Definition
AFS-760 is the FAA office designation for the Airman Testing Standards Branch, the division within Flight Standards Service responsible for developing, maintaining, and publishing the knowledge tests, practical test standards, and Airman Certification Standards used in pilot certification. In the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, AFS-760 appears as the contact point for questions or comments about FAA airman testing materials.
Plain English
AFS-760 is the name of the FAA office that writes and looks after the written tests and checkride standards pilots have to meet to get certificated. If you have a question or feedback about those tests, this is the office you contact.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA handbooks and certification instructions when the text tells a student pilot where certificate applications or records are handled.
Derivation
AFS stands for 'Aviation Flight Standards' (the FAA's Flight Standards Service), and 760 is the internal branch number for the testing standards group. Knowing this helps decode similar FAA office codes you'll see throughout the regulations and handbooks — the letters identify the service, the numbers identify the specific branch.
Why Pilots Care
Contacting the correct office ensures accurate information on certification rules and avoids delays in training.
Intuition Check
Do not read AFS-760 as a rule number or aircraft equipment code. In this context, it is an FAA office identifier for the branch that handles airman certification records.
Example Sentence 1
After noticing a typo in the sample written-test question, the flight school sent a note to AFS-760 so it could be reviewed.
Example Sentence 2
Questions about basic requirements are directed to AFS-760 for official FAA guidance.