Getting started
How to read this handbook
Every section follows the same layout. Once you know how it works, you can move through all 131 sections quickly and know exactly what each element means.
What the section code means
Every section has a code like UA.III.A.K2. This is the FAA Airman Certification Standards (ACS) identifier. Each part tells you exactly where in the exam blueprint this section sits.
Example: UA.III.A.K2
The five areas (I – V)
- I — Regulations (48% of exam)
- II — Airspace (20%)
- III — Weather (5%)
- IV — Loading & Performance (2%)
- V — Operations (25%)
Knowledge vs. Risk vs. Skill
- K — Knowledge (must know the fact)
- R — Risk management item
- S — Skill / judgment item
Almost all exam questions test K (Knowledge) items.
Anatomy of a handbook page
A METAR is a standardized weather observation report. Part 107 pilots must check current METAR data before every flight.[1] ← ③ abbreviation tooltip ⑤ citation footnote
④ Content body — prose explanations, tables, annotated examples
Breadcrumb— shows which Area and Task you're in. Tap the area name to go back up to the first section of that area.
Exam weight badge — the percentage of the 60-question exam that comes from this entire blueprint area (e.g., Weather = 5% = ~3 questions).
Glossary tooltips — abbreviations in blue boxes are interactive. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to see the full term and a plain-English explanation. This works on every page of the handbook.
Content body— the explanatory text, structured with headers you can jump to from the “On This Page” rail on the right side of the screen (desktop only).
Citation footnotes [1] — every fact with exam relevance is backed by an FAA source. The footnote definitions appear at the very bottom of the page with clickable links to the actual regulation or advisory circular.
Read tracker— scroll to the bottom and tap “Mark as read” when you finish. Your progress is stored locally — no account needed. The TOC sidebar updates immediately with a green checkmark.
Test Yourself — expandable practice prompts at the end of most sections. Reveal the answer to check your recall before moving on.
Prev / Next navigation — move between sections in ACS order. The sections flow logically within each task, so going in order builds context progressively.
Key features in detail
Glossary tooltips
Any abbreviation written in a blue box has a tooltip. On desktop, hover over it and the definition appears immediately below. On mobile, tap it to open a bottom sheet with the full definition and an exam note.
You can also see all abbreviations in one place on the Abbreviations page →
FAA citation footnotes
When you see [1] in the text, scroll to the bottom of the page to see the exact FAA source — 14 CFR part number, Advisory Circular, or AIM paragraph.
Each source has a link that opens the official FAA document so you can verify the statement yourself before the exam.
Read progress tracking
Tap “Mark as read” at the bottom of a section to log it. The TOC sidebar shows a green for read sections and a hollow circle for unread ones.
Progress is saved in your browser (localStorage) — it persists across sessions and never requires an account.
Test Yourself widget
At the end of most sections there's a Test Yourself block with recall prompts. Try answering the question before revealing the answer — retrieval practice is the most effective memory technique for rule-based content like Part 107.
On This Page (desktop)
On desktop, the right-hand rail shows jump links to every H2 and H3 heading on the current page. Useful for long sections like Regulations — click a heading to jump directly to that sub-topic without scrolling.
Linked from simulator results
Every wrong answer in the Exam Simulator has a “Study this concept” link that takes you directly to the handbook section covering that rule. That link is the fastest way to connect a missed question to its source material.