Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge

THE ESSENTIAL FULL-COLOR HANDBOOK FOR PILOTS, FOR USE IN 2026 AND BEYOND!
This handbook, first released by the Federal Aviation Administration in 2023, supersedes the previous edition FAA-H-8083-25B, dated 2016 (with addenda released February 2021, January 2022, and March 2023).

This official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) handbook provides basic knowledge essential for pilots on topics like decision-making, aerodynamics, flight controls, weather theory, airport operations, and more.

Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge introduces pilots to the broad spectrum of information that will be needed as they progress in their pilot training. Written for the pilot preparing for a remote, sport, private, commercial, or flight instructor certificate, it is a key reference with all the information necessary to operate an aircraft and to pass the FAA Knowledge Exam and Practical Test. Chapter subjects include the following:
• Introduction to Flying
• Aeronautical Decision-Making
• Aircraft Construction
• Principles of Flight
• Aerodynamics of Flight
• Flight Controls
• Aircraft Systems
• Flight Instruments
• Flight Manuals and Other Documents
• Weight and Balance
• Aircraft Performance
• Weather Theory
• Aviation Weather Services
• Airport Operations
• Airspace
• Navigation
• Aeromedical Factors

Readers are introduced to flying and a history of flight, criteria and examinations required for earning various pilot certificates, how to plan their flight education, and more. With dozens of full-color illustrations, photographs, diagrams, graphs, and charts, this handbook provides crucial tools for aspiring pilots in their knowledge exams and beyond.

Beginners and advanced pilots alike will find the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge to be a critical resource for all things aviation, updated with the most current FAA information, an index, a glossary, and appendices of common acronyms, abbreviations, NOTAM contractions, and airport signs.