Definition
A United States federal law enacted in 1938 that transferred federal civil aviation responsibilities from the Department of Commerce to a new independent agency, the Civil Aeronautics Authority. The Act gave this Authority the power to regulate airline fares and routes, set safety rules, investigate accidents, and oversee the development of civil aviation in the United States.
Plain English
A 1938 law that took control of civilian flying in the U.S. away from the Commerce Department and handed it to a new, dedicated aviation agency. That agency was given authority over things like airline ticket prices, which routes airlines could fly, safety rules, and accident investigations.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA history material when explaining how U.S. aviation oversight developed before the modern FAA existed.
Derivation
Civil here means non-military, as in civilians rather than soldiers. Aeronautics comes from the Greek words for air (aer) and sailor (nautes), and refers to the science and practice of flight. So a 'Civil Aeronautics Act' is simply a law about non-military flying.
Why Pilots Care
The act created the regulatory foundation that eventually became the FAA and established the safety and certification rules that govern pilot training and aircraft operations today.
Intuition Check
Do not read civil as meaning polite or well-mannered here; it means non-military aviation. Do not read Act as a performance or action; here it means a law.
Example Sentence 1
The Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 was a major turning point because it created a single federal agency dedicated entirely to civilian aviation.
Example Sentence 2
A student pilot reading the handbook learns that the Civil Aeronautics Act of 1938 laid the groundwork for the certification requirements still used today.