Question about FAR/AIM...

Princesspilot206

Princesspilot206

Pre-Flight
Joined
Oct 18, 2023
Messages
66
Display Name
Display name:
Princesspilot
If I buy a printed 2025 FAR/AIM, that is already available, am I able to use it in a checkride in 2024? Or are you only supposed to use the current year. Thanks.
 
Technically you need to check online for revisions and updates. I would mention and show where amendments can be found / or how to find the most up to date record. I do have an older book with highlighted tabs, I’d probably still use it in future checkrides with comments to the online version.
 
When I got my private many years ago, I had a version of the FAR/AIM all tabbed out and highlighted (highlit??).... about a week before my practical, the new version came out. I spent time to re-tab and re-highlight sections. When I showed up for the oral, the DPE was very very impressed that I had the new version and didn't bring the old one. Just sayin. Might depend on the DPE, but it couldn't hurt to use the newest one. Shows initiative and all that.
 
Is tabbing really all that helpful?
 
I find it helpful to tab ,makes for faster retrieval of information
 
I made the tabs just because my dpe was famous for expecting it. He considered it like a self endorsement that you’d done the bare minimum to prep.

But searching a pdf is a heck of a lot better in pretty much every way.

Sorry for not answering your question. It’s a good one.
 
Princesspilot206 said:
If I buy a printed 2025 FAR/AIM, that is already available, am I able to use it in a checkride in 2024? Or are you only supposed to use the current year. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Others have alluded to this, but it's important to realize that the "FAR/AIM" book that you buy from Sporty's or wherever is just a reprint of the existing AIM and the FARs that the company feels pertain to most pilots. The book is not published by the government and is in no way "official". And it certainly doesn't contain all the FARs (for example, the ASA FAR/AIM doesn't include Parts 121 and 135, whereas the FAR-FC version does - but doesn't include Part 61).

The AIM routinely get updated, and it's not on any kind of schedule that matches the printing dates of the books. The only true up to date source is https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/aim_html/ - and various EFBs/apps that pull directly from that site. Any printed version is very possibly already outdated by the time it's printed. Note that in the AIM on that website, the "explanation of changes" page lists the most recent change was Sep 5, 2024 - so, 12 days ago. Now, the printed copies typically do have a URL where you can see the changes, and you do need to make sure you do that.

Same for the FARs. Changes to the FARs are made whenever the federal rulemaking process runs its course. There is no real schedule for this. The official site for these is https://www.ecfr.gov/ , which is the same website for CFRs on any government regulation. If you select Title 14, it indicates that there were changes made on 9/9/24 and 9/10/24.

So you can see by this that if you were to buy a "2025" FAR/AIM, it's already out of date. In fact, the use of "2025" by ASA or Gleim or whoever is really just a marketing ploy. There IS NO "2024" or "2025" FAR/AIM, there is just whatever was current as of the printing deadline. So whether to buy a 2024 or 2025 version for a checkride isn't really relevant. Certainly, if you are going to be buying a printed copy, you should buy the most current version available - BUT that's really just because there will be fewer recent changes for you to go through and see if any apply to what you're studying (and marking up the book as appropriate). If you already have a "2024" version, though, there's not much reason to buy a 2025 version - assuming you do go ahead and mark up any changes (which I do think would impress a DPE more than just having a shiny new book with 2025 on it).
 
Walboy said:
Is tabbing really all that helpful?
Click to expand...
Extremely, especially if your DPE expects you to be able to point to specific regs. I am sure some people are much better at memorization than I am, but without tabbing the relevant FARs, my last checkride would have been a much longer affair. As it was, I had to look at the TOC once.
 
Walboy said:
Is tabbing really all that helpful?
Click to expand...
For my practical, I was advised by my CFI that the DPE that was doing my examination liked to see everything organized. So I tabbed mine. And got to the conference room about 30 minutes ahead of time to have my chart(s) with XC all laid out, W/B calcs all laid out on the table, weather briefing info printed out and ready.... POH out (I think I tabbed that in certain sections, too?), Logs all organized.... When the DPE arrived, I think he was pleased with the way I had things organized. Anyway - tabbing the FAR/AIM didn't hurt for sure. And I think it helped get things off to a good start when the DPE walked in the room to start the practical.
 
What are the good apps for FAR and AIM?
 
Princesspilot206 said:
If I buy a printed 2025 FAR/AIM, that is already available, am I able to use it in a checkride in 2024? Or are you only supposed to use the current year. Thanks.
Click to expand...
"2025 FAR/AIM" means that the publisher says it's for 2025. But all the information in it is current as of the publication date (and might already be out of date when you bought it). OTOH, there is a good chance your 2024 edition is out-of-date unless you have taken advantage of the publisher's update service.

Test for you. Open your 2024 FAR/AIM book to FAR 61.14. What does it say?
 
Showing you know how to find something in the FAR/AIM is part of the test.
 
Princesspilot206 said:
If I buy a printed 2025 FAR/AIM, that is already available, am I able to use it in a checkride in 2024? Or are you only supposed to use the current year. Thanks.
Click to expand...
There really is no such thing as a 2025 FAR/AIM other than a label on the book. The AIM is updated every 6 months, usually April and October. The AIM you have is current with the changes effective April 2024.
 
mandm said:
Showing you know how to find something in the FAR/AIM is part of the test.
Click to expand...
Yup…the struggle is getting people to find stuff that they may or may not have tabbed. Pointing at something they highlighted and asking them to explain it can be REALLY entertaining, especially when they made margin notes that answer the question you’re asking.
 
MauleSkinner said:
Yup…the struggle is getting people to find stuff that they may or may not have tabbed. Pointing at something they highlighted and asking them to explain it can be REALLY entertaining, especially when they made margin notes that answer the question you’re asking.
Click to expand...

That’s been my thinking. Tabbing is a crutch that can backfire at precisely the wrong time.

The FAR/AIM has a pretty thorough table of contents at the beginning of each regulatory part and beginning of the AIM. Better to under the organization IMO, especially as versions are revised and tabbed copy gets tossed.
 
Pinecone said:
What are the good apps for FAR and AIM?
Click to expand...
You can download them in ForeFlight and the nice thing about it is that they keep them updated for you. They are also searchable and you can highlight and bookmark pages as well.
 
midlifeflyer said:
I haven't seen a book version of the AIM in at least a decade, but does a volume printed in August 2023 have the AIM current as of April 2024?
Click to expand...
The ASA books go to print after the April update. So the have the data from April of that year, as does an electronic version.

Or in other words, a commercial publication with 2023 on the cover has the changes from April 2023
 
Last edited:
mandm said:
Showing you know how to find something in the FAR/AIM is part of the test
Click to expand...
I would push back on this just a bit. Knowing the information covered in the "knowledge" sections of the acs is the test. Knowing how to fill gaps in your knowledge with an official source such as the FARs, the AIM, the ACS, or a letter of interpretation.

I went to my instrument ride without a far/aim of any kind, knowing that if I needed to look something up, I could use the online resources provided by the FAA. I DID familiarize myself with accessing those resources. When the DPE finally stumped me, he asked what I would do if I need to know that information IRL. I admitted I would Google it, and try to back that up with an official source. He said, "good... do it". So I googled his question (i wish I could remember what it was lol) and found an article on boldpilot or somesuch, which pointed me to the relevant FAR. Took less time than typing this, and less than thumbing through the big book.

Point being, you don't need any book unless you like accessing the information that way. Certain crusty DPE's notwithstanding. Do things like you would IRL, and be able to back it up with an official FAA document.
 
Clip4 said:
The ASA books go to print after the April update. So the have the data from April of that year, as does an electronic version.

Or in other words, a commercial publication with 2023 on the cover has the changes from April 2023
Click to expand...
The 2025 ASA FAR/AIM is available right now. So you are saying it incorporates the April 2025 changes?
 
Clip4 said:
No, it has April 2024 changes,
Click to expand...
Exactly my point. The FAR in the printed “2025 FAR AIM” may already be out of date as of today - September 19 2024 (unless you used an update service). That’s why I asked about FAR 61.14 earlier.

(even if it has 61.14, I can pretty much guarantee it’s out of date. Even ASA’s electronic one is for the moment)
 
Last edited:
midlifeflyer said:
Exactly my point. The FAR in the printed “2025 FAR AIM” may already be out of date as of today - September 19 2024 (unless you used an update service). That’s why I asked about FAR 61.14 earlier.

(even if it has 61.14, I can pretty much guarantee it’s out of date. Even ASA’s electronic one is for the moment)
Click to expand...
I feel rather certain the average pilot doesn’t need to know 61.14 Incorporation by Reference.

I do wonder why the FAA hasn’t changed 61.197 yet.
 
Last edited:
Clip4 said:
I feel rather certain the average pilot doesn’t need to know 61.14 Incorporation by Reference.
Click to expand...
I guess it depends on who the average pilot is :D But I guess you are missing the one and only point

midlifeflyer said:
"2025 FAR/AIM" means that the publisher says it's for 2025. But all the information in it is current as of the publication date (and might already be out of date when you bought it). OTOH, there is a good chance your 2024 edition is out-of-date unless you have taken advantage of the publisher's update service.
Click to expand...

Checking for 61.14 is is only a quick test to see if it's really current, not whether you personally think that change is important. Much easier than looking for the changes to all the other regulations that were part of that rulemaking.
 
midlifeflyer said:
"2025 FAR/AIM" means that the publisher says it's for 2025. But all the information in it is current as of the publication date (and might already be out of date when you bought it). OTOH, there is a good chance your 2024 edition is out-of-date unless you have taken advantage of the publisher's update service.

Test for you. Open your 2024 FAR/AIM book to FAR 61.14. What does it say?
Click to expand...
My 2020 edition says “ Reserved”
 
midlifeflyer said:
Checking for 61.14 is is only a quick test to see if it's really current, not whether you personally think that change is important. Much easier than looking for the changes to all the other regulations that were part of that rulemaking.
Click to expand...
I walked into my flight school office and grabbed the 2025 desk copy. The April amendments are there. Good timing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top