The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Flight Standards Service, Regulatory Support Division, Airman Testing Standards Branch, AFS-630 requested the development and revision of the Airman Knowledge Training Handbooks library. These handbooks provide the information that entry level or advanced level airman applicants must know to pass the relevant certification tests. There are multiple handbooks, each of which covers a particular subject. Existing handbooks require regular updating to ensure the technical information is current and to date.

Each handbook spanned several chapters requiring countless numbers of custom imagery and technical illustration support. Without supporting work files available from all previously published handbooks, SRCA was required to completely redraw each image. Reference materials were pulled from old hardcopy prints, when available, while other materials were provided directly by the subject matter experts, frequently as very rough line sketches to provide a loose guide of design needs. SRCA’s illustration staff transformed basic, stick-figure type sketches to fully rendered charts, graphics, and 3-dimensional representations of much of the mechanical components of an aircraft. Files were created using photo editing within Adobe Photoshop and technical vector drawings within Adobe Illustrator.

Each handbook spanned several chapters requiring countless numbers of custom imagery and technical illustration support. Without supporting work files available from all previously published handbooks, SRCA was required to completely redraw each image. Reference materials were pulled from old hardcopy prints, while other materials were provided directly by the subject matter experts, to provide a loose guide to design needs.

SRCA’s illustration staff transformed basic, stick-figure type sketches to fully rendered charts, graphics, and 3-dimensional representations of the mechanical components of an aircraft. Files were created using photo editing within Adobe Photoshop and technical vector drawings within Adobe Illustrator. The approximate time frame for handbook development or revision ranged from 18 months for less than 500 pages and approximately 30 months for 500 or more pages. All supporting technical illustrations within each handbook were created within SRCA’s design and illustration department. Final handbooks are available for free download at the FAA government website.