Advisory Circular

Advisory Circulars are non-regulatory guidance published by the Federal Aviation Administration on a wide array of topics.

Advisory Circular

Introduction to Advisory Circular

  • Advisory Circulars (ACs) provide a single, uniform, agency-wide system that the FAA uses to deliver advisory (non-regulatory) material to the aviation community
  • The FAA provides a searchable database of all aviation current and historical advisory circulars.
  • Reinforce your understanding of Advisory Circular by completing the knowledge quiz and interactive scenario, comparing your performance with the applicable Airman Certification Standards, and reviewing the topic summary before moving on.
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Advisory Circular

Advisory Circular Key Highlights

  • Advisory Circulars (ACs) are FAA publications that provide guidance, information, and recommended practices for aviation operations and compliance.
  • Advisory Circulars explain acceptable methods of compliance with regulations but are generally not regulatory requirements themselves.
  • ACs cover a wide range of aviation topics including pilot training, aircraft maintenance, operations, safety procedures, and certification standards.
  • Pilots, mechanics, operators, and aviation organizations use Advisory Circulars to improve regulatory understanding and operational safety.
  • FAA Advisory Circular numbering systems categorize publications by aviation subject area and applicable regulations.
  • Many FAA knowledge tests, practical tests, and training programs reference information contained within Advisory Circulars.
  • Advisory Circulars are periodically updated to reflect regulatory changes, technological advancements, and evolving aviation safety practices.
  • Pilots should verify they are using the current version of an Advisory Circular when referencing FAA guidance materials.
  • Advisory Circulars supplement other FAA publications such as the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) and Airman Certification Standards (ACS).
  • Understanding Advisory Circulars improves regulatory knowledge, operational proficiency, and overall flight safety.
Advisory Circular

Advisory Circular Purpose

  • Provide an acceptable, clearly understood method for complying with a regulation
  • Standardize implementation of a regulation or harmonize implementation for the international aviation community
  • Resolve a general misunderstanding of a regulation
  • Respond to a request from some government entity, such as General Accounting Office, NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board), or the Office of the Inspector General
  • Help the industry and FAA effectively implement a regulation
  • Explain requirements and limits of an FAA grant program
  • Expand on standards needed to promote aviation safety, including the safe operation of airports
Advisory Circular

Heading Information

  • Advisory Circular
    Advisory Circular 00-65
  • Advisory Circular Header
    Advisory Circular Header

  • Subject:

    • Simply the title of the advisory circular. []
  • Advisory Circular
    Advisory Circular 00-65

  • Date:

    • Date of that advisory circular release

  • Advisory Circular Number:

    • There are three parts to an AC number. []

    • Part 1 - Subject Matter Area:

      • The first part of the number identifies the subject matter area of the AC and corresponds to the appropriate 14 CFR part
      • For example, an AC on "Certification: Pilots and Flight and Ground Instructors" is numbered as AC 61-65E.

    • Part 2 - Sequence:

      • Since ACs are numbered sequentially within each subject area, the second part of the number beginning with the dash identifies this sequence.

    • Part 3 - Revision:

      • The third part of the number is a letter assigned by the originating office and shows the revision sequence if an AC is revised.
      • The first version of an AC does not have a revision letter
      • For example, AC 61-65E reflects that this is the fifth revision, as designated by the "E".
  • Advisory Circular Header
    Advisory Circular Header

  • Initiated by:

    • Lists who issued the advisory circular
    • AFS: Flight Standards Service

  • Changes:

Advisory Circular

Body Information

  • Purpose
  • Cancellation
  • Related Reading Material
  • The remainder of the circular discusses the subject matter in detail.
Advisory Circular

Use of an Advisory Circular

  • Provide an acceptable, clearly understood method for complying with a regulation
  • Standardize implementation of a regulation or harmonize implementation for the international aviation community
  • Resolve a general misunderstanding of a regulation
  • Respond to a request from some government entity, such as General Accounting Office, NTSB, or the Office of the Inspector General
  • Help the industry and FAA effectively implement a regulation
  • Explain requirements and limits of an FAA grant program
  • Expand on standards needed to promote aviation safety, including the safe operation of airports
Advisory Circular

Advisory Circular Development

  • Advisory Circulars are sometimes first published as drafts, open to public comment
  • You can find these drafts by visiting: https://www.faa.gov/aircraft/draft_docs/afs_ac/.
  • You may subscribe to the Flight Standards Service to receive updates
Advisory Circular

Advisory Circular Interactive Scenario

Illustration for Advisory Circular.

The Superseded Advisory Circular

Resolve an outdated maintenance-guidance problem by distinguishing regulation, advisory method, approval, revision status, alternate compliance, and local implementation. Abbreviations used in this scenario: Portable Document Format (PDF).

15 DecisionsScenario-Based TrainingAdvisory CircularConsequence-BasedRetry and Debrief
Decision 1
0%

Scenario Complete

Advisory Circular

Advisory Circular Knowledge Check

Choose the knowledge check that matches your current training for Advisory Circular.

Private Pilot quiz illustration Private Pilot

PPL knowledge check

Core Knowledge Review

Review foundational knowledge, key concepts, and practical considerations. Topic: Advisory Circular.

  • Immediate feedback
  • Answer explanations
  • Account progress tracking

Why Take a Quiz?

Quizzes reinforce key concepts, identify knowledge gaps, and build confidence for real-world decisions. Quiz material is representative of the information provided here and is not based on or sourced from the Federal Aviation Administration test bank.

Advisory Circular

Advisory Circulars Conclusion

  • The FAA issues Advisory Circulars (ACs) to inform the aviation public in a systematic way of non-regulatory material.
    • Unless incorporated into a regulation by reference, the contents of an advisory circular are not binding on the public.
    • Advisory Circulars are issued in a numbered subject system corresponding to the subject areas of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFRs) (Title 14, Chapter 1, FAA).
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Advisory Circular

Advisory Circulars References