Definition
In aviation regulatory and legal use, a person is any individual human being or any legal entity such as a corporation, company, partnership, association, joint-stock association, trust, or governmental body. Under Federal Aviation Regulations and the Federal Aviation Act, the term covers both natural persons and organizations that can hold rights, take actions, or be held responsible under the rules.
Plain English
A 'person' in aviation rules isn't just a human being. It also includes companies, partnerships, trusts, and government bodies — anything that can legally own an aircraft, hold a certificate, or be held accountable under the regulations.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA regulations, certificate rules, operating rules, and enforcement language when a rule says what a person may or may not do.
Derivation
From Latin persona, originally meaning a 'mask worn by an actor,' later extended to mean the role or character a person played, and eventually any individual or legal party. The legal use — covering organizations as well as humans — comes from this older sense of 'persona' as a recognized party in a transaction or proceeding.
Why Pilots Care
Regulations, violations, and responsibilities apply to persons, so pilots must know the term includes organizations they may represent or work for.
Intuition Check
Do not assume person always means one human being. In FAA rules, it can also mean a business, club, school, or government organization.
Example Sentence 1
Federal Aviation Regulation 91.7 states that no person may operate a civil aircraft unless it is in an airworthy condition — and that includes the company that owns it, not just the pilot flying it.
Example Sentence 2
The FAA may issue a certificate to a person that is a corporation as well as to an individual pilot.