Civil aircraft flight manual, marking, and placard requirements

In plain English

You may not operate an aircraft without the required flight manual, markings and placards, and you must comply with its operating limitations. For most aircraft the approved flight manual (POH/AFM) must be aboard.

Key points

• Operate within the approved limitations (weight, CG, speeds, maneuvers).
• Required placards and instrument markings must be present.
• The current flight manual must be carried when required.

Common pitfalls

• Operating outside POH limits "just this once".
• Missing or illegible placards found on a checkride ramp check.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation.*