Definition
A United States federal law enacted in 1958 that created the Federal Aviation Agency (later renamed the Federal Aviation Administration) and gave it sole authority over civil aviation safety, airspace management, and air traffic control. It replaced the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 and consolidated regulatory powers that had previously been split among multiple agencies.
Plain English
The 1958 law that created a single federal agency to oversee all civil aviation in the United States, including pilot certification, aircraft standards, airspace, and air traffic control.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation history and FAA authority discussions, especially when explaining why the FAA has the power to make and enforce aviation rules.
Derivation
Federal means connected with the national government. Aviation comes from a Latin word for bird and came to mean flight by aircraft. Act, in this legal use, means a law formally passed by Congress. Together, the title means a national law about aviation passed in 1958.
Why Pilots Care
This act created the regulatory authority that issues pilot certificates and enforces the safety rules pilots follow every day.
Intuition Check
Do not read “Act” here as an action someone performed. In this context, an act is a law passed by Congress.
Example Sentence 1
The Federal Aviation Act of 1958 established the federal agency that today certifies pilots and oversees the national airspace system.
Example Sentence 2
Every regulation in the pilot handbook traces its authority back to the Federal Aviation Act of 1958.