Aviation Instructor's Handbook (2026) (FAA-H-8083-9B)

Designed for ground instructors, flight instructors, and aviation maintenance instructors, this Aviation Instructor’s Handbook was developed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in cooperation with aviation educators and industry to help beginning instructors understand and apply the fundamentals of instruction. It provides up-to-date information on learning and teaching and how to apply this to the task of teaching aeronautical knowledge and skills to learners. Experienced aviation instructors will also find the information useful for improving their effectiveness in training activities. This book is a key reference tool to all the information necessary for operating as an authorized instructor and passing the Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI) FAA Knowledge Exam.

Subjects covered include risk management and single-pilot resource management, human behavior, the learning process, effective communication, the teaching process, assessments, planning instructional activity, instructor responsibilities and professionalism, and techniques of flight instruction. Appendices include a comprehensive bibliography of references, information on how to develop a test item bank, certificates and ratings endorsements, and a personal minimums checklist.

This new edition expands and updates the existing material, including scenario-based training relative to assessments, the submission process of an Airman Certificate and/or Rating application through IACRA, and endorsements. It also incorporates new areas of safety concerns and technical information not previously covered, such as referencing the Airman Certification Standards (ACS) alongside the Practical Test Standards (PTS), teaching practical risk management during flight instruction, and information for Remote Pilots.

This book is the official FAA source for teaching flight and many test questions for the FAA Knowledge Exams for instructors come from this reference. Complete with chapter summaries; detailed, full-color drawings and photographs throughout; and a glossary and index.