PH.IV.D — Taxiing with Wheel-Type Landing Gear
PH.IV.D for the Private Pilot Rotorcraft ACS: official objective, references, and 25 exact knowledge, risk-management, and skill descriptions.
FAA-S-ACS-15, 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 | Rotorcraft |
| Area of operation | Area of Operation IV. Hovering Maneuvers |
| Task | Task D. Taxiing with Wheel-Type Landing Gear |
| Task code prefix | PH.IV.D |
| Official references | AC 91-73; AIM; Chart Supplements; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-21, FAA-H-8083-25; POH/RFM |
| FAA document | FAA-S-ACS-15 — Private 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 ground taxi operations, in a wheel-type aircraft, including runway incursion avoidance.
What the ACS code means
- PH identifies the ACS standard family used for this Private Pilot Rotorcraft document.
- IV identifies Hovering Maneuvers, the Area of Operation.
- D identifies Taxiing with Wheel-Type Landing Gear, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| PH.IV.D.K1 | Current airport aeronautical references and information resources such as the Chart Supplement, airport diagram, and Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs). | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PH.IV.D.K2 | Taxi instructions/clearances. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PH.IV.D.K3 | Airport/heliport/helipad/landing area, signs, markings, and lighting. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PH.IV.D.K4 | Visual indicators for wind. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PH.IV.D.K5 | Aircraft lighting, as appropriate. | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PH.IV.D.K6 | Procedures for: | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PH.IV.D.K6a | a. Appropriate flight deck activities prior to taxi, including route planning and identifying the location of Hot Spots | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PH.IV.D.K6b | b. Safe taxi at towered and nontowered airports | Explain the element, apply it to a scenario, and connect the answer to current references or aircraft information when relevant. |
| PH.IV.D.K6c | c. Entering or crossing runways | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| PH.IV.D.R1 | Activities and distractions. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PH.IV.D.R2 | Confirmation or expectation bias as related to taxi instructions. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PH.IV.D.R3 | Runway incursion. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PH.IV.D.R4 | Speed during taxi and turns. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PH.IV.D.R5 | Appropriate thrust vector and brake use. | Work through a scenario by identifying the hazard, evaluating the risk, and explaining a practical mitigation or decision. |
| PH.IV.D.R6 | Airframe and rotor clearances during taxi. | 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 |
|---|---|---|
| PH.IV.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. |
| PH.IV.D.S2 | Use an appropriate airport/heliport diagram or taxi chart, if published. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PH.IV.D.S3 | Properly position nosewheel/tailwheel, if applicable, locked or unlocked. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PH.IV.D.S4 | Position the flight controls properly for the existing wind conditions, with the landing gear in contact with the surface, avoiding conditions that might lead to loss of directional control. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PH.IV.D.S5 | Properly use cyclic, collective, and brakes as applicable to control speed while taxiing. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PH.IV.D.S6 | Maintain powerplant and main rotor (Nr) speed within normal limits. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PH.IV.D.S7 | Maintain specified track within 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. |
| PH.IV.D.S8 | Position the helicopter relative to hold lines or a specified point. | Describe the procedure, interpretation, or decision process that can be discussed during an oral. Physical aircraft performance remains part of the practical test. |
| PH.IV.D.S9 | Receive and comply with ATC clearances/instructions, 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. |
| PH.IV.D.S10 | Comply with airport/heliport taxiway markings, lights, and signals. | 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 Rotorcraft ACS tasks
49 task-level resources from FAA-S-ACS-15.
- PH.IV.C — Air Taxi
Area of Operation IV. Hovering Maneuvers
- PH.IV.E — Slope Operations
Area of Operation IV. Hovering Maneuvers
- PH.IV.A — Vertical Takeoff and Landing
Area of Operation IV. Hovering Maneuvers
- PH.IV.B — Hover Taxi
Area of Operation IV. Hovering Maneuvers