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Flight Training

Airplane Flying Handbook

Federal Aviation Administration · FAA-H-8083-3B
Beginner FAA Official
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Publisher
FAA
Code
8083-3B
Level
Beginner
Category
Flight Training
About This Book

The Airplane Flying Handbook is the FAA's official guide to mastering the practical skills of flight. While the PHAK covers theory, this handbook covers execution — what to do with your hands and feet inside the cockpit during every phase of flight, from preflight to shutdown.

It is the companion text to the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge and together they form the complete foundation for the Private Pilot Certificate. Flight instructors rely on this handbook to structure their lesson plans, and students use it to reinforce what they practice in the aircraft.

Chapter Breakdown
Ch. 1-3
Introduction, Ground Operations & Basic Maneuvers
Flight training environment: certificate levels (Sport, Private, Commercial), training aircraft categories. Preflight inspection: AROW documents (Airworthiness, Registration, Operating limitations, Weight and balance), fuel sampling. Engine runup: magneto check (RPM drop limit typically 125 RPM each side, 50 RPM difference), carb heat check. Basic maneuvers: straight-and-level using outside reference + instruments, coordinated turns using ball/inclinometer, climbs (Vy/Vx), descents. Cross-control awareness in turns near the ground.
Ch. 4
Energy Management & Slow Flight
Total energy formula: ET = EP + EK (potential + kinetic). The "back side of the power curve" (region of reversed command): above Minimum Drag Speed (Vmd), more drag requires more power; below Vmd, less speed requires more power to maintain altitude. Slow flight training: maintain controlled flight at minimum controllable airspeed with full control authority. Stall recognition: buffet, sink rate increase, control mushiness before full stall break.
Ch. 5
Stalls, Spins & Upset Prevention (UPRT)
PARE recovery for spins: Power idle, Ailerons neutral, Rudder full opposite to rotation, Elevator forward to break stall. UPRT (Upset Prevention and Recovery Training) added to 8083-3C: defines "unusual attitude" as more than 25° nose up/down or more than 45° bank. Recovery: assess (level or dive?), reduce power if nose-high, unload the wing with forward elevator before rolling, then level. Spiral dive vs. spin: spiral = increasing airspeed with nose down; spin = slow airspeed with nose down.
Ch. 6
Takeoffs: Normal, Crosswind, Soft-Field, Short-Field
Normal: rotate at Vr, climb at Vy (best rate) or Vx (best angle for obstacles). Crosswind: apply aileron into wind throughout ground roll, stagger rotation to prevent side-load on gear. Soft-field: lift nose early to transfer weight to wings, accelerate in ground effect. Short-field: flaps as specified, hold brakes to full power, rotate at Vr exactly, Vx until obstacles clear. Rejected takeoff (RTO): decision point before V1 on complex aircraft.
Ch. 7-8
Ground Reference Maneuvers
Goal: maintain a constant ground track (circle, S-turn, rectangular course) while compensating for wind drift by varying bank angle. Constant radius turn around a point formula: ground-track radius ≈ GS² / (11.3 × bank_angle_tan). Steepest bank when downwind (fastest GS), shallowest bank when upwind (slowest GS). S-turns across a road: divides the maneuver into two equal semicircles; entry downwind with steep bank, wings level over road, shallow bank upwind.
Ch. 9
Approaches & Landings
Normal: stabilized approach concept (on speed, on glide path, on centerline by 500 ft AGL; if not stable, go around). Crosswind: crab method (wings level, crab into wind, kick out at flare) vs. sideslip (upwind aileron + opposite rudder throughout). Short-field: steep stabilized approach at Vref, full flaps, hold threshold speed exactly, minimum float. Soft-field: hold nose-wheel off as long as possible, reduce weight on mains gently. Go-around: full power, carb heat off, reduce flaps in stages, establish positive climb.
Ch. 12-14
Complex, Multi-Engine & Tailwheel Aircraft
Complex aircraft (retractable gear, variable pitch propeller, flaps): GUMP check (Gas, Undercarriage, Mixture, Propeller). Multi-engine: critical engine = left engine on most US aircraft (P-factor, torque, spiraling slipstream, asymmetric thrust). VMC (minimum control airspeed): demonstrated with critical engine inoperative, 5° bank toward operating engine, rudder full. PAST memory aid for Vmc: Propeller feathered, Airspeed, Stability, Thrust. Tailwheel: ground-looping tendency; never relax directional control until stopped.
Ch. 15-18
Turboprop, Jet, LSA & Emergency Procedures
Turboprop: torque effect opposite to pistons on PT6 (counter-rotating); ITT (Interstage Turbine Temperature) is the critical operating limit. Jet: thrust reverser use on landing, thrust decay during rejected takeoff, compressor stalls. Engine failure: MAYDAY call, SQUAWK 7700, attempt restart per POH, pick field, run emergency checklist, secure fuel/ignition on final. Memory items vs. checklist items: memory for immediate actions only (fire, electrical failure); everything else uses written checklist. Forced landing: best glide speed (Vbg), highest/nearest suitable field, into wind.
Key Procedures & Formulas
Who Should Read It

Every student pilot should have this handbook alongside their training. It clarifies what your instructor is asking you to do and why. Reading about a maneuver before attempting it in the aircraft dramatically accelerates skill development. It is also valuable for instrument and commercial candidates reviewing practical test standards.

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