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Is it legal to swap the POH for a plane out for a direct, reprinted copy? It would be the exact same POH, but since the original is falling apart, is it legal to scan and print out a new one with all the same pages and info?

Asked by: 3499 views FAA Regulations, Student Pilot

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6 Answers



  1. Mark Kolber on Jun 20, 2020

    It’s funny that. despite being a very obvious question, as far as I can tell, the FAA has never answered it, although I suspect it has been done for decades. But I will go out on a limb and say yes.

    Why? Because as a Part 91 operator, the FAA permits it to be on your EFB. Here’s a link to AC 91-78, “Use of Class 1 or Class 2 Electronic Flight Bag (EFB)” https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_91_78.pdf. POH is specifically mentioned a number of times. If an electronic copy suffices, why wouldn’t a hardcopy?

    Now, if you want to be conservative about it, make sure you have it on your tablet too. So if you are ramp checked and the inspector balks about the photocopy, you can say, “Oh that’s just a reference copy. The ‘legal’ one is on my iPad!”

    Perhaps obviously, I would not toss the original. The copy must be an accurate and complete duplicate, so verification is required.

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  2. John Scarry on Jun 20, 2020

    Keep in mind that there is no requirement to have a POH in your airplane. The rule applies to serial number specific Airplane Flight Manuals for airplanes manufactured after March 1, 1979.
    https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC60-6B.pdf

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  3. Mark Kolber on Jun 20, 2020

    John, since you are being technical, let’s be complete. A “POH” is a format for flight manuals created by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association for industry consistency. The FAR 91.9 regulatory term is Airplane Flight Manual. The modern “POH” contains the AFM, AFM supplements, and non-AFM material chosen by the manufacturer. And while the requirement to have a formal AFM did begin in 1979, the regulation tells us that if one is not “required”, we still need to have “manual material, markings, and placards, or any combination thereof.” If the manufacturer chose to provide “manual material” in the form of a book, as many did, it would be hard to say it’s not required to be available.

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  4. KDS on Jun 21, 2020

    When Mark wrote “Perhaps obviously, I would not toss the original”, I would just add an AMEN to that. Everything in aviation is overpriced, but if you ever had to buy a serial numbered POH you would be stunned at what the manufacturer charges.

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  5. John Scarry on Jun 24, 2020

    Mark, You are correct. We have been referring to the booklets that come with older airplanes as the POH but that terminology isn’t found on any that I have seen. I checked my PDF collection and Cessna prefers Owner’s Manual with a few older ones called Operation Manual or Operator’s Manual. The term Pilot’s Operating Handbook did not make an appearance until 1978 along with AFM. Piper used Pilot’s Operating Manual, Owner’s Handbook, and Information Manual until 1978.

    My 1968 Cherokee has an Airplane Flight Manual that is required to be in the airplane. It lists all of the limits e.g. airspeed, temperatures, W&B etc. It does not contain any of the performance data that are in the Owner’s Handbook. It is not a modern AFM.

    The POH in the modern format contains the kind of information that was found in the old booklets but is not “approved” by the FAA. The AFM portion of the manual contains the approved information. It also includes supplements required by STCs for installed equipment like Garmin radios, autopliots, etc.

    You can buy reprints of the pre-1978 manuals from Essco https://www.esscoaircraft.com for around $20. I usually buy a couple of copies for the planes that I fly.

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  6. Mark Kolber on Jun 28, 2020

    For those interested, search “GAMA Specification No. 1”. It will take you to the document which “created” the modern POH In 1975.

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