FAA — Federal Aviation Administration

1100 official documents, republished as free chaptered HTML editions.

Document type

Advisory Circulars

Document type

Advisory Circulars

Acceptable Methods, Techniques, and Practices — Aircraft Inspection and RepairFAA Advisory Circular 43.13-1B is the mechanic's reference for acceptable methods, techniques, and practices in aircraft inspection and repair when no manufacturer instructions exist.AC 43.13-1B
Agricultural Aircraft OperationsFAA Advisory Circular 137-1B guides agricultural aircraft operators through Part 137 certification and the safe conduct of aerial application (crop-dusting) operations.AC 137-1B
Airworthiness Approval of ADS-B Out SystemsFAA Advisory Circular 20-186 gives airworthiness approval guidance for ADS-B Out systems, the surveillance broadcast equipment required for most controlled U.S. airspace.AC 20-186
Airworthiness Approval of Positioning and Navigation SystemsFAA Advisory Circular 20-138D provides airworthiness approval guidance for installing positioning and navigation systems (GPS/GNSS) in aircraft, including performance and integration standards.AC 20-138D
Alternative Pilot Physical Examination and Education Requirements (BasicMed)FAA Advisory Circular 68-1 explains BasicMed — how pilots can fly certain small aircraft without a medical certificate by meeting the alternative examination and education requirements.AC 68-1
Authorization for Use of Electronic Flight BagsFAA Advisory Circular 120-76C provides guidance for authorizing electronic flight bags (EFBs) — the hardware, software, and operational approval considerations for tablets and portable devices in the cockpit.AC 120-76C
Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) OutFAA Advisory Circular 91-85B provides operational authorization guidance for ADS-B Out, the surveillance broadcast required to fly in most controlled U.S. airspace.AC 91-85B
Aviation Safety Reporting ProgramFAA Advisory Circular 00-46F describes the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) — the confidential, voluntary program for reporting safety concerns, and the limited immunity it offers.AC 00-46F
Aviation WeatherFAA Advisory Circular 00-6B, the agency's textbook on aviation weather — the atmospheric processes, hazards, and weather theory underlying preflight planning and in-flight decisions.AC 00-6B
Aviation Weather ServicesFAA Advisory Circular 00-45H explains the aviation weather products and services available to pilots, and how to read and apply the observations, forecasts, and charts of the U.S. weather system.AC 00-45H
Certification: Pilots and Flight and Ground InstructorsFAA Advisory Circular 61-65J guides pilots and instructors through certification and rating procedures under Part 61, including endorsements, sign-offs, and the practical test process.AC 61-65J
Continuous Descent Final ApproachFAA Advisory Circular 120-108 describes the continuous descent final approach (CDFA) technique for non-precision approaches — a stabilized-descent method that reduces controlled-flight-into-terrain risk.AC 120-108
Crew Resource Management TrainingFAA Advisory Circular 120-51E provides guidance for crew resource management (CRM) training — the human-factors skills of communication, workload management, and decision-making on the flight deck.AC 120-51E
Currency Requirements and Guidance for Flight Reviews and Instrument Proficiency ChecksFAA Advisory Circular 61-98D gives instructors guidance for conducting flight reviews and instrument proficiency checks, with recommended currency and recency-of-experience practices.AC 61-98D
Electronic Flight DisplaysFAA Advisory Circular 25-11B provides certification guidance for electronic flight displays on transport-category aircraft, covering design, information presentation, and failure conditions.AC 25-11B
Exception for Limited Recreational Operations of Unmanned AircraftFAA Advisory Circular 91-57C describes the exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft — the rules hobbyist drone flyers operate under.AC 91-57C
FAA Approval of Aviation Training Devices and Their Use for Training and ExperienceFAA Advisory Circular 61-136B covers FAA approval and use of aviation training devices (ATDs) — how simulators and flight training devices qualify and count toward training and experience.AC 61-136B
Non-Towered Airport Flight OperationsFAA Advisory Circular 90-66B describes recommended traffic patterns and radio communication practices for operating safely at non-towered airports.AC 90-66B
Oceanic and Remote Continental Airspace OperationsFAA Advisory Circular 91-70B is the pilot and operator guide to oceanic and remote continental airspace operations, covering the navigation, communication, and separation standards for long-haul flights.AC 91-70B
Painting, Marking, and Lighting of Vehicles Used on an AirportFAA Advisory Circular 150/5210-5D specifies the painting, marking, and lighting of vehicles on airports so they are conspicuous to pilots and controllers on the movement area.AC 150/5210-5D
Pilot Guide: Flight in Icing ConditionsFAA Advisory Circular 91-74B is the pilot's guide to flight in icing conditions — how ice forms, how it affects the aircraft, and strategies to avoid and escape it.AC 91-74B
Pilot's Guide to a Preflight BriefingFAA Advisory Circular 91-92 is the pilot's guide to a self-briefing — how to assemble a complete preflight weather and NOTAM briefing from official sources.AC 91-92
Pilots' Role in Collision AvoidanceFAA Advisory Circular 90-48E covers the pilot's role in collision avoidance — scanning techniques, right-of-way rules, blind spots, and using traffic and ADS-B technology to see and avoid.AC 90-48E
Private Carriage Versus Common CarriageFAA Advisory Circular 120-12A explains the distinction between private and common carriage — the test the FAA uses to decide when an operator must hold an air carrier certificate.AC 120-12A
Reporting Wildlife Aircraft StrikesFAA Advisory Circular 150/5200-32B explains how and why to report wildlife strikes to aircraft, feeding the national wildlife-strike database used to manage hazards at airports.AC 150/5200-32B
Standard Operating Procedures and Pilot Monitoring Duties for Flight Deck CrewmembersFAA Advisory Circular 120-71B offers a model for standard operating procedures and pilot monitoring duties on the flight deck, standardizing crew coordination to catch and trap errors.AC 120-71B
Temporary Flight Restrictions and Flight LimitationsFAA Advisory Circular 91-63D explains temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) and other flight limitations — the types, how they are issued, and how pilots find and comply with them.AC 91-63D
Transition to Unfamiliar AircraftFAA Advisory Circular 90-109A helps pilots safely transition to unfamiliar or experimental aircraft with a structured self-assessment and training approach for gaining new type experience.AC 90-109A
U.S. Terminal and En Route Area Navigation (RNAV) OperationsFAA Advisory Circular 90-100A sets the operational guidance for U.S. terminal and en route area navigation (RNAV) procedures, including required equipment and crew procedures.AC 90-100A
Use of Cockpit Displays of Digital Weather and Aeronautical InformationFAA Advisory Circular 00-63B guides pilots on using cockpit displays of digital weather and aeronautical information, including the latency and limitations of datalink weather in flight.AC 00-63B
Visual Flight Rules Flight Near Noise-Sensitive AreasFAA Advisory Circular 91-36D encourages pilots to fly at courteous altitudes over noise-sensitive areas such as national parks and wildlife refuges to reduce aircraft noise impact.AC 91-36D

Document type

Air Traffic Publications

Document type

Airman Handbooks

Document type

Drone Rules

Small Unmanned Aircraft Rule (Part 107) — SummaryA summary of the FAA's Part 107 rule for small unmanned aircraft (drones): the operating limits, remote pilot certification, and airspace requirements for commercial drone flight.Part 107

Document type

Environmental Assessments

SpaceX Starship-Super Heavy: Final Tiered Environmental Assessment (Additional Launch Trajectories, Starship RTLS)The FAA's Final Tiered Environmental Assessment for additional SpaceX Starship–Super Heavy launch trajectories and return-to-launch-site (RTLS) landings, prepared under NEPA for launch licensing.Final Tiered EA

Document type

Orders & Notices

Document type

Pilot Guides

Document type

Pilot Safety Brochures

Document type

Reference Documents

20250919 Draft Tiered EA For Additional Trajectories And Starship RTLS 508