CH.VII.B — Navigation Systems and Radar Services
CH.VII.B for the Commercial Pilot Rotorcraft ACS: official objective, references, and 16 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.
FAA-S-ACS-16, 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 | Commercial Pilot |
|---|---|
| Aircraft category | Rotorcraft |
| Area of operation | Area of Operation VII. Navigation |
| Task | Task B. Navigation Systems and Radar Services |
| Task code prefix | CH.VII.B |
| Official references | AC 91-78; AIM; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-21, FAA-H-8083-25 |
| FAA document | FAA-S-ACS-16 — Commercial Pilot for Rotorcraft Category Helicopter Rating 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 navigation systems and radar services.
What the ACS code means
- CH identifies the ACS standard family used for this Commercial Pilot Rotorcraft document.
- VII identifies Navigation, the Area of Operation.
- B identifies Navigation Systems and Radar Services, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| CH.VII.B.K1 | Ground-based navigation (identification, orientation, course determination, equipment, tests, regulations, interference, appropriate use of navigation data, and signal integrity). | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VII.B.K2 | Satellite-based navigation (e.g., equipment, regulations, authorized use of databases, and Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (RAIM)). | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VII.B.K3 | Radar assistance to visual flight rules (VFR) aircraft (e.g., operations, equipment, available services, traffic advisories). | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VII.B.K4 | Transponder (Mode(s) A, C, and S) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| CH.VII.B.R1 | Management of automated navigation and autoflight systems. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| CH.VII.B.R2 | 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. |
| CH.VII.B.R3 | Limitations of the navigation system in use. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| CH.VII.B.R4 | Loss of a navigation signal. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| CH.VII.B.R5 | Use of an electronic flight bag (EFB), if used. | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| CH.VII.B.S1 | Use an airborne electronic navigation system. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| CH.VII.B.S2 | Determine the aircraft's position using the navigation system. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| CH.VII.B.S3 | Intercept and track a given course, radial, or bearing. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| CH.VII.B.S4 | Recognize and describe the indication of station or waypoint passage. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| CH.VII.B.S5 | Recognize loss of navigational signal and take appropriate action. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| CH.VII.B.S6 | Use proper communication procedures when utilizing radar services. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| CH.VII.B.S7 | Maintain the selected altitude, ±100 feet and 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. |
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
- The evaluator should reference the manufacturer’s equipment supplement(s) as necessary for appropriate limitations, procedures, etc.
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 Commercial Pilot Rotorcraft ACS tasks
51 task-level resources from FAA-S-ACS-16.
- CH.VII.A — Pilotage and Dead Reckoning
Area of Operation VII. Navigation
- CH.VII.C — Diversion
Area of Operation VII. Navigation
- CH.VII.D — Lost Procedures
Area of Operation VII. Navigation