Sources: FAA-H-8083-31B electrical systems chapter, and AC 43.13-1B chapter 11, which is the practical authority on aircraft wiring. 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.
AC 43.13-1B is cited by chapter, section and paragraph. It is an advisory circular, not a handbook: its paragraph numbers — 11-85, 11-187 — are stable identifiers rather than page references, which is why they are cited and why our handbook citation check does not treat them as pages. Verified against the FAA's copy on 28 August 2026.
| Elements | The ACS asks for | In the source | Where in FAA-H-8083-31B | Where in FAA-H-8083-30B | Where in AC 43.13-1B | What it does not give you |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
K1–K6 |
DC and AC generation and distribution; starter generators; CSD and IDG; regulators and over-volt protection; inverters | System architecture | Ch. 9 — Generators; DC Generators & Controls; AC Alternators; DC Alternators & Controls; Generator Controls; Alternator Voltage Regulators | — | — | — |
K7–K9, K15, R5–R7 |
Wire sizes, types, selection and installation; shielding; connectors, splices, terminals and switches; routing and securing; wire sizing; terminal selection | AC 43.13-1B ch. 11 | Ch. 9 — Wire Types; Wire Size Selection; Wire Identification; Wire Installation & Routing; Wire Groups & Bundles & Routing; Wire Shielding; Lacing & Tying Wire Bundles; Wire Termination; Terminal Lugs | — | Ch. 11 — Section 5. Electrical Wire Rating; Section 6. Aircraft Electrical Wire Selection; Section 7. Table Of Acceptable Wires; 11-77. Aircraft Wire Materials; 11-85. Aircraft Wire Table; 11-67. Methods for Determining Current Carrying Capacity of Wires; 11-89. Shielded Wire; Section 11. Clamping | Voltage drop as the sizing criterion. AF-K Concepts §4 |
K10 |
Lightning protection | Bonding and protection | Ch. 11 — Bonding; Static Discharge Wicks · Ch. 7 — Lightning Protection Fibers · Ch. 14 — Fuel System Lightning Protection | — | Ch. 11 — Section 15. Grounding And Bonding; 11-187. Bonding; 11-193. Lightning Protection Bonding | AF-I §2 |
K11, K12 |
Panel removal and installation; lighting systems | — | — | — | — | — |
K13, K16, S6, S16 |
Troubleshooting; measurement, adjustment and testing | Method | Ch. 9 — Circuit Breakers; Switches; Relays | — | Ch. 11 — Section 1. Inspection And Care Of Electrical Systems; Section 4. Inspection Of Circuit-Protection Devices | Arrives from GEN-A Concepts §3 |
K14, R8, R9, S5 |
Soldering — preparation, solder types, flux, effects and practices | Process | Ch. 9 — Wire Termination; Terminal Lugs; Connectors | — | Ch. 11 — Section 13. Splicing.; Section 14. Terminal Repairs; 11-178. Crimp On Terminal Lugs and Splices | Why aviation prefers crimping. AF-K Concepts §2 |
K17 |
Battery troubleshooting and maintenance | — | Ch. 9 — Aircraft Battery Inspection; Battery Maintenance; Battery Charging | — | Ch. 11 — Section 2. Storage Batteries | GEN-A Concepts §5 |
R1–R4 |
Testing and troubleshooting; external power; energized circuits; work near wiring | Safety practice | Ch. 9 — Aircraft Battery Inspection; Battery Circuit; External Power Circuit | — | — | AF-K Concepts §3 |
S11, S12 |
Check the output voltage of a DC generator; check the resistance of a component | Meter use and what each reading means | — | Ch. 12 — Voltage Measurement; Checking Resistance in a Circuit; DC Generator Maintenance | — | The limits are the maintenance manual's. A reading without a limit is not a check |
S13 |
Inspect generator brush serviceability and brush spring tension | Brush wear and seating | — | Ch. 12 — Condition of Generator Brushes; DC Generator Maintenance; Brush Assembly | — | Spring tension is measured, not judged — the value is the manufacturer's |
S14, S15 |
Inspect anti-collision, position and landing lights for proper operation; inspect components in an electrical system | The lighting systems and what to look at on wiring | Ch. 9 — Aircraft Lighting Systems; Anticollision Lights; Position Lights; Landing & Taxi Lights; Wire Inspection | — | — | Position light colors and their arcs are regulatory, not a handbook preference |
S17 |
Identify components in a schematic where AC is rectified to DC | Rectifier types and their symbols | — | Ch. 12 — Rectifiers; Full-Wave Rectifier; Half-Wave Rectifier; Diode Identification | — | Schematic literacy itself — GEN-B Concepts §4 |
S18, S19, S20 |
Continuity of a conductor; a short to ground; a short to other conductors | The three tests and how each is traced | — | Ch. 12 — Continuity Checks; Tracing Shorts with the Ohmmeter; Tracing Shorts with the Voltmeter; The Ohmmeter | Ch. 11 — Section 1. Inspection And Care Of Electrical Systems | Isolate before you measure. An in-circuit ohmmeter reading is a reading of the circuit, not the conductor — GEN-A Concepts §3 |
The operative sources
- AC 43.13-1B chapter 11 for wire selection, routing, terminals, splices and bonding where the aircraft's manual is silent. Acceptable data, not approved (GEN-I Concepts §3).
- The aircraft's wiring diagrams — the object of
S4. - The manufacturer's bonding resistance limits for
S10.
License
CC BY-SA 4.0 (Licensing).