Lesson Overview

Objective

The student should develop knowledge of the elements related to federal aviation regulations and publications.

Reference

  • 14 CFR Parts 1, 61, 91

  • NTSB Part 830

  • AC 00-2

  • (PHAK) FAA-H-8083-25

  • POH/AFM

  • AIM

Key Elements

  • AFD

  • ACs

  • NOTAMs

Elements

  • FARs Part 1, 61, 91, and NTSB Part 830

  • Aviation related publications

Equipment

  • White board

  • Markers

  • References

Schedule

  1. Discuss objectives

  2. Review material

  3. Development

  4. Conclusion

Instructor Actions

  1. Discuss lesson objectives

  2. Present lecture

  3. Questions

  4. Homework

Student Actions

Participate in discussion Take notes

Completion Standards

The student can understand the purpose and content of the FARs as well as useful publications.

Instructor Notes

Attention

Where everything you’ve been looking for and will ever need to know is kept.

Overview

Review Objectives and Elements/Key ideas

What

The Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) and publications relevant to every pilot.

Why

This will provide a better understanding of these publications and their use in flying.

Lesson Details

14 CFR parts 1, 61, 91, and NTSB part 830

The various regulations dictating the rules for aviation in the US are divided into various official documents. These are primarily 14 CFR parts 1, 61, and 91 as well as the NTSB part 830 regulations.

14 CFR Part 1

This section primarily provides general definitions, abbreviations, and symbols for the subsequent parts.

14 CFR Part 61

This section details guidance for certification of pilots, flight instructors, and ground instructors. It includes the requirements for issuing all certificates and ratings. Details the privileges and limitations of each, and the conditions under which each is necessary. It has numerous subparts for ratings and pilot authorization, student pilots, recreational pilots, private pilots, commercial pilots, airline transport pilots, flight instructors, ground instructors, and sport pilots.

14 CFR Part 91

This section details the general operating and flight rules. This includes subparts regarding general operation, flight rules (VFR and IFR), equipment, instrument, and certificate requirements. special flight operations, maintenance and alterations, large and turbine powered multi engine aircraft, fractional ownership program aircraft, foreign aircraft operations, operation of US registry aircraft, operating nose limits, and waivers.

NTSB Part 830

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is a function within the US Department of Transportation (DOT) that has rule-making authority similar to the FAA. This section of the NTSB rules is concerned with how accidents/incidents are handled.

There are a number of publications made available by the FAA and other agencies which are central to aircraft and aviation operations in the US. They are the chart supplement, the aeronautical information manual, FAA advisory circulars, notice to airmen (NOTAM), notices to airmen publication, airman certification standards/practical test standards, and the aircraft pilot’s operating handbook. Each addresses specific areas and each has a specific focus.

Chart Supplement (Formerly known as AF/D)

This was formerly known as the Airport/Facility Directory, and is a publication which is published every eight weeks by the National Aeronautical Charting Office (NACO). It is a directory of all airports, seaplane bases, and heliports open to the public; communications data; navigational facilities; and certain special notices and procedures.

A directory is published for each of seven geographical districts (NW, SW, NC SC, EC, NE, and SE). These publications are critical for cross country planning and contain all pertinent information regarding airports, navaids, FSS contact information, and other critical flight data.

Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM)

This is essentially the "bible" for pilots. It contains a vast amount of basic flight information and ATC procedures in the US. The AIM is not formally a regulatory document, but documents what the FAA considers to be "best practices" and a pilot should consider carefully before operating in a manner contrary to what is documented in the AIM.

Aeronautical Information Manual

Provides pilots with a vast amount of basic flight info and ATC procedures in the US—​has a comprehensive and useful index to find topics of interest.

Advisory Circulars

Issued as a systematic means for issuing nonregulatory material of interest to the aviation public. Not binding unless incorporated into a regulation by reference. Provide guidance/info on a subject, or show a method for complying with a FAR that is acceptable by the FAA.

Number system of general subject matter areas corresponding with the FAR subjects

  • 00—​General

  • 10—​Procedural Rules

  • 20—​Aircraft

  • 60—​Airmen

  • 70—​Airspace

  • 90—​Air Traffic and General Operating Rules

  • 120—​Air Carriers, Air Travel Clubs, and Operators for Compensation/Hire: Certification and Ops

  • 140—​Schools and Other Certificated Agencies

  • 150—​Airport Noise Compatibility Planning

  • 170—​Navigation Facilities

  • 180—​Administrative Regulations

  • 190—​Withholding Security Information

  • 210—​Flight Info (Aeronautical charts, doesn’t relate to the FARs)

Notice to Airmen (NOTAM)

This is a system which disseminates time critical information to airmen either temporary in nature or not known well enough in advance to permit publication on an aeronautical chart or in some other publication. There are numerous types of NOTAMS, each with a particular emphasis area.

NOTAM (D)

These are used to disseminate information for all navigational facilities that are part of the National Airspace System, and all public use airports listed in the Chart Supplement.

FDC NOTAMs

These are used when it is necessary to disseminate information which is regulatory in nature. FDC NOTAMs contain such tings as amendments to published instrument approaches, other aeronautical charts, and flight restrictions.

Pointer NOTAMs

These are issued by a flight service station to highlight or point out another NOTAM such as a FDC or NOTAM (D). This type of NOTAM will help users cross-reference important information that may not be found under an airport or navaid identifier.

SAA NOTAMs

These are issued when special activity airspace will be active outside the published schedule time, and when required by the published schedule.

Military NOTAMs

These are NOTAMs pertaining to military navigational aids/airports that are part of the National Airspace System.

NTAP

Notices to Airmen Publication

Issued every 28 days—​integral part of the NOTAM system. Once published in the NTAP, a NOTAM isn’t provided during pilot weather briefings unless requested.

  • Two sections

    1. NOTAMs (D) that are expected to remain in effect for an extended period, FDC NOTAMs that are current at the time of publication, and some NOTAMs (L) and other unique info when contributing to safety.

    2. Special Notices that are too long or concern a wide/unspecified geographic area.

Number of last FDC NOTAM in NTAP is shown on the front to help update the listing with any that may have been issued between the cut-off data and the data the publication is received. All info is carried until it expires, sis cancelled, or is published in other publications.

All new NOTAMs entered, excluding FDC NOTAMs, will be published only if the info is expected to remain in effect for at least 7 days after the effective date of the NTAP.

Airman Certification Standards / Practical Test Standards

The FARs specify areas in which knowledge/skill myst be shown before the issuance of a certificate. The FARs provide flexibility to permit the FAA to publish the PTS and ACS with tasks the pilots must demonstrate skill in. At this time the FAA is migrating from PTS style documents to ACS style documents, but that transition is still under way. The ACS is the *"New PTS".

Currently there are PTSs for sport pilot, flight instructor, flight instructor instrument, ATP, and type ratings. All others have been transitioned to ACS style documents which are updated and modernized standards. So far the FAA has released the private pilot, instrument rating, and commercial pilot as ACSs and the rest will come over time.

POH

Pilot’s Operating Handbook

The pilot’s operating handbook (POH) is provided with the aircraft, and is specific to that aircraft. The format of the POH has been standardized over the years and now modern POHs adhere to the following format.

POH Sections

  1. General--description of the airplane

  2. Limitations--description of operating limits

  3. Emergency procedures--what to do in each emergency situation

  4. Normal procedures--checklists

  5. Performance--graphs and tables relating to airplane capabilities

  6. Weight and balance--equipment list and airplane’s empty weight

  7. Airplane and systems description--description of the airplane’s systems

  8. Handling, preventative, and corrective maintenance--explanation of what and when and how maintenance should be conducted

  9. Supplements--description of optional equipment or upgrades

Pilot’s should be aware that older aircraft flight manuals and operating handbooks may or may not include all the above mentioned information, and may or may not include it in that order. Particularly old POHs are classically very skimpy documents.

Conclusion

The FARs and publications provide many resources to help in flying, obtaining licenses, as well as building aeronautical knowledge.

ACS Requirements

To determine that the applicant exhibits instructional knowledge of the elements related to the Code of Federal Regulations and related publications by describing:

  1. Availability and method of revision of 14 CFR parts 1, 61, 91, and NTSB part 830 by describing:

    1. Purpose.

    2. General content.

  2. Availability of flight information publications, advisory circulars, practical test standards, pilot operating handbooks, and FAA-approved airplane flight manuals by describing:

  3. Availability.

  4. Purpose.

  5. General content.