Definition
An FAA Advisory Circular that provides pilots with information on the recognition, avoidance, and recovery techniques for low-level wind shear, particularly the wind shear associated with thunderstorms and microbursts. It explains how wind shear affects aircraft performance and outlines recommended procedures for detection and escape.
Plain English
An FAA guidebook for pilots that explains what wind shear is, how to spot it, how to stay away from it, and what to do if you fly into it.
Context Anchor
You may see AC 00-54 cited in FAA training material when studying low-level wind shear and weather hazards near airports.
Derivation
AC stands for Advisory Circular, the FAA's series of non-regulatory guidance documents. The number 00-54 is simply the document's catalog number within that series. The 00 series covers general subjects.
Why Pilots Care
Understanding this document helps pilots recognize and respond correctly to wind shear, reducing the risk of loss of control near the ground.
Intuition Check
Do not read AC 00-54 as an aircraft part, a clearance, or a regulation by itself. In this context, it is the title number of an FAA guidance publication about wind shear.
Example Sentence 1
During ground school, the instructor referenced AC 00-54 when explaining how to recognize the visual cues of a microburst.
Example Sentence 2
During preflight planning the captain checked AC 00-54 for current guidance on wind shear recovery.