Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) • ACS Area I, Task B

The Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan covers the knowledge, risk management, and skills required by FAA-S-ACS-16.

Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Introduction

  • Attention Getter:

    • Present a realistic commercial helicopter operation in which the outcome depends on sound airworthiness requirements knowledge, risk management, and technique.
    • Ask the learner to identify the earliest decision or control input that protects the available safety margin.

  • Motivator:

    • To determine the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with airworthiness requirements, including aircraft certificates.

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Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Materials

  • Required Materials:

    • FAA-S-ACS-16, Commercial Pilot for Rotorcraft Category Helicopter Rating Airman Certification Standards.
    • Model-specific Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM), approved checklist, and performance data.
    • Student training record and applicable lesson records.

  • Reference Materials:

Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Instructor Actions

  • State the ACS objective and establish the commercial operating context.
  • Knowledge Elements:
    • Explain, correlate, and assess the learner's understanding of General airworthiness requirements and compliance for a helicopter, including: (CH.I.B.K1)
      • Location and expiration dates of required aircraft certificates (CH.I.B.K1a)
      • Required inspections and aircraft logbook documentation (CH.I.B.K1b)
      • Airworthiness Directives and Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins (CH.I.B.K1c)
      • Purpose and procedure for obtaining a special flight permit (CH.I.B.K1d)
    • Explain, correlate, and assess the learner's understanding of Pilot-performed preventive maintenance. (CH.I.B.K2)
    • Explain, correlate, and assess the learner's understanding of Equipment requirements for day and night VFR flight, including: (CH.I.B.K3)
      • Flying with inoperative equipment (CH.I.B.K3a)
      • Using an approved Minimum Equipment List (MEL) (CH.I.B.K3b)
      • Kinds of Operation Equipment List (KOEL) (CH.I.B.K3c)
      • Required discrepancy records or placards (CH.I.B.K3d)
    • Explain, correlate, and assess the learner's understanding of Special airworthiness certificate aircraft operating limitations, if applicable. (CH.I.B.K4)
  • Risk Management:
    • Use a commercial helicopter scenario to identify, assess, and mitigate risk associated with Inoperative equipment discovered prior to flight. (CH.I.B.R1)
  • Skill Development:
    • Demonstrate, coach, and assess the learner's ability to Locate and describe helicopter airworthiness and registration information. (CH.I.B.S1)
    • Demonstrate, coach, and assess the learner's ability to Determine the helicopter is airworthy in the scenario given by the evaluator. (CH.I.B.S2)
    • Demonstrate, coach, and assess the learner's ability to Apply appropriate procedures for operating with inoperative equipment in the scenario given by the evaluator. (CH.I.B.S3)
  • Syllabus Objective Coverage:
    • Explain general airworthiness requirements and compliance for a helicopter.
    • Explain location and expiration dates of required aircraft certificates.
    • Explain required inspections and aircraft logbook documentation.
    • Explain airworthiness Directives and Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins.
    • Explain purpose and procedure for obtaining a special flight permit.
    • Identify who may perform preventive maintenance and the conditions under which a pilot may do so.
    • Determine whether a proposed maintenance action is preventive maintenance by using the authorized-item list.
    • Describe the required maintenance-record entry after pilot-performed preventive maintenance.
    • Explain why preventive maintenance must use approved methods, techniques, practices, and suitable tools and materials.
    • Identify the instruments and equipment required for a specified day VFR operation.
    • Identify the additional instruments and equipment required for a specified night VFR operation.
    • Determine whether additional equipment is required by the aircraft's certification basis, operating limitations, or the proposed operation.
    • Explain flying with inoperative equipment.
    • Explain using an approved Minimum Equipment List (MEL).
    • Explain kinds of Operation Equipment List (KOEL).
    • Explain required discrepancy records or placards.
    • Explain special airworthiness certificate aircraft operating limitations, if applicable.
    • Assess how an inoperative item could affect aircraft control, workload, redundancy, navigation, communication, weather avoidance, or completion of the proposed flight.
    • Recognize the risk of treating regulatory permission to fly with an inoperative item as proof that the flight is operationally safe.
    • Select a conservative response to an inoperative item by considering repair, replacement aircraft, altered conditions, delayed departure, or cancellation.
    • Include cumulative risk when more than one discrepancy, limitation, or adverse condition exists.
    • Demonstrate locate and describe helicopter airworthiness and registration information.
    • Determine the helicopter is airworthy in the scenario given by the evaluator.
    • Identify every source that could require the inoperative item in the scenario, including regulations, the type-certification equipment list, KOEL, Airworthiness Directives, and an MEL when applicable.
    • Apply the applicable MEL procedure or the 14 CFR 91.213(d) sequence without omitting a required decision point.
    • Specify the required removal or deactivation, placarding, maintenance record, and operational limitation actions for the scenario.
    • Make and explain a final operational decision that accounts for both legal compliance and flight-specific risk.
  • Require the learner to use the RFM, checklist, limitations, and current operational information, then document deficiencies and retraining.
Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Guided Scenario(s)

  • Place the learner in a realistic commercial helicopter operation involving passengers, schedule pressure, changing weather or landing-area conditions, and aircraft performance limitations.
  • Require the learner to identify, assess, and mitigate Inoperative equipment discovered prior to flight.
  • Require the learner to brief, perform, or explain how to Locate and describe helicopter airworthiness and registration information.
  • Introduce a meaningful change in wind, power available, landing area, traffic, system status, fuel, or external pressure and require a new decision.
  • Conclude with a self-critique tied to every applicable ACS element and the commercial standard of care.
Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Student Actions

  • Complete assigned readings and review the model-specific RFM and checklist.
  • Explain each applicable knowledge element in operational context.
  • Identify, assess, and mitigate each applicable risk.
  • Demonstrate or explain each applicable skill within ACS standards and helicopter limitations.
  • Perform a self-assessment and make appropriate go/no-go, continue/divert, or discontinue decisions.
Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Airman Certification Standards

Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Airworthiness Requirements Airman Certification Standards

  • Objective: To determine the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with airworthiness requirements, including aircraft certificates.
  • References: 14 CFR parts 27, 29, 39, 43, 91; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-21, FAA-H-8083-25
Knowledge 4 ACS Elements
  • CH.I.B.K1:
    General airworthiness requirements and compliance for a helicopter, including:
    • CH.I.B.K1a:
      Location and expiration dates of required aircraft certificates
    • CH.I.B.K1b:
      Required inspections and aircraft logbook documentation
    • CH.I.B.K1c:
      Airworthiness Directives and Special Airworthiness Information Bulletins
    • CH.I.B.K1d:
      Purpose and procedure for obtaining a special flight permit
  • CH.I.B.K2:
    Pilot-performed preventive maintenance.
  • CH.I.B.K3:
    Equipment requirements for day and night VFR flight, including:
    • CH.I.B.K3a:
      Flying with inoperative equipment
    • CH.I.B.K3b:
      Using an approved Minimum Equipment List (MEL)
    • CH.I.B.K3c:
      Kinds of Operation Equipment List (KOEL)
    • CH.I.B.K3d:
      Required discrepancy records or placards
  • CH.I.B.K4:
    Special airworthiness certificate aircraft operating limitations, if applicable.
Risk Management 1 ACS Element
  • CH.I.B.R1:
    Inoperative equipment discovered prior to flight.
Skills 3 ACS Elements
  • CH.I.B.S1:
    Locate and describe helicopter airworthiness and registration information.
  • CH.I.B.S2:
    Determine the helicopter is airworthy in the scenario given by the evaluator.
  • CH.I.B.S3:
    Apply appropriate procedures for operating with inoperative equipment in the scenario given by the evaluator.
Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Airworthiness Requirements Lesson Plan

Conclusion

  • Re-Motivation:

    • Commercial-level airworthiness requirements proficiency protects passengers, the aircraft, and the operator's safety margin.

  • Closure:

    • Review the objective, identified risks, performance strengths, and items requiring additional training.
    • Record the learner's progress and assign the next applicable lesson.