How to Fill Out AF Form 847: Recommendation for Change of Publication

To fill out AF Form 847, Recommendation for Change of Publication, enter the publication’s identifying information in Blocks 1 through 4, flag whether the change is an emergency in Block 5, pinpoint where the error appears, quote the current wording in Block 15, write your proposed replacement in Block 16, justify the change in Block 17, and add your contact information before routing the signed form through your chain of command to the publication’s Office of Primary Responsibility.¹

The form covers all Department of the Air Force publications, not just flight manuals. AFI 33-360 governs its general use, and AFI 11-215 adds specific rules for flight manual changes. Reading the applicable one before you start will save you a return trip through the chain.

Completing the Blocks

The form is organized by numbered block. Work through them in order and copy source information exactly as printed.

Blocks 1–4: Publication Identification

Enter the publication name, publication number, basic publication date, and revision or change date. Take all four straight from the front page of the document you want changed. A mismatch here is one of the fastest ways to get the form kicked back.

Block 5: Emergency or Routine

Mark “Yes” if the condition could cause death, serious injury, significant property damage, or a drop in operational readiness. Mark “No” for everything else, including content errors, conflicts between publications, procedures that hurt efficiency, and general improvement ideas.¹

Skip the form entirely for simple typos, dropped lines, or printing errors unless the mistake changes the meaning or affects comprehension.² A missing word that changes a checklist step is worth a 847. A misspelled header nobody would misread is not.

Location of the Error

Specify the item number, page number, paragraph, figure, or table where the problem sits. The more precise you are, the faster a reviewer can find and verify the passage.

Block 15: Current Text

Reproduce the existing passage exactly, using the publication’s own wording. Do not paraphrase, and do not correct anything as you copy.

Block 16: Proposed Text

Write your recommended replacement language. Match the style, terminology, and formatting the publication already uses so the change reads seamlessly if adopted.

Block 17: Justification

Explain why the change is necessary. Cite specific technical reasons: updated engineering data, safety reports, flight conditions encountered during operations, or equipment malfunctions. Vague statements like “this doesn’t seem right” slow the process. For an emergency recommendation, write “EMERGENCY RECOMMENDATION” as the first entry in this block.²

Submitter Information

Fill in your name, rank, organization, DSN and fax number, full mailing address, and email address. This is how the OPR reaches you when they need clarification, and they often do.

One Form, One Change

Use a separate Form 847 for each recommended change. The one exception under AFI 11-215: if the identical change applies to both a basic flight manual and its abbreviated checklist, a single form covers both.²

If you have found a conflict between two publications, such as a MAJCOM supplement contradicting the parent instruction, submit a separate form to each OPR so the two offices can work the discrepancy together.³

If the Change Comes from a Safety Investigation

When the recommendation originates from a formal safety investigation, a mishap or other event defined in AFI 91-204, add two things. Annotate the AFSAS identification number in the unit identification portion of the form, and mark Block 5 as “Yes.” The AFSAS number is how reviewers identify safety-investigation-generated recommendations. If the situation is also an emergency, still add “EMERGENCY RECOMMENDATION” as the first line of Block 17.²

Protect the Data Before You Send It

Flight manual data is Controlled Unclassified Information at a minimum, and the submitter is responsible for protecting it. If you email a Form 847 related to a flight manual, mark the email FOUO and encrypt it. If the form carries classified information, mark it under DoD 5200.01-M Volume 2 and route it through SIPRNet rather than standard email.²

This step gets skipped often. Sending unencrypted flight manual data over regular email creates a security incident no matter how well the rest of the form is completed.

Where the Form Goes Next

Every 847 follows the same general path: originator, up through the functional chain of command, to the OPR listed on the front page of the publication you want changed. Units below MAJCOM level forward to their MAJCOM functional OPR, which then sends information copies to other MAJCOMs that use the same publication.¹

Field Operating Agencies and Direct Reporting Units route through their parent HAF functional instead of a MAJCOM. For flight manual changes, AFI 11-215 and its MAJCOM supplements may add steps or designate a specific Stan/Eval office as a gatekeeper, so check your command’s supplement before you send anything.²

Any level in the chain can disapprove a recommendation before it reaches the OPR, and disapprovals come back down the chain with the reason annotated on the form itself.¹ Tight blocks and specific justification are what get a form past those intermediate reviewers.

Downloading the Current Form

Get the current DAF Form 847 from the Department of the Air Force e-Publishing website at e-publishing.af.mil, searching “847” in the forms section.⁴ AFI 11-215 prescribes the form and contains the detailed completion instructions for flight manual changes; AFI 33-360 covers its use for all other Air Force publications.³ Pull the one that matches the publication you’re recommending against and keep it open while you fill blocks.

1
NGB Publications & Forms Library. AFI 33-360 Publications and Forms Management
2
Department of the Air Force e-Publishing. AFI 11-215 Flight Manuals Program
3
Department of the Air Force e-Publishing. AFI 33-360 514AMW Supplement
4
Department of the Air Force E-Publishing. Department of the Air Force E-Publishing