Federal Communications Commission Aviation Jurisdiction

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is not normally associated with aviation jurisdiction other than perhaps the issuance of radiotelephone station/operator licenses. However, the FCC is an independent Federal Agency which has been entitled by Congress to regulate and enforce a broad range of aviation matters.

This lesson was created as a primer for the aviation law student or a refresher for the legal professional working in the aviation field. At the completion of this lesson the student should be knowledgeable of the scope and authority of FCC jurisdiction in aviation matters.

(Any interpretations or opinions presented in this lesson represent those of the author alone)

Learning Outcomes

On completion of the lesson, the student will be able to:

1. Explain the authority and function of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as a governmental agency responsible for aviation regulation and oversight in the United States.
2. Discuss why signal jamming is illegal
3. Explain the purpose of the Antenna Structure Registration (ASR) program.
4. List three methods used by the Government to disseminate information about new flight hazards to pilots.