Roadmap of the Aeronautical Information Manual

The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) is an official guide to basic flight information and operating procedures. Where the FARs are either permissive or prohibitive, the AIM is simply a collection of official guidance, best-practices, and good information to have as a pilot. The AIM is organized into several chapters:

1. Navigation

   • Discusses ground-based, space-based, performance-based, and area navigation systems and operations

2. Lighting and Other Airport Visual Aids

   • Discusses various airport and approach lighting systems, airport markings, and navigation and obstacle lighting

3. Airspace

   • Discusses general airspace rules and operating considerations for controlled, uncontrolled, and special-use airspace.

4. Air Traffic Control

   • Discusses radio communications procedures, the different ATC services provided, ATC clearances, traffic separation, airport operations, and RVSM procedures

5. Air Traffic Procedures

   • Discusses how a pilot should conduct flight operations for each phase of flight: pre-flight, departure, en route, etc. Also discusses specific roles and responsibilities of pilots and controllers, and how national security and intercept procedures are carried out.

6. Emergency Procedures

   • Discusses what to do in an emergency as far as communication (and what to do when you can’t communicate), handling Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF), etc.

7. Safety of Flight

   • Discusses various safety considerations, including weather, altimeter errors, wake turbulence, bird hazards, other flight hazards and safety, accident, and hazard reporting.

8. Medical Information

   • Discusses acute and chronic disqualifying medical conditions, the IMSAFE checklist, as well as flight physiology (hypoxia, ear block, illusions, etc.)

9. Charts and Publications

   • Discusses the various charting options available and how to obtain them

10. Helicopter Operations

11. Unmanned Aircraft

Roadmap of Federal Aviation Regulations

14 CFR - Aeronautics and Space

Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) is the body of law that governs the aeronautics and space components of the Department of Transportation (the FAA and NASA). The bulk of the laws governing general aviation are included in Chapter I (Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation), some key parts of Chapter I include:

Aircraft:

• Part 23 - Airworthiness Standards: Normal Category Airplanes

• Part 33 - Airworthiness Standards: Aircraft Engines

• Part 35 - Airworthiness Standards: Propellers

• Part 39 - Airworthiness Directives

• Part 43 - Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Rebuilding, and Alteration

• Part 47 - Aircraft Registration

Airmen:

• Part 61 - Certification: Pilots, Flight Instructors, and Ground Instructors

• Part 67 - Medical Standards and Certification

• Part 68 - BasicMed (Requirements for Operating Certain Small Aircraft Without a Medical Certificate)

Airspace:

• Part 71 - Designation of Class A, B, C, D, and E Airspace Areas; Air Traffic Service Routes; and Reporting Points

• Part 73 - Special Use Airspace

Air Traffic and General Operating Rules

• Part 91 - General Operating and Flight Rules

• Part 93 - Special Air Traffic Rules

49 CFR - Transportation

Title 49 of the CFR serves more or less as the catch-all for other Department of Transportation components - important for aviation is Chapter VIII which covers the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which is the federal body that investigates and reports on transportation incidents in the United States (and often, around the world). As a pilot, 49 CFR Part 830 is of particular interest because it lays out the requirements for notifying the NTSB of an incident and how to correctly preserve wreckage and paperwork in the event of an incident.