Read all 677 pages of this official FAA handbook online, free, or download the PDF (88 MB).
The Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook - General is the shared foundation for both the Airframe and Powerplant ratings. The AMT General (AMG) knowledge test is built almost entirely from it.
A section-by-section map of FAA-H-8083-30. Every topic below is something the exams built on this source can ask about, and on Aviator IQ each of those questions carries a verbatim quote from this document, so you can trace an answer straight back to the page it came from.
01Safety, tools, and materialsShop safety, the common hand and precision tools a technician uses, and how to read and interpret aircraft drawings and diagrams.
02Mathematics and physicsThe practical math (areas, volumes, ratios) and the physics of matter, pressure, and fluids a mechanic applies on the job.
03Weight and balanceWeighing an aircraft, finding the empty-weight center of gravity, and computing loaded CG so the aircraft stays within limits.
04Fluid lines, fittings, and hardwareRigid and flexible lines, AN/MS fittings, and the bolts, nuts, and safetying methods that hold an aircraft together.
05Materials, processes, and corrosionMetallic and nonmetallic materials, heat treatment and hardness testing, cleaning, and identifying and controlling corrosion.
06Electricity and electronicsDC and AC theory, batteries, circuits, and the measuring instruments used to troubleshoot aircraft electrical systems.
07Inspection and ground operationsRequired inspections, aircraft servicing, ground handling, and the safe starting and movement of aircraft.
08Regulations, forms, and recordsThe 14 CFR parts a mechanic works under, maintenance record-keeping, airworthiness directives, and required forms.
09Human factorsThe 'dirty dozen' and the human-performance pitfalls that lead to maintenance error, plus how to guard against them.
Why Aviator IQ cites this source
Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook, General is a US government public-domain document. Every Aviator IQ question that draws on it stores the exact sentence it tests and checks that quote against this edition (FAA-H-8083-30B (2023)), last verified October 2026. If the FAA reissues it, the citing questions are pulled for review before the new edition ships.
