Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR)

Rules and regulations are the air traffic controller’s best friend. They provide order, predictability and safety in an otherwise chaotic system. Without strict adherence to aviation law, the skies would descend into mayhem.

FEDERAL AVIATION PLAYBOOK
The FARs are the Federal Aviation Administration’s magna carta, the thick rulebook that governs American aviation. They spell out in precise terminology exactly how planes should move through the sky, how pilots must communicate, what equipment aircraft must carry and even the format for filling out paperwork. The FARs translate lofty principles of safety into specific requirements that everyone from ramp workers to CEOs must follow to the letter.

THE SKY HIGH CONSTITUTION
FARs are the Constitution and statutes that bring structure to an ever-changing realm. They are amended and updated periodically to keep up with new technologies and threats, but the core priorities remain: order, efficiency and safety. The FARs level the playing field, applying equally to everyone from private pilots to Boeing. They represent a social contract that binds the entire industry together.

THE GENERAL ORDERS
For those who work in aviation, the FARs are like General Orders: facts to be memorized and obeyed without question. A pilot wouldn’t dream of taking off without conducting the appropriate checklists, and a mechanic wouldn’t release an aircraft for flight without the proper logs and approvals. Compliance with the FARs is mandatory for a reason: to keep the fragile trust that holds the whole system together.

In summary, the Federal Aviation Regulations prescribe an ordered understanding of the chaotic realm of flight. They translate abstract aspirations of safety into concrete rules and procedures. By binding the stakeholders of American aviation in a common system of law and order, the FARs help keep the friendly skies friendly.