THE FO OF AN MDT COMMUTER TURBOPROP RPTS THAT HE OPERATED THE ACFT WITHOUT A FLT MANUAL ON BOARD. THE RPTR STATES THAT THE MISSING MANUAL PROBABLY WAS NOT NOTICED AS A RESULT OF THE RUSH TO COMPLETE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY CHKS AND GET THE FLT OUT ON TIME.

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I WAS INFORMED BY MY BASE MGR THAT I HAD FLOWN ON AN ACFT THAT WAS MISSING A FLT MANUAL. TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION; ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS WERE ON BOARD THE ACFT; HOWEVER; I HAVE NO WAY OF PROVING; AT THIS POINT IN TIME; THAT IT WAS IN PLACE. IF IT WAS ACTUALLY MISSING; A FACTOR THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED IS THE COMPANY'S PROC FOR REPOSITIONING ACFT FOR THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY. THE FLC IS REQUIRED TO SHOW AT THE HANGAR 45 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. AFTER GATHERING PAPERWORK AND CONDUCTING A PREFLT INSPECTION; THE CREW TAXIES THE ACFT FROM THE HANGAR TO THE TERMINAL. FIRST FLT OF THE DAY CHKS ARE REQUIRED TO BE COMPLETED WHILE ENRTE FROM THE HANGAR TO THE TERMINAL. THE GATE AGENT STARTS BOARDING AT 15 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. SOMETIMES THE DISPATCHERS ARE UNSURE WHICH ACFT WILL BE USED FOR EACH FLT SO THE FLCS ARE UNABLE TO PULL UP RELEASES AND BEGIN PREFLT INSPECTIONS; SINCE THEY DON'T KNOW WHICH ACFT THEY WILL BE FLYING UNTIL THE DISPATCHERS MAKE A DECISION. THIS FACT MAKES SHOWING AT THE ARPT BEFORE SHOW TIME A WASTE OF TIME. TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM; I WILL NOT LET ANYONE FORCE ME TO HURRY THROUGH ANYTHING IN AN ACFT FROM THIS POINT FORWARD. P.S. MECHS SHOULD NOT REMOVE FLT MANUALS FROM THE ACFT.