Lesson Overview

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

References : Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3C), Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C), 14 CFR Part 1, 14 CFR Part 61, 14 CFR Part 91, NTSB Part 830, Airmans Information Manual

Key Elements

  1. AFD

  2. ACs

  3. NOTAMs
Elements

  1. Fars Part 1, 61, 91 and NTSB Part 830

  2. Aviation Related Publications
Schedule

  1. Discuss Objectives

  2. Review material

  3. Development

  4. Conclusion
Equipment

  1. White board and markers

  2. References
IP Actions

  1. Discuss lesson objectives

  2. Present Lecture

  3. Ask and Answer Questions

  4. Assign homework
SP Actions

  1. Participate in discussion

  2. Take notes

  3. Ask and respond to questions
Completion Standards

The student will 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

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

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.

FAA Advisory Circular (AC)

The publication of Advisory Circulars was devised as a means to systematically distribute non-regulatory information to the aviation public. Unless the contents of an AC are subsequently incorporated into a regulation by reference, the details are non-binding. However, they provide guidance on a subject or show an FAA acceptable method for complying with a given FAR.

They are issued in a numbering system of general subject matter areas corresponding with the subjects in the FARs. These are :

AC Numbering System

  • 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 Comp/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, does not 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.

Notices to Airmen Publication (NTAP)

This is published on a 28 day interval and is an integral part of the NOTAM system. Once a NOTAM is published in the NTAP it is not provided during pilot weather briefings, unless requested by the pilot. This publication is divided into four parts.

Part 1

These are notices provided by ATC Products and Publications, and contain FDC NOTAMs that are expected to be in effect on the effective date of the publication. This part is divided into three sections.

  • Airway NOTAMs : Reflects airway changes that fall within an ARTCC’s airspace

  • Procedural NOTAMs

  • General NOTAMs : Contains NOTAMs taht are general in nature and not tied to a specific airport or facility

Part 2

These are notices provided by the National Flight Dat aCenter (NEFC) and contain Part 95 revisions, revisions to minimum en route IFR altitudes and changeover points.

Part 3

International NOTAMS, which are divided into two sections.

  • International flight prohibitions, potential hostile situations, and foreign notices

  • International oceanic airspace notices

Part 4

These are graphic notices compiled by ATC Products and Publications from data provided by FAA service area offices and other lines of business. They contain special notices and graphics pertaining to almost every aspect of aviation such as military training areas, large scale sporting events, air show information, special traffic management programs, and airport specific information. These are divided into six sections.

  • General

  • Special Military Operations

  • Airport and Facility Notices

  • Major Sporting and Entertainment Events

  • Airshows

  • Special Notices

The number of the last FDC NOTAM in the NTAP is shown on the front to help update the listing of any that may have been issued between the cut-off date and the date the publication is received. All information is carried until it expires, is canceled, or is published in other publications. All new NOTAMs entered, excluding FDC NOTAMs, will be published only if the information is expected to remain in effect for at least seven 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.

Pilot’s Operating Handbook (POH)

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.

  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

  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.