AA.VI.C.R2
Arrival Procedures
What does AA.VI.C.R2 mean?
Limitations of traffic avoidance equipment..
- Area of Operation
- VI. Instrument Procedures
- Task
- C. Arrival Procedures
- Element type
- A Risk Management element — a hazard you must be able to identify, assess, and mitigate. These show up on the knowledge test and again on your checkride.
What you need to know
Flying an arrival (STAR) well is about staying ahead of the airplane: verify the correct procedure and transition are loaded and displayed correctly before you need it, cross-check raw navigation data against the FMS, and brief altitude/speed restrictions with your crew so everyone knows what's coming next. When ATC clears you "direct" a fix, assigns a heading, or says to discontinue or resume lateral or vertical navigation, you must understand exactly what that does to your automation—know when the autopilot/FMS is still following the charted path versus when you're now hand-managing it—and reprogram or intervene promptly rather than assuming the box will sort it out. Traffic displays (like TCAS/TAS) are advisory only; they help build awareness but don't guarantee separation, so you're still required to see and avoid other traffic when conditions allow, and you can't rely on automation or traffic equipment as a substitute for basic airmanship. Bottom line: know your equipment's limits, manage automation actively rather than passively, communicate clearly with ATC and your crew, and always fly the current charted procedure exactly as published unless ATC amends it.
Why students miss this
Students often assume that once an arrival is loaded and the autopilot/FMS is flying it, the automation guarantees compliance with the charted procedure, so they under-monitor raw data and ATC amendments that change the lateral or vertical path. They also tend to treat TCAS/traffic advisory equipment as a substitute for visual scanning, forgetting that it has real detection and display limitations and doesn't relieve the crew of see-and-avoid responsibility when conditions permit.
Focus on: Practice cross-checking the FMS/autopilot depiction against the charted arrival and current ATC clearance continuously, and be ready to explain what traffic equipment can and cannot detect so you never treat automation or TCAS as a substitute for active monitoring and visual lookout.
🎯 Test yourself on this topic
Question 1 of 2An approved minimum equipment list or FAA Letter of Authorization allows certain instruments or equipment
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Drill this area until it sticks
AA.VI.C.R2 came from a question you missed on the FAA Airline Transport Pilot Multiengine Airplane knowledge test. Take a free, ACS-aligned Equipment, Navigation, and Facilities quiz — instant scoring, explanations, and the cited FAA reference behind every answer.
Missing it isn't a verdict on you — it's a sign your prep skipped the why behind it. Memorizing answer letters is exactly what leaves gaps like this. Here, every answer explains the reasoning and cites the FAA source it comes from, so the concept holds on test day and at the checkride oral.
Study this concept
Plain-English explanations of the key ideas behind AA.VI.C.R2, grounded in the FAA handbooks.
Related ACS codes in C. Arrival Procedures
Other elements the FAA tests under this same Task — review them together.
- AA.VI.C.R1ATC communications and compliance with published procedures.
- AA.VI.C.R3Responsibility to use "see and avoid" techniques when possible.
- AA.VI.C.R4Automation management.
- AA.VI.C.R5ATC instructions that modify an arrival or discontinue/resume the aircraft's lateral or vertica…
- AA.VI.C.S1In actual or simulated instrument conditions, select, identify (as necessary) and use the appro…
- AA.VI.C.S10Maintain the appropriate airspeed/V-speed ±10 knots, but not less than reference landing approa…
- AA.VI.C.S2Set FMS and avionics, including flight director and autopilot controls for the arrival, if appl…
- AA.VI.C.S3Coordinate with crew, if applicable, and complete the appropriate checklist(s) in a timely mann…
+ 6 more elements in this Task.
Common question
What should I do if ATC clears me to "descend via" the arrival but then gives an instruction that seems to contradict the charted altitudes?
Treat the more recent ATC instruction as controlling, but verify it against the chart, query ATC if there's ambiguity, and update your FMS/autopilot targets accordingly so your vertical and lateral navigation match what's actually been cleared.
What is an FAA ACS code?
The FAA's Airman Certification Standards (ACS) break each certificate into Areas of Operation, Tasks, and specific Knowledge (K), Risk Management (R), and Skill (S) elements. Every knowledge-test question maps to one code like AA.VI.C.R2. When you miss a question, your Airman Knowledge Test Report lists its code so you know exactly what to review.
Have a whole list of codes from your report? Paste them all into our free ACS code lookup to see every weak area at once — or browse the aviation glossary for plain-English definitions.