Commercial Pilot ACS Study Guide

Welcome. I'm Jonathan Prentice.

I'm a flight instructor (CFI and CFII), a test pilot, and a former paramedic. If you're holding this guide, you're working toward the commercial certificate, the step where flying becomes something you can be paid to do, and where the standard goes from "safe" to "professional."

This guide goes deep on the material itself: what the privileges and limits really are, how the maneuvers work aerodynamically, and how to think about the decisions a professional makes. It follows the ACS Task order so you can study with the ACS open beside it.

What made checkrides go well for me was never a gouge. It was understanding what the examiner is trying to learn about you: are you precise, are you safe, and do you know where your limits are? The commercial maneuvers are demanding because they test all three at once.

Use this guide alongside the current ACS, the FAR/AIM, the Airplane Flying Handbook, the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, your airplane's POH, and your instructor. Verify everything against the current official sources. Fly safe, and exceed the standard.

Exceed the Standard.