HI.II.B — Visual Scanning and Collision Avoidance
HI.II.B for the Flight Instructor Rotorcraft ACS: official objective, references, and 17 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.
FAA-S-ACS-29, 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 | Flight Instructor |
|---|---|
| Aircraft category | Rotorcraft |
| Area of operation | Area of Operation II. Technical Subject Areas |
| Task | Task B. Visual Scanning and Collision Avoidance |
| Task code prefix | HI.II.B |
| Official references | AC 90-48; AIM; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-4, FAA-H-8083-9, FAA-H-8083-21, FAA-H-8083-25 |
| FAA document | FAA-S-ACS-29 — Flight Instructor for Rotorcraft Category Helicopter Rating Airman Certification Standards |
| FAA source library | Open the official ACS library |
Official task objective
To determine the applicant understands visual scanning and collision avoidance, can apply that knowledge, manage associated risks, demonstrate pilot-in-command skills, and provide effective instruction.
What the ACS code means
- HI identifies the ACS standard family used for this Flight Instructor Rotorcraft document.
- II identifies Technical Subject Areas, the Area of Operation.
- B identifies Visual Scanning and Collision Avoidance, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| HI.II.B.K1 | Environmental conditions that degrade vision. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| HI.II.B.K2 | Vestibular and visual illusions. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| HI.II.B.K3 | “See and Avoid” responsibilities. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| HI.II.B.K4 | Visual scanning procedure and the importance of peripheral vision. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| HI.II.B.K5 | Aircraft blind spots and clearing procedures. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| HI.II.B.K6 | Visual cues of an impending mid-air collision. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| HI.II.B.K7 | Situations that create the greatest collision risk. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| HI.II.B.K8 | Division of attention inside and outside the aircraft. | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| HI.II.B.R1 | Distractions to visual scanning. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| HI.II.B.R2 | Relaxed intermediate focal distance. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| HI.II.B.R3 | High volume operational environments. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| HI.II.B.R4 | Collision reaction time. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| HI.II.B.R5 | Use of a safety pilot. | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| HI.II.B.S1 | Effectively scan using short regularly spaced eye movements. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| HI.II.B.S2 | Scan around physical obstructions. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| HI.II.B.S3 | Use appropriate visual scanning techniques. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| HI.II.B.S4 | Use electronic traffic alert systems, if available. | 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 Flight Instructor Rotorcraft ACS tasks
65 task-level resources from FAA-S-ACS-29.
- HI.II.A — Human Factors
Area of Operation II. Technical Subject Areas
- HI.II.C — Runway Incursion Avoidance
Area of Operation II. Technical Subject Areas
- HI.II.D — Principles of Flight
Area of Operation II. Technical Subject Areas
- HI.II.E — Flight Controls
Area of Operation II. Technical Subject Areas