Definition
The operating boundaries established by the manufacturer and approved by the FAA within which an aircraft must be operated. These include airspeed limits, weight and balance limits, powerplant limits, maneuvering limits, and approved kinds of operation. They are published in the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) or Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) and are legally binding on the pilot.
Plain English
The rules that say what the airplane can and cannot do safely. Things like the fastest you can fly, the most weight it can carry, what kind of weather you're allowed to fly it in, and what maneuvers are permitted. These come from the manufacturer, are approved by the FAA, and the pilot must follow them.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight when checking the airplane flight manual, pilot’s operating handbook, cockpit labels, and other required information before deciding whether the aircraft is ready to fly.
Derivation
Limitations comes from limit, which traces back to a Latin word meaning a boundary or border. That helps here because an aircraft limitation is a boundary around safe and approved operation.
Why Pilots Care
Exceeding any limitation risks structural damage, loss of control, or regulatory violation.
Intuition Check
Do not read limitations here as general weaknesses or inconveniences. In this FAA context, limitations means specific approved boundaries that control how the airplane may be operated.
Example Sentence 1
Before takeoff, the pilot reviewed the airplane's limitations to confirm the planned cruise altitude and gross weight were within approved values.
Example Sentence 2
The red line on the airspeed indicator shows the never-exceed speed listed in the limitations section of the POH.