Definition
The FAA office, located within Flight Standards Service in Oklahoma City, that maintains the official records of every U.S. airman certificate issued — including pilot, flight instructor, and mechanic certificates. AFS-760 handles requests for replacement of lost or destroyed certificates, processes name changes, and provides certified copies of airman records.
Plain English
The FAA office that keeps the master records of every pilot certificate issued in the United States. If you lose your pilot certificate, this is the office that sends you a replacement.
Context Anchor
You may see AFS-760 in student pilot certification instructions, FAA forms, or directions for sending certificate-related documents.
Derivation
AFS stands for Aviation Flight Standards, the FAA division responsible for airman and aircraft certification. The number 760 is the internal branch code identifying the Airman Certification Branch within that division. Knowing this helps a pilot recognize that any letter or form referencing 'AFS-760' is coming from the office that holds their certificate records.
Why Pilots Care
Every pilot must have their certificate issued and recorded by this branch before they can legally fly.
Intuition Check
Do not read “branch” as a local office where you go for flight training. Here it means a specific FAA office that handles certificate records. Also, “airman” in FAA use does not mean only an airline pilot; it includes people who hold or apply for certain aviation certificates.
Example Sentence 1
After losing his wallet on a trip, the student pilot submitted a request to AFS-760 for a replacement pilot certificate.
Example Sentence 2
AFS-760 maintains the official records for all airman certificates issued in the United States.