FAA Airman Certification Standards Code
CA.VIII.B — Pressurization
Commercial Pilot Airplane · Area of Operation VIII: High-Altitude Operations · Standard: FAA-S-ACS-7B
What does ACS code CA.VIII.B cover?
ACS Code CA.VIII.B covers "Pressurization" under Area of Operation VIII (High-Altitude Operations) for the FAA Commercial Pilot Airplane certificate (FAA-S-ACS-7B). Candidates are tested on knowledge elements and risk management factors defined in 14 CFR regulations and FAA handbooks (PHAK / AFH).
Task Specification & Required References
- ACS Document: FAA-S-ACS-7B (Commercial Pilot Airplane)
- Area of Operation: Area VIII — High-Altitude Operations
- Task: Task B — Pressurization
- Primary FAA Sources: Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25), Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3) / Helicopter Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-21), Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28), 14 CFR Parts 61, 91 & 107, Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM).
Airman Certification Standards Elements
Knowledge Elements
- CA.VIII.B.K1: Fundamental concepts of aircraft pressurization system, including failure modes.
- CA.VIII.B.K2: Physiological factors, including:
- CA.VIII.B.K2a: a. Impairment
- CA.VIII.B.K2b: b. Symptoms of hypoxia
- CA.VIII.B.K2c: c. Time of useful consciousness (TUC)
- CA.VIII.B.K2d: d. Effects of rapid decompression on crew and passengers
Risk Management Elements
- CA.VIII.B.R1: High altitude flight.
- CA.VIII.B.R2: Malfunction of pressurization system, if equipment is installed.
How do I study CA.VIII.B?
- Read each element for CA.VIII.B in FAA-S-ACS-7B and note any you cannot explain in your own words.
- Study each one in the FAA source it points to: the handbook chapter, the 14 CFR section or the AIM paragraph.
- Practice with questions tagged CA.VIII.B, and read the explanation for every miss.
- Retest, then review the ACS codes you still miss on your practice test report.
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