Michael Houghton wrote:


Pragmaticly, the imperative statements in the AIM tend to be taken
as prescriptive. That gives it a degree of "force". To assert otherwise
is narrowly pedantic in an unproductive way.

The AIM has hung thousands of pilots over the years. It doesn't have
the force of the FAR's but go contrary to the AIM and cause a problem
and that is the very document they will use against you. They always have.