Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), page 39
5/26/16 AIM
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
The Federal Aviation Administration is responsible and the establishment, operation, and maintenance of
for insuring the safe, efficient, and secure use of the a civil-military common system of air traffic control
Nation's airspace, by military as well as civil (ATC) and navigation facilities; research and
aviation, for promoting safety in air commerce, for development in support of the fostering of a national
encouraging and developing civil aeronautics, system of airports, promulgation of standards and
including new aviation technology, and for support- specifications for civil airports, and administration of
ing the requirements of national defense. Federal grants-in-aid for developing public airports;
various joint and cooperative activities with the
The activities required to carry out these responsibili- Department of Defense; and technical assistance
ties include: safety regulations; airspace management (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 operational publications listed here. It also includes
community with basic flight information and ATC current Flight Data Center NOTAMs, which are
procedures for use in the National Airspace System regulatory in nature, issued to establish restrictions to
(NAS) of the United States. An international version flight or to amend charts or published Instrument
called the Aeronautical Information Publication Approach Procedures. This publication is issued
contains parallel information, as well as specific every four weeks and is available through subscrip-
information on the international airports for use by tion from the Superintendent of Documents.
the international community.
This manual contains the fundamentals required in The Chart Supplement U.S., the Chart
order to fly in the United States NAS. It also contains Supplement Alaska, and the Chart Supplement
items of interest to pilots concerning health and Pacific - These publications contain information on
medical facts, factors affecting flight safety, a airports, communications, navigation aids, instru-
pilot/controller glossary of terms used in the ATC ment landing systems, VOR receiver check points,
System, and information on safety, accident, and preferred routes, Flight Service Station/Weather
hazard reporting. Service telephone numbers, Air Route Traffic
Control Center (ARTCC) frequencies, part-time
This manual is complemented by other operational
surface areas, and various other pertinent special
publications which are available via separate
notices essential to air navigation. These publications
subscriptions. These publications are:
are available through a network of FAA chart agents
Notices to Airmen publication - A publication primarily located at or near major civil airports. A
containing current Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) listing of products, dates of latest editions and agents
which are considered essential to the safety of flight is available on the AeroNav website at:
as well as supplemental data affecting the other http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav.
Publication Schedule
Cutoff Date Effective Date
Basic or Change
for Submission of Publication
Basic Manual 6/25/15 12/10/15
Change 1 12/10/15 5/26/16
Change 2 5/26/16 11/10/16
Change 3 11/10/16 4/27/17
Basic Manual 4/27/17 10/12/17
Basic Flight Information and ATC Procedures
Page 39 of the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM.pdf)
AIM: Official Guide to Basic Flight Information and ATC Procedures