Part 1: Flight Manuals and… | FAA PHAK Ch. 9

Introduction

Each aircraft comes with documentation and a set of manuals

with which a pilot must be familiar in order to fly that aircraft.

This chapter covers airplane flight manuals (AFM), the

pilot’s operating handbook (POH), and aircraft documents

pertaining to ownership, airworthiness, maintenance, and

operations with inoperative equipment. Knowledge of these

required documents and manuals is essential for a pilot to

conduct a safe flight.

Airplane Flight Manuals (AFM)

Flight manuals and operating handbooks are concise reference

books that provide specific information about a particular

aircraft or subject. They contain basic facts, information,

and/or instructions for the pilot about the operation of an

aircraft, flying techniques, etc., and are intended to be kept

on hand for ready reference.

Flight Manuals and

Other Documents

Chapter 9

The aircraft owner/information manual is a document

developed by the aircraft manufacturer and contains general

information about the make and model of the aircraft.

The manual is not approved by the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) and is not specific to an individual

aircraft. The manual provides general information about the

operation of an aircraft, is not kept current, and cannot be

substituted for the AFM/POH.

An AFM is a document developed by the aircraft manufacturer

and approved by the FAA. This book contains the information

and instructions required to operate an aircraft safely. A

pilot must comply with this information which is specific

to a particular make and model of aircraft, usually by serial

number. An AFM contains the operating procedures and

limitations of that aircraft. Title 14 of the Code of Federal

Regulations (14 CFR) part 91 requires that pilots comply

with the operating limitations specified in the approved flight

manuals, markings, and placards.

Originally, flight manuals followed whatever format and

content the manufacturer felt was appropriate, but this

changed with the acceptance of Specification No. 1 prepared

by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).

Specification No. 1 established a standardized format for all

general aviation airplane and helicopter flight manuals.

The POH is a document developed by the aircraft

manufacturer and contains FAA-approved AFM information.

If “POH” is used in the main title, a statement must be

included on the title page indicating that sections of the

document are FAA approved as the AFM.

The POH for most light aircraft built after 1975 is also

designated as the FAA-approved flight manual. The typical

AFM/POH contains the following nine sections: General;

Limitations; Emergency Procedures; Normal Procedures;

Performance; Weight and Balance/Equipment List; Systems

Description; Handling, Service, and Maintenance; and

Supplements. Manufacturers also have the option of including

additional sections, such as one on Safety and Operational

Tips or an alphabetical index at the end of the POH.

Preliminary Pages

While the AFM/POH may appear similar for the same make

and model of aircraft, each manual is unique and contains

specific information about a particular aircraft, such as the

equipment installed and weight and balance information.

Manufacturers are required to include the serial number and

registration on the title page to identify the aircraft to which

the manual belongs. If a manual does not indicate a specific

aircraft registration and serial number, it is limited to general

study purposes only.

Most manufacturers include a table of contents that identifies

the order of the entire manual by section number and title.

Usually, each section also contains a table of contents for that

section. Page numbers reflect the section and page within that

section (1-1, 1-2, 2-1, 3-1, etc.). If the manual is published

in loose-leaf form, each section is usually marked with a

divider tab indicating the section number, title, or both. The

Emergency Procedures section may have a red tab for quick

identification and reference.

General (Section 1)

The General section provides the basic descriptive

information on the airframe and powerplant(s). Some

manuals include a three-dimensional drawing of the aircraft

that provides dimensions of various components. Included

are such items as wingspan, maximum height, overall length,

wheelbase length, main landing gear track width, diameter

of the rotor system, maximum propeller diameter, propeller

ground clearance, minimum turning radius, and wing area.

This section serves as a quick reference and helps a pilot

become familiar with the aircraft.

The last segment of the General section contains definitions,

abbreviations, explanations of symbology, and some of

the terminology used in the POH. At the discretion of the

manufacturer, metric and other conversion tables may also

be included.

Limitations (Section 2)

The Limitations section contains only those limitations required

by regulation or that are necessary for the safe operation of

the aircraft, powerplant, systems, and equipment. It includes

operating limitations, instrument markings, color-coding,

and basic placards. Some of the limitation areas are airspeed,

powerplant, weight and loading distribution, and flight.

Airspeed

Airspeed limitations are shown on the airspeed indicator

(ASI) by color coding and on placards or graphs in the

aircraft. [Figure 9-1] A red line on the ASI shows the airspeed

limit beyond which structural damage could occur. This is

called the never-exceed speed (VNE). A yellow arc indicates

the speed range between maximum structural cruising speed

(VN0) and VNE. Operation of an aircraft in the yellow airspeed

arc is for smooth air only and then only with caution. A green

arc depicts the normal operating speed range, with the upper

end at VN0 and the lower end at stalling speed at maximum

weight with the landing gear and flaps retracted (V S1). For

airplanes, the flap operating range is depicted by the white

arc, with the upper end at the maximum flap extended speed

(VFE), and the lower end at the stalling speed with the landing

gear and flaps in the landing configuration (VS0).

Figure 9-1. Single-engine airspeed indicator.

Figure 9-3. Minimum, maximum, and normal operating range

markings on oil gauge.

200

245

I50

I00

°F P

II5

I00

OIL

Minimum

Maximum

Normal operating range

140160

200

250

AIRSPEED

KNOTS

IAS

TAS

100

120140

160

180

200

260

Figure 9-2. Multi-engine airspeed indicator. Figure 9-4. Manifold pressure gauge (top) and tachometer (bottom).

R P M

H U N D R E D S

HOURS

AVOID

CONTINUOUS

OPERATION

BETWEEN 2250

AND 2350 RPM

IN Hg

ALg.

MANIFOLD

PRESSURE

5010

In addition to the markings listed above, small multi-engine

airplanes have a red radial line to indicate single-engine

minimum controllable airspeed (V MC). A blue radial line

is used to indicate single-engine best rate of climb speed at

maximum weight at sea level (VYSE). [Figure 9-2]

Powerplant

The Powerplant Limitations portion describes operating

limitations on an aircraft’s reciprocating or turbine engine(s).

These include limitations for takeoff power, maximum

continuous power, and maximum normal operating power,

which is the maximum power the engine can produce without

any restrictions and is depicted by a green arc. Other items

that can be included in this area are the minimum and

maximum oil and fuel pressures, oil and fuel grades, and

propeller operating limits. [Figure 9-3]

All reciprocating-engine powered aircraft must have a

revolutions per minute (rpm) indicator for each engine.

Aircraft equipped with a constant-speed propeller or rotor

system use a manifold pressure gauge to monitor power

output and a tachometer to monitor propeller or rotor speed.

Both instruments depict the maximum operating limit with

a red radial line and the normal operating range with a green

arc. [Figure 9-4] Some instruments may have a yellow arc

to indicate a caution area.

Weight and Loading Distribution

Weight and Loading Distribution contains the maximum

certificated weights, as well as the center of gravity (CG)

range. The location of the reference datum used in balance

computations is included in this section. Weight and balance

computations are not provided in this area, but rather in the

weight and balance section of the AFM/POH.

Flight Manuals and Other Documents — Part 1