FAA-S-ACS-6C November 2023 Private Pilot Airplane Airman Certification Standards - Cessna 172 Flight Maneuver Summary

Sep 25, 2026

Uploaded by Mia

Cessna 172 maneuvers summary aligned with FAA private pilot airplane airman certification standards (FAA-S-ACS-6C, November 2023), capturing key performance targets and required configuration settings. Includes mixture and carb heat guidance for maneuvers, precise traffic pattern tolerances for altitude, airspeed, and wind correction, and step-by-step normal takeoff, approach/landing, soft field, and short-field procedures. Covers coordinated slow flight, power-off and power-on stalls with recovery requirements, steep turns, S-turns, turns around a point, pilotage, radio/electronic navigation, diversion, and lost procedures, emphasizing stabilized profiles and centerline tracking.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time13 min

AccessFree to download

Flight Maneuvers and Performance Settings

Cessna 172 Mixture and Carb Heat

Traffic Pattern, Takeoff, and Approach/Landing

Soft Field and Short Field Operations

Precision Landing Techniques

Maneuver Tasks and Navigation

Forward Slip and Rejected Landing

Steep Turns, S-Turns, and Turns Around a Point

Pilotage, Radio/Electronic Navigation, Diversion, Lost Procedures

Slow Flight and Stalls

FAA-S-ACS-6C November 2023 Private Pilot Airplane Airman Certification Standards Cessna 172: mixture rich, carb heat out if below the green arc for maneuvers. | Task | ACS | Settings | | --- | --- | --- | | Traffic Pattern | 1. Altitude: +/-100ft
2. Airspeed: +/ -10kts
3. Wind Correction for correct ground track | 2100-2200 rpm Carb Heat ON | | Normal Takeoff | 1. Maintains centerline
2. Rotates at Vr
3. Climbs at Vy +10/-5kts
4. Used correct wind correction. | 1. Flaps zero
2. Vr = 60kts
3. Vy = 75kts | | Normal Approach/Landing | 1. Stabilized approach at not more than
1.3Vso
2. Adds Gust factor
3. Touches down during stall.
4. At Touchdown point-0/+400ft | On Final:
1. Flaps 30 degs 2. 60-65kts
3. Maintain
centerline | | | 5. With mains on each side of centerline (no drift) | | | Soft Field Takeoff | 1. Lift off at lowest safe airspeed (read this as bottom of green arc)
2. Stay in Ground effect until Vx
3. Climb at Vx +10/-5kts
4. After obstacle, climb at Vy +10/-5kts.
5. Maintain runway centerline throughout ground roll and climb | 1. Flaps 10deg
2. Keep pressure off nosewheel
3. Rotate 50kts
4. Vx =59ts
5. Flaps up clear of obstacle
6. Vy = 76kts | | Soft Field Approach/Landing | 1. Stabilized approach at not more than
1.3Vso | 1. Final 60-65kts 2. 30deg flaps | | | 2. Adds Gust factor
3. Keeps nose wheel off the surface until elevator loses effectiveness
4. Keeps elevator full up until exits the soft area
5. Maintains centerline between the mains at all times | 3. Use flatter approach
4. Land with 1200rpm
5. Keep nosewheel up, no brakes
6. Power idle
7. Nosewheel up until exit runway | FAA-S-ACS-6C November 2023 Private Pilot Airplane Airman Certification Standards | Short Field Takeoff/Max Perf Climb | 1. Rotates at Vr
2. Climbs at Vx +10/-5kts
3. After obstacle cleared, retracts Flaps.
4. Climbs at Vy +10/-5kts
5. Maintains centerline during ground roll and climb | 1. Flaps Zero
2. Full brakes and
power
3. Release brakes
4. Vr = 50-55kts
5. Vx = 59kts
6. Vy = 76kts | | --- | --- | --- | | Short Field Approach/Landing | 1. Stabilized approach at not more than 1.3Vso
2. Adds Gust factor
3. Touches down at-0ft/+200ft of point selected. Landing short is a guaranteed failure
4. Maintain centerline throughout
5. Applies brakes firmly but without any tire slippage. | 1. Final: 55kts
2. Flaps 40deg | | Forward Slip to Landing | 1. Applies proper forward slip techniques (wind low into wind, opposite rudder)
2. Touches down-0/+400ft of touchdown point selected | 1. Wing down into the wind
2. Opposite Rudder | | Go Around/Rejected Landing | 1. Makes a timely decision
2. Establishes Vx or Vy +10/-5kts
3. Retracts flaps as appropriate
4. Establishes Vy +10/-5kts
5. Maintains Centerline throughout | 1. Add full power
2. Increase airspeed
3. Flaps up slowly
4. Vy = 70-75kts | | Steep Turns (360deg turn at 45deg bank) | 1. Altitude: +/-100ft
2. Bank Angle: +/-5deg 3. Rollout +/-10deg | 1. 2100-2200RPM 2. 45deg bank
3. Adjust trim | | | 4. Airspeed +/-10kts | 4. Add 200rpm
5. Decrease 200rpm on rollout.
6. Adjust trim | | S Turns (at 600 to 1000ft AGL) | 1. Altitude: +/-100ft
2. Airspeed: +/-10kts
3. Maintains coordinated flight | 1. 2000ft MSL
2. 2200rpm
3. Radius 1/2mile
4. Equal semicircles | | Turns Around a Point (600 to 1000ft AGL) | 1. Altitude: +/-100ft
2. Airspeed: +/-10kts
3. Maintains coordinated flight | 1. 2000ft MSL
2. 2200rpm
3. Radius 1/2mile | FAA-S-ACS-6C November 2023 Private Pilot Airplane Airman Certification Standards | Pilotage (plan can be paper or electronic) | 1. +/-3miles from centerline of planned route
2. Altitude: +/-200ft
3. Heading: +/-15deg
4. Arrives at checkpoint within 5mins of estimated. | 1. Make checkpoints no more than a total of 15miles from start | | --- | --- | --

FAQs

What general guidance is given for mixture and carb heat during Cessna 172 maneuvers?

Use a mixture rich setting and apply carb heat out if below the green arc for maneuvers.

What tolerances are listed for the traffic pattern?

Maintain altitude within ±100 ft, airspeed within +/−10 kts, and apply wind correction to achieve the correct ground track.

How are power-off stalls and power-on stalls recovery requirements described?

Power-off stalls require coordinated stabilization above 1500 ft AGL, specified pitch/bank targets, and recovery after a full stall, returning to the examiner-specified altitude, heading, and airspeed. Power-on stalls require establishing the specified configuration, setting power to now less than 65% BHP, maintaining heading/bank tolerances, recovering at full stall, then achieving Vx followed by cleanup and returning to examiner-specified parameters.

Sep 25, 2026

Uploaded by Mia