metaruss

The Federal Aviation Regulations (“FARs” in aviation circles) are actually parts of the Code of Federal Regulations (aka, “CFRs”).  The two seem to get used interchangeably, though they mean the same thing.  The FARs are often bundled into the same publication with the Aeronautical Information Manual as the so-called “FAR/AIM”.

This book is the nitty-gritty.  If the Airplane Flying Handbook and the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge are the Java and C of aviation knowledge, the FAR/AIM is written in assembly.

The FAR is not really “readable” per se.  It’s more of a reference as it is written as a list of rules.  The AIM is more what you’d expect from a manual, though it is very dry and reads like stereo instructions.

There is a suggested study list at the beginning of the FAR/AIM that helps narrow the focus when seeking a particular license.  However, I found that the private pilot list tended to skip things that are important enough to be covered in other materials I have seen.  I used it as a rough guide to make sure that things were OK to skip, rather than as a definitive study list.  As you can see, I used those Post-It tabs to mark those sections plus others that I deemed important.