Originally Posted by surreal1221
CFI's:
I fly a 172K, and I'm looking for a POH for it. My flight school owns a number of 172s, not all the K varient, some M, some N models. Does it matter "which" 172(X) POH I purchase, or would I be alright with just "any" 172 POH from the 70's?
A liitle clarification: What you want is a PIM (Pilot Information Manual), not a POH.
A POH is the manual that goes with the actual airplane, and is specific to that, and ONLY that, individual airplane. The POH contains info on additions (sucha s GPS) and STC's that apply only to that exact N-number. The manufacturer has a record of the registered owner, and mails any required revisions to the owner. It is a custom, living document, and if it gets lost (or stolen) it will take $500 and several weeks for the manufacturer to rebuild one for you.
A PIM is what you buy at the pilot store. It contains all of the generic updates for that model airplane, up to the date indicated in the front pages. It does NOT contain recent mfg's updates, or any STC or other info that is unique to any specific n-number. Since it is only a general guide, any 70's model PIM would provide most, but not all data on most similar models. PIM's are handy because you are not going to be allowed to take a POH home to study (unless you own the plane)>
DANGER:
1) To actually fly an airplane (or do a checkride), you need to review the the actual POH for any differences between that and the PIM.
2) The FAA requires that you have the POH/AFM on board. That means POH, not PIM. The PIM does NOT meet the legal requirements of the POH (common misconception).