Flight Manuals?

Question

My dads friend was a pilot in the air force and he flew the SR-71 and he still has the manual of how to fly it and suprisingly it is only about 15 pages then when my friend took me up in his boss'es little Cessna he showed me the manual and it is over 1,000 pages. Why is that?

Ok the SR-71 flight manual is not classfied it was released when the plane was retired and if you dont believe me then go to
www.sr-71.org/manual
and you can get it there

Answer 1

what are you talking about?

Answer 2

E-mail this guy and he'll be able to tell you how many pages are in the Flight Manual of the SR-71. https://galleryonepublishing.com/sleddriver/

I'll bet you a dozen Dunkin' Donuts that there are more than 15 pages.

I don't have my C152 or 172 manuals handy but they were 5" x 8" books and were only about 1/2" thick - maybe 200 pages. This included normal & abnormal procedures, limitations, systems, and weight & balance. I don't know how thick an equivalant publication for the SR-71 would be but I wouldn't want to drop it on my foot!

Seriously, e-mail Brian Shul at the above website. He flew the SR-71 and I'm sure he'd be happy to help you.

Answer 3

Here is a direct quote from the website given above:
"For the first time ever, the SR-71 Flight Manual has been made available online. The manual was declassified several years ago and has now been made free to the public. This operating handbook is 1,052 pages and includes all systems except for the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System"

Answer 4

Your dad's friend is pulling your leg. The actual SR-71 Flight Manual is more than 16 Volumes. The "Flight Manual" he showed you was probably the Emergency Procedure or Pre Flight Manual.

Answer 5

First let me explain the difference between type certificated aircraft and public use. Public aircraft are planes, helicopters, airships, and rockets owned by the federal, state, and local governments and they do not have to follow any of the rules that type-certificated aircraft follow. Except operational rules when flying in the airways. Public Use do not have to have any manuals, but they do. They don’t have to follow any maintenance practices under part 43, but they to its a safe thing to do.

Public aircraft are defined in 49 U.S.C. § 40102(a)(37).

"Public Aircraft" is NOT a status that is granted by the FAA. There is no requirement to make a declaration in writing of this status, nor is there any responsibility to carry any proof of this status.

A U.S.-registered public aircraft operating within the territorial limits of the United States is not required to have an airworthiness certificate. However, any U.S.-registered public aircraft engaged in international air navigation is required to have a valid certificate of airworthiness, in accordance with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) agreements

Public aircraft must be registered in accordance with part 47 and must display nationality and registration marks in accordance with part 45.

I have spent a good amount time in years working on military aircraft and they do have very thick manuals for pilots to read and understand. However they do not carry them in the aircraft for good reason. You don’t want the enemy to know how to fly your aircraft. The one released by the Air Force is an overview and not detailed. Sorry to say you may have been mislead n the SR71 manual.

Not all FAA type certificated aircraft have flight manuals some only have specifications and placards because flight manuals were not available on some older aircraft manufactured under the Civil Aeronautical Regulations (CAR’s). U.S. Aircraft built after March 1978 are required to have flight manuals.

Answer 6

The simple answer is liability. In the case of the SR-71 you would have to sue the US government which very tough to do. In the case of the Cessna, you would be sueing Cessna. So they make sure they document everything that you can or can not do. That way if they can prove that the pilot didn't follow the manual then Cessna's liability is reduced.

Answer 7

A civilian pilots flight manual is mostly maps. flight maps and airport maps. There are allot of airports in the US. It is possible that the SR-71 manual is the check list and procedure list for the aircraft. All complex aircraft are suppose to have them and usually stay with the aircraft.

Answer 8

I find it hard to believe the 71
does not have MANY pages in
the op's manual. Hell, just to do a "normal" engine start could cover 15 pages in its self. Me thinks that you are having your chain pulled.

BTW.... your dads friend is in possession of a classified doc. if what he says is true.

To addtess the above post.
liability MIGHT play a small part, but the FAA mandates
through the airplane certificating process what is to be in the POH.

Answer 9

Are you sure you were't just looking at an abbreviated checklist? I have one for my plane that is probably about 15 pages. The POH however is about 275.

Answer 10

I think what you saw was an abbrivated checklist and emergency procedures. My POH is 300pages long, but the abbreviated checklist is 2 pages. You get the picture.