Source: FAA-H-8083-31B, instrument systems chapter, with 14 CFR for the one element that is regulated work. Public domain. Pointers only.
Chapter and section verified against FAA-H-8083-31B, 2023 edition, on 28 August 2026. Page numbers are deliberately not cited: they move between printings, and a citation that rots silently is worse than a coarser one that stays true. Checked by our handbook citation check against our index of the handbook's chapters and sections.
| Elements | The ACS asks for | In the source | Where in FAA-H-8083-31B | What it does not give you |
|---|---|---|---|---|
K1, K21, K22 |
Annunciators; angle of attack and stall warning; gear configuration warning | Function and indications | Ch. 10 — Annunciator Panels | — |
K2, K3, K8, S6 |
Magnetic compass, its inspection and swinging; direction indicating | Compass errors, swinging procedure | Ch. 10 — Magnetic Compass; Vertical Magnetic Compass; Remote Indicating Compass | The compass correction card is the aircraft's |
K4–K7, K20 |
Pressure, temperature, position and gyroscopic instruments; instrument limitations | Operating principles | Ch. 10 — Pressure Measuring Instruments; Pressure Instruments; Temperature Measuring Instruments; Temperature Indicators; Gyroscopic Instruments; Principles of Gyroscopic Instruments; Common Gyroscopic Instruments | What a dropped gyro looks like. AF-H Concepts §3 |
K9, S7, S10, S11 |
Instrument vacuum and pneumatic systems | Pumps, filters, regulators | Ch. 10 — Vacuum Systems; Vacuum Pump; Engine-Driven Vacuum Pump; Vacuum System Maintenance; Sources of Power for Gyroscopic Instruments | Vacuum as a plumbing problem. AF-H Concepts §4 |
K10, K19, S1, S12, R5 |
Pitot-static system; static system leak check requirements; alternate static source | System layout | Ch. 10 — Pitot-Static Systems; Pitot Tubes & Static Vents; Pitot-Static System Maintenance & Tests | 14 CFR part 43 appendix E and part 91 are the authority. AF-H Concepts §1 |
K11 |
Fuel quantity indicating | — | — | AF-J |
K12, S3, S5 |
Instrument range markings | Marking conventions | Ch. 10 — Instrument Range Markings; Instrument Installations & Markings | The TCDS supplies the values. AF-H Concepts §2 |
K13, K15–K18 |
Electronic displays; BITE; EFIS; EICAS; head-up displays | A survey | Ch. 10 — Electronic Flight Instrument System (EFIS); LCD Display Screens | Knowledge only — no skill touches them |
K14, R3 |
Electrostatic sensitive devices | Handling | — | Arrives from GEN-A Concepts §1 |
K23, K24, S2 |
Bonding and protection; panel and instrument removal and installation | — | Ch. 10 — Instrument Installations & Markings | AF-K Concepts §5 |
R1, R2, R4 |
Pressurized air and water in cleaning; response to an intermittent warning; handling mechanical gyros | — | — | AF-H Concepts §3 |
S4, S8 |
Determine barometric pressure using an altimeter; select the proper altimeter for a given aircraft | How an altimeter works and how it is tested | Ch. 10 — Altimeters & Altitude; Altimeter Tests; Pitot-Static Systems | The field method for S4 — set the pointer to known field elevation and read the barometric scale — and eligibility for S8, which is the TCDS's, not the handbook's |
S9, S14 |
Identify exhaust gas temperature system components; inspect an outside air temperature gauge | Thermocouple and direct-reading temperature indication | Ch. 10 — Temperature Measuring Instruments; Thermocouple Temperature Indicators; Air Temperature Measurement; Non-Electric Temperature Indicators | A thermocouple's lead length is part of its calibration — PP-D Concepts §1 |
S13 |
Locate and explain the adjustment procedures for a stall warning system | Warning annunciation, briefly | Ch. 10 — Aural Warning Systems; Warnings & Cautions; Annunciator Panels | The adjustment is the AMM's and is airframe-specific. This is a Locate element |
The operative sources
- 14 CFR § 91.411 requires the altimeter and static system test; part 43 appendix E is the method it calls up, and paragraph (a) is the static pressure system. Do not paraphrase it; read it. Note that a numeric leakage tolerance is given only for part 25 airplanes; otherwise the proof test is "in a manner acceptable to the Administrator".
- The aircraft's TCDS for range marking values (GEN-I Procedures Procedure 1).
- The aircraft's compass correction card, which is specific to that aircraft in that configuration.
License
CC BY-SA 4.0 (Licensing).