Definition
The Federal Aviation Administration is the agency of the U.S. Department of Transportation responsible for regulating and overseeing all aspects of civil aviation in the United States. Its duties include certifying pilots and aircraft, setting and enforcing safety regulations, operating the air traffic control system, managing the use of navigable airspace, and publishing the handbooks, charts, and procedures pilots use in training and flight.
Plain English
The FAA is the U.S. government body that runs civil aviation. It writes the rules pilots must follow, issues pilot and aircraft certificates, runs air traffic control, and produces the official guides and charts pilots train and fly with.
Context Anchor
You will see FAA on training handbooks, charts, airport information pages, regulations, certificates, and official safety material.
Derivation
Federal means belonging to the national U.S. government. Aviation comes from the Latin avis, meaning bird, and refers to the operation of aircraft. Administration here means a governing body that carries out a set of duties. Put together, it is the national government body that runs aviation.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots must follow FAA rules for certification, operations, and safety.
Intuition Check
Do not think of the FAA as an airline, flight school, or private company. It is the U.S. government authority for most civilian flying.
Example Sentence 1
Before her first solo, the student pilot received a medical certificate issued by the FAA.
Example Sentence 2
Check the latest FAA updates before any instrument flight.