PL.V.E — Normal Approach and Landing
PL.V.E for the Private Pilot Powered Lift ACS: official objective, references, and 26 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 E. Normal Approach and Landing |
| Task code prefix | PL.V.E |
| 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 a normal approach and landing.
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.
- E identifies Normal Approach and Landing, 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.E.K1 | Effects of atmospheric conditions, including wind, on approach speed and angle. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PL.V.E.K2 | Atmospheric factors affecting performance. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PL.V.E.K3 | Use of proper thrust vector angle for transition to landing. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PL.V.E.K4 | Factors affecting the profile of 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. |
Risk management elements
| ACS code | Official description | How a mock oral can probe it |
|---|---|---|
| PL.V.E.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.E.R2 | Effects of: | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.E.R2a | a. Crosswind | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.E.R2b | b. Windshear | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.E.R2c | c. Tailwind | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.E.R2d | d. Wake turbulence | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.E.R2e | e. Runway/heliport/helipad surface, condition, and length | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.E.R3 | Situations including: | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.E.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.E.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.E.R4 | Collision hazards. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PL.V.E.R5 | 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.E.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.E.S2 | Comply with noise abatement procedures. | 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.E.S3 | 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.E.S4 | Verify assigned/correct runway/landing point if at an airport. | 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.E.S5 | Determine wind direction with or without visible wind direction indicators. | 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.E.S6 | Maintain proper ground track with crosswind correction, if necessary. | 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.E.S7 | Maintain a stabilized approach profile. | 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.E.S8 | Use manufacturer's recommended technique and remain within airspeed range allowed for each configuration change. | 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.E.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.E.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.
Official task notes
- If a crosswind condition does not exist, the applicant’s knowledge of crosswind elements must be evaluated through oral testing.
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.D — Normal Approach to a Hover
Area of Operation V. Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds
- PL.V.F — Steep 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
- PL.V.C — Maximum Performance Takeoff and Climb
Area of Operation V. Takeoffs, Landings, and Go-Arounds