Definition
The operation of any aircraft other than a public aircraft. A public aircraft is one used exclusively in the service of a government or a political subdivision of a government, such as a federal, state, or municipal agency. All other aircraft operations -- including those by airlines, business operators, flight schools, and private owners -- are civil aircraft operations and fall under FAA civil aviation regulations.
Plain English
Flying any aircraft that isn't being used by the government for government purposes. Airline flights, training flights, business flights, and private flights are all civil aircraft operations.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation regulations and legal discussions when deciding which FAA rules apply to a flight.
Derivation
Civil' comes from the Latin civilis, meaning 'relating to citizens' -- as opposed to military or government use. A civil aircraft operation is one conducted by or for citizens rather than the state.
Why Pilots Care
The rules a pilot must follow depend on whether the flight is civil or public. Almost every flight a typical pilot conducts -- training, personal, business, or commercial -- is a civil aircraft operation and is governed by the FARs.
Intuition Check
Do not read civil here as “polite” or simply “owned by a civilian.” In this context, civil means the operation is not being treated as a public aircraft operation under special government-use rules.
Example Sentence 1
Because the flight school's training flights are civil aircraft operations, they must comply with Part 91 of the FARs.
Example Sentence 2
Insurance requirements differ for civil aircraft operations compared with military flights.