- Excerpts
from 14 CFR Part 135
On-Demand Operations
-
14CFR 135 index
Except when necessary for takeoff and landing, no person may operate under
VFR--
(a) An airplane--
(1) During the day, below 500 feet above the surface or less than 500 feet
horizontally from any obstacle; or
(2) At night, at an altitude less than 1,000 feet above the highest
obstacle within a horizontal distance of 5 miles from the course intended to
be flown or, in designated mountainous terrain, less than 2,000 feet above
the highest obstacle within a horizontal distance of 5 miles from the course
intended to be flown; or
(b) A helicopter over a congested area at an altitude less than 300 feet
above the surface.
(a) No person may operate an airplane under VFR in uncontrolled airspace
when the ceiling is less than 1,000 feet unless flight visibility is at least
2 miles.
(b) No person may operate a helicopter under VFR in Class G airspace at an
altitude of 1,200 feet or less above the surface or within the lateral
boundaries of the surface areas of Class B, Class C, Class D, or Class E
airspace designated for an airport unless the visibility is at least--
(1) During the day-- 1/2 mile; or
(2) At night--1 mile.
(a) No person may begin a flight operation in an airplane under VFR unless,
considering wind and forecast weather conditions, it has enough fuel to fly
to the first point of intended landing and, assuming normal cruising fuel
consumption--
(1) During the day, to fly after that for at least 30 minutes; or
(2) At night, to fly after that for at least 45 minutes.
(b) No person may begin a flight operation in a helicopter under VFR
unless, considering wind and forecast weather conditions, it has enough fuel
to fly to the first point of intended landing and, assuming normal cruising
fuel consumption, to fly after that for at least 20 minutes.
Subject to any additional limitations in 135.181, no person may
operate an aircraft under VFR over-the-top carrying passengers, unless--
(a) Weather reports or forecasts, or any combination of them, indicate that
the weather at the intended point of termination of over-the-top flight--
(1) Allows descent to beneath the ceiling under VFR and is forecast to
remain so until at least 1 hour after the estimated time of arrival at that
point; or
(2) Allows an IFR approach and landing with flight clear of the clouds
until reaching the prescribed initial approach altitude over the final
approach facility, unless the approach is made with the use of radar under
91.175(f) of this chapter; or
(b) It is operated under conditions allowing--
(1) For multiengine aircraft, descent or continuation of the flight under
VFR if its critical engine fails; or
(2) For single-engine aircraft, descent under VFR if its engine fails.
(a) Whenever a person operating an aircraft under this part is required to
use a weather report or forecast, that person shall use that of the U.S.
National Weather Service, a source approved by the U.S. National Weather
Service, or a source approved by the Administrator. However, for operations
under VFR, the pilot in command may, if such a report is not available, use
weather information based on that pilot's own observations or on those of
other persons competent to supply appropriate observations.
(b) For the purposes of paragraph (a) of this section, weather observations
made and furnished to pilots to conduct IFR operations at an airport must be
taken at the airport where those IFR operations are conducted, unless the
Administrator issues operations specifications allowing the use of weather
observations taken at a location not at the airport where the IFR operations
are conducted. The Administrator issues such operations specifications when,
after investigation by the U.S. National Weather Service and the certificate-
holding district office, it is found that the standards of safety for that
operation would allow the deviation from this paragraph for a particular
operation for which an air carrier operating certificate or operating
certificate has been issued.
(a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b), (c) and (d) of this section, no
person may operate an aircraft under IFR outside of controlled airspace or at
any airport that does not have an approved standard instrument approach
procedure.
(b) The Administrator may issue operations specifications to the
certificate holder to allow it to operate under IFR over routes outside
controlled airspace if--
(1) The certificate holder shows the Administrator that the flight crew is
able to navigate, without visual reference to the ground, over an intended
track without deviating more than 5 degrees or 5 miles, whichever is less,
from that track; and
(2) The Administrator determines that the proposed operations can be
conducted safely.
(c) A person may operate an aircraft under IFR outside of controlled
airspace if the certificate holder has been approved for the operations and
that operation is necessary to--
(1) Conduct an instrument approach to an airport for which there is in use
a current approved standard or special instrument approach procedure; or
(2) Climb into controlled airspace during an approved missed approach
procedure; or
(3) Make an IFR departure from an airport having an approved instrument
approach procedure.
(d) The Administrator may issue operations specifications to the
certificate holder to allow it to depart at an airport that does not have an
approved standard instrument approach procedure when the Administrator
determines that it is necessary to make an IFR departure from that airport
and that the proposed operations can be conducted safely. The approval to
operate at that airport does not include an approval to make an IFR approach
to that airport.
No person may takeoff an aircraft under IFR from an airport where weather
conditions are at or above takeoff minimums but are below authorized IFR
landing minimums unless there is an alternate airport within 1 hour's flying
time (at normal cruising speed, in still air) of the airport of departure.
No person may take off an aircraft under IFR or begin an IFR or over-the-
top operation unless the latest weather reports or forecasts, or any
combination of them, indicate that weather conditions at the estimated time
of arrival at the next airport of intended landing will be at or above
authorized IFR landing minimums.
No person may designate an alternate airport unless the weather reports or
forecasts, or any combination of them, indicate that the weather conditions
will be at or above authorized alternate airport landing minimums for that
airport at the estimated time of arrival.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, no person may
operate an aircraft in IFR conditions unless it carries enough fuel
(considering weather reports or forecasts or any combination of them) to--
(1) Complete the flight to the first airport of intended landing;
(2) Fly from that airport to the alternate airport; and
(3) Fly after that for 45 minutes at normal cruising speed or, for
helicopters, fly after that for 30 minutes at normal cruising speed.
(b) Paragraph (a)(2) of this section does not apply if Part 97 of this
chapter prescribes a standard instrument approach procedure for the first
airport of intended landing and, for at least one hour before and after the
estimated time of arrival, the appropriate weather reports or forecasts, or
any combination of them, indicate that--
(1) The ceiling will be at least 1,500 feet above the lowest circling
approach MDA; or
(2) If a circling instrument approach is not authorized for the airport,
the ceiling will be at least 1,500 feet above the lowest published minimum or
2,000 feet above the airport elevation, whichever is higher; and
(3) Visibility for that airport is forecast to be at least three miles, or
two miles more than the lowest applicable visibility minimums, whichever is
the greater, for the instrument approach procedure to be used at the
destination airport.
(a) No pilot may begin an instrument approach procedure to an airport
unless--
(1) That airport has a weather reporting facility operated by the U.S.
National Weather Service, a source approved by U.S. National Weather Service,
or a source approved by the Administrator; and
(2) The latest weather report issued by that weather reporting facility
indicates that weather conditions are at or above the authorized IFR landing
minimums for that airport.
(b) No pilot may begin the final approach segment of an instrument approach
procedure to an airport unless the latest weather reported by the facility
described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section indicates that weather
conditions are at or above the authorized IFR landing minimums for that
procedure.
(c) If a pilot has begun the final approach segment of an instrument
approach to an airport under paragraph (b) of this section and a later
weather report indicating below minimum conditions is received after the
aircraft is--
(1) On an ILS final approach and has passed the final approach fix; or
(2) On an ASR or PAR final approach and has been turned over to the final
approach controller; or
(3) On a final approach using a VOR, NDB, or comparable approach procedure;
and the aircraft--
(i) Has passed the appropriate facility or final approach fix; or
(ii) Where a final approach fix is not specified, has completed the
procedure turn and is established inbound toward the airport on the final
approach course within the distance prescribed in the procedure; the approach
may be continued and a landing made if the pilot finds, upon reaching the
authorized MDA or DH, that actual weather conditions are at least equal to
the minimums prescribed for the procedure.
(d) The MDA or DH and visibility landing minimums prescribed in Part 97 of
this chapter or in the operator's operations specifications are increased by
100 feet and 1/2 mile respectively, but not to exceed the ceiling and
visibility minimums for that airport when used as an alternate airport, for
each pilot in command of a turbine-powered airplane who has not served at
least 100 hours as pilot in command in that type of airplane.
(e) Each pilot making an IFR takeoff or approach and landing at a military
or foreign airport shall comply with applicable instrument approach
procedures and weather minimums prescribed by the authority having
jurisdiction over that airport. In addition, no pilot may, at that airport--
(1) Take off under IFR when the visibility is less than 1 mile; or
(2) Make an instrument approach when the visibility is less than 1/2 mile.
(f) If takeoff minimums are specified in Part 97 of this chapter for the
takeoff airport, no pilot may take off an aircraft under IFR when the weather
conditions reported by the facility described in paragraph (a)(1) of this
section are less than the takeoff minimums specified for the takeoff airport
in Part 97 or in the certificate holder's operations specifications.
(g) Except as provided in paragraph (h) of this section, if takeoff
minimums are not prescribed in Part 97 of this chapter for the takeoff
airport, no pilot may take off an aircraft under IFR when the weather
conditions reported by the facility described in paragraph (a)(1) of this
section are less than that prescribed in Part 91 of this chapter or in the
certificate holder's operations specifications.
(h) At airports where straight-in instrument approach procedures are
authorized, a pilot may take off an aircraft under IFR when the weather
conditions reported by the facility described in paragraph (a)(1) of this
section are equal to or better than the lowest straight-in landing minimums,
unless otherwise restricted, if--
(1) The wind direction and velocity at the time of takeoff are such that a
straight-in instrument approach can be made to the runway served by the
instrument approach;
(2) The associated ground facilities upon which the landing minimums are
predicated and the related airborne equipment are in normal operation; and
(3) The certificate holder has been approved for such operations.
(a) No pilot may take off an aircraft that has frost, ice, or snow adhering
to any rotor blade, propeller, windshield, wing, stabilizing or control
surface, to a powerplant installation, or to an airspeed, altimeter, rate of
climb, or flight attitude instrument system, except under the following
conditions:
(1) Takeoffs may be made with frost adhering to the wings, or stabilizing
or control surfaces, if the frost has been polished to make it smooth.
(2) Takeoffs may be made with frost under the wing in the area of the fuel
tanks if authorized by the Administrator.
(b) No certificate holder may authorize an airplane to take off and no
pilot may take off an airplane any time conditions are such that frost, ice,
or snow may reasonably be expected to adhere to the airplane unless the pilot
has completed all applicable training as required by 135.341 and unless
one of the following requirements is met:
(1) A pretakeoff contamination check, that has been established by the
certificate holder and approved by the Administrator for the specific
airplane type, has been completed within 5 minutes prior to beginning
takeoff. A pretakeoff contamination check is a check to make sure the wings
and control surfaces are free of frost, ice, or snow.
(2) The certificate holder has an approved alternative procedure and under
that procedure the airplane is determined to be free of frost, ice, or snow.
(3) The certificate holder has an approved deicing/anti-icing program that
complies with 121.629(c) of this chapter and the takeoff complies with
that program.
(c) Except for an airplane that has ice protection provisions that meet
section 34 of Appendix A, or those for transport category airplane type
certification, no pilot may fly--
(1) Under IFR into known or forecast light or moderate icing conditions; or
(2) Under VFR into known light or moderate icing conditions; unless the
aircraft has functioning deicing or anti-icing equipment protecting each
rotor blade, propeller, windshield, wing, stabilizing or control surface, and
each airspeed, altimeter, rate of climb, or flight attitude instrument
system.
(d) No pilot may fly a helicopter under IFR into known or forecast icing
conditions or under VFR into known icing conditions unless it has been type
certificated and appropriately equipped for operations in icing conditions.
(e) Except for an airplane that has ice protection provisions that meet
section 34 of Appendix A, or those for transport category airplane type
certification, no pilot may fly an aircraft into known or forecast severe
icing conditions.
(f) If current weather reports and briefing information relied upon by the
pilot in command indicate that the forecast icing condition that would
otherwise prohibit the flight will not be encountered during the flight
because of changed weather conditions since the forecast, the restrictions in
paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of this section based on forecast conditions do
not apply.
(a) No certificate holder may use any airport unless it is adequate for the
proposed operation, considering such items as size, surface, obstructions,
and lighting.
(b) No pilot of an aircraft carrying passengers at night may take off from,
or land on, an airport unless--
(1) That pilot has determined the wind direction from an illuminated wind
direction indicator or local ground communications or, in the case of
takeoff, that pilot's personal observations; and
(2) The limits of the area to be used for landing or takeoff are clearly
shown--
(i) For airplanes, by boundary or runway marker lights;
(ii) For helicopters, by boundary or runway marker lights or reflective
material.
(c) For the purpose of paragraph (b) of this section, if the area to be
used for takeoff or landing is marked by flare pots or lanterns, their use
must be approved by the Administrator.
Part
135 Aircraft Charter | 14CFR
135 index