Commercial Pilot (Airplane) After Landing Parking & Securing Lesson Plan

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) • ACS Area XI, Task A

The Commercial Pilot (Airplane) After Landing, Parking and Securing Lesson Plan covers the knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with after landing, parking, and securing procedures.

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) After Landing Parking & Securing Lesson Plan

Introduction

  • Schedule

    Topic:
    Time:
    Attention/Motivator:
    0:05
    Part 1, Lesson Introduction:
    0:05
    Part 2, After Landing, Parking and Securing:
    0:10
    Part 3, After Landing, Parking and Securing Risk Management:
    0:10
    Part 4, After Landing, Parking and Securing Guided Scenario(s):
    0:20
    Part 5, Lesson Conclusion:
    0:05
    Remotivation/Closure:
    0:05
    Total Ground Time:
    0:00

  • Attention Getter:

    • .

  • Motivator:

    • .
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) After Landing Parking & Securing Lesson Plan

Materials

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) After Landing Parking & Securing Lesson Plan

Instructor Actions

  • Before the lesson, review reference materials.
  • Part 1, Lesson Introduction:
    • If not previously discussed, provide expectations on time to train, ground instruction vs. flight instruction, and instructor/student availability.
    • Review the lesson plan, including the attention and motivator.
    • Review the airman certification standards.
    • Explain that the lesson builds from checklist discipline and situational awareness into safe parking, shutdown, securing, and postflight responsibilities.
    • Set expectations for cockpit organization, checklist usage, ramp awareness, and postflight accountability throughout the lesson.
  • Part 2, After Landing, Parking and Securing:
    • Baseline the discussion by reviewing sterile cockpit habits and the need to remain focused after touchdown until the airplane is parked, shut down, and secured.
    • Review after-landing checklist usage and discuss the importance of completing the appropriate checklist(s) at the proper time and location.
    • Discuss taxi-in priorities after landing, including clearing the runway, identifying a suitable parking area, and maintaining awareness of nearby aircraft, vehicles, persons, and obstacles.
    • Introduce parking considerations, including wind, propeller blast, jet blast, slope, tie-down availability, fueling location, marshalers, and proximity to other aircraft or structures.
    • Discuss proper shutdown procedures in accordance with the POH/AFM and emphasize why shutdown sequence, electrical management, and fuel system management matter.
    • Introduce airplane securing procedures, including chocks, tie-downs, control locks, gust locks, covers, security of doors and windows, and protection of the airplane from weather or ramp hazards.
    • Review postflight inspection requirements and explain how to assess the airplane for leaks, tire and brake condition, structural damage, bird strikes, loose fasteners, abnormal wear, or servicing needs.
    • Discuss how to document in-flight or postflight discrepancies, including when maintenance issues must be written up and communicated to the appropriate personnel.
    • Review risks associated with activities and distractions, especially complacency after landing, rushing the shutdown, or focusing inside the cockpit while the airplane is still in an active ramp environment.
    • Discuss airport-specific security procedures, including access control, gates, badges, aircraft locking practices, and local ramp or FBO requirements.
    • Discuss safe passenger management on the ramp, including when passengers should remain seated, when it is safe to disembark, where they should walk, and how the pilot monitors their movement.
    • Emphasize the ACS skill flow: park in an appropriate area, complete the appropriate checklist(s), conduct a postflight inspection, document discrepancies and servicing requirements if any, and secure the airplane.
    • Question the student on how distractions, poor parking choices, skipped checklist items, or inadequate securing procedures can create risks even after an otherwise successful flight.
  • Part 3, After Landing, Parking and Securing Risk Management:
  • Part 4, After Landing, Parking and Securing Guided Scenario(s):
    • Lead a guided scenario.
    • Present a realistic post-landing scenario involving taxi-in, ramp congestion, passengers, and securing the airplane at an unfamiliar airport.
    • Require the student to describe where they would park and why, considering safety of nearby persons and property.
    • Require the student to verbalize the appropriate after-landing and shutdown checklist flow and explain what tasks should not be rushed or skipped.
    • Question the student on how they would handle passenger disembarkation, airport-specific security procedures, and discovery of a postflight discrepancy.
    • Require the student to explain how they would document discrepancies, communicate servicing requirements, and secure the airplane before leaving it unattended.
  • Part 5, Lesson Conclusion:
    • Present the remotivation, conclude, and provide guidance for follow-on lessons.
    • Review student actions required ahead of the next lesson.
    • Debrief the student's understanding of knowledge, risk management, and skill elements associated with after landing, parking, and securing procedures.
    • Assign follow-on study emphasizing checklist discipline, ramp safety, postflight inspection habits, and discrepancy reporting responsibilities.
  • Update instructor endorsement records and the student's jacket, as required.
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) After Landing Parking & Securing Lesson Plan

Guided Scenario(s)

  • After landing at an uncontrolled field without an FBO, the pilot finds there are no tiedown points
    • What options does the pilot have?
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) After Landing Parking & Securing Lesson Plan

Student Actions

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) After Landing Parking & Securing Lesson Plan

Airman Certification Standards

Commercial Pilot (Airplane) After Landing Parking & Securing Airman Certification Standards

Knowledge 2 ACS Elements
  • CA.XII.A.K1:
    Airplane shutdown, securing, and postflight inspection.
  • CA.XII.A.K2:
    Documenting in-flight/postflight discrepancies.
Risk Management 4 ACS Elements
  • CA.XII.A.R1:
    Activities and distractions.
  • CA.XII.A.R2:
    [Archived].
  • CA.XII.A.R3:
    Airport specific security procedures.
  • CA.XII.A.R4:
    Disembarking passengers safely on the ramp and monitoring passenger movement while on the ramp.
Skills 5 ACS Elements
  • CA.XII.A.S1:
    [Archived].
  • CA.XII.A.S2:
    Park in an appropriate area, considering the safety of nearby persons and property.
  • CA.XII.A.S3:
    Complete the appropriate checklist(s).
  • CA.XII.A.S4:
    Conduct a postflight inspection and document discrepancies and servicing requirements, if any.
  • CA.XII.A.S5:
    Secure the airplane.
Commercial Pilot (Airplane) After Landing Parking & Securing Lesson Plan

Conclusion

  • Re-Motivation:

    • After Landing Parking and Securing requires disciplined planning, stabilized energy management, and precise control from the approach through touchdown and rollout.
    • Evaluating wind, runway conditions, obstacles, aircraft performance, and personal limitations helps pilots recognize when an approach remains safe and when a timely go-around is required.
    • Consistent airspeed control, runway alignment, traffic scanning, communication, and checklist discipline integrate aircraft handling with sound operational judgment.
    • Continued practice with After Landing Parking and Securing prepares commercial pilots for changing conditions and increasingly demanding landing scenarios in later training.

  • Closure:

    • Inform students that this lesson will serve as a starting point for the next lesson.
    • Advise the student to register for the WINGS program if they have not already done so.
    • Advise the student to complete BasicMed if they have not already done so.
    • Assign study materials for the next lesson.
    • The FAA provides test-taking guidance and test guides on its website.
    • To learn more about preparing for the practical test, visit the checkride page.