Definition
Official documents added to an aircraft's Flight Manual that modify, expand, or replace the original manual's information when optional equipment, modifications, or special operational approvals have been installed or granted. Supplements carry the same regulatory weight as the base Aircraft Flight Manual and must be carried aboard the aircraft when their content applies.
Plain English
Extra pages added to an aircraft's official manual to cover equipment or approvals that weren't part of the original aircraft. They count just as much as the original manual.
Context Anchor
Seen when checking the operating rules for installed equipment, especially instrument navigation equipment, autopilots, or other systems that affect how the aircraft may be flown.
Derivation
Supplement' comes from the Latin 'supplere,' meaning 'to fill up' or 'to complete.' A supplement fills in what the original manual doesn't cover — usually because the equipment or approval came after the manual was first written.
Why Pilots Care
They contain mandatory procedures and limitations that directly affect how the aircraft must be operated after modifications, ensuring continued airworthiness and safety.
Intuition Check
Do not read “supplement” as casual extra reading. In this context, a supplement can contain required operating information that the pilot must follow.
Example Sentence 1
Before flying the club's Cessna with the newly installed GPS, the pilot reviewed the AFMS to learn the approved approach procedures.
Example Sentence 2
Emergency procedures unique to the installed turbocharger were listed only in the AFMS.