VSL ACE Guide Version 8.0 – FAA Reference System for Pilots

Pass your checkride without digging through dozens of different FAA documents.

The ACE Guide is a streamlined FAA reference system designed to help pilots prepare for checkrides by connecting the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) directly to the FAA handbooks, regulations, Advisory Circulars, and guidance material examiners expect applicants to understand.

Used by thousands of pilots preparing for FAA checkrides.

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What’s New in Version 8.0

• 2026 AIM Change 3 – Now Available Offline

The complete 2026 Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), Change 3 is now included directly within the ACE Guide.

Previous versions provided an AIM navigation menu linked to the FAA website. Version 8.0 brings the AIM into the guide itself, allowing you to access and navigate it without an internet connection.

• Redesigned Main Menu

The main menu has been reorganized into three pages to make navigating the growing library of FAA material easier:

• Page 1: Airman Certification Standards (ACS) and FAA Handbooks

• Page 2: Useful FAA documents, guides, and pamphlets

• Page 3: Advisory Circulars

• Continued Menu Modernization

Additional document menus have been updated with the newer navigation design for improved usability and visual consistency. Some documents still use the previous menu style and will continue to be updated in future releases.

• Conducting an Effective Flight Review Added

By user request, the FAA publication Conducting an Effective Flight Review has been added to the ACE Guide and is accessible from Page 2 of the main menu.

• Additional FAA Guides and Pamphlets

Several useful FAA pamphlets, guides, and reference documents have been added and organized on Page 2 of the main menu, expanding the reference library beyond the core handbooks and Advisory Circulars.

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Format

Digital PDF optimized for tablets and electronic flight bags (EFBs).

Includes free lifetime updates as the ACE Guide is updated with new FAA material.

No subscription. No recurring fees.

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What It Is

The ACE Guide brings the FAA reference material you need into a single, organized system, including:

• FAA handbooks

• Airman Certification Standards (ACS)

• Legacy Practical Test Standards (PTS) where applicable

• Advisory Circulars

• FAA legal interpretations

• FAR/AIM references

• Additional FAA guides and publications

Rather than keeping dozens of separate PDFs and trying to remember where everything is located, the ACE Guide connects them through an extensive internal navigation and hyperlink system.

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How It Works

Preparing for a checkride often requires moving between the ACS, FAA handbooks, regulations, Advisory Circulars, and other FAA guidance.

The ACE Guide connects those documents together.

ACS knowledge elements are linked directly to supporting FAA source material, allowing you to quickly move from:

Standard → Explanation → Regulation → Additional Guidance

Instead of searching through separate documents, the information is only a few taps away.

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Checkride Use

The ACE Guide contains FAA source material, not rewritten or summarized versions of FAA publications.

It is designed to function like a digitally tabbed collection of FAA references that you can use during training, checkride preparation, and on checkride day.

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Who It’s For

• Pilots preparing for FAA checkrides

• Flight instructors teaching ACS-based material

• CFI applicants preparing for instructor-level evaluations

• Pilots who want faster access to FAA references

• Anyone who wants an organized, offline library of commonly used FAA material

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Why It’s Different

Most study guides summarize FAA material.

The ACE Guide does not.

Instead, it organizes and connects the original FAA source material.

Think of it as a digitally tabbed and cross-referenced FAA library. When you select an ACS knowledge element, you can quickly navigate to the FAA handbook, regulation, Advisory Circular, or other source material that explains it.

That means you're learning not only the answer, but also where the answer comes from and how to find it yourself.

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What’s Included

A comprehensive library of FAA reference material for fixed-wing pilots, including:

• Core FAA handbooks, including the PHAK, AFH, IFH, IPH, Risk Management Handbook, Aviation Weather Handbook, and more

• Current Airman Certification Standards

• Legacy Practical Test Standards where still applicable

• 2026 AIM Change 3

• Advisory Circulars

• FAA legal interpretations

• FAA guides and pamphlets

• FAR/AIM references

• Extensive internal navigation and cross-referencing

All integrated into a single PDF reference system.

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Free Lifetime Updates

Purchase it once and keep it current.

When the ACE Guide is updated, you'll receive access to the latest version at no additional cost.

No subscriptions. No recurring fees.

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Created By

Seth Lake
FAA Designated Pilot Examiner
Airline Pilot
Flight Instructor

The ACE Guide started as a tool I built for myself.

As a DPE, I regularly need to move between the ACS, FAA handbooks, regulations, Advisory Circulars, and other FAA publications. Managing dozens of separate PDFs was inefficient, so I began combining and linking them into a single reference system.

That personal tool eventually became the ACE Guide and is now used by thousands of pilots preparing for FAA checkrides.

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The Bottom Line

The ACE Guide gives you:

• Faster access to FAA source material

• Direct connections between ACS standards and FAA references

• Offline access to a comprehensive FAA reference library

• A practical system for training, studying, and checkride day

• Free lifetime updates

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VSL ACE Guide Version 8.0

Stay current. Stay organized. Know where to find the answer.

Download the latest version and receive all future ACE Guide updates at no additional cost.