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Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 91 requires that pilots comply with the operating limitations specified in approved rotorcraft flight man- uals, markings, and placards. Originally, flight manuals were often characterized by a lack of essential infor- mation and followed whatever format and content the manufacturer felt was appropriate. This changed with the acceptance of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s (GAMA) Specification for Pilot’ s Operating Handbook , which established a standardized format for all general aviation airplane and rotorcraft flight manuals. The term “Pilot’ (POH)” is Manual (RFM).” However, if “Pilot’ Handbook” is Flight Manual,” a statement must be included on the title page indicating that the document is the FAA-Approved Rotorcraft Flight Manual. [Figure 6-1] 

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Besides the preliminary pages, an FAA-Approved Rotorcraft Flight Manual may contain as many as ten sec- tions. These sections are: General Information; Operating Limitations; Emergency Procedures; Normal Procedures; Performance; Weight and Balance; Aircraft and Systems Description; Handling, Servicing, and Maintenance; and Supplements. Manufacturers have the option of including a tenth section on Safety and Operational Tips and an alphabetical index at the end of the handbook. 

## PRELIMINARY PAGES 

While rotorcraft flight manuals may appear similar for the same make and model of aircraft, each flight man- 

ual is unique since it contains specific information about a particular aircraft, such as the equipment installed, and weight and balance information. Therefore, manufacturers are required to include the serial number and registration on the title page to iden- tify the aircraft to which the flight manual belongs. If a flight manual does not indicate a specific aircraft regis- tration and serial number, it is limited to general study purposes only. 

Operating Most manufacturers include a table of contents, which identifies the order of the entire manual by section num- ber and title. Usually, each section also contains its own table of contents. Page numbers reflect the section you are reading, 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, and so on. If the flight manual is published in looseleaf form, each section is usually marked with a divider tab indicating the section number or title, or both. The Emergency Procedures section may have a red tab for quick identification and reference. 

## GENERAL INFORMATION 

The General Information section provides the basic descriptive information on the rotorcraft and the power- plant. In some manuals there is a three-view drawing of the rotorcraft that provides the dimensions of various components, including the overall length and width, and the diameter of the rotor systems. This is a good place to quickly familiarize yourself with the aircraft. 

You can find definitions, abbreviations, explanations of symbology, and some of the terminology used in the manual at the end of this section. At the option of the manufacturer, metric and other conversion tables may also be included. 

## OPERATING LIMITATIONS 

The Operating Limitations section contains only those limitations required by regulation or that are necessary for the safe operation of the rotorcraft, powerplant, sys- tems, and equipment. It includes operating limitations, instrument markings, color coding, and basic placards. Some of the areas included are: airspeed, altitude, rotor, and powerplant limitations, including fuel and oil requirements; weight and loading distribution; and flight limitations. 

## AIRSPEED LIMITATIONS 

Airspeed limitations are shown on the airspeed indica- tor by color coding and on placards or graphs in the 

