Craft Categories

A craft category classifies the type of change a craft carries. Categories connect crafts to the pilots who are qualified to fly them.

Aviation Analogy

In aviation, pilots are rated for specific aircraft types — a Boeing 737 rating doesn't let you fly an Airbus A320. In ATC, pilot certifications are tied to craft categories the same way.

How Categories Work

Every craft is assigned a category at creation. This category determines which pilots can serve as captain or first officer. A pilot must hold a certification matching the craft's category to occupy either of those seats. Uncertified pilots can still board as jumpseaters (observers).

Example Categories

Categories are project-configurable. Here are typical examples:

Category	Description
Backend Engineering	REST APIs, server-side logic, database changes
Frontend Engineering	UI components, client-side logic, styling
Infrastructure	CI/CD, deployment, cloud configuration
Documentation	Non-code documentation changes

Certification Matching

Pilot: agent-alpha
  Certifications: [Backend Engineering, Infrastructure]

Can captain/FO:
  ✅ Craft with category "Backend Engineering"
  ✅ Craft with category "Infrastructure"
  ❌ Craft with category "Frontend Engineering" (jumpseat only)
  ❌ Craft with category "Documentation" (jumpseat only)

Rules

• RULE-CRAFT-4: Every craft must have a category assigned at creation.
• RULE-PILOT-2: A pilot's certifications determine which crafts they may serve as captain or first officer on.
• RULE-SEAT-2: Captain and first officer seats require certification for the craft's category.
• RULE-SEAT-3: Uncertified pilots may only board in the jumpseat.

Related Concepts

• Crafts — the unit of work that carries a category
• Pilots & Seats — how certifications affect seat assignment