Definition
The official within the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) responsible for distributing and selling official U.S. Government publications, including FAA documents such as Airworthiness Directives (ADs) and related regulatory material.
Plain English
A government office that sells and distributes official U.S. Government publications. The FAA used to direct pilots and owners there to subscribe to printed copies of Airworthiness Directives.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA handbook text that explains where pilots, owners, or maintenance personnel can obtain official documents related to airworthiness directives and other federal aviation information.
Derivation
‘Superintendent’ comes from Latin roots meaning ‘one who oversees.’ The title literally means the official who oversees the distribution of government documents.
Why Pilots Care
Airworthiness Directives are legally binding. Knowing where official copies come from helps a pilot or owner trust they have the correct, current version of an AD rather than an unofficial copy.
Intuition Check
Do not read “Superintendent of Documents” as a school superintendent or an aircraft maintenance supervisor. In this FAA context, it means the government publication office responsible for distributing official documents.
Example Sentence 1
Owners can obtain bound copies of Airworthiness Directives through the Superintendent of Documents.
Example Sentence 2
Airworthiness Directives were once available by subscription through the Superintendent of Documents.