Required Aircraft Flight Manual Supplements

When an aircraft gets upgraded avionics like a GPS, autopilot, and electronic flight instruments in a mid 1970s aircraft for example; is an aircraft flight manual supplement required and must it be printed and carried along with the aircraft or can it be in digital format? Same with the required manuals like a GPS quick reference guide, can that be digital or print? I’ve been debating this with a number of other pilots and have had conflicting answers, none can site their sources.
I’ve also contacted AOPA, Garmin and another manufacturer. All those sources have told me that the AFMS and reference guides are required to be carried onboard in print form and it is not legal to have solely a digital copy. I’m a member of a flying club and the planes don’t have any aircraft flight supplement manuals and have been debating this topic with the club leadership. Do you folks have any guidance in finding the legal reference for this situation?

 

They’re provided by the manufacturer digitally. Not sure why it has to be in printed form. My company is FAA approved to keep everything digitally to include registration. We keep them on the plane but the digital format takes precedence.

I know plenty airplane owners that keep the entire POH with the recent W&B, and flight supplements all digitally on ForeFlight.


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I’m pretty sure the doc for the installation of the 175 states it must be carried in the aircraft because it has the serial number of the unit and the airplane. I’ll check tomorrow when I go out to the hangar.

 

Thanks for your response fracpilot, I’m not sure what regulations your company operates under but if it’s 135 I can totally understand everything being legal in a digital format because you have specific approval. Additionally your company probably has approved procedures and training. In this piston club airplane operated under Part91 there are no specific procedures or training other than what the insurance company requires.

 

I believe, in most cases, the AFMS must be printed and in the plane. Any other manual or quick reference guide is not approved by the FAA nor required to be in the plane.

 

the AFMS will often have Limitations that require things like Pilot Guides to be in the airplane.

 

It depends on several things whether an AFM supplement is required. First, is when the upgrade took place. 2nd, by what approval method was the upgrade installed. In general terms, its a gray area and specific to the aircraft and upgrade. Not all aircraft have an AFM. After 1980, all/most aircraft were required to have AFMs. Regardless, there is guidance that requires the pilot/operator to have certain information at hand like limitations, performance requirements, placards, etc. that must be in the cockpit. And as I recall, whether those supplements/information need to be hardcopy or digital in a private Part 91 aircraft has not been specifically defined within the FARs. There was an older AC that touched on this subject. Unfortunately without more details can't offer any more.

 

Thanks for all your input. The upgrades took place in the 2010 thru 2020 time frame, in a mid 1970 aircraft. I also cannot find any regulations that point to a requirement for an actual print copy to be onboard.

 

There's an advisory circular that says for Part 91, electronic is acceptable.

Paul

 

For example…

 

So if your IPAD battery dies inflight or you forget to take you IPad are you in violation?

 

If your documentation is on an efb and you forget to take your efb with you, definitely. If the battery dies, I would guess it would depend on the circumstances surrounding the untimely demise.

 

Flight manual supplements fall under Part 91.9(b). So the information must be onboard. Now whether that information has to be in hardcopy form or can be digital the rule doesn't specify. As mentioned above there is AC91-78 which provides acceptable data to use current electronic versions of that data via an EFB. However, where the gray area comes into play is if that supplement is part of an FAA approved data package and how it is worded. Could you use 91-78 to use electronic copies, sure. But keep in mind the AC is only acceptable data and someone could make a case that the approved hardcopy supplement doesn't fall under that AC. For example, the note (below) on the cover page to the JPI AFM supplement ties the document to the STC installation. Some STCs even have a specific step in the installation instructions to install the supplement in the flight manual. However, without more specific information I can't give you a more specific answer.

 

ACs are not acceptable data. They are non-regulatory in nature.

A lawyers musings are nice, but not a reglation or permission to do anything.

You must have printed suppliments in the cockpit.

 

You guys carry manuals in your planes?

 

FYI: ACs are indeed FAA acceptable data. And there are several guidance documents that discuss this. This is pretty basic stuff for a practicing A&P.

Given the documents are supplements to the flight manual, i.e., additions, they are fall under the same rules as the aircraft flight manual. No need for a separate rule. So Part 91.13, Part 23.2620, etc. all apply to AFM supplements and are further discussed in the STC or similar approval Orders and documents.

 

I had a DPE check my supplemental flight manuals before a check ride. I was missing one. He refused to do the check ride, and sent me home.

 

There's no specification as to whether required aircraft documents (including AFMS) be in print format vs. digital; they simply must be kept aboard the aircraft.

My AFM and all of its supplements are electronic, meaning I can't operate my personal aircraft unless I bring my iPad or iPhone with me. Since I always do, I'm always in compliance.

Feel free to take your pick; print, electronic, or both.

 

Is there a specification as to how small/large can be the printing?

 

If you have room for the poh and supplements great, carry them. But if the whiskey and tequila took up all the room, just skip carrying them, what are the odds of a ramp check asking for them

 

Yep.

Under part 135, it will be listed in A061 and it that section will identify what is and is not electronic. In my case, the RFM is not electronic but everything else is.

As the EFB administrator for my organization I have been asked this many times. Under part 135, you have redundancy (two ipads.) If you forget one or knowingly fly with one broken then you are in violation.

Under part 91 it would be very subjective. If your manuals are on the EFB and it dies then it is one thing. Just like any other failure. If you forget to bring it with you then it's just like taking off with something inoperative. Your FSDO/ASI/POI/PMI may (and will) vary.

 

Ok. Both iPads are now dead? Paper doesn’t discharge.

 

I'd be curious who has ever opened an AFMS in flight (Part 91)? I have them in both paper and electronically. Never touched any of them while flying.

 

I don't remember if I have opened one in the air, but I have noticed that when dealing with rental-plane equipment of a type that I haven't used much, the AFMS can be a very efficient way of getting essential information about its operation.

 

Or while flying over some desert in Africa you opened the window to throw your coke bottle out and the paper chart flies out...

 

I have in order to look at the cruise table for a rental that had a constant speed prop. I may fly at rental power settings but I don’t exceed AFMS limits.

 

I actually read the manual on a Grob 102 from cover to cover in flight.

I was doing my duration flight on the ridgeline on the north shore of Oahu. 5 hours flying back and forth along the ridge, with great lift got boring.

 

Dillingham? I did my first solo in a nose wheel airplane there, C150. I was a student pilot and had soloed in a C140. Went flying with a friend of my Dad's that was an instructor out of HNL.

 

Yeap.

I did my duration flight there. And later did my CFIG there.

Flying with Elmer Udd and Soar Hawaii.

 

I have, several times.

 

I can't say I have looked at them while flying. I have looked at them several times while on the ground, while preparing for a flight, so from that perspective it's useful that they are in the aircraft.

- Martin

 

If in doubt...print it out.

 

I appreciate the good input, I printed out the AFMS as well as required user manuals. In all honesty though after reading the AFMS again, these manuals really don’t added much in the way of overall Information to operate the equipment safely. It’s mostly legal jargon and a verification of what the exact piece of equipment is.

 

I have found the AFMSes for a Bendix-King autopilot and GPS combination pretty useful for understanding how to operate them. Same for a Piper autopilot the other day.