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Area VIII of 11

Basic Instrument Maneuvers

7% of the Private Pilot test, about 4 of the 60 questions. The FAA's test standard lists 6 tasks and 31 knowledge elements and 44 risk management elements for this area. Here is every one, plus sample questions to try.

What the FAA tests

From the Private Pilot Airplane test standard, FAA-S-ACS-6C.

Task A. Straight-and-Level Flight

Knowledge: what you must know

Risk management: hazards you must be able to spot and manage

  • PA.VIII.A.R1Instrument flying hazards, including failure to maintain visual flight rules (VFR), spatial disorientation, loss of control, fatigue, stress, and emergency off airport landings.
  • PA.VIII.A.R2When to seek assistance or declare an emergency in a deteriorating situation.
  • PA.VIII.A.R3Collision hazards.
  • PA.VIII.A.R4Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
  • PA.VIII.A.R5Fixation and omission.
  • PA.VIII.A.R6Instrument Interpretation.
  • PA.VIII.A.R7Control application solely by reference to instruments.
  • PA.VIII.A.R8Trimming the aircraft.

Task B. Constant Airspeed Climbs

Knowledge: what you must know

Risk management: hazards you must be able to spot and manage

  • PA.VIII.B.R1Instrument flying hazards, including failure to maintain visual flight rules (VFR), spatial disorientation, loss of control, fatigue, stress, and emergency off airport landings.
  • PA.VIII.B.R2When to seek assistance or declare an emergency in a deteriorating situation.
  • PA.VIII.B.R3Collision hazards.
  • PA.VIII.B.R4Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
  • PA.VIII.B.R5Fixation and omission.
  • PA.VIII.B.R6Instrument Interpretation.
  • PA.VIII.B.R7Control application solely by reference to instruments.
  • PA.VIII.B.R8Trimming the aircraft.

Task C. Constant Airspeed Descents

Knowledge: what you must know

Risk management: hazards you must be able to spot and manage

  • PA.VIII.C.R1Instrument flying hazards, including failure to maintain visual flight rules (VFR), spatial disorientation, loss of control, fatigue, stress, and emergency off airport landings.
  • PA.VIII.C.R2When to seek assistance or declare an emergency in a deteriorating situation.
  • PA.VIII.C.R3Collision hazards.
  • PA.VIII.C.R4Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
  • PA.VIII.C.R5Fixation and omission.
  • PA.VIII.C.R6Instrument Interpretation.
  • PA.VIII.C.R7Control application solely by reference to instruments.
  • PA.VIII.C.R8Trimming the aircraft.

Task D. Turns to Headings

Knowledge: what you must know

Risk management: hazards you must be able to spot and manage

  • PA.VIII.D.R1Instrument flying hazards, including failure to maintain visual flight rules (VFR), spatial disorientation, loss of control, fatigue, stress, and emergency off airport landings.
  • PA.VIII.D.R2When to seek assistance or declare an emergency in a deteriorating situation.
  • PA.VIII.D.R3Collision hazards.
  • PA.VIII.D.R4Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
  • PA.VIII.D.R5Fixation and omission.
  • PA.VIII.D.R6Instrument Interpretation.
  • PA.VIII.D.R7Control application solely by reference to instruments.
  • PA.VIII.D.R8Trimming the aircraft.

Task E. Recovery from Unusual Flight Attitudes

Knowledge: what you must know

  • PA.VIII.E.K1Prevention of unusual attitudes, including flight causal, physiological, and environmental factors, and system and equipment failures.
  • PA.VIII.E.K1a[Archived]
  • PA.VIII.E.K1b[Archived]
  • PA.VIII.E.K1c[Archived]
  • PA.VIII.E.K1d[Archived]
  • PA.VIII.E.K2Procedures for recovery from unusual attitudes in flight.
  • PA.VIII.E.K3Procedures available to safely regain visual meteorological conditions (VMC) after flight into inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions or unintended instrument meteorological conditions (IIMC)/(UIMC).
  • PA.VIII.E.K4Appropriate use of automation, if applicable.

Risk management: hazards you must be able to spot and manage

  • PA.VIII.E.R1Situations that could lead to loss of control in-flight (LOC-I) or unusual attitudes in-flight (e.g., stress, task saturation, inadequate instrument scan distractions, and spatial disorientation).
  • PA.VIII.E.R2[Archived]
  • PA.VIII.E.R3Collision hazards.
  • PA.VIII.E.R4Distractions, task prioritization, loss of situational awareness, or disorientation.
  • PA.VIII.E.R5Interpreting flight instruments.
  • PA.VIII.E.R6[Archived]
  • PA.VIII.E.R7Operating envelope considerations.
  • PA.VIII.E.R8Control input errors, inducing undesired aircraft attitudes.
  • PA.VIII.E.R9Assessment of the unusual attitude.
  • PA.VIII.E.R10Control application solely by reference to instruments.

Task F. Radio Communications, Navigation Systems/Facilities, and Radar Services

Knowledge: what you must know

  • PA.VIII.F.K1Operating communications equipment, including identifying and selecting radio frequencies, requesting and following air traffic control (ATC) instructions.
  • PA.VIII.F.K2Operating navigation equipment, including functions and displays, and following bearings, radials, or courses.
  • PA.VIII.F.K3Air traffic control facilities and services.

Risk management: hazards you must be able to spot and manage

  • PA.VIII.F.R1When to seek assistance or declare an emergency in a deteriorating situation.
  • PA.VIII.F.R2Using available resources (e.g., automation, ATC, and flight deck planning aids).

Try a sample question

Basic Instrument Maneuvers ยท PA.VIII.D.R8

Flying straight and level by instruments, you keep correcting a slow turn to the left. Each time you level the wings, the left wing slowly drops again. What does the IFH identify as the likely mistake?

Practice all of basic instrument maneuvers

The full course has questions on every element listed here, with an explanation and FAA source for each.

See the courseFree mock test