Risk management elements

- **PL.IV.B.R1** — Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
- **PL.IV.B.R2** — Reduced visibility or night taxi operations.
- **PL.IV.B.R3** — Powerplant(s) failure during hover taxi.
- **PL.IV.B.R4** — Other aircraft and hazards.
- **PL.IV.B.R5** — Hazardous effects of downwash.
- **PL.IV.B.R6** — Aircraft configuration.
- **PL.IV.B.R7** — Height/Velocity (H/V) considerations.
- **PL.IV.B.R8** — Crosswind limitations.
- **PL.IV.B.R9** — Other hazards specific to the powered-lift make and model.
- **PL.IV.B.R10** — Runway incursion.

## Skills elements

- **PL.IV.B.S1** — Complete the appropriate checklist(s).
- **PL.IV.B.S2** — Receive and correctly read back clearances/instructions, if applicable.
- **PL.IV.B.S3** — Use an airport diagram or taxi chart during taxi, if published, and maintain situational awareness.
- **PL.IV.B.S4** — Comply with airport/heliport taxiway markings, signals, and signs.
- **PL.IV.B.S5** — Position the primary flight controls, including the thrust vector, for the prevailing environmental conditions.
- **PL.IV.B.S6** — Hover taxi over specified ground references, demonstrating forward, sideward, and rearward hovering and hovering turns.
- **PL.IV.B.S7** — Maintain recommended hovering altitude, ±1/2 of that altitude within 10 feet of the surface, if above 10 feet, ±5 feet.
- **PL.IV.B.S8** — Make 90°, 180°, and 360° pivoting turns, stopping within 10° of specified headings.
- **PL.IV.B.S9** — Use single-pilot resource management (SRM) or crew resource management (CRM), as appropriate.

## 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.