Aircraft Information  Manual

Disclaimer

FAR §21.5(a) mandates all aircraft "Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight  Manual and having no flight time before March 1, 1979, the holder of a type  certificate (including amended or supplemental type certificates) or the  licensee of a type certificate must make available to the owner at the time of  delivery of the aircraft a current approved Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight  Manual."

In short, all aircraft that were sold as new as of that date must have a  serial number-specific manual applicable to that specfic airframe. The manual  must be issued directly from the manufacturer with the serial number shown on  the cover page with an authorized signature an the agent of the Federal Aviation  Administration.

The Airplane Information Manuals we sell does not satisfy this mandates. The  manufacturer is the ONLY source for the serial number-specif Airplane Flight  Manual. We may assist as requested in obtaining this manual. The typical cost  may vary from a few hundred to well over a thousand dollars. The reason for this  high cost is to cover the creation of the manual as well as the manufacturer's  liability attached in its creation.

A Bit of Education on Flight Manuals!

Frequently, the terminalogy of flight manuals is tossed around and confused  by most pilots, instructors and even those writing them.

• Airplane Flight Manual (AFM):
  • The AFM is a document developed by the airplane manufacturer and  approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
  • It is specific to a particular make and model airplane by serial  number and it contains operating procedures and limitations which meet  the requirements of FAR 21.5 (Shown below)
• Pilot Operating Handbook (POH):
  • The POH is a document developed by the airplane manufacturer and  contains the FAA approved Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) information
  • The term "POH" came into existence in the mid-1970s as a result of  AOPA's and GAMA's efforts to standardize and expand information  contained in the owner's manuals or information manuals of the day
• Airplane Owner/Pilot Information Manual (PIM): ←  This is what we sell!
  • The PIM is a document developed by the airplane manufacturer  containing general information about the make and model of an airplane
  • The airplane owner’s manual is not FAA-approved and is not specific  to a particular serial numbered airplane
  • This manual is not kept current, and therefore cannot be substituted  for the AFM/POH
  • It is often used as a way to learn and review aircraft information  without removing legal information from the aircraft

An example of the "POH" might be a manual package or case which includes the  Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) and a manual for the Garmin G1000 or other  equipment manual which may be required to be on board.

With exception of older manuals prior to the min-1970s they are laid out in a very  specific order shown as follows:

• Section 1: General:
  • Provides overall information about the aircraft which includes such  things as an overview of the engine and propeller, type of fuel it can  carry, max weights and standard dimensions
• Section 2: Limitations:
  • Provides the FAA approved operating limitations, instrument  markings, color coding and basic placards necessary for the safe  operation of the airplane its system
• Section 3: Emergency Procedures:
  • Section provides the recommended procedures for coping with various  emergency or critical situations
  • This section is divided into two parts:
    • The first part provides an emergency procedure checklist
      • These supply immediate action sequence to be followed during  critical situations with little emphasis on the operation  systems)
    • The second part of this section provides the amplified emergency  procedures corresponding to the emergency procedures checklist items
      • These contain additional information to provide the pilot  with a more complete description of the procedures so they could  be more easily understood
• Section 4: Normal Procedures:
  • All normal operating procedures for that aircraft
  • Two parts similar to the emergency procedures section
• Section 5: Performance:
  • All of the required and complementary performance information  applicable to this aircraft
  • Examples can be found on our performance calculations page
• Section 6: Weight and Balance:
  • Necessary tables and calculations to determine aircraft stability
  • A weight and balance explanation can be found here
• Section 7: Description and Operation of the Airplane and its  Systems:
  • A general overview of the systems that can  and mostly are installed on the aircraft
• Section 8: Airplane Handling, Servicing and Maintenance:
  • Meant to provide a guideline for handling, servicing, and  maintenance for the aircraft
• Section 9: Supplements:
  • This section provides information in the form of supplements which  are necessary for efficient operation of the airplane when equipped with  one or more of the various operational systems and equipment not  approved with the standard alone
• Section 10: Operating Tips:
  • Provide particular tips to that aircraft (Usually not included in  smaller aircraft.)

14 CFR §21.5 — Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual.

(a) With each airplane or rotorcraft not type certificated with an Airplane  or Rotorcraft Flight Manual and having no flight time before March 1, 1979, the  holder of a type certificate (including amended or supplemental type  certificates) or the licensee of a type certificate must make available to the  owner at the time of delivery of the aircraft a current approved Airplane or  Rotorcraft Flight Manual.

(b) The Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual required by paragraph (a) of  this section must contain the following information:

(1) The operating limitations and information required to be furnished in an  Airplane or Rotorcraft Flight Manual or in manual material, markings, and  placards, by the applicable regulations under which the airplane or rotorcraft  was type certificated.
(2) The maximum ambient atmospheric temperature for which engine cooling was  demonstrated must be stated in the performance information section of the Flight  Manual, if the applicable regulations under which the aircraft was type  certificated do not require ambient temperature on engine cooling operating  limitations in the Flight Manual.

[Amdt. 21-46, 43 FR 2316, Jan. 16, 1978, as amended by Amdt. 21-92, 74 FR  53385, Oct. 16, 2009]