Definition
The official document, produced by the airplane manufacturer and approved by the FAA, that contains the operating limitations, procedures, performance data, weight and balance information, and systems descriptions specific to a particular airplane. The Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) is the FAA-approved manual required to be carried in the aircraft; the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) is the manufacturer's expanded version that, for most modern light aircraft, is also the AFM. The two terms are commonly written together as AFM/POH because for a given airplane they typically refer to the same document.
Plain English
The book that comes with the airplane and tells you exactly how to operate that specific airplane safely -- its limits, its procedures, and its numbers.
Context Anchor
You use the AFM/POH during preflight planning, performance checks, weight-and-balance planning, emergency review, and whenever you need the airplane manufacturer's approved information.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots are required to know and follow the AFM/POH limits and procedures; operating outside them can make a flight illegal and unsafe.
Intuition Check
Do not treat the AFM/POH as a general flying textbook. It is the operating handbook for a specific airplane type, and sometimes for a specific equipment setup.
Example Sentence 1
Before her checkride, she reviewed the emergency procedures section of the AFM/POH until she could recall the memory items without hesitation.
Example Sentence 2
The emergency checklist the pilot used came directly from the AFM/POH section on engine failure after takeoff.