Plain English Meaning
A free FAA book that teaches pilots how to spot what could go wrong on a flight, judge how serious those risks are, and decide what to do about them before and during flying.
Full Definition
An FAA publication that explains how pilots identify, assess, and manage the risks involved in flight. It presents the formal tools and frameworks used in aeronautical decision-making, including hazard identification, risk assessment models, and mitigation strategies, and serves as the FAA's primary reference on the subject.
Context Anchor
Seen when FAA training material points the pilot to a fuller explanation of risk management, especially in discussions of pilot decision-making and safe flight planning.
Derivation
The publication number FAA-H-8083-2 follows a standard FAA pattern: 'H' indicates Handbook, and '8083' is the FAA's series number for airman training and testing publications. Knowing the prefix helps a pilot recognize related handbooks at a glance (for example, FAA-H-8083-3 is the Airplane Flying Handbook).
Why Pilots Care
Familiarity with the handbook gives pilots a structured way to reduce the chance of accidents caused by overlooked hazards or poor decisions.
Intuition Check
Do not read this as just a general safety booklet. In FAA training, the Risk Management Handbook is a specific FAA publication with organized methods pilots are expected to understand and apply.
Example Sentence 1
Before her checkride, she reviewed the Risk Management Handbook to refresh her understanding of the PAVE and IMSAFE checklists.
Example Sentence 2
Instructors often direct students to the Risk Management Handbook (FAA-H-8083-2) when teaching how to evaluate weather and aircraft performance together.