Welcome Guest. Sign in or Signup

1 Answers

How fat were the FAR’s of yeasteryear?

Asked by: 4272 views FAA Regulations

This may not be the ideal forum for this question, but who recalls how big a booklet the FAR's constituted "back when"? The first time I got a student certificate, in 1970, it seems the book was about 3/4 inch thick. My dad got his private license in 1948, and I'll bet they were the size of a Marvel Comic then. Does anyone out there have a first-hand recollection of how the FAR's have increased in volume over the years?

Ace Any FAA Written Test!
Actual FAA Questions / Free Lifetime Updates
The best explanations in the business
Fast, efficient study.
Pass Your Checkride With Confidence!
FAA Practical Test prep that reflects actual checkrides.
Any checkride: Airplane, Helicopter, Glider, etc.
Written and maintained by actual pilot examiners and master CFIs.
The World's Most Trusted eLogbook
Be Organized, Current, Professional, and Safe.
Highly customizable - for student pilots through pros.
Free Transition Service for users of other eLogs.
Our sincere thanks to pilots such as yourself who support AskACFI while helping themselves by using the awesome PC, Mac, iPhone/iPad, and Android aviation apps of our sponsors.

1 Answers



  1. Kent Shook on Oct 24, 2010

    I can’t say it’s from personal recollection as I was born after you got your student certificate and I’ve only been flying for about 8 years, but I have seen a version of the “Air Traffic Rules” from 1926 that is only a single page. If I can find it, I’ll post it here – Most of those original rules, though evolved, are still in place in some form today.

    You can find the original Air Commerce Act of 1926 here: http://libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/books-online/aircommerceact1926.pdf

    Another interesting read is “A Brief History of Aviation Regulations” found here: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/22634528/A-Brief-History-of-Aviation-Regulations

    +2 Votes Thumb up 2 Votes Thumb down 0 Votes


The following terms have been auto-detected the question above and any answers or discussion provided. Click on a term to see its definition from the Dauntless Aviation JargonBuster Glossary.

Answer Question

Our sincere thanks to all who contribute constructively to this forum in answering flight training questions. If you are a flight instructor or represent a flight school / FBO offering flight instruction, you are welcome to include links to your site and related contact information as it pertains to offering local flight instruction in a specific geographic area. Additionally, direct links to FAA and related official government sources of information are welcome. However we thank you for your understanding that links to other sites or text that may be construed as explicit or implicit advertising of other business, sites, or goods/services are not permitted even if such links nominally are relevant to the question asked.