Figure 1-10. First Administrator of the FAA was General Elwood
Richard “Pete” Quesada, 1959–1961.
Airport Program. This program was designed to promote
the establishment of civil airports throughout the country.
The Federal Aviation Act of 1958
By mid-century, air traffic had increased and jet aircraft had
been introduced into the civil aviation arena. A series of
mid-air collisions underlined the need for more regulation
of the aviation industry. Aircraft were not only increasing in
numbers, but were now streaking across the skies at much
higher speeds. The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 established
a new independent body that assumed the roles of the CAA
and transferred the rule making authority of the CAB to the
newly created Federal Aviation Agency (FAA). In addition,
the FAA was given complete control of the common civil-
military system of air navigation and ATC. The man who
was given the honor of being the first Administrator of the
FAA was former Air Force General Elwood Richard “Pete”
Quesada. He served as the administrator from 1959–1961.
[Figure 1-10]
Department of Transportation (DOT)
On October 15, 1966, Congress established the Department
of Transportation (DOT), which was given oversight of the
transportation industry within the United States. The result
was a combination of both air and surface transportation. Its
mission was and is to serve the United States by ensuring a
fast, safe, efficient, accessible, and convenient transportation
system meeting vital national interests and enhancing the
quality of life of the American people, then, now, and into
the future. The DOT began operation on April 1, 1967. At
this same time, the Federal Aviation Agency was renamed
to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The role of the CAB was assumed by the newly created
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), which was
charged with the investigation of all transportation accidents
within the United States.
As aviation continued to grow, the FAA took on additional
duties and responsibilities. With the highjacking epidemic
of the 1960s, the FAA was responsible for increasing the
security duties of aviation both on the ground and in the air.
After September 11, 2001, the duties were transferred to
a newly created body called the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS).
With numerous aircraft flying in and out of larger cities, the
FAA began to concentrate on the environmental aspect of
aviation by establishing and regulating the noise standards
of aircraft. Additionally, in the 1960s and 1970s, the FAA
began to regulate high altitude (over 500 feet) kite and balloon
flying. In 1970, more duties were assumed by the FAA in the
addition of a new federal airport aid program and increased
responsibility for airport safety.
ATC Automation
By the mid-1970s, the FAA had achieved a semi-automated
ATC system based on a marriage of radar and computer
technology. By automating certain routine tasks, the system
allowed controllers to concentrate more efficiently on the
vital task of providing aircraft separation. Data appearing
directly on the controllers’ scopes provided the identity,
altitude, and groundspeed of aircraft carrying radar beacons.
Despite its effectiveness, this system required enhancement
to keep pace with the increased air traffic of the late 1970s.
The increase was due in part to the competitive environment
created by the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. This law
phased out CAB’s economic regulation of the airlines, and
CAB ceased to exist at the end of 1984.
To meet the challenge of traffic growth, the FAA unveiled
the National Airspace System (NAS) Plan in January
1982. The new plan called for more advanced systems
for en route and terminal ATC, modernized flight service
stations, and improvements in ground-to-air surveillance
and communication.
The Professional Air Traffic Controllers
Organization (PATCO) Strike
While preparing the NAS Plan, the FAA faced a strike
by key members of its workforce. An earlier period of
discord between management and the Professional Air
Figure 1-11. President Jimmy Carter signs the Airline Deregulation
Act in late 1978.
Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) culminated in a
1970 “sickout” by 3,000 controllers. Although controllers
subsequently gained additional wage and retirement
benefits, another period of tension led to an illegal strike in
August 1981. The government dismissed over 11,000 strike
participants and decertified PATCO. By the spring of 1984,
the FAA ended the last of the special restrictions imposed to
keep the airspace system operating safely during the strike.
The Airline Deregulation Act of 1978
Until 1978, the CAB regulated many areas of commercial
aviation such as fares, routes, and schedules. The Airline
Deregulation Act of 1978, however, removed many of
these controls, thus changing the face of civil aviation in the
United States. After deregulation, unfettered free competition
ushered in a new era in passenger air travel.
The CAB had three main functions: to award routes to
airlines, to limit the entry of air carriers into new markets,
and to regulate fares for passengers. Much of the established
practices of commercial passenger travel within the United
States went back to the policies of Walter Folger Brown, the
United States Postmaster General during the administration
of President Herbert Hoover. Brown had changed the mail
payments system to encourage the manufacture of passenger
aircraft instead of mail-carrying aircraft. His influence
was crucial in awarding contracts and helped create four
major domestic airlines: United, American, Eastern, and
Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA). Similarly,
Brown had also helped give Pan American a monopoly on
international routes.
The push to deregulate, or at least to reform the existing laws
governing passenger carriers, was accelerated by President
Jimmy Carter, who appointed economist and former
professor Alfred Kahn, a vocal supporter of deregulation, to
head the CAB. A second force to deregulate emerged from
abroad. In 1977, Freddie Laker, a British entrepreneur who
owned Laker Airways, created the Skytrain service, which
offered extraordinarily cheap fares for transatlantic flights.
Laker’s offerings coincided with a boom in low-cost domestic
flights as the CAB eased some limitations on charter flights
(i.e., flights offered by companies that do not actually own
planes but leased them from the major airlines). The big air
carriers responded by proposing their own lower fares. For
example, American Airlines, the country’s second largest
airline, obtained CAB approval for “SuperSaver” tickets.
All of these events proved to be favorable for large-scale
deregulation. In November 1977, Congress formally
deregulated air cargo. In late 1978, Congress passed the
Airline Deregulation Act of 1978, legislation that had been
principally authored by Senators Edward Kennedy and
Howard Cannon. [Figure 1-11] There was stiff opposition to
the bill—from the major airlines who feared free competition,
from labor unions who feared non-union employees, and
from safety advocates who feared that safety would be
sacrificed. Public support was, however, strong enough to
pass the act. The act appeased the major airlines by offering
generous subsidies and pleased workers by offering high
unemployment benefits if they lost their jobs as a result. The
most important effect of the act, whose laws were slowly
phased in, was on the passenger market. For the first time
in 40 years, airlines could enter the market or (from 1981)
expand their routes as they saw fit. Airlines (from 1982)
also had full freedom to set their fares. In 1984, the CAB
was finally abolished since its primary duty of regulating the
airline industry was no longer necessary.
The Role of the FAA
The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)
The FAA is empowered by regulations to promote aviation
safety and establish safety standards for civil aviation. The
FAA achieves these objectives under the Code of Federal
Regulations (CFR), which is the codification of the general
and permanent rules published 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.
FAA 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 maintenance of an aircraft.
Title 14 CFR Chapter 1, Federal Aviation Administration,
is broken down into subchapters A through N as illustrated
in Figure 1-12.
For the pilot, certain parts of 14 CFR are more relevant
than others. During flight training, it is helpful for the pilot
to become familiar with the parts and subparts that relate
SubchaptersVolume ChapterTitle
Code of Federal Regulations
A Definitions and Abbreviations
B Procedural Rules
C Aircraft
D Airmen
E Airspace
F Air Traffic and General Rules
G Air Carriers and Operators for Compensation or Hire: Certification and
Operations
H Schools and Other Certified Agencies
I Airports
J Navigational Facilities
K Administrative Regulations
L–M Reserved
N War Risk Insurance
A Economic Regulations
B Procedural Regulations
C Reserved
D Special Regulations
E Organization
F Policy Statements
A General
B Procedure
C Licensing
A Office of Management and Budget
B Air Transportation Stabilization Board
I
II
III
V
VI
1
2
3
4
5
Title 14
Aeronautics
and Space
Figure 1-12. Overview of 14 CFR, available online free from the FAA and for purchase through commercial sources.
to flight training and pilot certification. For instance, 14
CFR part 61 pertains to the certification of pilots, flight
instructors, and ground instructors. It also defines the
eligibility, aeronautical knowledge, and flight proficiency,
as well as training and testing requirements for each type of
pilot certificate issued. 14 CFR part 91 provides guidance in
the areas of general flight rules, visual flight rules (VFR), and
instrument flight rules (IFR), while 14 CFR part 43 covers
aircraft maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding,
and alterations.
Primary Locations of the FAA
The FAA headquarters are in Washington, DC, and there are
nine regional offices strategically located across the United
States. The agency’s two largest field facilities are the Mike
Monroney Aeronautical Center (MMAC) in Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma, and the William J. Hughes Technical
Center (WJHTC) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Home to
FAA training and logistics services, the MMAC provides
a number of aviation safety-related and business support
services. The WJHTC is the premier aviation research and
development and test and evaluation facility in the country.
The center’s programs include testing and evaluation in ATC,
communication, navigation, airports, aircraft safety, and
security. Furthermore, the WJHTC is active in long-range
development of innovative aviation systems and concepts,
development of new ATC equipment and software, and
modification of existing systems and procedures.
Field Offices
Flight Standards Service
Within the FAA, the Flight Standards Service promotes safe
air transportation by setting the standards for certification
and oversight of airmen, air operators, air agencies, and
designees. It also promotes safety of flight of civil aircraft
and air commerce by:
• Accomplishing certification, inspection, surveillance,
investigation, and enforcement.
• Setting regulations and standards.
• Managing the system for registration of civil aircraft
and all airmen records.
The focus of interaction between Flight Standards Service
and the aviation community/general public is the Flight
Standards District Office (FSDO).
Figure 1-13. Atlanta Flight Standards District Office (FSDO).
Safety Team (FAASTeam) exemplifies this commitment.
The FAASTeam has replaced the Aviation Safety Program
(ASP), whose education of airmen on all types of safety
subjects successfully reduced accidents. Its success led to
its demise because the easy-to-fix accident causes have been
addressed. To take aviation safety one step further, Flight
Standards Service created the FAASTeam, which is devoted
to reducing aircraft accidents by using a coordinated effort
to focus resources on elusive accident causes.
Each of the FAA’s nine regions has a Regional FAASTeam
Office dedicated to this new safety program and managed by
the Regional FAASTeam Manager (RFM). The FAASTeam
is “teaming” up with individuals and the aviation industry
to create a unified effort against accidents and tip the safety
culture in the right direction. To learn more about this effort
to improve aviation safety, to take a course at their online
learning center, or to join the FAASTeam, visit their website
at www.faasafety.gov.
Obtaining Assistance from the FAA
Information can be obtained from the FAA by phone,
Internet/e-mail, or mail. To talk to the FAA toll-free 24
hours a day, call 1-866-TELL-FAA (1-866-835-5322). To
visit the FAA’s website, go to www.faa.gov. Individuals can
also e-mail an FAA representative at a local FSDO office by
accessing the staff e-mail address available via the “Contact
FAA” link at the bottom of the FAA home page. Letters can
be sent to:
Federal Aviation Administration
800 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20591
FAA Reference Material
The FAA provides a variety of important reference material
for the student, as well as the advanced civil aviation pilot.
In addition to the regulations provided online by the FAA,
several other publications are available to the user. Almost
all reference material is available online at www.faa.gov in
downloadable format. Commercial aviation publishers also
provide published and online reference material to further
aid the aviation pilot.
Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM)
The Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) is the official
guide to basic flight information and ATC procedures for the
aviation community flying in the NAS of the United States.
[Figure 1-14] An international version, containing parallel
information as well as specific information on international
airports, is also available. The AIM also contains information
of interest to pilots, such as health and medical facts, flight
Flight Standards District Office (FSDO)
The FAA has approximately 80 FSDOs. [Figure 1-13] These
offices provide information and services for the aviation
community. FSDO phone numbers are listed in the telephone
directory under Government Offices, DOT, FAA. Another
convenient method of finding a local office is to use the
FSDO locator available at: www.faa.gov/about/office_org/
field_offices/fsdo.
In addition to accident investigation and the enforcement of
aviation regulations, the FSDO is also responsible for the
certification and surveillance of air carriers, air operators,
flight schools/training centers, and airmen including pilots
and flight instructors. Each FSDO is staffed by Aviation
Safety Inspectors (ASIs) who play a key role in making the
nation’s aviation system safe.
Aviation Safety Inspector (ASI)
The ASIs 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 operation, aircraft airworthiness, and cabin safety.
ASIs must complete a training program at the FAA Academy
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, which includes airman
evaluation and pilot testing techniques and procedures. ASIs
also receive extensive on-the-job training and recurrent
training on a regular basis. The FAA has approximately
3,700 inspectors located in its FSDO offices. All questions
concerning pilot certification (and/or requests for other
aviation information or services) should be directed to the
local FSDO.
FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam)
The FAA is dedicated to improving the safety of United
States civilian aviation by conveying safety principles and
practices through training, outreach, and education. The FAA
The Aeronautical Information Manual is designed to provide
the aviation community with basic flight information and
ATC procedures for use in the NAS of the United States. It
also contains the fundamentals required in order to fly in the
United States NAS, including items of interest to pilots
concerning health/medical facts, factors affecting flight
safety, etc.
Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM)
The Aviation Instructor’s Handbook provides the foundation
for beginning instructors to understand and apply the
fundamentals of instructing. This handbook also provides
aviation instructors with up-to-date information on learning
and teaching, and how to relate this information to the task
of conveying aeronautical knowledge and skills to students.
Experienced aviation instructors also find the new and
updated information useful for improving their effectiveness
in training activities.
Aviation Instructor’s Handbook
The Aircraft Flying Handbooks are designed as technical
manuals to introduce basic pilot skills and knowledge that
are essential for piloting aircraft. They provide information
on transition to other aircraft and the operation of various
aircraft systems.
Aircraft Flying Handbooks (by category)
The Instrument Flying Handbook is designed for use by
instrument flight instructors and pilots preparing for
instrument rating tests. Instructors find this handbook a
valuable training aid as it includes basic reference material
for knowledge testing and instrument flight training.
Instrument Flying Handbook
The Instrument Procedures Handbook is designed as a
technical reference for professional pilots who operate
under IFR in the NAS and expands on information contained
in the Instrument Flying Handbook.
Instrument Procedures Handbook
Figure 1-15. A sample of handbooks available to the public. Most
can be downloaded free of charge from the FAA website.
Figure 1-14. Aeronautical Information Manual.
of a text book used in a classroom or a one page document.
Some ACs are free while others cost money. They are to
be used for information only and are not regulations. The
FAA website www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_
circulars/ provides a database that is a searchable repository
of all aviation safety ACs. All ACs, current and historical,
are provided and can be viewed as a portable document
format (PDF) copy.
ACs provide a single, uniform, agency-wide system that the
FAA uses to deliver advisory material to FAA customers,
industry, the aviation community, and the public. An AC
may be needed to:
• Provide an acceptable, clearly understood method for
complying with a regulation
safety, a pilot/controller glossary of terms used in the
system, and information on safety, accidents, and reporting
of hazards. This manual is offered for sale on a subscription
basis or is available online at: http://bookstore.gpo.gov.
Order forms are provided at the beginning of the manual or
online and should be sent to the Superintendent of Documents,
United States Government Printing Office (GPO). The AIM
is complemented by other operational publications that are
available via separate subscriptions or online.
Handbooks
Handbooks are developed to provide specific information
about a particular topic that enhances training or understanding.
The FAA publishes a variety of handbooks that generally fall
into three categories: aircraft, aviation, and examiners and
inspectors. [Figure 1-15] These handbooks can be purchased
from the Superintendent of Documents or downloaded at www.
faa.gov/regulations_policies. Aviation handbooks are also
published by various commercial aviation companies. Aircraft
flight manuals commonly called Pilot Operating Handbooks
(POH) are documents developed by the airplane manufacturer,
approved by the FAA, and are specific to a particular make
and model aircraft by serial number. This subject is covered
in greater detail in Chapter 8, “Flight Manuals and Other
Documents,” of this handbook. [Figure 1-16]
Advisory Circulars (ACs)
An AC is an informational document that the FAA wants to
distribute to the aviation community. This can be in the form