Regulation

The FAA, as a government agency with rule­making authority, is required to follow cer­tain procedures when originating or altering regulations that it issues. All federal agencies are required to issue Notices of Proposed Rule Making, published in the Federal Register, which are designed to allow those who may be affected by the proposed rule to be put on notice that a new regulation may be coming, and to allow input to the FAA on the impact of the proposed rule. Input from the aviation industry, or others who may be affected by the rule, often causes modification or abandonment of the pro­posed rule, and is an important and practical aspect of the regulatory function of the FAA. Industry groups, such as the Airline Transport Association, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associ­ation, National Business Aviation Association, and National Business Aircraft Association, closely monitor the FAA for these Notices of Proposed Rule Making.

See Chapter 40 for a full discussion of FAA responsibilities for commercial space launch activity.

Regulations adopted by the FAA are pub­lished in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 14, and referred to in the aviation community as Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs). These regulations have the force of law and are primar­ily concerned with safety, although environmental (noise) and funding issues are also addressed. The FAA is required by the provisions of the Aircraft Noise Abatement Act of 1968 to consult with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to estab­lish noise standards and to enforce those standards by regulation. In addition to the FARs, the FAA issues mandatory orders that have the force of law in the form of Airworthiness Directives (ADs). These directives generally require inspections or modifications to aircraft that are already certified and in use in the aviation community, and may be prompted by accidents, operating experience, or observations of pilots and mechanics.