Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Pilot Qualifications Lesson Plan

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

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

Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Pilot Qualifications Lesson Plan

Introduction

  • Attention Getter:

    • Present a realistic commercial helicopter operation in which the outcome depends on sound pilot qualifications 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 airman and medical certificates including privileges, limitations, currency, and operating as pilot-in- command as a commercial pilot.

Help Us Grow

Enjoy CFI Notebook? A one-time donation helps us create more high-quality lessons, quizzes, scenarios, graphics, and interactive tools.

One-Time Donation
Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Pilot Qualifications 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) Pilot Qualifications 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 Certification requirements, recent flight experience, and recordkeeping. (CH.I.A.K1)
    • Explain, correlate, and assess the learner's understanding of Privileges and limitations. (CH.I.A.K2)
    • Explain, correlate, and assess the learner's understanding of Medical certificates: class, expiration, privileges, temporary disqualifications. (CH.I.A.K3)
    • Explain, correlate, and assess the learner's understanding of Documents required to exercise commercial pilot privileges. (CH.I.A.K4)
    • Explain, correlate, and assess the learner's understanding of Part 68 BasicMed privileges and limitations. (CH.I.A.K5)
  • Risk Management:
    • Use a commercial helicopter scenario to identify, assess, and mitigate risk associated with Proficiency versus currency. (CH.I.A.R1)
    • Use a commercial helicopter scenario to identify, assess, and mitigate risk associated with Flying an unfamiliar helicopter or operating with unfamiliar flight display systems and avionics. (CH.I.A.R2)
  • Skill Development:
    • Demonstrate, coach, and assess the learner's ability to Apply requirements to act as pilot-in-command (PIC) under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in a scenario given by the evaluator. (CH.I.A.S1)
  • Syllabus Objective Coverage:
    • Identify required pilot qualifications and documents.
      • Identify the required pilot documents.
      • Identify acceptable pilot photo identification.
      • Explain pilot certificate and photo identification accessibility requirements.
      • Explain medical qualification document accessibility requirements.
    • Identify recent flight experience requirements.
      • Identify flight review requirements.
      • Identify passenger carrying currency.
      • Identify night passenger carrying currency.
      • Explain when approved simulator use may satisfy passenger currency requirements.
    • Explain pilot recordkeeping requirements.
      • Identify required information for logged flights and lessons.
      • Identify who may request inspection of pilot documents and records.
    • Apply qualification and currency requirements to a proposed flight.
      • Verify the pilot’s qualifications, documents, and currency.
      • Identify currency deficiencies and explain how to correct them before carrying passengers.
    • Explain privileges and limitations.
    • Apply privileges and limitations to the aircraft, conditions, or flight scenario presented.
    • Identify the medical-certificate class required for a specified operation.
    • Determine operational medical-certificate validity using certificate class, pilot age, examination month, and privileges exercised.
    • Determine when a condition, medication, or treatment prohibits operation and what must be established before returning.
    • Explain medical certificates: class, expiration, privileges, temporary disqualifications.
      • Recognize temporary medical disqualifications and determine when to refrain from flying.
    • Verify private pilot qualification document and currency items.
    • Explain documents required to exercise commercial pilot privileges.
    • Explain part 68 BasicMed privileges and limitations.
    • Apply part 68 BasicMed privileges and limitations to the aircraft, conditions, or flight scenario presented.
    • Identify basicmed exception for covered practical tests.
    • Distinguish BasicMed documents carried from records retained in the logbook (if applicable).
    • Identify and assess the hazards associated with proficiency versus currency.
    • Select and justify effective controls for the risks associated with proficiency versus currency.
    • Identify passenger carrying currency.
    • Identify flight review currency.
    • Identify night passenger currency.
    • Distinguish regulatory currency from operational proficiency.
    • Select risk controls for insufficient proficiency.
    • Assess and manage flying an unfamiliar helicopter or operating with unfamiliar flight display systems and avionics.
    • Demonstrate the ability to apply requirements to act as pilot-in-command (PIC) under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in a scenario given by the evaluator.
    • Verify all applicable commercial-helicopter aeronautical experience, recent practical-test preparation, knowledge-test, and endorsement requirements against the current applicant pathway; record instructor confirmation and resolve deficiencies before test scheduling.
  • Require the learner to use the RFM, checklist, limitations, and current operational information, then document deficiencies and retraining.
Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Pilot Qualifications 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 Proficiency versus currency.
  • Require the learner to brief, perform, or explain how to Apply requirements to act as pilot-in-command (PIC) under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in a scenario given by the evaluator.
  • 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) Pilot Qualifications 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) Pilot Qualifications Lesson Plan

Airman Certification Standards

Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Pilot Qualifications Airman Certification Standards

  • Objective: To determine the applicant exhibits satisfactory knowledge, risk management, and skills associated with airman and medical certificates including privileges, limitations, currency, and operating as pilot-in- command as a commercial pilot.
  • References: 14 CFR parts 61, 68, 91, 119.1(e); AC 68-1; FAA-H-8083-2, FAA-H-8083-21, FAA-H-8083-25
Knowledge 5 ACS Elements
  • CH.I.A.K1:
    Certification requirements, recent flight experience, and recordkeeping.
  • CH.I.A.K2:
    Privileges and limitations.
  • CH.I.A.K3:
    Medical certificates: class, expiration, privileges, temporary disqualifications.
  • CH.I.A.K4:
    Documents required to exercise commercial pilot privileges.
  • CH.I.A.K5:
    Part 68 BasicMed privileges and limitations.
Risk Management 2 ACS Elements
  • CH.I.A.R1:
    Proficiency versus currency.
  • CH.I.A.R2:
    Flying an unfamiliar helicopter or operating with unfamiliar flight display systems and avionics.
Skills 1 ACS Element
  • CH.I.A.S1:
    Apply requirements to act as pilot-in-command (PIC) under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) in a scenario given by the evaluator.
Commercial Pilot (Helicopter) Pilot Qualifications Lesson Plan

Conclusion

  • Re-Motivation:

    • Commercial-level pilot qualifications 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.