Aeronautical Information Manual
Encyclopedia
In United States
aviation
, the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) is the Federal Aviation Administration
's official guide to basic flight information and ATC
procedures.
This manual contains the fundamentals required in order to fly in the United States National Airspace System
. It also contains items of interest to pilots concerning health and medical facts, factors affecting flight safety, a pilot/controller glossary of terms used in the ATC System, and information on safety, accident, and hazard reporting. The main body of the AIM contains ten chapters, as follows:
The AIM is not regulatory in nature, although parts of it re-state and amplify Federal Aviation Regulations
. However, failure to follow procedures set out in the AIM could be used in enforcement action, as such failures could substantiate a charge of a careless or reckless operation (§ 91.13).
The AIM's text and images are produced by the FAA, and are available in electronic form. Several commercial enterprises sell typeset books containing the AIM, usually in combination with those chapters of the Federal regulations that are particularly important to pilots. The books are usually called "FAR/AIM".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
, the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) is the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
's official guide to basic flight information and ATC
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
procedures.
This manual contains the fundamentals required in order to fly in the United States National Airspace System
Airspace class (United States)
The United States airspace system's classification scheme is to provide maximum pilot flexibility with acceptable levels of risk appropriate to the type of operation and traffic density within that class of airspace - in particular to provide separation and active control in areas of dense or...
. It also contains items of interest to pilots concerning health and medical facts, factors affecting flight safety, a pilot/controller glossary of terms used in the ATC System, and information on safety, accident, and hazard reporting. The main body of the AIM contains ten chapters, as follows:
- Air Navigation
- Aeronautical Lighting and Other Airport Visual Aids
- Airspace
- Air Traffic Control
- Air Traffic Procedures
- Emergency Procedures
- Safety of Flight
- Medical Facts for Pilots
- Aeronautical Charts and Related Publications
- Helicopter Operations
The AIM is not regulatory in nature, although parts of it re-state and amplify Federal Aviation Regulations
Federal Aviation Regulations
The Federal Aviation Regulations, or FARs, are rules prescribed by the Federal Aviation Administration governing all aviation activities in the United States. The FARs are part of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations...
. However, failure to follow procedures set out in the AIM could be used in enforcement action, as such failures could substantiate a charge of a careless or reckless operation (§ 91.13).
The AIM's text and images are produced by the FAA, and are available in electronic form. Several commercial enterprises sell typeset books containing the AIM, usually in combination with those chapters of the Federal regulations that are particularly important to pilots. The books are usually called "FAR/AIM".