Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge: FAA-H-8083-25, December 2003

by Federal Aviation Administration

Required reading for pilots for more than 25 years, this handbook is used extensively as a reference source for the FAA Knowledge Exams and provides information for training and guiding student pilots. Including basic knowledge that is essential for all pilots, from beginning students to those pursuing more advanced pilot certificates, it introduces pilots to the broad spectrum of knowledge that will be needed as they progress through their pilot training. Principles of flight, aircraft and engine structures and systems, weight/balance and performance calculations, charts and navigation, weather theory, reports, forecasts, and flight manuals are among the subjects covered. Formerly published as an Advisory Circular (AC 61-23C), this new edition is now listed as an official FAA Handbook (#FAA-H-8083-25).

Genres: Aviation, Nonfiction, Reference, Pilots, Textbooks, Engineering, Transport

352 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1980

Reviews

[CantReadStillTry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Planes do in fact contain spoilers

[Lacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

...what I learned from this book is I was destined to be a pilot.

[Liz Roudbari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Best Line: "For detailed information on a variety of specialized flight topics, see specific Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) handbooks and Advisory Circulars (ACs)."

I <3 airplane

[Anggi Hafiz Al Hakam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very useful book. Though, i'm not a pilot who lived in the USA and regulated by FAA. The information contained principal matters of aeronautical knowledge. A comprehensive guide for me as a Dispatcher.

FYI also, this book is available through the FAA website. You can print directly for your own use.

[Hunter Harlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen to your CFI, read the PHAK

[Pullmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received MSFS and my long dormant interest in aviation was sparked again. This book was on the FAA website for free, and I've been reading it in order to learn more about flight. It's a very readable and informative text, great for study.

[Kinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t blame it for being boring, considering how helpful it was. I would highly recommend it to anyone studying for their written or just wanting to improve their aeronautical knowledge. Chapter two on aeronautical decision making was straightforward and the best explanation I’ve seen; I am definitely going to implement it more into my flights.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

super helpful for an aviation management major & not a flight student!

[Brian Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a comparative review of the 2016 version (25B) against the 2008 edition (25A). Being a Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, not much has changed, as aeronautical science hasn’t changed since the Wright brothers. The chapter, “Aeronautical Decision Making,” moves from chapter 17 to being chapter 2, reflecting the fact that most accidents result from a chain of poor decisions and the importance the FAA places on the topic. The chapter content largely duplicates the material in the Risk Management Handbook, FAA-H-8083-2. Similarly, the “Airport Operations” chapter is considerably lengthened, likely as part of the FAA initiative to reduce on-the-ground incidents & accidents. The chapter adds lots of signage photos, which is nice.
The “Navigation” chapter seems out-of-date even for 2016, which is unfortunate given how the material no longer reflects common practice.
The “Principles of Flight” chapter has a section on “Air is a Fluid” that includes a cool 1,500x scanning electron microscope image of the leading edge of a wing. This is where that all important boundary layer begins. It would be even cooler if they had included a similar scan of a nicely waxed surface.
The book reads like a high school textbook and, indeed, it makes an excellent classroom textbook. As an introduction it is much better than The Complete Private Pilot, by Gardner. The text seems a bit pedantic, not surprisingly, but it’s perfect for a classroom instructor as it provides excellent coverage of each topic which an instructor could easily then build upon with further explanations, demonstrations, exercises, and war-stories without having to start each topic from scratch. It would be a joy to teach from this text.
Finally, if you haven’t yet taken the private pilot written test, you will see verbatim sentences lifted straight from this book on the exam. The same goes for the AIM, another required-reading text.

[Gabriel · Rating 3 out of 5]

No le puedo dar cinco estrellas porque la redacción es de mala a paupérrima, pero, siendo un libro técnico, no se si es tan grave.

Realmente es un manual de lectura obligatoria para todo aeronáutico o aspirante. Técnicamente excelente, completo e interesante, en un rubro que nunca deja de enseñarnos cosas nuevas (¡aléjate del piloto que se las sabe todas!). Lamentablemente no se requiere el estudio de este tipo de bibliografías en Argentina, pero tener un marco teórico para la toma de decisiones resulta fundamental para operar en forma segura y, así, disfrutar la magia de la aviación al máximo.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book covers everything the FAA expects private pilots to know, generally in great detail, with good explanations and diagrams. Most online resources copy the images if not entire sections of the book, so this really is the go-to guide. Unfortunately, if something doesn't make sense and you're looking online for an alternate explanation, it'll be hard to find. It is a textbook, so don't expect it to be interesting. It's a dense read. I'd suggest reading the most relevant chapters and skimming/ignoring the rest, like I did.

[Alex Racko · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW JUST WOW!
THE FAA SURE CAN WRITE A BOOK FOR THE AVIATION NERDS BRAVO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BRAVO THIS MUST BE THE PEAK OF U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LITERATURE IT TRULY TICKLES MY BRAIN PAGE TO PAGE MANY REMARKABLE AND HISTORIC BOOKS EXIST BUT NOT QUITE LIKE THIS MASTERPIECE AND NOW IM CHANGING FREQUENCY & SQUAWKING VFR CYA

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first time reading a textbook from cover to cover. At least, that I can remember. This book has much of the information a flight student would need in order to become a pilot. There are other textbooks that a student would need also, this is only one of them.

Tons of information in this book!

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read and understand this and the Airplane Flying Handbook and you'll pass your written test.

[Sarahann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge is great for new pilots starting to learn how to fly. It tells you a lot of the basics and how things work. It really helped me out!

[Conrad · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to learn how airplanes fly, this is a great book. Filled with more understandable information than I would have guessed could be crammed into one relatively slim volume.

[Seth Hobson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not very exciting reading, but a must for the aspiring pilot.

[Brian Best · Rating 4 out of 5]

The FAA does it again!

They are great at writing this sort of book.

I am a flight instructor

I love this stuff

Love it!

[Patrick Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the official FAA textbook for ground school, it's interesting but not exactly exciting. If you're studying for a pilots license you literally must read this, if not then I'm sure there are more colourful explanations of aerodynamics, airport operations and other aviation subjects.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This helped me greatly in my job, as part of required reading.

💥 Recommended.

[Zenaida · Rating 5 out of 5]

This + AFH iconic

[Harry Harman]

A dream turned into reality by Wilbur and Orville Wright at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903.

[Flex Air Flight School · Rating 5 out of 5]

An official FAA handbook that has been required reading for pilots for more than three decades. It offers basic flying fundamentals for all types of pilots and all types of aircraft.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to be a good general aviation pilot, you should read this cover to cover.

[Vernon Conner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book in paperback some years ago. It was most helpful.

[Annika · Rating 5 out of 5]

We makin' it thru the checkride with this one 😤😤

[noor · Rating 4 out of 5]

for work

[Carly Macgowan]

gotta count it

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stop mucking around on Microsoft flight sim and read the damn book pilot

[James Hauke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A necessary text book for anyone studying aviation or pursuing a provate pilot certificate.