Definition
The Code of Federal Regulations is the official compilation of the general and permanent rules issued by the executive departments and agencies of the United States federal government. The rules affecting aviation are contained in Title 14, which covers the regulations issued by the FAA, including those governing aircraft certification, airmen certification, operating rules, and airspace.
Plain English
It is the published set of federal rules. The aviation rules pilots must follow live in one specific part of it, called Title 14.
Context Anchor
You will see this term in FAA handbooks, regulations, training materials, and references such as “14 CFR Part 61” or “14 CFR Part 91.”
Derivation
Code here means an organized, written body of rules, from the Latin codex meaning a book or written record. Federal Regulations refers to rules issued by federal agencies. So the name simply describes what it is: the organized book of federal rules.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must comply with the aviation rules contained in Title 14 of this compilation.
Analogy
Think of it like the official rulebook for aviation in the United States. FAA books may explain the rules, but the Code of Federal Regulations is where the rules themselves are published.
Intuition Check
Do not read “Code” as a secret code or shorthand. Here it means an organized official collection of rules.
Example Sentence 1
The pilot reviewed Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations to confirm the fuel requirements for a night VFR flight.
Example Sentence 2
Updates to aviation regulations appear first in the Federal Register and later become part of the Code of Federal Regulations.