Definition
Part 1 of Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which contains the official definitions and abbreviations used throughout the Federal Aviation Regulations. It establishes the legal meaning of terms used in all subsequent parts of 14 CFR.
Plain English
The opening section of the federal aviation rulebook that lists what each official term means. When a regulation uses a word like 'aircraft' or 'night,' Part 1 is where the legal definition lives.
Context Anchor
You may see 14 CFR part 1 cited in the AIM, FAA handbooks, regulations, and glossary entries when a word has an official FAA meaning.
Derivation
CFR stands for Code of Federal Regulations, the published collection of U.S. federal rules. Title 14 covers Aeronautics and Space, and 'part 1' is simply the first part within that title — by tradition, the definitions section.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots rely on these definitions to understand the exact meaning of every rule that governs aircraft operations, certificates, and airspace.
Intuition Check
Do not read part 1 as just a chapter in a textbook. Here it means a specific, legally used section of the federal aviation rules.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor pointed out that the definition of 'night' used on the checkride comes straight from 14 CFR part 1.
Example Sentence 2
All subsequent parts of the regulations refer back to 14 CFR Part 1 so that terms remain consistent across every rule.