Definition
The POH/FM is the official document, produced by the aircraft manufacturer and approved by the FAA, that contains the operating limitations, procedures, performance data, and systems descriptions for a specific aircraft. The Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) is the manufacturer's version, while the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM, often shown as FM) is the FAA-approved version that must be carried in the aircraft. For most modern light aircraft, the two are combined into a single document covering normal procedures, emergency procedures, weight and balance, performance charts, and equipment lists.
Plain English
The official manual for a specific aircraft. It tells the pilot how to operate that exact airplane safely, what its limits are, and what to do when something goes wrong.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight planning, performance calculations, weight-and-balance work, emergency procedure review, and scenario-based training lessons where the instructor expects the pilot to use the aircraft’s own manual.
Why Pilots Care
It supplies the legally binding limits and procedures a pilot must follow for safe and regulatory-compliant operation.
Analogy
It is similar to an owner’s manual for a car, but more important: for an aircraft, the POH/FM contains limits and procedures the pilot is expected to follow.
Intuition Check
Do not treat the POH/FM as a general flying textbook. It is the reference for that aircraft, and the correct answer can change from one aircraft model or setup to another.
Example Sentence 1
Before the cross-country flight, she opened the POH/FM to check the takeoff distance required at the planned departure weight and field elevation.
Example Sentence 2
During the emergency procedure review, the student confirmed the correct steps directly from the POH/FM rather than from memory.