The FAA provides a variety of important reference material for the student, as well as the advanced civil aviation pilot
In addition to the regulations provided online by the FAA, several other publications are available to the user
Almost all reference material is available online at www.faa.gov in downloadable format
Commercial aviation publishers also provide published and online reference material to further aid the aviation pilot
FAA Handbooks:
Handbooks are developed to provide specific information about a particular topic that enhances training or understanding
The FAA publishes a variety of handbooks that generally fall into three categories: aircraft, aviation, and examiners and inspectors
Aircraft flight manuals commonly called Pilot Operating Handbooks (POH) are documents developed by the airplane manufacturer, approved by the FAA, and are specific to a particular make and model aircraft by serial number
These handbooks are published by the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Airman Testing Standards Branch, AFS-630, P.O. Box 25082, Oklahoma City, OK 73125
Comments regarding this publication should be sent, in email form, to the following address
The Aircraft Flying Handbooks are designed as technical manuals to introduce basic pilot skills and knowledge that are essential for piloting aircraft. They provide information on transition to other aircraft and the operation of various aircraft systems
The Instrument Procedures Handbook is designed as a technical reference for professional pilots who operate under IFR in the NAS and expands on information contained in the Instrument Flying Handbook
The Glider Flying Handbook is designed as a technical manual for applicants who are preparing for glider category rating and for currently certificated glider pilots who wish to improve their knowledge
The Aviation Instructor's Handbook provides the foundation for beginning instructors to understand and apply the fundamentals of instructing
This handbook also provides aviation instructors with up-to-date information on learning and teaching, and how to relate this information to the task of conveying aeronautical knowledge and skills to students
Experienced aviation instructors also find the new and updated information useful for improving their effectiveness in training activities
An Advisory Circular (AC) is an informational document (non-regulatory) that the FAA wants to distribute to the aviation community
Some ACs are free while others cost money
The FAA website www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_ circulars/ provides a database that is a searchable repository of all aviation safety ACs
All ACs, current and historical, are provided and can be viewed as a portable document format (PDF) copy
Other Publications:
Aeronautical Information Manual:
The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) is the official guide to basic flight information and ATC procedures for the aviation community flying in the NAS of the United States
The AIM contains information of interest to pilots, such as health and medical facts, flight safety, a pilot/controller glossary of terms used in the system, and information on safety, accidents, and reporting of hazards
Arrival Alert Notices (AAN) are new graphics produced by the FAA that visually depict an approach at specific airports to help mitigate wrong surface misalignment risks for pilots
Notices to Airmen, or NOTAMs, are time-critical aeronautical information either temporary in nature or not sufficiently known in advance to permit publication on aeronautical charts or in other operational publications, such as the Chart Supplement U.S.
Conclusion:
Publications come from a variety of sources but they all have one thing in common, they go out of date
These handbooks are constantly updated in response to safety investigation recommendations and updates to regulations, so check the FAA's website for the most up-to-date version!
Discussions and interpretations of aviation topics can be found through several podcasts, including:
