Definition
The FAA directive that prescribes air traffic control procedures and phraseology for use by personnel providing ATC services within United States airspace. It is the primary rulebook controllers follow when separating, sequencing, and communicating with aircraft.
Plain English
This is the official handbook that tells air traffic controllers exactly how to do their job — what procedures to use and what words to say when talking to pilots.
Context Anchor
Pilots usually see FAA Order JO 7110.65 cited in the AIM, training material, controller procedure discussions, or explanations of why air traffic control uses certain words or actions.
Derivation
FAA stands for Federal Aviation Administration. 'JO' designates a Joint Order, meaning it applies across multiple FAA service organizations. The number 7110.65 is the FAA's filing code for the document — the '7000' series covers air traffic procedures.
Why Pilots Care
Knowing this order exists assures pilots that every controller follows identical rules, which reduces miscommunication and supports consistent handling of traffic.
Intuition Check
Do not read “Order” here as a request from a controller to a pilot. In this term, an FAA Order is an official FAA rule-and-procedure document.
Example Sentence 1
The controller's instruction to 'line up and wait' comes directly from standard phraseology in FAA Order JO 7110.65.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots may notice updates to FAA Order JO 7110.65 reflected in new AIM paragraphs describing changed ATC practices.