ACS Airman Certification Standards: Commercial Pilot Rotorcraft Helicopter Overview:

The Airman Certification Standards is the guide for students, instructors, and FAA-designated examiners to know what applicants must know, do, and consider for their FAA Knowledge Exam and practical (checkride) to earn their pilot certificate or rating. Effective June 12, 2017, the ACS adds task-specific knowledge and risk management elements to each Area of Operation and Task. The result is a comprehensive presentation that integrates the standards for what an applicant needs to know, consider, and do in order to pass both the knowledge test and the practical test for a certificate or rating.

This Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Commercial Pilot Helicopter Airman Certification Standards softcover book (ACS-16) supersedes the Practical Test Standards (8081-16B), and is the guide for students, instructors, and evaluators to understand what applicants must know, do, and consider to pass their FAA Knowledge Exam and practical (checkride) and earn their commercial helicopter pilot certificate in the rotorcraft category, helicopter class. This ACS includes the aeronautical knowledge, risk management, and flight proficiency standards necessary for certification, ACS codes, and the Companion Guide (FAA-G-ACS-2).

The ACS is the foundation of the transition to a more integrated and systematic approach to airman certification by the FAA. The ACS is part of the Safety Management System (SMS) framework that the FAA uses to mitigate risks associated with airman certification training and testing.

Published May 2024
FAA-S-ACS-16
104 pages