CH.VIII.J — Low Gravity (G) Recognition and Recovery
CH.VIII.J for the Commercial Pilot Rotorcraft ACS: official objective, references, and 10 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 VIII. Emergency Operations |
| Task | Task J. Low Gravity (G) Recognition and Recovery |
| Task code prefix | CH.VIII.J |
| Official references | FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-21, FAA-H-8083-25; POH/RFM |
| 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 and risk management associated with low G conditions.
What the ACS code means
- CH identifies the ACS standard family used for this Commercial Pilot Rotorcraft document.
- VIII identifies Emergency Operations, the Area of Operation.
- J identifies Low Gravity (G) Recognition and Recovery, 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.VIII.J.K1 | Exhibits knowledge of the elements related to low G conditions by describing: | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.J.K1a | a. Aerodynamic factors related to low G conditions | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.J.K1b | b. Situations that contribute to low G conditions | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.J.K1c | c. Avoidance, recognition, and appropriate recovery procedures | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.J.K2 | Effects of low G conditions on various rotor systems. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| CH.VIII.J.K3 | Pilot responses that lead to mast bumping in a low G condition, if applicable. | 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.VIII.J.R1 | Control inputs that cause low G conditions. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| CH.VIII.J.R2 | Turbulence/gusty wind conditions. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| CH.VIII.J.R3 | Control inputs that cause mast bumping. | 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.VIII.J.S1 | [Intentionally left blank]. | 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
- Note: Evaluator assesses this Task orally only.
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.VIII.I — Ground Resonance
Area of Operation VIII. Emergency Operations
- CH.VIII.K — Emergency Equipment and Survival Gear
Area of Operation VIII. Emergency Operations
- CH.VIII.A — Powerplant Failure in a Hover in a Single-Engine Helicopter
Area of Operation VIII. Emergency Operations
- CH.VIII.B — Powerplant Failure at Altitude in a Single-Engine Helicopter
Area of Operation VIII. Emergency Operations
- CH.VIII.C — Approach and Landing with One Engine Inoperative (OEI) (Simulated) (Multiengine Helicopter Only)
Area of Operation VIII. Emergency Operations
- CH.VIII.D — Systems and Equipment Malfunctions
Area of Operation VIII. Emergency Operations