Definition
An official FAA publication (FAA-H-8083-3) that provides basic knowledge essential for pilots, covering airplane operating procedures, flight maneuvers, and the practical skills required to safely operate an airplane. It is one of the primary FAA reference handbooks used in flight training and is referenced throughout pilot certification standards.
Plain English
The FAA's main 'how to fly an airplane' book. It explains the procedures, maneuvers, and techniques pilots are expected to know, from basic flight to more advanced operations.
Context Anchor
You may see this title in FAA training material, instructor lesson plans, or study references when a topic needs more detail about actually flying an airplane.
Derivation
“Handbook” originally means a book small enough to be kept at hand for ready use. In this title, it means a practical reference a pilot or instructor can use while learning or teaching airplane flying.
Why Pilots Care
It is one of the core source documents for both training and checkride preparation. Examiners expect knowledge consistent with what is taught in this handbook, and it is often the first place an instructor will point a student when learning a new maneuver.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse the Airplane Flying Handbook with the specific manual for one airplane. It is a general FAA training book, not the operating manual for a particular aircraft.
Example Sentence 1
Before our next lesson on steep turns, review the relevant section of the Airplane Flying Handbook so we can focus on the actual flying.
Example Sentence 2
During the preflight briefing the CFI referenced the Airplane Flying Handbook to explain proper crosswind landing technique.