FAR/AIM: General Information

• Explanation of Changes
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• Flight Information Publication Policy
• Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) Code of Federal Regulations and Advisory Circulars
• Subscription Information

 

Effective: August 7, 2025

1. 2-3-10. DIRECTION SIGNS
   2-3-11. DESTINATION SIGNS This change revises paragraph 2-3-11, Destination Signs. This change coincides with an update of AC 150/5340-18 thus establishing an authorized source that supports FAA adding standardized chart labels for parking areas to airport diagrams. The rewrite of paragraph 2-3-11 separates content for inbound destination signs from content for outbound destination. This DCP also revises and recaptions FIG 2-3-38 to depict more examples of inbound destination sign legends, and recaptions FIG 2-3-39 to reflect an outbound destination sign example, and moves them to paragraph 2-3-11.
2. 4-3-3. AIRPORTS WITH AN OPERATING CONTROL TOWER This change realigns the AIM definition and graphic depiction of upwind leg at towered airports with current ATC use and expectation. ATC usage of upwind leg is an extension of departure. The AIM's current definition of upwind has led to confusion among pilots and controllers. The new proposed graphic depiction of upwind in FIG 4-3-1 as well as the definition in 4-3-2c aligns with common usage at towered airports. Additionally, the order of traffic pattern component definitions was reconfigured to align their definitions in a more logical sequence beginning with departure.
3. 5-2-9. INSTRUMENT DEPARTURE PROCEDURES (DP) - OBSTACLE DEPARTURE PROCEDURES (ODP), STANDARD INSTRUMENT DEPARTURES (SID), AND DIVERSE VECTOR AREAS (DVA) This change incorporates changes to instrument departure criteria for minimums and obstacle notes. Language is added to identify the changes to departure charts and pilot/controller responsibilities.
4. 5-4-5. INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURE (IAP) CHARTS This change updates information regarding instrument approach altimeter setting sources to include references to airport identifiers.
5. 5-4-6. APPROACH CLEARANCE
   5-4-7. INSTRUMENT APPROACH PROCEDURES This change realigns cleared approach procedures, which was inadvertently added to paragraph 5-4-7, to paragraph 5-4-6. It also addresses arrival to approach connectivity procedures to assure pilots recognize and implement the connection of arrivals (STARs) with an instrument approach procedure at the initial approach fix where they exist.
6. 5-4-13. SIMULTANEOUS APPROACHES TO PARALLEL RUNWAYS This change addresses curved and angled paths that may be used to intercept the final approach course and emphasizes the importance of adhering to the approach procedure. Also, a correction is being made to the figure that corresponds to the textual description.
7. 5-4-22. USE OF ENHANCED FLIGHT VISION SYSTEMS (EFVS) ON INSTRUMENT APROACHES This updates the EFVS section of the AIM to note this change, as well as, to call attention to the AFS 410 EFVS website where each LED ALS is noted by runway end.
8. 7-1-1. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AVIATION WEATHER SERVICE PROGRAM
   7-1-3. USE OF AVIATION WEATHER PRODUCTS
   7-1-9. FLIGHT INFORMATION SERVICES (FIS) This change removes references to Advisory Circular 00-45, Aviation Weather Services, and replaces with FAA-H-8083-28, Aviation Weather Handbook. Making these changes will correct the AIM and bring it in alignment with other FAA documents and publications.
9. 7-1-7. CATEGORICAL OUTLOOKS This change amends the paragraph to include reported weather data as to how the categorical ceiling and visibility terms are used.
10. 7-2-3. ALTIMETER ERRORS This change assigns the waiver authority for 14 CFR § 91.144 to Air Traffic Organization (ATO) Service Center Directors in their areas of jurisdiction, since AFS waiver procedures were incompatible with the short life of a high barometric pressure NOTAM.
11. 7-6-18. AUTOMATIC LANDING OPERATIONS This change adds guidance advising operators conducting automatic landing operations to first determine that the flight control guidance system being used is compatible with the instrument approach procedure and runway being used.
12. 9-1-3. SAFETY ALERTS, CHARTING NOTICES AND DATA PRODUCT NOTICES This change adds descriptions of FAA published Safety Alerts (SA), Charting Notices (CN), and Data Product Notices (DPN), and provides a hyperlink to the FAA website containing these notices.
13. Editorial Changes Editorial changes include relocating some subparagraphs in paragraph 5-3-1 to match the corresponding formatting in the Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP); correcting the title of paragraph 7-6-1 to Accident Causal Factors; a universal change replacing all prior references to the term Gulf of Mexico with the term Gulf of America in accordance with Executive Order 14172; and a universal change updating the term Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) to Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).
14. Entire Publication Additional editorial/format changes were made where necessary. Revision bars were not used because of the insignificant nature of these changes.

 

The Federal Aviation Administration is responsible for ensuring the safe, efficient, and secure use of the Nation's airspace, by military as well as civil aviation, for promoting safety in air commerce, for encouraging and developing civil aeronautics, including new aviation technology, and for supporting the requirements of national defense.

The activities required to carry out these responsibilities include: safety regulations; airspace management and the establishment, operation, and maintenance of a civil-military common system of air traffic control (ATC) and navigation facilities; research and development in support of the fostering of a national system of airports, promulgation of standards and specifications for civil airports, and administration of Federal grants-in-aid for developing public airports; various joint and cooperative activities with the Department of Defense; and technical assistance (under State Department auspices) to other countries.

Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM)
Basic Flight Information and ATC Procedures

This manual is designed to provide the aviation community with basic flight information and ATC procedures for use in the National Airspace System (NAS) of the United States. An international version called the Aeronautical Information Publication contains parallel information, as well as specific information on the international airports for use by the international community.

This manual contains the fundamentals required in order to fly in the United States NAS. It also contains items of interest to pilots concerning health and medical facts, factors affecting flight safety, a pilot/controller glossary of terms used in the ATC System, and information on safety, accident, and hazard reporting.

This manual is complemented by other operational publications which are available via separate subscriptions. These publications are:

The Chart Supplement U.S., the Chart Supplement Alaska, and the Chart Supplement Pacific - These publications contain information on airports, communications, navigation aids, instrument landing systems, VOR receiver check points, preferred routes, Flight Service Station/Weather Service telephone numbers, Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) frequencies, part-time surface areas, and various other pertinent special notices essential to air navigation. These publications are available through a network of FAA approved print providers. A listing of products, dates of latest editions, and print providers is available on the Aeronautical Information Services (AIS) website at: http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/print_providers/.

Publication Schedule
Basic or Change	Cutoff Date for Completion	Effective Date of Publication
Basic Manual	9/5/24	2/20/25
Change 1	2/20/25	8/7/25
Change 2	8/7/25	1/22/26
Change 3	1/22/26	7/9/26
Basic Manual	7/9/26	12/24/26
Change 1	12/24/26	6/10727
Change 2	6/10/27	11/25/27
Change 3	11/25/27	5/11/28

 

The following is in essence, the statement issued by the FAA Administrator and published in the December 10, 1964, issue of the Federal Register, concerning the FAA policy as pertaining to the type of information that will be published as NOTAMs and in the Aeronautical Information Manual.

1. It is a pilot's inherent responsibility to be alert at all times for and in anticipation of all circumstances, situations, and conditions affecting the safe operation of the aircraft. For example, a pilot should expect to find air traffic at any time or place. At or near both civil and military airports and in the vicinity of known training areas, a pilot should expect concentrated air traffic and realize concentrations of air traffic are not limited to these places.

2. It is the general practice of the agency to advertise by NOTAM or other flight information publications such information it may deem appropriate; information which the agency may from time to time make available to pilots is solely for the purpose of assisting them in executing their regulatory responsibilities. Such information serves the aviation community as a whole and not pilots individually.

3. The fact that the agency under one particular situation or another may or may not furnish information does not serve as a precedent of the agency's responsibility to the aviation community; neither does it give assurance that other information of the same or similar nature will be advertised, nor, does it guarantee that any and all information known to the agency will be advertised.

4. This publication, while not regulatory, provides information which reflects examples of operating techniques and procedures which may be requirements in other federal publications or regulations. It is made available solely to assist pilots in executing their responsibilities required by other publications.

Consistent with the foregoing, it is the policy of the Federal Aviation Administration to furnish information only when, in the opinion of the agency, a unique situation should be advertised and not to furnish routine information such as concentrations of air traffic, either civil or military. The Aeronautical Information Manual will not contain informative items concerning everyday circumstances that pilots should, either by good practices or regulation, expect to encounter or avoid.

 

Code of Federal Regulations ‐ The FAA publishes the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) to make readily available to the aviation community the regulatory requirements placed upon them. These regulations are sold as individual parts by the Superintendent of Documents.

The more frequently amended parts are sold on subscription service with subscribers receiving changes automatically as issued. Less active parts are sold on a single-sale basis. Changes to single‐sale parts will be sold separately as issued. Information concerning these changes will be furnished by the FAA through its Status of Federal Aviation Regulations, AC 00-44.

Advisory Circulars ‐ The FAA issues Advisory Circulars (AC) to inform the aviation public in a systematic way of nonregulatory material. Unless incorporated into a regulation by reference, the contents of an advisory circular are not binding on the public. Advisory Circulars are issued in a numbered subject system corresponding to the subject areas of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) (Title 14, Chapter 1, FAA).

NOTE-

Current AC information can be found at:

https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/.

External References ‐ All references to Advisory Circulars and other FAA publications in the Aeronautical Information Manual include the FAA Advisory Circular or Order identification numbers (when available). However, due to varied publication dates, the basic publication letter is not included.

EXAMPLE-

FAA Order JO 7110.65X, Air Traffic Control, is referenced as FAA Order JO 7110.65.

 

This manual is available by its effective date on the FAA's Air Traffic Plans and Publications website at https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/.

This manual is distributed electronically to all who subscribe to receive email notifications through the FAA's website. All organizations are responsible for viewing, downloading, and subscribing to receive email notifications when changes occur to this manual. Subscriptions to air traffic directives can be made through the Air Traffic Plans and Publications website at https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/ or directly via the following link:
https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USAFAA/subscriber/new?topic_id=USAFAA_39.