Source: FAA-H-8083-30B, physics chapter, with FAA-H-8083-25C, the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, where the aerodynamics needs more depth than a maintenance handbook gives it. Both are public domain. Pointers only.
Chapter and section verified against FAA-H-8083-30B, 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.
| Element | The ACS asks for | In the handbook | Where in FAA-H-8083-30B | Where in FAA-H-8083-25C | What it does not give you |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
K1, K4 |
Matter and energy; heat and pressure | States of matter, energy forms, heat transfer, pressure | Ch. 5 — Matter; Characteristics of Matter; Energy; Heat; Heat Transfer; Pressure; Atmospheric Pressure | — | — |
K2, K3 |
Work, power, force and motion; simple machines | Definitions and the six simple machines | Ch. 5 — Force, Work, Power, & Torque; Motion; Simple Machines; The Lever; The Pulley; The Gear; Inclined Plane | — | Why a mechanic cares — see GEN-J Concepts §3 |
K5, K6 |
Bernoulli; Newton's laws | Both, briefly | Ch. 5 — Bernoulli’s Principle; Newton’s Law of Motion; First Law; Second Law; Third Law | Ch. 4 — Bernoulli’s Principle of Differential Pressure; Basic Laws of Motion; Lift; Airfoil Design | The common misstatement of Bernoulli. GEN-J Concepts §4 |
K7 |
Gas law and fluid mechanics | Boyle, Charles, the general gas law, Pascal | Ch. 5 — Gas Laws; Boyle’s Law; Charles’ Law; General Gas Law; Dalton’s Law; Fluid Mechanics; Pascal’s Law | — | — |
K8, K10, K11 |
Theory of flight; flight controls; vortex generators, wing fences, stall strips | Lift, drag, the axes, control surfaces, high-lift and flow devices | Ch. 5 — Aircraft Theory of Flight; Aerodynamics; Airfoils; Four Forces of Flight; Axes of an Aircraft; Flight Control Surfaces; Supplemental Lift-Modifying Devices; Boundary Layer Control | Ch. 5 — Drag; Parasite Drag; Induced Drag; Lift/Drag Ratio; Axes of an Aircraft; Dynamic Stability; Stalls; Wingtip Vortices | Why any of it is in a maintenance standard. GEN-J Concepts §2 |
K9, K12 |
Standard atmosphere; temperature, density, weight and volume | ISA, lapse rate, density relationships | Ch. 5 — The Atmosphere; Standard Atmosphere; Atmospheric Density; Density; Temperature | Ch. 4 — Atmosphere; Atmospheric Pressure; Density; Density Altitude; Effect of Temperature on Density; Effect of Pressure on Density | The maintenance use of density altitude. GEN-J Concepts §5 |
K13 |
Force, area or pressure in an application | P = F / A | Ch. 5 — Pressure; Fluid Pressure; Force | — | — |
R1 |
Density altitude and performance | — | Ch. 5 — Atmospheric Density; Standard Atmosphere | Ch. 4 — Density Altitude; Effect of Humidity (Moisture) on Density | As K9 |
R2 |
Effect a repair can have on a flight surface | — | — | — | The element the aerodynamics exists to serve. GEN-J Concepts §2 |
R3 |
Use of performance and testing data | — | — | — | — |
R4 |
Related units of measure | Conversion tables | Ch. 5 — Heat Energy Units | — | Which units collide in practice |
Constants and relationships worth holding
| °F = °C × 9/5 + 32 | and °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9 |
| ISA sea level | 15 °C, 29.92 in Hg |
| ISA lapse rate | about 2 °C per 1,000 ft |
| Pressure altitude | field elevation + (29.92 − altimeter setting) × 1,000 |
| Density altitude | pressure altitude + 120 × (OAT − ISA temperature) |
| One horsepower | 33,000 ft-lb per minute, or 550 ft-lb per second |
| Horsepower from torque | HP = torque (ft-lb) × RPM ÷ 5,252 |
| Pressure | P = F ÷ A |
The density altitude relationship is a rule of thumb, not a definition. It is close enough for a ground run and it is what a mechanic uses; a performance chart is what governs.
Other sources
The aircraft's own performance section for any actual power check, and the engine manufacturer's data for what the engine should produce. The handbook teaches the method; it is the authority on no aircraft (GEN-I).
License
CC BY-SA 4.0 (Licensing).