Fundamentals of Flight

This is the current official army U.S. Army Field Manual, unchanged since this edition completed 7th May 2007. Field manual (FM) 3-04.203 presents information to plan and conduct common aviation tasks for fixed- and rotary-wing flight. However, it has become more inclusive and its scope broadened to reduce the number of manuals used by Army crewmembers for reference. One of the underlying premises of Army aviation is if crewmembers understand 'why' they will be better prepared to 'do' when confronted with the unexpected. FM 3-04.203 endeavors to ensure that crewmembers understand the basic physics of flight, and the dynamics associated with fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. A comprehensive understanding of these principles will better prepare a crew member for flight, transition training, and tactical flight operations.