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The Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) plays a crucial role in managing various aspects of aviation safety and compliance, directly engaging with the regulatory framework set by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). One of the key responsibilities of the FSDO is to handle Special Flight Permit applications. These permits are necessary for situations where an aircraft doesn't meet the minimum airworthiness standards required for normal operations but is still deemed safe for specific, limited purposes such as flight testing or ferrying an aircraft for repairs.

By managing these applications, the FSDO ensures that pilots and aircraft operators follow appropriate regulations when seeking permission to operate in scenarios outside standard operational limits. This is essential for maintaining safety standards within the aviation community.

In contrast, while aircraft registrations are a significant part of aviation operations, they are typically handled by a different department within the FAA, and not the FSDO. Oversight of aircraft modifications also falls under the purview of the FAA but is usually managed at higher levels than a local FSDO, focusing on compliance with airworthiness directives. Training pilots for commercial operations is also a critical function in aviation, but this is not a responsibility of the FSDO, which primarily focuses on regulatory enforcement and compliance rather than direct training activities.