Definition
The section of the Federal Aviation Regulations that establishes Special Use Airspace, including Restricted Areas and Prohibited Areas. It defines how this airspace is designated, where it exists, and the limitations placed on flight within it.
Plain English
A part of the U.S. aviation rulebook that lists the chunks of airspace where flying is restricted or forbidden, and explains the rules for each one.
Context Anchor
Seen in AIM, chart, and airspace discussions when the text points to the official legal source for certain special use airspace areas.
Derivation
CFR stands for Code of Federal Regulations, the official collection of U.S. government rules. Title 14 covers Aeronautics and Space, and 'part 73' is simply the chapter within that title that deals with Special Use Airspace.
Why Pilots Care
Violating airspace defined under this part can result in enforcement action, so pilots must identify these areas during preflight planning.
Analogy
Think of it like an address in the federal aviation rulebook: Title 14 gets you to aviation rules, and Part 73 gets you to the specific rules for certain special use airspace.
Intuition Check
Do not read “part 73” as a page number, chart label, or training chapter. It is a legal citation to a specific part of the federal aviation regulations.
Example Sentence 1
Before crossing that area on the chart, I checked 14 CFR part 73 to see whether it was active and what restrictions applied.
Example Sentence 2
According to 14 CFR part 73, entry into restricted areas requires prior permission from the controlling agency.