When was the last time you cracked open your aircraft’s flight manual or pilot’s operating handbook? You know, the thick book in which you’ll find information on the aircraft’s limitations, equipment, normal and emergency procedures and performance charts? If you’re like most non-commercial pilots flying the same aircraft day in and day out, it’s probably been a while.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing. When you first start flying a certain type, spending a quiet evening with its manuals is a good decision. Even through the first several hours, referring to the book is common. But after a few years and several hundred hours, pilots tend to know—without looking at the book—what the aircraft will do under certain conditions. If and when there’s a question—say, the emergency gear-extension procedure, or to ensure the loading is correct—the book is right there to answer the questions. But we don’t need the book to determine if, say, a Cessna 150 can get off a level, 5000-foot-long runway at sea level on a standard day at gross weight and in calm winds. That question was settled long ago and—unless someone chains some anvils to it—it’ll be fine. Somewhere between that C150 on a mile-long runway and the landing-gear extension procedure is a gray area, one possibly leading us to doing something for which the aircraft isn’t approved.
