Definition
A Special Federal Aviation Regulation issued by the FAA that established certification and operating requirements for commercial air operators, particularly air taxi and commuter operations. SFARs are temporary or special-purpose rules issued outside the standard numbered parts of the Federal Aviation Regulations to address specific operational, safety, or industry needs. SFAR-38 historically governed the certification of air carriers and commercial operators before being superseded by later rulemaking.
Plain English
A special FAA rule, numbered 38, that set out how certain commercial flying operations had to be certified and run. It sat alongside the regular FAA rules but covered a specific area the FAA wanted to address separately.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA publications, regulation references, and aviation notices where a special rule applies to a particular operation, aircraft, area, or situation.
Derivation
"Special Federal Aviation Regulation" describes exactly what it is: a regulation issued by the FAA that sits outside the standard numbered Parts (like Part 91 or Part 135). The number 38 simply identifies which SFAR it is, in the order they were issued.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots may encounter references to SFAR-38 in legacy documents, certification histories, or training materials. Knowing it refers to a specific commercial operator rule helps make sense of older references without confusion.
Intuition Check
Do not read “special” as informal, optional, or just extra information. In this context, “special” means a real FAA regulation that applies to a specific situation.
Example Sentence 1
The instructor mentioned that SFAR-38 once shaped how air taxi operators were certified before the modern Part 135 framework took over.
Example Sentence 2
The handbook lists SFAR-38 among other special regulations that may affect flight planning.