Plane Sense — General Aviation Information
A plain-language guide to owning and operating a general-aviation aircraft — certification, airworthiness, maintenance, and required documents.
About this document
Plane Sense is the FAA's plain-language general-aviation information handbook for aircraft owners and operators. It explains aircraft certification and the airworthiness system, the required aircraft documents and records, preventive maintenance an owner may perform, inspection requirements, and how to work with the FAA and maintenance providers.
It is a practical orientation to the ownership and airworthiness topics that also appear on pilot knowledge tests.
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Take a free practice test →FAA-H-8083-19 is an official FAA publication in the public domain. We host a copy so you can read it in-browser; always confirm you are reading the current edition on faa.gov. The description above is an original summary and is a study aid, not a substitute for the document or the regulations.