On March 20, 2012, the FAA released brand new revisions to both the Airframe and Powerplant Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbooks, adding over 400 pages of fresh content as well as hundreds of new full-color photos and detailed illustrations. The amount of new information required both the Airframe (FAA-H-8083-31) and Powerplant (FAA-H-8083-32) handbooks to be published as two-volume sets.
The extensive update was due in part to the last revision being more than 35 years ago. “We did a complete overhaul,” says Barry Watson, an Airworthiness Inspector with the FAA’s Regulatory Support Division in Oklahoma City, Okla. “There were several changes and improvements to airframe and powerplant technologies since our last revision, so we had our work cut out for us.”
Among some of the topics that were added or updated include advanced composites, plasma
arc and tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, lightsport aircraft engines, and a more comprehensive coverage of fuel systems. “We still kept a quite a bit of the information from the original handbooks, but made corrections and updates where needed and added several new color diagrams and photos,” says Watson. And to enable more efficient access to specific items, both a glossary and an index were added.
The revision also brings these important safety publications more in line with other industry handbooks and manuals currently available. According to Watson, several Part 147 aviation
maintenance schools are already in the process of converting over to the new handbooks, and they are becoming the go-to reference guide for many Designated Maintenance Examiners (DME).
The Airframe and Powerplant handbook revisions complement the release of the General Handbook (FAA-H-8083-30) back in 2008. “Together, these three handbook revisions represent a vital step forward with regards to advancing AMT training and education,” says Watson. Watson also credits the hard work of all those involved in the revision process. “We had several members of government, industry, and academia, who all pitched in to help this to be a successful product.”
The Airframe, Powerplant, and General handbooks are all currently available on the FAA
website at http://www.faa.gov/library/manuals/ aircraft/. Printed copies will be available through the Government Printing Office (GPO) beginning in May 2012. Also, be on the lookout for these and other FAA publications to be made available in a downloadable eBook format later this year.
If you have any questions or comments regarding the new handbooks, please email them to: [email protected].
The May/June 2012 issue of FAA Safety Briefing focuses on extreme weather and is now available online at www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/. Articles provide important tips on how to detect, prepare for, and/or avoid some of the more extreme varieties of weather conditions you may encounter in your region of the country. The issue also highlights several weather-related tools and resources for improving general aviation safety. Check it out today!
The link to the online edition is: http://www.faa.gov/news/safety_briefing/2012/media/MayJun2012.pdf
