The FAR

I bought the book several years ago on Amazon so it's outdated, but I just wanted it for the Sim. My question is: Do you as a pilot need to know every single rule and regulation printed in this Bible or what? Because it seems quite impossible. I imagine in flight school they go over all the basics, but not the whole enchilada. Am I right? If not, how on earth do you remember all that?! You would need to have a lawyer mind!

14 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) can be read here on the FAA's web site.

 

Typically we need to know the gist of everything in Part 61 and Part 91 that pertain to our certification and operations; these are the two parts that govern most general aviation flying. In Part 61, though, a lot of it is needed to know what you must do to get a specific cartificate or rating, and so you don't really need to memorize the whole thing, but it's a necessary reference.

 

Part 91, the AIR TRAFFIC AND GENERAL OPERATING AND FLIGHT RULES, are something you must know (not necessarily verbatim) for any kinds of flying you will do, or that you might be certified for if you're taking a test. So if you're flying a 172 all the time, you don't need to know about jet specific stuff, or airline specific stuff (more in Part 121).

 

In addition, Parts 71 and 73 contain rules about airspace you'd better not break, too, so some parts of those you must memorize, some just need familiarity.

 

For instrument flying you'll also need Parts 95 and 97. And there are pieces of others that you'll need at least some knowledge of. This is part of the reason that it takes time and ground school to get the certificate, but it's also stuff you'll need in normal operations.

 

Glider or banner towing and other specialized fields also have their rules; Part 135 covers charter flying, Part 121 is airlines, Part 141 is, for certain flight schools and students, an alternate to Part 61.

 

But no, you don't need a "lawyer mind" to be a pilot, though a certain amount of dedication to studying and learning what you need is necessary. If it were impossible, there are a lot of us who couldn't have gotten through it.

 

Ground school (in whatever form) takes a lot of time and effort, but a well designed course can guide you through what you need to know in a way that most people can absorb in a reasonable time frame.

 

Then come all the in flight things, too. You don't do it in a week.

Thanks. I'll look over those parts.