Definition
Manufacturer-produced documents that describe how to operate a specific aircraft safely and correctly, including its limitations, normal and emergency procedures, performance data, weight and balance information, and systems descriptions. For most modern general aviation aircraft, the operating handbook is the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH), which often also serves as the FAA-approved Airplane Flight Manual (AFM).
Plain English
The official books from the aircraft manufacturer that tell the pilot how to fly that particular airplane — how its systems work, what it can and can't do, and what to do in normal and emergency situations.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of Airplane Flight Manuals and Pilot’s Operating Handbooks, especially when a pilot is learning the required documents for a specific aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must consult and carry the correct operating handbook to meet regulatory requirements and make informed decisions about aircraft performance and procedures.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as just any general booklet about operating equipment. In this FAA context, operating handbooks are aircraft-specific documents used to operate a particular airplane correctly.
Example Sentence 1
Before the checkride, she reviewed the operating handbooks for the airplane to confirm the maximum crosswind component and the published short-field landing distance.
Example Sentence 2
Each training aircraft had its own operating handbooks that the student reviewed before solo flights.