Definition
The Federal Aviation Agency was the United States government body created by the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 to regulate civil aviation, oversee air traffic control, and set safety standards for aircraft, airmen, and airspace use. It replaced the Civil Aeronautics Administration and consolidated aviation safety authority under a single agency. In 1967, when the Department of Transportation was established, the Federal Aviation Agency was renamed the Federal Aviation Administration and brought under the new department.
Plain English
It was the original name of the U.S. government agency in charge of aviation safety and air traffic, set up in 1958. The name was changed in 1967 to the Federal Aviation Administration, but the abbreviation FAA stayed the same.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation history and regulations discussions, especially when explaining how the modern FAA got its legal authority.
Derivation
Federal' meaning of the national government, 'Aviation' from the Latin avis (bird), and 'Agency' meaning a body acting on behalf of a higher authority. The name signals that this was a national-level body created to act for the U.S. government on all matters of civil flight.
Why Pilots Care
Most modern references say 'FAA' and mean the Federal Aviation Administration. Knowing that the same letters once stood for Federal Aviation Agency prevents confusion when reading older regulations, accident reports, or historical material.
Intuition Check
Do not assume “Federal Aviation Agency” is simply another wording for today’s FAA name. In this chapter, it refers to the historical agency created in 1958, which later became the Federal Aviation Administration.
Example Sentence 1
The Federal Aviation Agency was established in 1958 to take over the safety and air traffic duties previously handled by the Civil Aeronautics Administration.
Example Sentence 2
Standards first developed by the Federal Aviation Agency still shape the safety rules every pilot follows today.