Definition
A rule issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that has the force of federal law and governs civil aviation in the United States. The complete body of these rules is published in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) and is organized into numbered Parts, each covering a specific area such as pilot certification, aircraft airworthiness, or operating rules.
Plain English
An official US aviation rule that pilots, operators, and aircraft owners are legally required to follow. The full set of these rules is grouped into numbered Parts that each cover a different topic.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA handbooks, training materials, preflight planning, and discussions about what a pilot is legally allowed or required to do.
Derivation
Federal means issued by the national government. Regulation comes from the Latin regula, meaning a rule or straight measure. Together: a national rule pilots must measure their actions against.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must follow these rules to stay legal; violations can lead to certificate action or enforcement.
Intuition Check
FAR does not mean distance here. In this context, FAR is an abbreviation for a federal aviation rule.
Example Sentence 1
Before each flight, the pilot reviews the FARs that apply to the type of operation being conducted.
Example Sentence 2
Instructors often refer to specific FAR sections when explaining certificate privileges and limitations.