PL.V.D — Normal Approach to a Hover
PL.V.D for the Private Pilot Powered Lift ACS: official objective, references, and 30 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.
FAA-S-ACS-13, 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 | Powered Lift |
| Area of operation | Area of Operation V. Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds |
| Task | Task D. Normal Approach to a Hover |
| Task code prefix | PL.V.D |
| Official references | AIM; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-25; Flight Manual |
| FAA document | FAA-S-ACS-13 — Private Pilot for Powered-Lift 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 approach profile to a hover.
What the ACS code means
- PL identifies the ACS standard family used for this Private Pilot Powered Lift document.
- V identifies Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds, the Area of Operation.
- D identifies Normal Approach to a Hover, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| PL.V.D.K1 | Types of approaches and applicability. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PL.V.D.K2 | Performance data and the height velocity (H/V) diagram. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PL.V.D.K3 | Effects of atmospheric conditions, including wind and density altitude, on approach and hover performance. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PL.V.D.K4 | Wind correction techniques on approach and hover. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PL.V.D.K5 | Aircraft configurations for the approach and hover. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PL.V.D.K6 | Aircraft performance and limitations. | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| PL.V.D.R1 | Selection of runway/helipad/touchdown point based on aircraft performance and limitations, available distance, and wind. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.D.R2 | Effects of: | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.D.R2a | a. Crosswind | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.D.R2b | b. Windshear | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.D.R2c | c. Tailwind | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.D.R2d | d. Wake turbulence | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.D.R2e | e. Vortex ring state (VRS) | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.D.R2f | f. Runway/arrival point surface/condition | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.D.R3 | Situations including: | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.D.R3a | a. Rejected landing and go-around | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.D.R3b | b. Powerplant failure during the approach | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.D.R4 | Collision hazards. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.D.R5 | Flat light conditions. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.D.R6 | 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
| ACS code | Official description | How a mock oral can probe it |
|---|---|---|
| PL.V.D.S1 | 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. |
| PL.V.D.S2 | Comply with air traffic control (ATC) or evaluator instructions and make radio calls as appropriate. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PL.V.D.S3 | Use the appropriate techniques and aircraft configurations through all stages of the approach. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PL.V.D.S4 | Consider the wind conditions, landing surface, and obstructions and select a suitable hover point. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PL.V.D.S5 | Maintain appropriate ground track with crosswind correction throughout the approach. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PL.V.D.S6 | Fly a stabilized approach. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PL.V.D.S7 | Arrive over the arrival point at a stabilized hover ±4 feet. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PL.V.D.S8 | Execute a timely go-around for any condition that may result in an unsafe approach or landing. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PL.V.D.S9 | Use single-pilot resource management (SRM) or crew resource management (CRM), as appropriate. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PL.V.D.S10 | Use runway incursion avoidance procedures, 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. |
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 Powered Lift ACS tasks
58 task-level resources from FAA-S-ACS-13.
- PL.V.C — Maximum Performance Takeoff and Climb
Area of Operation V. Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds
- PL.V.E — Normal Approach and Landing
Area of Operation V. Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds
- PL.V.A — Normal Takeoff and Climb from a Hover
Area of Operation V. Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds
- PL.V.B — Rolling Takeoff and Climb
Area of Operation V. Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds