Aeronautical Information Manual

Introduction:

  • The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) is a non-regulatory Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) publication containing basic flight information and Air Traffic Control (ATC) procedures for use in the National Airspace System (NAS) of the United States
  • The AIM contains information of interest to pilots, such as health and medical facts, flight safety, a pilot/controller glossary of terms used in the system, and information on safety, accidents, and reporting of hazards
  • Often overlapping with other publications such as the various handbooks, the AIM provides guidance and basic lesson learned from trends the FAA has identified from misunderstandings and confusions

Aeronautical Information Manual:

  • Amazon, Federal Aviation Regulations/
    Aeronautical Information Manual
  • The Federal Aviation Regulations is separated into parts

Issuance & Validity:

  • Issued annually and revised several times a year with updates pushed out as erratums
  • A black bar on the sides indicate changes
  • Usually published with the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) attached in the same publication
  • Comments or corrections may be submitted to the Air Traffic Procedures Correspondence Mailbox at 9-AJV-8-HQ-Correspondence@faa.gov

Aeronautical Information Contents:

  • Chapter 1 - Air Navigation:

    • Air Navigation

    • Aeronautical Lighting & Other Airport Visual Aids

  • Chapter 2 - Aeronautical lighting and other airport visual aids
  • Chapter 3 - Airspace
  • Chapter 4 - Air Traffic Control
  • Chapter 5 - Air Traffic Procedures
  • Chapter 6 - Emergency Procedures
  • Chapter 7 - Safety of Flight
  • Chapter 8 - Medical Facts for Pilots
  • Chapter 9 - Aeronautical Charts and Related Publications
  • Chapter 10 - Helicopter Operations
  • Pilot/Controller Glossary (P/CG)
  • Appendices

Aeronautical Information Manual Basic Flight Information and ATC Procedures:

  • This manual is designed to provide the aviation community with basic flight information and ATC procedures for use in the National Airspace System (NAS) of the United States. An international version called the Aeronautical Information Publication contains parallel information, as well as specific information on the international airports for use by the international community
  • This manual contains the fundamentals required in order to fly in the United States NAS. It also contains items of interest to pilots concerning health and medical facts, factors affecting flight safety, a pilot/controller glossary of terms used in the ATC System, and information on safety, accident, and hazard reporting
  • This manual is complemented by other operational publications which are available via separate subscriptions. These publications are:
    • Notices to Airmen publication:

      • A publication containing current Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) which are considered essential to the safety of flight as well as supplemental data affecting the other operational publications listed here
      • It also includes current Flight Data Center NOTAMs, which are regulatory in nature, issued to establish restrictions to flight or to amend charts or published Instrument Approach Procedures
      • This publication is issued every four weeks and is available through subscription from the Superintendent of Documents
    • The Chart Supplement U.S., the Chart Supplement Alaska, and the Chart Supplement Pacific:

      • These publications contain information on airports, communications, navigation aids, instrument landing systems, VOR receiver check points, preferred routes, Flight Service Station/Weather Service telephone numbers, Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) frequencies, part-time surface areas, and various other pertinent special notices essential to air navigation. These publications are available through a network of FAA approved print providers. A listing of products, dates of latest editions, and print providers is available on the Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) web site at: http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/ print_providers/

International Aeronautical Information Manual:

  • An international version called the Aeronautical Information Publication contains parallel information, as well as specific information on the international airports for use by the international community
  • See the International Flight Information Manager (IFIM) for more information

Conclusion:

  • All references to Advisory Circulars and other FAA publications in the Aeronautical Information Manual include the FAA Advisory Circular or Order identification numbers (when available)
    • However, due to varied publication dates, the basic publication letter is not included
    • Example: FAAO JO 7110.65M, Air Traffic Control, is referenced as FAAO JO 7110.65
  • Although non-regulatory, it is worth considering operations counter to the Aeronautical Information Manual risk being considered reckless
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