Federal Aviation Regulations
From Blue Horizons Flying Club, Toledo, OH
The official Federal Aviation Regulations are available at www.airweb.faa.gov. What follows are simplified versions of common sections.
Contents |
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Aeronautical Experience for Certificates and Ratings
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Private Pilot §61.109
- 40 total flight hours
- 20 hours of dual flight training
- 10 hours of solo flight
- 5 hours of solo cross country
- 1 solo long cross country flight
- Must land at a total of at least 3 airports
- Total distance must be at least 150nm
- Three full-stop landings at an airport with an operating control tower
- 3 hours of dual cross country flight training
- 3 hours of dual night flight training
- 1 dual cross country flight of over 100nm total distance
- 10 night takeoffs and landings
- 3 hours instrument training
- 3 hours of practical test preparation training within 60 days of the practical test
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Instrument Rating §61.65(d)
- 50 hours cross country flight as pilot in command
- 40 hours actual or simulated instrument flight
- 15 hours instrument flight training
- 3 hours of practical test preparation training within 60 days of the practical test
- 1 cross country IFR flight
- 250nm or more along airways or ATC directed routing
- An instrument approach at each airport
- 3 different types of instrument approaches
- Up to 20 hours of flight training may be obtained on an approved simulator
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Recency of Experience
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Passenger Carrying
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Day §61.57(a)
- 3 takeoffs and landings as sole manipulator are required within the preceding 90 days
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Night §61.57(b)
- 3 takeoffs and landings to a full stop as sole manipulator at night are required within the preceding 90 days
- In this context, "Night" is defined as 1 hour after sunset until 1 hour before sunrise.
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Instrument §61.57(c)
- In the preceding 6 calendar months accomplished
- 6 instrument approaches
- Holding procedures
- Intercepting and tracking courses
NOTE: Additional Blue Horizons Flying Club recent experience requirements may be found in the By-Laws.
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VFR Weather Minimums §91.155
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The Hard Way
- Memorize the horrible table in §91.155(a)
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The Easy Way
Well, it might not be easy, but it is at least easier. To start with, you have to realize that the point of all this is to prevent VFR pilots from running into IFR pilots blasting out of a cloud.
As a result, the requirements are tougher when there's a greater risk. For example, you have to have a greater clearance when you're above the clouds than below them. This is because you can see up just fine, but that engine prevents you from seeing down very well.
- To begin, make a mental image of 3 Cessna 152's. This is your reminder for the most common situation:
- 3 sm Visibility
- 1,000 ft Above clouds
- 500 ft Below clouds
- 2,000 ft Horizontal distance from clouds
- Now work on the exceptions.
- Class A is IFR only, VFR rules don't apply.
- Class B lets you be simply clear of clouds with standard visibility
- Class B is strictly controlled. Anyone there has been cleared by ATC and ATC is providing separation. As a result, there's less risk of collision and you basically just need to be able to see out the window to keep the right side up - 3sm visibility and clear of clouds.
- Class E above 10,000 ft is where planes fly fast. The clearances are increased to give additional reaction time.
- 5 sm Visibility
- 1,000 ft Above clouds
- 1,000 ft Below clouds
- 1 sm Horizontal distance from clouds
- Class G below 1,200 ft AGL during the day is a place with with little IFR traffic and everyone knows to look for and can see traffic. The clearances can be reduced to the bone:
- 1 sm Visibility
- Clear of clouds
- Class G at mid-level (between 1,200 ft AGL and below 10,000 ft AGL) during the day is kind of an odd duck
- 1 sm Visibility
- "Normal" 1-5-2 Cloud clearances
- Class G above 10,000 ft MSL and 1,200 ft AGL is where planes fly fast again. The clearances are increased to give additional reaction time.
- 5 sm Visibility
- 1,000 ft Above clouds
- 1,000 ft Below clouds
- 1 sm Horizontal distance from clouds
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Preventive Maintenance (§43 Appendix A)
Preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance is limited to the following work, provided it does not involve complex assembly operations:
- Removal, installation, and repair of landing gear tires.
- Replacing elastic shock absorber cords on landing gear.
- Servicing landing gear shock struts by adding oil, air, or both.
- Servicing landing gear wheel bearings, such as cleaning and greasing.
- Replacing defective safety wiring or cotter keys.
- Lubrication not requiring disassembly other than removal of nonstructural items such as cover plates, cowlings, and fairings.
- Making simple fabric patches not requiring rib stitching or the removal of structural parts or control surfaces. In the case of balloons, the making of small fabric repairs to envelopes (as defined in, and in accordance with, the balloon manufacturers' instructions) not requiring load tape repair or replacement.
- Replenishing hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic reservoir.
- Refinishing decorative coating of fuselage, balloon baskets, wings tail group surfaces (excluding balanced control surfaces), fairings, cowlings, landing gear, cabin, or cockpit interior when removal or disassembly of any primary structure or operating system is not required.
- Applying preservative or protective material to components where no disassembly of any primary structure or operating system is involved and where such coating is not prohibited or is not contrary to good practices.
- Repairing upholstery and decorative furnishings of the cabin, cockpit, or balloon basket interior when the repairing does not require disassembly of any primary structure or operating system or interfere with an operating system or affect the primary structure of the aircraft.
- Making small simple repairs to fairings, nonstructural cover plates, cowlings, and small patches and reinforcements not changing the contour so as to interfere with proper air flow.
- Replacing side windows where that work does not interfere with the structure or any operating system such as controls, electrical equipment, etc.
- Replacing safety belts.
- Replacing seats or seat parts with replacement parts approved for the aircraft, not involving disassembly of any primary structure or operating system.
- Trouble shooting and repairing broken circuits in landing light wiring circuits.
- Replacing bulbs, reflectors, and lenses of position and landing lights.
- Replacing wheels and skis where no weight and balance computation is involved.
- Replacing any cowling not requiring removal of the propeller or disconnection of flight controls.
- Replacing or cleaning spark plugs and setting of spark plug gap clearance.
- Replacing any hose connection except hydraulic connections.
- Replacing prefabricated fuel lines.
- Cleaning or replacing fuel and oil strainers or filter elements.
- Replacing and servicing batteries.
- Cleaning of balloon burner pilot and main nozzles in accordance with the balloon manufacturer's instructions.
- Replacement or adjustment of nonstructural standard fasteners incidental to operations.
- The interchange of balloon baskets and burners on envelopes when the basket or burner is designated as interchangeable in the balloon type certificate data and the baskets and burners are specifically designed for quick removal and installation.
- The installations of anti-misfueling devices to reduce the diameter of fuel tank filler openings provided the specific device has been made a part of the aircraft type certificiate data by the aircraft manufacturer, the aircraft manufacturer has provided FAA-approved instructions for installation of the specific device, and installation does not involve the disassembly of the existing tank filler opening.
- Removing, checking, and replacing magnetic chip detectors.
- The inspection and maintenance tasks prescribed and specifically identified as preventive maintenance in a primary category aircraft type certificate or supplemental type certificate holder's approved special inspection and preventive maintenance program when accomplished on a primary category aircraft provided:
- They are performed by the holder of at least a private pilot certificate issued under part 61 who is the registered owner (including co-owners) of the affected aircraft and who holds a certificate of competency for the affected aircraft (1) issued by a school approved under §147.21(e) of this chapter; (2) issued by the holder of the production certificate for that primary category aircraft that has a special training program approved under ยง21.24 of this subchapter; or (3) issued by another entity that has a course approved by the Administrator; and
- The inspections and maintenance tasks are performed in accordance with instructions contained by the special inspection and preventive maintenance program approved as part of the aircraft's type design or supplemental type design.
- Removing and replacing self-contained, front instrument panel-mounted navigation and communication devices that employ tray-mounted connectors that connect the unit when the unit is installed into the instrument panel, (excluding automatic flight control systems, transponders, and microwave frequency distance measuring equipment (DME)). The approved unit must be designed to be readily and repeatedly removed and replaced, and pertinent instructions must be provided. Prior to the unit's intended use, and operational check must be performed in accordance with the applicable sections of part 91 of this chapter.
- Updating self-contained, front instrument panel-mounted Air Traffic Control (ATC) navigational software data bases (excluding those of automatic flight control systems, transponders, and microwave frequency distance measuring equipment (DME)) provided no disassembly of the unit is required and pertinent instructions are provided. Prior to the unit's intended use, an operational check must be performed in accordance with applicable sections of part 91 of this chapter.
