In the US, the AFMS is usually included with an STC and are FAA approved. Prior to GPS being installed with an STC, the manufacturer would usually produce an AFMS sample document that would be edited by the installer and submitted to the FAA for field approval. IFR installations required an approved AFMS.
NCYankee wrote:
In the US, the AFMS is usually included with an STC and are FAA approved
My avionics shop has made its on AFMS for custom installs or modifications. I don’t know to what extent they need to be approved in EASA-land.
Sweden uses a form that lists all individual parts of the AFM, starting with the basic AFM and then any supplements. I don’t know if this is an EASA form or a national form.
Anyway, the avionics installer can put the user guide of a piece of avionics on this form and then the user guide effectively becomes an AFMS. This is convenient when you install avionics that don’t need an STC.
Some relevant posts are here and here.
In general the creation or alteration to an AFMS is a Major change (Major Alteration in FAA-world) but I would be surprised if you found a regulation actually saying that. It’s a bit like looking for a regulation saying that an autopilot installation absolutely requires an STC… good luck with that one.
There are also cunning ways to avoid something being a Major, if you know in detail how to work the system. The FAA gives lots of guidance on where the line lies so somebody who can read can build a robust defence position for treating a job as Minor, but there is still a big grey area, which exists partly because most A&Ps (like most EASA66s) can’t read or won’t read the regs or simply demand that their ar*se is covered, so a lot of Minor mods are “just done” but you don’t post about it on a forum. In EASA-land there is much less latitude for the installer, the system is more prescriptive, but still somebody who knows exactly how to work the system can achieve a lot – example. On that last one, the installer never revealed how much the client paid for the supporting documentation package(s), and I strongly suspect a lot of these “minor” mods are not any cheaper for the client, but this route avoids subcontracting to an expensive Part 21 company – a process similar to European avionics shops, working on an N-reg, billing the client 4 digits for a “DER package” because they can’t deal with a US FSDO and do a Field Approval.
More reading re AFMS matters is here and here which I wrote up in detail so as to help others.
A lot of this business runs on “in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is the King”, and if you have just one avionics shop nearby then what they say is right!
In the modern avionics sphere, dominated by Garmin followed by Avidyne, an AFMS comes in the back of the STCd Installation Manual, which can be an AML (generic) STC, or an STC for a specific aircraft type. You copy those pages, edit the appropriate fields to insert the aircraft reg etc, print it out, and laboriously hole-punch the LH edge so it fits into the POH.
Peter wrote:
On that last one, the installer never revealed how much the client paid for the supporting documentation package(s), and I strongly suspect a lot of these “minor” mods are not any cheaper for the client,
Most likely true. My avionics installer has developed his own (EASA) minor mods for some avionics installations that can be done under CS-STAN (e.g. installing a GNC255A) as he says is saves in documentation time.
Peter wrote:
You copy those pages, edit the appropriate fields to insert the aircraft reg etc, print it out, and laboriously hole-punch the LH edge so it fits into the POH.
Nah, you buy Jeppesen’s pre-punched printer paper.
Peter wrote:
In general the creation or alteration to an AFMS is a Major change (Major Alteration in FAA-world) but I would be surprised if you found a regulation actually saying that. It’s a bit like looking for a regulation saying that an autopilot installation absolutely requires an STC… good luck with that one.
In Canada, here:
In particular from that standard:
The following questions are answered with either a YES or NO response. A YES answer to any individual question indicates that the modification or repair shall be classified major……………………(2) alter any information contained in the approved section of the aircraft flight manual or equivalent publication? Quote
As a pilot, if a mod in the plane I’m flying was provided with and FMS, or could be seen to require one, I’d rather be able to produce it if asked. Over the decades, I have embarrassed myself a few times not knowing how fancy avionics are to be operated in an unfamiliar plane. Usually, such embarrassment occurs at a busy/stressful time, when ATC is waiting for you to show that you know what you’re doing in the cockpit.
So, not only have the FMS, but actually reading before flight it would be a great idea!
I have written a number of approved FMS for systems changes in aircraft over the years. I alarmingly amuse myself when I fly with another pilot in one of those aircraft, and I ask if they’ve read the FMS for the system we’re about to fly. The answer has usually been a casual “no”. I then comment that I wrote it, and would like them to read it, as there are a few things which are different, and if got wrong during a systems failure, could cascade to a much bigger problem, if they don’t do it the way I wrote. The people who write and approve FMS would be very please if pilots would read them, so having it aboard is a great first step!
AFMS are primarily needed to provide limitations and are not intended as operator manuals.
I have a separate 8 1/2 by 11 binder that I use for most of my AFMS in the aircraft.
Pilot_DAR wrote:
If your airplane was provided with a flight manual (or POH) at manufacture, it is required that you refer to it for flight. There are other non approved “similar” documents around, they are not authoritative, unless approved.
So in theory I must refer to the original French POH, right? How would I get an “approved” English POH? Surely this must be possible.
NCYankee wrote:
This is the wording in the most recent version of the AFMS for the 530W. It specifies that the manuals “must be immediately available” and does not state restriction on the form, paper or electronic.
This is good to know. Looks like I only need the quick reference, which is much smaller. I was concerned I needed to print 300 pages of the full manual!
Pilot_DAR wrote:
If your airplane was provided with a flight manual (or POH) at manufacture, it is required that you refer to it for flight.
I think I agree if you mean that you have to comply with the AFM or POH limitations section and that it must be carried on board the aircraft. You only need to refer to the AFM if you need to reference a limitation. Most limitations are obvious and marked on placards, instruments, W&B, etc. I don’t recall having a need to reference my POH for any limitation while in flight.
For US registry, 91.9 says in effect you must comply with the limitations specified in the AFM and it must be available in the aircraft. 21.5 says the manufacturer must make the current AFM available to the owner and that it contain the operating limitations. 23.2620 requires that an aircraft with 6 or fewer seats and a Vmo <= 250 Kts need to provide an AFM containing just the operating limitations. For an AFM using the POH standard, that is section 2.
