The Airport Facility Directory is a pilot's manual that contains data on public use and joint use airports, seaplane bases heliports, VFR airport sketches, NAVAIDs, communications data, weather data sources, airspace, special notices, and operational procedures. The seven volumes cover the conterminous United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

The Airport Facility Directory includes data that cannot be readily depicted in graphic form: e.g., airport hours of operation, types of fuel available, runway data, lighting codes, etc. The Airport/Facility Directory also provides a means for pilots to update visual navigation charts between editions dates; i.e., the Airport/Facility Directory is published every 56 days while the VFR Sectional and Terminal Area Charts are generally revised each six months.

The Airport Facility Directory volumes are side-bound 5-3/8 x 8-1/4 inches.