AA.VII.C.K2b
C
What does AA.VII.C.K2b mean?
b. Difference between best glide speed and minimum sink speed.
- Area of Operation
- VII
- Task
- C
- Element type
- A Knowledge element — a fact, concept, or procedure the FAA expects you to know and that the knowledge (written) test draws questions from.
What you need to know
When facing an engine failure or emergency descent, your first job is to fly the airplane and run the immediate-action memory items (establish attitude/airspeed, identify a landing area, work the problem) before troubleshooting details. Best glide speed maximizes distance traveled per altitude lost, which is what you want when reaching a suitable field is the concern; minimum sink speed instead minimizes your rate of descent, buying you the most time aloft, which matters more if you're trying to stay airborne longer (e.g., to reach help or work a restart) rather than cover ground. Wind, turbulence, and density altitude all change your effective glide performance and approach planning, so a stabilized, energy-aware approach (managing speed and altitude together, avoiding a rushed or unstabilized pattern) is essential to arrive at the landing spot with usable energy in reserve. Know how to use your ELT and other locating devices and understand that ATC and other facilities have specific procedures and priority for assisting aircraft in distress—declare early and use available help rather than working the emergency alone.
Why students miss this
Students often blur best glide speed with minimum sink speed, treating them as interchangeable when they actually serve different purposes—one maximizes distance covered, the other maximizes time aloft. Another common trap is fixating on airspeed alone during the simulated forced landing while neglecting the sequence of immediate action items and the need to keep flying a stabilized approach with proper energy management all the way to the flare.
Focus on: Be able to explain clearly why best glide speed and minimum sink speed differ in purpose and effect, and practice reciting the immediate action flow so it becomes automatic under stress.
Drill this area until it sticks
AA.VII.C.K2b came from a question you missed on the FAA Airline Transport Pilot Multiengine Airplane knowledge test. Drill ACS-aligned practice questions with AI explanations and the cited FAA handbook reference behind every answer — free to start.
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.VII.C.K2b, grounded in the FAA handbooks.
Related ACS codes in C
Other elements the FAA tests under this same Task — review them together.
- AA.VII.C.K1Immediate action items and emergency procedures for a forced landing.
- AA.VII.C.K2Airspeed, to include
- AA.VII.C.K2aImportance of best glide speed and its relationship to distance
- AA.VII.C.K3Effects of atmospheric conditions on emergency approach and landing.
- AA.VII.C.K4A stabilized approach, to include energy management concepts.
- AA.VII.C.K5Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELTs) and other emergency locating devices.
- AA.VII.C.K6ATC services to aircraft in distress.
Common question
Do I need to memorize exact best glide speeds and distances for the checkride?
You need to understand the concept and know how to find the correct performance data for the aircraft you're flying rather than memorize numbers for the practical test itself; the examiner is testing your understanding of the relationship, not rote recall of a figure.
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.VII.C.K2b. 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.