FAA Only
Terms governed by FAA / 14 CFR with no significant EASA equivalent. Apply primarily to US-registered aircraft and US-certificated pilots.
Operational(19)
100-Hour Inspection
A 100-hour inspection is an FAA-mandated maintenance check required for aircraft used in commercial operations or flight training every 100 hours of flight time.
AIRMET (Airmen's Meteorological Information)
An AIRMET is a US FAA in-flight weather advisory for conditions that are operationally significant primarily to general aviation aircraft — issued in three variants: Sierra (IFR conditions and mountain obscuration), Tango (moderate turbulence and surface winds ≥30 kt), and Zulu (moderate icing and freezing levels) — published under FAA Order 7900.5 and AC 00-45H with 6-hour validity periods.
ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service)
ATIS is a continuous broadcast of essential non-control aerodrome information — current weather, active runway, NOTAMs, and special conditions — issued under ICAO Annex 11 §4.3 and FAA Order 7110.65, identified by a sequential phonetic letter that pilots are required to confirm on first ATC contact, reducing frequency congestion by eliminating repetitive controller weather reads.
Endorsement
An endorsement is an instructor's written sign-off in a student pilot's logbook or training record authorizing specific privileges such as solo flight, cross-country solo, or eligibility for a practical test.
Go/No-Go Decision
A go/no-go decision is the structured evaluation process a pilot performs before each flight, considering weather, aircraft condition, pilot fitness, and other factors to determine whether the flight can be conducted safely.
Holding Pattern
A holding pattern is a published or ATC-assigned racetrack-shaped flight pattern at a specified fix used to delay an aircraft in flight, governed by 14 CFR §91.181 and the FAA Aeronautical Information Manual Chapter 5 §3 in the FAA system, and ICAO Doc 8168 (PANS-OPS) Volume II in the international system.
Logbook
A logbook is the official record of an aircraft's maintenance history and a pilot's accumulated flight time, serving as the primary documentation for regulatory compliance.
Medical Certificate
A medical certificate is an FAA-issued document certifying that a pilot meets the physical and mental health standards required to exercise the privileges of their pilot certificate.
Missed Approach Procedure
A missed approach procedure is the published or assigned flight path a pilot follows when an instrument approach cannot be completed to a safe landing — required by 14 CFR §91.175(c) and ICAO Doc 8168 (PANS-OPS) Volume II, executed when minimums are not met or the runway environment is not in sight at the missed approach point.
NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions)
A NOTAM is an official notice issued by aviation authorities to alert pilots of temporary hazards, airspace restrictions, or changes to airport facilities that could affect flight safety.
Pilot Currency Rules (FAA)
FAA pilot currency rules — primarily codified in 14 CFR §61.57 for recent flight experience and §61.56 for flight review — define the minimum recurrent flight activity a certificated pilot must maintain to legally exercise the privileges of their certificate, covering passenger-carrying recency, night recency, and instrument recency.
PIREP (Pilot Report)
A PIREP is a voluntary or solicited real-time weather observation made by a pilot in flight, reporting actual conditions encountered — turbulence, icing, cloud bases and tops, visibility, and temperature — under ICAO Annex 3 §5.6 and FAA AC 00-45H, with Urgent PIREPs (UUA) providing immediate input to SIGMET amendment decisions.
SIGMET (Significant Meteorological Information)
A SIGMET is an in-flight weather advisory issued by a Meteorological Watch Office (MWO) for hazardous atmospheric conditions affecting the safety of all aircraft operations — including severe turbulence, severe icing, volcanic ash, tropical cyclones, and in the FAA system, convective hazards — governed by ICAO Annex 3 §6.4 and FAA Order 7900.5, with validities of 4 hours (6 hours for tropical cyclone or volcanic ash advisories).
TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast)
A TAF is a concise statement of expected meteorological conditions at an aerodrome over a defined validity period — 24 hours for standard FAA TAFs, 30 hours for ICAO-standard TAFs — issued by qualified meteorological offices under ICAO Annex 3 and WMO Tech Reg 49.3, and relied upon by operators to meet IFR alternate requirements under 14 CFR §91.169, §121.625, and §135.221.
Touch-and-Go vs Full-Stop Landing
A touch-and-go landing is a touchdown immediately followed by a takeoff without exiting the runway; a full-stop landing is a touchdown followed by a complete stop and runway exit. The distinction governs pilot currency under 14 CFR §61.57(b) for night passenger-carrying recency, and touch-and-goes accumulate landing cycles at a rate that significantly accelerates training-fleet maintenance schedules.
V-Speeds (Aircraft Operating Speeds)
V-speeds are standardized aircraft operating speeds defined during certification under EASA CS-23 / CS-25 / CS-27 / CS-29 and 14 CFR Parts 23/25/27/29, used for takeoff, climb, cruise, approach, landing, and emergency procedures, and color-coded on every airspeed indicator.
Visual Flight Rules (VFR)
Visual Flight Rules (VFR) are the regulations under which a pilot operates an aircraft in weather conditions clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going by visual reference to the ground and other aircraft.
VOR and DME (VHF Omnidirectional Range and Distance Measuring Equipment)
VOR is a VHF ground-based radio navigation aid that provides magnetic bearing information from the station to the aircraft; DME is a paired UHF transponder system that measures slant-range distance. Together, a VOR/DME co-location provides a complete two-dimensional position fix without GPS.
Wake Turbulence and Wake Categories
Wake turbulence is the disturbed air mass left behind a flying aircraft, dominated by counter-rotating wing-tip vortices generated as a byproduct of lift production, with intensity governed by aircraft weight, wing loading, and configuration; ATC separation standards based on ICAO Doc 4444 and FAA Order 7110.65 apply prescribed distance and time minima between leader and follower aircraft based on their respective wake category classifications.
Regulatory(30)
Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Mechanic
An Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) Mechanic is an FAA-certificated aviation maintenance technician holding both the Airframe and Powerplant ratings under 14 CFR Part 65 Subpart D (§§65.71–65.95).
ASAP and ASRS (Aviation Safety Action Program / Aviation Safety Reporting System)
ASAP is the FAA voluntary safety reporting program — codified in FAA AC 120-66B — operated by individual airlines under tripartite Memoranda of Understanding (operator + pilot/dispatcher/maintenance union + FAA).
BasicMed
BasicMed is an FAA medical certification alternative that allows qualifying pilots to fly under a self-attested medical regime supervised by any state-licensed physician, in lieu of holding a Third-Class FAA Medical Certificate.
FAA (Federal Aviation Administration)
The FAA is the U.S. federal agency responsible for regulating all civil aviation under 49 USC §§40101–44732, encompassing airman and aircraft certification, air traffic control, and safety rulemaking through 14 CFR Parts 1–199.
FAR Part 117 — Flight and Duty Limitations and Rest Requirements
FAR Part 117 is the FAA regulation — effective January 4, 2014 — defining flight time, duty time, and rest requirements for flight crew of US scheduled passenger airlines (Part 121 operators), introduced after the 2009 Colgan 3407 accident as part of P.L. 111-216 (the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act).
FAR Part 119 — Certification: Air Carriers and Commercial Operators
14 CFR Part 119 is the FAA's umbrella certification framework that determines who must hold an air carrier or commercial operator certificate, which operating rule set (Part 121, 125, or 135) applies to their specific operations, and the minimum management personnel structure required.
FAR Part 121 — Scheduled Airline Operations
14 CFR Part 121 is the FAA regulation governing U.S. scheduled passenger and all-cargo air carrier operations, including domestic, flag, and supplemental operators such as American, Delta, United, FedEx, and UPS. It prescribes operating certificates, crewmember training programs (§121.401), flight/duty time limits (§§121.470–121.471), and mandatory Continuous Airworthiness Maintenance Programs (§121.367).
FAR Part 125 — Large Airplane Operations
14 CFR Part 125 governs U.S.-registered airplanes with 20 or more passenger seats or 6,000 lb or more maximum payload capacity when operated for compensation or hire outside of Part 121 scheduled air carrier service and Part 135 commuter or on-demand operations.
FAR Part 135 — Commuter and On-Demand Operations
14 CFR Part 135 is the FAA regulation governing U.S. commuter and on-demand air carrier operations — including air taxis, fractional ownership programs (NetJets, Wheels Up), helicopter EMS (HEMS), and regional commuters operating aircraft with 9 or fewer passenger seats.
FAR Part 137 — Agricultural Aircraft Operations
14 CFR Part 137 governs agricultural aircraft operations in the United States — aerial application of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and seed dispersal — establishing certificate requirements, pilot qualifications, operating limitations, and recordkeeping for both private and commercial ag operators.
FAR Part 139 — Airport Certification
14 CFR Part 139 requires airports serving air carrier aircraft designed for more than 9 passenger seats to hold an FAA Airport Operating Certificate, with four certification classes and mandatory standards covering ARFF, pavement, wildlife hazards, and emergency planning.
FAR Part 147 — Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools
14 CFR Part 147 governs the certification and operation of FAA-approved Aviation Maintenance Technician Schools (AMTS), which train students for the A&P mechanic certificate under Part 65, specifying facility requirements, curriculum standards, faculty credentials, and graduation performance expectations.
FAR Part 39 — Airworthiness Directives
14 CFR Part 39 is the FAA regulatory framework under which the agency issues Airworthiness Directives (ADs) — legally binding orders mandating corrective action on civil aircraft, engines, propellers, or appliances found to have an unsafe condition after type certification.
FAR Part 43 — Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, Rebuilding, and Alteration
14 CFR Part 43 governs who may perform maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, and alteration on U.S.-registered civil aircraft, what methods must be used, and how every maintenance event must be documented in the aircraft's records.
FAR Part 65 — Certification: Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers
14 CFR Part 65 governs FAA certification of non-pilot aviation professionals, including aircraft mechanics (A&P), repairmen, aircraft dispatchers, air traffic control tower operators, and parachute riggers — each with distinct eligibility standards, testing requirements, and operating privileges.
FAR Part 67 — Medical Standards and Certification
14 CFR Part 67 establishes the FAA's medical standards for pilot certification, defining three classes of medical certificate — First, Second, and Third — with progressively less stringent standards, and the certification procedures governing issuance, denial, and Special Issuance.
FAR Part 91 — General Operating and Flight Rules
14 CFR Part 91 is the foundational FAA regulation governing all civil aircraft operations in U.S. airspace that are not otherwise regulated under Parts 121, 125, 129, or 135.
Flight Standards District Office (FSDO)
A Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) is a local FAA field office responsible for certificating and overseeing pilots, flight schools, maintenance facilities, and air operators within its geographic district.
IACRA (Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application)
IACRA is the FAA's web-based system for submitting, tracking, and processing airman certification and rating applications, replacing the traditional paper-based FAA Form 8710-1.
Inspection Authorization (IA)
An Inspection Authorization (IA) is an additional FAA authorization, issued under 14 CFR §65.91, that allows a qualified A&P mechanic to perform annual inspections (§91.409(a)), conduct and return aircraft to service after progressive inspections, and approve major repairs and major alterations by signing FAA Form 337.
Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA)
Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) is an FAA aircraft category defined in 14 CFR §1.1, limited to aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of 1,320 lb (1,430 lb for seaplanes), a maximum stall speed of 45 knots CAS, a maximum cruise speed of 120 knots CAS, and no more than two seats — the category that Sport Pilot Certificate holders are authorized to fly.
MOA (Military Operations Area) and Special Use Airspace
A Military Operations Area (MOA) is a type of Special Use Airspace (SUA) established under 14 CFR Part 73 and FAA Order JO 7400.10 to separate or segregate certain nonhazardous military training activities from IFR traffic, while permitting VFR flight with caution.
NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board)
The NTSB is an independent U.S. federal agency established by the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974 (49 USC Chapter 11) that investigates civil aviation accidents and issues safety recommendations to reduce future risk, with no regulatory or enforcement authority of its own.
Operations Specifications (OpsSpecs)
Operations Specifications are FAA-issued documents that define the specific authorizations, limitations, and procedures under which a Part 119, Part 125, or Part 145 certificate holder may conduct operations — covering everything from authorized routes and aircraft types to maintenance program approvals and special area authorizations.
Part 141
Part 141 refers to FAA-certificated flight schools that operate under 14 CFR Part 141, following an FAA-approved curriculum with structured syllabi, stage checks, and periodic oversight.
Part 61
Part 61 refers to flight training conducted under 14 CFR Part 61, where instructors set the curriculum and training pace without a formal FAA-approved syllabus.
Progressive Inspection (FAA Alternative to Annual)
A Progressive Inspection is an FAA-authorized alternative to the standard annual inspection under 14 CFR §91.409(d), in which an aircraft's airworthiness is maintained through a continuous cycle of segmented inspections spread across the operating year rather than a single annual inspection event.
Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR)
A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is a regulatory notice under 14 CFR Part 91 that prohibits or restricts flight operations within a defined volume of airspace for a limited time, published via NOTAM and enforceable by FAA certificate action or federal prosecution.
Training Course Outline (TCO)
A Training Course Outline (TCO) is a detailed, FAA-approved document that defines the curriculum, lesson sequence, training hours, and completion standards for each course offered by a Part 141 flight school.
TSA Security Awareness Training
TSA Security Awareness Training is the recurrent training required under 49 CFR 1552.23 for flight school employees who have direct contact with flight students, ensuring they can identify and report behavior or activity that may indicate a security threat — distinct from, but layered with, the FTSP/AFSP vetting requirements.
Training(13)
Air Transport Pilot Certification Training Program (ATP-CTP)
The ATP-CTP is an FAA-mandated ground and simulator training course, required under 14 CFR §61.156 since August 2013, that every ATP-certificate applicant must complete before sitting the ATP Aeronautical Knowledge Test.
Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)
A Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) is a pilot who holds an FAA Flight Instructor Certificate, authorizing them to provide flight and ground training to student pilots and certificate holders seeking additional ratings.
Checkride
A checkride is the final practical examination conducted by an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) or FAA inspector that a student must pass to earn a pilot certificate or rating.
Commercial Pilot License (CPL)
A Commercial Pilot License (CPL), known in the United States as a Commercial Pilot Certificate, is an advanced pilot credential that authorizes the holder to act as pilot in command for compensation or hire.
Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE)
A Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE) is an experienced pilot authorized by the FAA to conduct practical tests (checkrides) and issue pilot certificates and ratings on behalf of the Administrator.
FAA WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program
The FAA WINGS Pilot Proficiency Program is a voluntary, FAA-sponsored recurrent training program through which pilots earn Phase credit by completing approved knowledge and flight activities each year.
Ground School
Ground school is the classroom or online theoretical instruction component of pilot training, covering subjects such as aerodynamics, regulations, weather, navigation, and aircraft systems.
Private Pilot License (PPL)
A Private Pilot License (PPL), known in the United States as a Private Pilot Certificate, is the foundational pilot credential that allows an individual to act as pilot in command of an aircraft for personal, non-commercial purposes.
Restricted ATP Certificate (R-ATP)
The Restricted Airline Transport Pilot Certificate (R-ATP), established under 14 CFR §61.160, allows qualifying pilots to act as second-in-command on Part 121 air carrier operations at reduced total flight hour minimums — as low as 750 hours for military pilots and 1,000 hours for graduates of approved four-year aviation degree programs.
Simulated Instrument Time
Simulated instrument time is flight time during which the pilot is solely controlling the aircraft by reference to instruments, with outside visual reference blocked by a view-limiting device — historically called "hood time."
Sport Pilot Certificate
The Sport Pilot Certificate, codified under 14 CFR Part 61 Subpart J (§§61.303–61.327) and established by the FAA's 2004 Light-Sport Aircraft Rule, allows pilots to fly Light-Sport Aircraft (LSA) without an FAA medical certificate, requiring a minimum of 20 flight hours and a U.S. driver's license as medical evidence.
Stage Check
A stage check is a formal evaluation conducted by a designated check instructor at prescribed points in a training syllabus to verify that a student has mastered the skills and knowledge required before advancing to the next phase.
Synthetic Flight Instructor (SFI)
A Synthetic Flight Instructor (SFI) holds the instructor authorization under EASA Part-FCL FCL.905.SFI permitting delivery of type rating training and instrument rating training exclusively in qualifying Flight Simulation Training Devices (FFS, FTD, FNPT II) — without being required to hold the corresponding aircraft type rating or class rating for actual flight instruction.
Business(2)
Code-Share and Interline Agreements
A code-share is a bilateral commercial agreement where two airlines sell seats on the same physical flight under both carriers' flight numbers; an interline agreement is a lower-integration arrangement allowing through-ticketing and baggage transfer on multi-airline itineraries. Both are governed by IATA frameworks and, for consumer protection, by EU Regulation 2111/2005 and US 14 CFR §257.
GI Bill (VA Education Benefits)
The GI Bill provides US military veterans with education benefits administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs, including funding for approved flight training programmes at Part 141 schools.