Definition
The branch of the Federal Aviation Administration responsible for recording the ownership and registration of civil aircraft in the United States. It maintains the official records of aircraft registration, deregistration, ownership transfers, liens, and related documents, and issues the Certificate of Aircraft Registration.
Plain English
The government office that keeps the official records of who owns each U.S. civil aircraft. It is where aircraft are registered, where ownership changes are recorded, and where the registration certificate is issued.
Context Anchor
You will see this term when dealing with an aircraft’s Certificate of Aircraft Registration, checking an aircraft’s registration status, or reviewing aircraft ownership records.
Derivation
Registry comes from the Latin registrum, meaning a list or record. The FAA Aircraft Registry is literally the FAA's list of every registered U.S. civil aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
A current entry confirms legal ownership and registration status, which is required before the aircraft can be operated or sold.
Intuition Check
Do not confuse the FAA Aircraft Registry with the paper certificate carried in the aircraft. The registry is the FAA’s official record system; the certificate is evidence of that registration.
Example Sentence 1
After buying the Cessna, the new owner mailed the bill of sale and registration application to the FAA Aircraft Registry in Oklahoma City.
Example Sentence 2
During preflight planning the pilot confirmed the aircraft appeared as active in the FAA Aircraft Registry.