Which manuals do pilots carry?

[Jonai Chui]

I'm not a commercial pilot, but I remember to read on Internet that there are two type of Flight operation manual from aircraft manufactures.

One is Vol.1 and the other is Vol.2.
If I remember correctly, pilots need to carry Vol.1 with them to fly, but Vol.2 can stay home.
What is the difference between those?
Things we can found on Smartcockpit are classified in which?

Besides certificate, Medical, Charts, what do pilots need to carry legally on flight?

Thank you.

[eckhard]

Hi Jonai,

Specific requirements will depend on the country of registration of the aircraft, the country that issued the pilot's licence and the type of flying being undertaken (private, commercial air transport, etc.)

Generically, the documents and manuals required fall into two groups: those required on board the aircraft; and those required to be carried by the pilot.

Aircraft
Certificate of Airworthiness
Certificate of Registration
Radio Certificate
Certificate of Insurance
Certificate of Maintenance
Weight and Balance certificate
Airplane Flight Manual or Pilot's Operating Handbook
Maps and charts
Interception Procedures

Pilot
Licence
Certificate of revalidation of type rating/instrument rating/periodical flight review
Medical certificate
Radio licence
Photo ID
Passport
Vaccination certificates

The 'Vol 1' and 'Vol 2' that you refer to were used by Boeing in the past. Vol 1 was the Flight Crew Operations Manual, which laid out the aircraft limitations, the normal, non-normal, supplementary and emergency procedures and checklists. Volume 2 was the Technical Manual which described the aircraft and its systems. There was also a Volume 3 which contained performance data.
Some of this information was collated into the 'Airplane Flight Manual', which was supposed to be on board at all times, although most operators obtained a 'waiver' to allow them to leave it in the office, provided that the information required by the flight crew was provided in a suitable format.

Nowadays, Boeing and Airbus produce three volumes that are directly relevant to pilots:
The FCOM (Flight Crew Operating Manual), the FCTM (Flight Crew Training Manual) and the QRH (Quick Reference Handbook).

General Aviation manufacturers, e.g. Cessna and Piper, still produce a single volume 'AFM (Airplane Flight Manual)' or 'POH (Pilot's Operating Handbook)' which must contain, as a minimum, the information required by the legislation. This includes Emergency Procedures and Performance Data. Other information such as systems descriptions and normal procedures are often included as well.

[wiggy]

You still need to have access to the above but these days for many airlines the briefcases are sometimes lighter and there's almost certainly less paperwork on the aircraft than there was even 5 years back.

Whilst you may find some of the tail number specific stuff still stored on-board in paper form (e.g. insurance certificate) many operators now have the Ops Manual and quite probably all charts carried in some form of approved PED ( iPad or similar).

So it's licence, iPad..and charger in the briefcase...

[Jonai Chui]

Eckhard and wiggy,

Thank you for clear explanation.
I understood pretty much for you posts.

But I do not idea how detail FCOM and AFM.
The manuals found in "Smartcockpit" site is FCOM or AFM?

Thank you again!

[Intruder]

FCOM and AFM are different names for the same thing. I believe FCOM is the current preferred term.

[Denti]

FCOM and AFM are different names for the same thing. I believe FCOM is the current preferred term.

Must depend on where you fly. We do carry both the AFM and an FCOM (or on the Boeing an OM B II). The FCOM contains information that is in the AFM, but not all, and much more user friendly than the AFM. Of course, as always, both manuals are only available electronically, as has been the case for the last 15 years.

[Dan Winterland]

Yachting World and FHM.