Mastering FAR/AIM regulations is essential for every aviation professional. Understanding the intricacies of these regulations is critical for staying compliant, passing certification exams, and enhancing flight safety.
However, the sheer volume of information, technical language, and frequent updates make studying FAR/AIM challenging.
The FAR covers a vast range of topics, from pilot certification requirements to aircraft maintenance standards. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, it’s important to focus on the sections that are most relevant to you, your role and upcoming exams. You should recognize that not all sections are equally important for every aviation professional, prioritize learning according to your certification. (i.e Private Pilot, Airplane Single Engine Landing (ASEL))
Prioritizing according to your certification
As you are preparing for the private pilot checkride and certification read and learn the parts of FAR and
AlM that are most relevant to you and that you are most likely to be tested on. For example:
- Private Pilot Certification: Focus on Part 61 (Certification) and Part 91 (General Operating
Rules). ‘These sections outline the minimum flight hours, medical requirements, and
operating procedures for private pilots.
Private Pilot FARs Suggested Reading List
To effectively prepare for the Private Pilot Certificate knowledge test and practical test, it is essential to focus on specific sections of the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) and related materials. The following is a list of links for the key areas of the FARs and recommended readings:
FAR Title 14, Chapter I, Subchapter A,
FAR Part 1 Definitions and Abbreviations
§ 1.1 General definitions.
§ 1.2 Abbreviations and symbols.
FAR Title 14, Chapter I, Subchapter C,
FAR Part 21 Certification Procedures for Products and Articles
§ 21.181 Duration.
§ 21.190 Issue of a special airworthiness certificate for a light-sport category aircraft.
FAR Title 14, Chapter I, Subchapter C,
FAR Part 39 Airworthiness Directives
39.3 Definition of airworthiness directives.
FAR Title 14, Chapter I, Subchapter C,
FAR Part 43 Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Rebuilding, and Alteration
§ 43.1 Applicability.
§ 43.2 Records of overhaul and rebuilding.
§ 43.3 Persons authorized to perform maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, and alterations.
§ 43.5 Approval for return to service after maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, or alteration.
§ 43.7 Persons authorized to approve aircraft, airframes, aircraft engines, propellers, appliances, or component parts for return to service after maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, or alteration.
§ 43.9 Content, form, and disposition of maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, and alteration records (except inspections performed in accordance with part 91, part 125, §135.411(a)(1), and § 135.419 of this chapter).
§ 43.10 Disposition of life-limited aircraft parts.
§ 43.11 Content, form, and disposition of records for inspections conducted under parts 91 and 125 and §§ 135.411(a)(1)and 135.419 of this chapter.
§ 43.12 Maintenance records: Falsification, reproduction, or alteration.
§ 43.13 Performance rules (general).
§ 43.15 Additional performance rules for inspections.
§ 43.16 Airworthiness Limitations.
§ 43.17 Maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alterations performed on U.S. aeronautical products by certain Canadian persons.
FAR Title 14, Chapter I, Subchapter D,
FAR Part 61 Certification: Pilots, Flight Instructors, and Ground Instructors
§ 61.3 Requirement for certificates, ratings, and authorizations.
§ 61.15 Offenses involving alcohol or drugs.
§ 61.23 Medical certificates: Requirement and duration.
§ 61.31 Type rating requirements, additional training, and authorization requirements.
§ 61.56 Flight review.
§ 61.57 Recent flight experience: Pilot in command.
§ 61.59 Falsification, reproduction, or alteration of applications, certificates, logbooks, reports, or records.
§ 61.60 Change of address.
§ 61.69 Glider and unpowered ultralight vehicle towing: Experience and training requirements.
§ 61.95 Operations in Class B airspace and at airports located within Class B airspace.
Part E – Private Pilots
§ 61.103 Eligibility requirements
§ 61.105 Aeronautical knowledge
§ 61.107 Flight proficiency
§ 61.109 Aeronautical experience.
§ 61.113 Private pilot privileges and limitations: Pilot in command.
FAR Title 14, Chapter I, Subchapter D,
FAR Part 68 Requirements for Operating Certain Small Aircraft Without a Medical Certificate
§ 68.1 Applicability.
§ 68.3 Medical education course requirements.
§ 68.5 Comprehensive medical examination.
§ 68.7 Comprehensive medical examination checklist.§ 68.9 Special Issuance process.
§ 68.11 Authority to require additional information.
FAR Title 14, Chapter I, Subchapter E,
FAR Part 71 Designation of Class A, B, C, D, and E Airspace Areas; Air Traffic Service Routes; and Reporting Points
§ 71.5 Reporting points.
§ 71.71 Class E airspace.
FAR Title 14, Chapter I, Subchapter F,
Part 91 General Operating and Flight Rules
§ 91.3 Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command.
§ 91.7 Civil aircraft airworthiness.
§ 91.9 Civil aircraft flight manual, marking, and placard requirements.
§ 91.13 Careless or reckless operation.
§ 91.15 Dropping objects.
§ 91.17 Alcohol or drugs.
§ 91.103 Preflight action.
§ 91.105 Flight crew-members at stations.
§ 91.107 Use of safety belts, shoulder harnesses, and child restraint systems.
§ 91.111 Operating near other aircraft.
§ 91.113 Right-of-way rules: Except water operations.
§ 91.117 Aircraft speed.
§ 91.119 Minimum safe altitudes: General.
§ 91.121 Altimeter settings.
§ 91.123 Compliance with ATC clearances and instructions.
§ 91.125 ATC light signals.
§ 91.126 Operating on or in the vicinity of an airport in Class G airspace.
§ 91.127 Operating on or in the vicinity of an airport in Class E airspace.
§ 91.129 Operations in Class D airspace.
§ 91.130 Operations in Class C airspace.
§ 91.131 Operations in Class B airspace.
§ 91.133 Restricted and prohibited areas.
§ 91.135 Operations in Class A airspace.
§ 91.137 Temporary flight restrictions in the vicinity of disaster/hazard areas.
§ 91.151 Fuel requirements for flight in VFR conditions.
§ 91.153 VFR flight plan: Information required.
§ 91.155 Basic VFR weather minimums.
§ 91.157 Special VFR weather minimums.
§ 91.159 VFR cruising altitude or flight level.
§ 91.203 Civil aircraft: Certifications required.
§ 91.205 Powered civil aircraft with standard category U.S. airworthiness certificates: Instrument and equipment requirements.
§ 91.207 Emergency locator transmitters.
§ 91.209 Aircraft lights.
§ 91.211 Supplemental oxygen.
§ 91.215 ATC transponder and altitude reporting equipment and use.
§ 91.225 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out equipment and use.
§ 91.227 Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out equipment performance requirements.
§ 91.303 Aerobatic flight.
§ 91.307 Parachutes and parachuting.
§ 91.309 Towing: Gliders and unpowered ultralight vehicles.
§ 91.313 Restricted category civil aircraft: Operating limitations.
§ 91.319 Aircraft having experimental certificates: Operating limitations.
§ 91.403 General.
§ 91.405 Maintenance required.
§ 91.407 Operation after maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, or alteration.
§ 91.409 Inspections.
§ 91.413 ATC transponder tests and inspections.
§ 91.417 Maintenance records.
FAR Part 830
830.5 Immediate notification.
830.10 Preservation of aircraft wreckage, mail, cargo, and records.
830.15 Reports and statements to be filed.
AIM Chapter 1
1-1-4 VOR Receiver Check
1-1-16 Doppler Radar
1-1-17 Global Positioning System (GPS)
AIM Chapter 2
2-1-2 Visual Glide-slope Indicators
2-1-7 Control of Lighting Systems
2-1-8 Pilot Control of Airport Lighting
2-1-9 Airport/Heliport Beacons
2-3-3 Runway Markings
2-3-4 Taxiway Markings
2-3-5 Holding Position Markings
2-3-8 Mandatory Instruction Signs
2-3-9 Location Signs
2-3-10 Direction Signs
2-3-11 Destination Signs
AIM Chapter 3 Airspace
Section 1. General
3-1-4 Basic VFR Weather Minimums
3-1-5 VFR Cruising Altitudes and Flight Levels
Section 2. Controlled Airspace
3-2-1 General
3-2-3 Class B Airspace
3-2-4 Class C Airspace
3-2-5 Class D Airspace
3-2-6 Class E Airspace
Section 4. Special Use Airspace
3-4-3 Restricted Areas
3-4-4 Warning Areas
3-4-5 Military Operations Areas
3-4-6 Alert Areas
Section 5. Other Airspace Areas
3-5-1 Airport Advisory/Information Services
3-5-2 Military Training Routes
3-5-4 Parachute Jump Aircraft Operations
3-5-5 Published VFR Routes
AIM Chapter 4
Section 1. Services Available to Pilots
4-1-8 Approach Control Service for VFR Arriving Aircraft
4-1-9 Traffic Advisory Practices at Airports Without Operating Control Towers
4-1-11 Designated UNICOM/MULTICOM Frequencies
4-1-13 Automatic Terminal Information Service (ATIS)
4-1-15 Radar Traffic Information Service
4-1-18 Terminal Radar Services for VFR Aircraft
4-1-20 Transponder and ADS-B Out Operation
Section 2. Radio Communications Phraseology and Techniques
4-2-3 Contact Procedures
4-2-9 Altitudes and Flight Levels
4-2-13 Communications with Tower when Aircraft Transmitter or Receiver or Both are Inoperative
Section 3. Airport Operations
4-3-3 Traffic Patterns
4-3-4 Visual Indicators at Airports Without an Operating Control Tower
4-3-10 Intersection Takeoffs
4-3-11 Pilot Responsibilities When Conducting Land and Hold Short Operations (LAHSO).
4-3-14 Communications
4-3-18 Taxiing
4-3-23 Use of Aircraft Lights
Section 4. ATC Clearances and Aircraft Separation
4-4-6 Special VFR Clearances
4-4-15 Use of Visual Clearing Procedures and Scanning Techniques
AIM Chapter 5
Section 1. Preflight
5-1-5 Flight Plan-VFR Flights
5-1-9 Single Flights Conducted With Both VFR and IFR Flight Plans
5-1-13 Change in Proposed Departure Time
5-1-14 Closing VFR/DVFR Flight Plans
Section 2. Departure Procedures
5-2-4 Taxi Clearance
5-2-5. Line Up and Wait (LUAW)
AIM Chapter 6 Emergency Procedures
Section 2. Emergency Services Available to Pilots
6-2-4 Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT)
Section 3. Distress and Urgency Procedures
6-3-1 Distress and Urgency Communications
AIM Chapter 7 Safety of Flight
Section 1. Meteorology
7-1-3 Use of Aviation Weather Products
7-1-4 Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA)
7-1-7 Categorical Outlooks
Section 4. Wake Turbulence
7-4-2 Vortex Generation
7-4-3 Vortex Strength
7-4-4 Vortex Behavior
7-4-5 Operations Problem Areas
7-4-6 Vortex Avoidance Procedures
Section 5. Bird Hazards and Flight Over National Refuges, Parks, and Forests
7-5-6 Flights Over Charted U.S. Wildlife Refuges, Parks, and Forest Service Areas
AIM Chapter 8. Medical Facts for Pilots
8-1-2 Effects of Altitude
8-1-3 Hyperventilation in Flight
8-1-4 Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Flight
8-1-5 Illusions in Flight
8-1-6 Vision in Flight
8-1-8 Judgment Aspects of Collision Avoidance