The Federal Aviation Administration

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In 1931, an aircraft crash occurred that killed all on board including popular University of Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne; this prompted the public's demand for greater federal oversight of aviation safety. To ensure a federal focus on safety, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Civil Aeronautics Act in 1938, an act that introduced the Civil Aeronautics Authority (<abbr title="CivIl Aeronautics Administration">CAA</abbr>) whose purpose were to conduct accident investigations and recommend ways of preventing further accidents.

The legislation also expanded the government's role in civil aviation by giving <abbr title="CivIl Aeronautics Administration">CAA</abbr> power to regulate airline fares and determine the routes individual carriers served. In 1940, President Roosevelt split the <abbr title="CivIl Aeronautics Administration">CAA</abbr> into two agencies, the Civil Aeronautics Administration, which went back to the Department of Commerce, and the Civil Aeronautics Board (<abbr title="Civil Aeronautics Board">CAB</abbr>). The offshoot of the original <abbr title="CivIl Aeronautics Administration">CAA</abbr> retained responsibility for <abbr title="Air Traffic Controller">ATC</abbr>, airman and aircraft certification, safety enforcement, and airway development. <abbr title="Civil Aeronautics Board">CAB</abbr> responsibilities included safety rulemaking, accident investigation, and economic regulation of the airlines.

On August 23, 1958, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Federal Aviation Act, an act what would transfer the functions of the Civil Aeronautics Authority to a new agency that would be responsible for civil aviation safety known as the Federal Aviation Agency.

Now concerned with the lack of a coordinated transportation system, President Johnson believed a single department was needed to develop and carry out comprehensive transportation policies and programs across all transportation modes. In 1966, Congress authorized the creation of a cabinet department that would combine major federal transportation responsibilities. This new Department of Transportation (<abbr title="Department of Transportation">DOT</abbr>) began full operations on April l, 1967. On that day, the Federal Aviation Agency became one of several modal organizations within <abbr title="Department of Transportation">DOT</abbr> and received a new name, the Federal Aviation Administration (<abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr>).

Brief History of the FAA

So how does the <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr> achieve its mission of safety for civil aviation? The <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr> uses the Code of Federal Regulations (<abbr title="Code of Federal Regulations">CFR</abbr>), which is a publication of general and permanent rules established by the executive departments and agencies of the United States Government. The regulations are divided into 50 different codes, called Titles, that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Federal Aviation Regulations are listed under Title 14, Aeronautics and Space, which encompasses all aspects of civil aviation from how to earn a pilot's certificate to the maintenance of an aircraft. Title 14 <abbr title="Code of Federal Regulations">CFR</abbr> Chapter 1, <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr>, is further broken down into subchapters A through N.

_Table: Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation Subchapters_

Subchapter | Name
------------- | -------------
A	| Definitions and Abbreviations
B	| Procedural Rules
C	| Aircraft (Certifications, Airworthiness, Registration, etc.)
D	| Airmen Certifications and Medical
E	| Airspace
F	| Air Traffic, General, and Flight Operating Rules
G	| Air Carriers and Operators For Compensation / Hire
H	| School and Other Certified Agencies
I	| Airports
J	| Navigational Facilities
K	| Administrative Regulations
L-M | Reserved
N	| War Risk Insurance

As a pilot, it is your responsibility to be familiar with the any regulations pertaining to the type of operations you are conducting. During flight training, these are usually <abbr title="Code of Federal Regulations">CFR</abbr> Title 14 Part 61, which pertains to the certification of airmen, proficiency and knowledge requirements and Part 91, which provides guidance for general flight rules such as visual flight rules (<abbr title="Visual Flight Rules">VFR</abbr>) and instrument flight rules (<abbr title="Instrument Flight Rules">IFR</abbr>).

The Code of Federal Regulations

The <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr> has nine regional offices strategically located across the U.S. with its main office headquartered in Washington, D.C. Within the <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr>, the Flight Standards Service promotes safe air transportation by setting the standards for certification and oversight of airmen, air operators, and air agencies, and designees.

In addition, Aviation Safety Inspectors (<abbr title="Aviation Safety Inspectors">ASI</abbr>s) administer and enforce safety regulations and standards for the production, operation, maintenance, and/or modification of aircraft used in civil aviation. They also specialize in conducting inspections of various aspects of the aviation system, such as aircraft and parts manufacturing, aircraft operations, aircraft airworthiness, and cabin safety. The <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr> also conveys safety principles through numerous training outreach programs - its most prominent effort is its <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr> Safety Team (<abbr title="National FAA Safety Team">FAASTeam</abbr>).

Enforcement of Safety Standards

In addition to the regulations, the <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr> provides numerous publications online to aid pilots. Usually, there is no cost to the pilot for resources available at [https://www.faa.gov](https://www.faa.gov). Some third-party publishers also provide reference material in other formats and may charge a fee. Here are a few publications that we recommend that will aid you through various stages of your training as a pilot:

[**Aeronautical Information Manual (<abbr title="Aeronautical Information Manual">AIM</abbr>)**](https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications): An official guide to basic flight information and <abbr title="Air Traffic Controller">ATC</abbr> procedures. The <abbr title="Aeronautical Information Manual">AIM</abbr> contains many topics such as flight safety, accidents, medical facts, and reporting hazards.

[**Airplane Flying Handbook**](https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/airplane_handbook/): A technical manual that manual that introduces pilots to skills and knowledge that are essential for piloting airplanes. It provides valuable information on transitioning to other aircraft and airplane systems.

[**Aviation Instructor's Handbook**](https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/aviation_instructors_handbook/): Lays the foundation to teach instructors the fundamentals of instructing and providing relevant aeronautical knowledge and skills to students when teaching them out to fly.

[**Instrument Flying Handbook**](https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/): Prepares pilots for instrument rating tests and gives them the knowledge needed to be successful when conducting instrument flights.

[**Instrument Procedures Handbook**](https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/handbooks_manuals/aviation/instrument_procedures_handbook/): A technical reference for professional pilots operating under <abbr title="Instrument Flight Rules">IFR</abbr> and expands on knowledge provided in the Instrument Flying Handbook.

[**Advisory Circulars (<abbr title="Advisory Circular">AC</abbr>s)**](https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars): An agency-wide system that the <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr> uses to communicate with the aviation community and public which serves as a standardized method of implementing regulations and responding to government requests.


FAA Reference Material

When there is time-critical or unexpected aeronautical information that may or may not exist temporarily, the <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr> will immediately disseminate that information via the National Notice to Airmen (<abbr title="Notice to Airmen">NOTAM</abbr>) System. <abbr title="Notice to Airmen">NOTAM</abbr>s contain current notices to airmen, which are considered essential to the safety of flight, as well as supplemental data affecting other operational publications. There are two types of <abbr title="Notice to Airmen">NOTAM</abbr>s, a <abbr title="Notice to Airmen">NOTAM</abbr> (D) or distant, which pertains to information relating to airports and navigational facilities, and a <abbr title="Notice to Airmen">NOTAM</abbr> (FDC) or Flight Data Center, which pertains to information relating to published Instrument Approach Procedures (<abbr title="Instrument Approach Procedures">IAP</abbr>s) and other current aeronautical charts.


Pilot and Aeronautical Information

The <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr> also distributes numerous flight publications such as charts and diagrams that play a key role in safe flight planning. These include, but not limited to, planning charts, <abbr title="Visual Flight Rules">VFR</abbr> Charts, <abbr title="Instrument Flight Rules">IFR</abbr> Charts, Supplemental Charts and Publications and various digital products.


Flight Publications

The <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr> also launched an online event notification system that provides timely and easy-to-assess seminar and event information notification for airmen, which is meant to replace the paper-based mail system. <abbr title="Safety Program Airmen Notification System">SPANS</abbr> is accessible to anyone and will help reduce the cost to the <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr> while providing better service to the aviation community.


Safety Program Airmen Notification System (SPANS)

Information and assistance can be obtained by accessing the <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr>'s website at [https://www.faa.gov/contact](https://www.faa.gov/contact), by phone, e-mail, or mail. An <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr> representative will be available 24 hours a day to assist you. You may also visit your local Flight Standards District Office (<abbr title="Flight Standards District Office">FSDO</abbr>) for assistance relating to the following:
- Low-flying Aircraft
- Accident Reporting
- Air Carrier Certification and Operations
- Aircraft Maintenance
- Aircraft Operational Issues
- Aircraft Permits
- Airmen Certification (licensing) for Pilots, Mechanics, Repairmen, Dispatchers, and Parachute Riggers
- Certification and Modification Issues
- Enforcement of Airmen & Aircraft Regulations

[Locate a Local Flight Standards District Office (<abbr title="Flight Standards Distric Office">FSDO</abbr>)](https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo)

_Contact <abbr title="Federal Aviation Administration">FAA</abbr> by mail:_
Federal Aviation Administration
800 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20591
1-866-TELL-FAA (1-866-835-5322)

Assistance from the FAA

As a student pilot, you should familiarize yourself with <abbr title="Code of Federal Regulations">CFR</abbr> Title 14 Aeronautics and Space - Part 61 and Part 91. These are the sections that pertain to certification of airmen (Part 61) and general flight operating rules (Part 91).

The Federal Aviation Administration

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