Advisory Circulars
ACSection 01: Organizations & Authorities
Definition
Non-regulatory guidance documents issued by the FAA that describe acceptable means of compliance with 14 CFR requirements. Advisory Circulars are not legally binding, but they carry significant practical weight because they represent methods the FAA has pre-accepted. An applicant may propose an alternative means of compliance to an AC, but must then demonstrate that the alternative provides an equivalent level of safety and obtain FAA agreement.
Where This Shows Up
ACs are numbered to correspond with the regulation they support (e.g., AC 25.571-1 relates to 14 CFR 25.571). They serve a similar role to EASA's Acceptable Means of Compliance (AMC) and TCCA's Advisory Circulars.
Primary Sources
The FAA order governing the development, coordination, and issuance of advisory circulars.
Across Jurisdictions
EASA AMC serve a similar function to FAA ACs: non-binding but pre-accepted methods of showing compliance.
TCCA also issues Advisory Circulars with a similar advisory function.
Related Terms
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