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894 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

Pt. 105 

Airspace Flight 

visibility 

Distance from 

clouds 

At or above 

10,000 feet 
MSL.

5 statute miles ......

1,000 feet below. 
1,000 feet above. 
1 statute mile hori-

zontal. 

Class G: 

1,200 feet or 

less above the 
surface (re-
gardless of 
MSL altitude).

1 statute mile .......

Clear of clouds. 

More than 1,200 

feet above the 
surface but 
less than 
10,000 feet 
MSL.

1 statute mile .......

500 feet below. 
1,000 feet above. 
2,000 feet hori-

zontal. 

More than 1,200 

feet above the 
surface and at 
or above 
10,000 feet 
MSL.

5 statute miles ......

1,000 feet below. 
1,000 feet above. 
1 statute mile hori-

zontal. 

[Amdt. 103–17, 56 FR 65662, Dec. 17, 1991] 

PART 105—PARACHUTE 

OPERATIONS 

Subpart A—General 

Sec. 
105.1

Applicability. 

105.3

Definitions. 

105.5

General. 

105.7

use of alcohol and drugs. 

105.9

Inspections. 

Subpart B—Operating Rules 

105.13

Radio equipment and use require-

ments. 

105.15

Information required and notice of 

cancellation or postponement of a para-
chute operation. 

105.17

Flight visibility and clearance from 

cloud requirements. 

105.19

Parachute operations between sunset 

and sunrise. 

105.21

Parachute operations over or into a 

congested area or an open-air assembly 
of persons. 

105.23

Parachute operations over or onto 

airports. 

105.25

Parachute operations in designated 

airspace. 

Subpart C—Parachute Equipment and 

Packing 

105.41

Applicability. 

105.43

Use of single-harness, dual-parachute 

systems. 

105.45

Use of tandem parachute systems. 

105.47

Use of static lines. 

105.49

Foreign parachutists and equipment. 

A

UTHORITY

: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40113–40114, 

44701–44702, 44721. 

S

OURCE

: Docket No. FAA–1999–5483, 66 FR 

23553, May 9, 2001, unless otherwise noted. 

§ 105.1

Applicability. 

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs 

(b) and (c) of this section, this part pre-
scribes rules governing parachute oper-
ations conducted in the United States. 

(b) This part does not apply to a 

parachute operation conducted— 

(1) In response to an in-flight emer-

gency, or 

(2) To meet an emergency on the sur-

face when it is conducted at the direc-
tion or with the approval of an agency 
of the United States, or of a State, 
Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, 
or a possession of the United States, or 
an agency or political subdivision 
thereof. 

(c) Sections 105.5, 105.9, 105.13, 105.15, 

105.17, 105.19 through 105.23, 105.25(a)(1) 
and 105.27 of this part do not apply to 
a parachute operation conducted by a 
member of an Armed Force— 

(1) Over or within a restricted area 

when that area is under the control of 
an Armed Force. 

(2) During military operations in un-

controlled airspace. 

§ 105.3

Definitions. 

For the purposes of this part— 
Approved parachute means a para-

chute manufactured under a type cer-
tificate or a Technical Standard Order 
(C–23 series), or a personnel-carrying 
U.S. military parachute (other than a 
high altitude, high speed, or ejection 
type) identified by a Navy Air Facility, 
an Army Air Field, and Air Force-Navy 
drawing number, an Army Air Field 
order number, or any other military 
designation or specification number. 

Automatic Activation Device means a 

self-contained mechanical or electro- 
mechanical device that is attached to 
the interior of the reserve parachute 
container, which automatically initi-
ates parachute deployment of the re-
serve parachute at a pre-set altitude, 
time, percentage of terminal velocity, 
or combination thereof. 

Direct Supervision means that a cer-

tificated rigger personally observes a 
non-certificated person packing a main 
parachute to the extent necessary to 

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895 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 105.3 

ensure that it is being done properly, 
and takes responsibility for that pack-
ing. 

Drop Zone means any pre-determined 

area upon which parachutists or ob-
jects land after making an intentional 
parachute jump or drop. The center- 
point target of a drop zone is expressed 
in nautical miles from the nearest VOR 
facility when 30 nautical miles or less; 
or from the nearest airport, town, or 
city depicted on the appropriate Coast 
and Geodetic Survey World Aero-
nautical Chart or Sectional Aero-
nautical Chart, when the nearest VOR 
facility is more than 30 nautical miles 
from the drop zone. 

Foreign parachutist means a para-

chutist who is neither a U.S. citizen or 
a resident alien and is participating in 
parachute operations within the United 
States using parachute equipment not 
manufctured in the United States. 

Freefall  means the portion of a para-

chute jump or drop between aircraft 
exit and parachute deployment in 
which the parachute is activated 
manually by the parachutist at the 
parachutist’s discretion or automati-
cally, or, in the case of an object, is ac-
tivated automatically. 

Main parachute means a parachute 

worn as the primary parachute used or 
intended to be used in conjunction with 
a reserve parachute. 

Object  means any item other than a 

person that descends to the surface 
from an aircraft in flight when a para-
chute is used or is intended to be used 
during all or part of the descent. 

Parachute drop means the descent of 

an object to the surface from an air-
craft in flight when a parachute is used 
or intended to be used during all or 
part of that descent. 

Parachute jump means a parachute 

operation that involves the descent of 
one or more persons to the surface 
from an aircraft in flight when an air-
craft is used or intended to be used dur-
ing all or part of that descent. 

Parachute operation means the per-

formance of all activity for the purpose 
of, or in support of, a parachute jump 
or a parachute drop. This parachute op-
eration can involve, but is not limited 
to, the following persons: parachutist, 
parachutist in command and passenger 
in tandem parachute operations, drop 

zone or owner or operator, jump mas-
ter, certificated parachute rigger, or 
pilot. 

Parachutist  means a person who in-

tends to exit an aircraft while in flight 
using a single-harness, dual parachute 
system to descend to the surface. 

Parachutist in command means the 

person responsible for the operation 
and safety of a tandem parachute oper-
ation. 

Passenger parachutist means a person 

who boards an aircraft, acting as other 
than the parachutist in command of a 
tandem parachute operation, with the 
intent of exiting the aircraft while in- 
flight using the forward harness of a 
dual harness tandem parachute system 
to descend to the surface. 

Pilot chute means a small parachute 

used to initiate and/or accelerate de-
ployment of a main or reserve para-
chute. 

Ram-air parachute means a parachute 

with a canopy consisting of an upper 
and lower surface that is inflated by 
ram air entering through specially de-
signed openings in the front of the can-
opy to form a gliding airfoil. 

Reserve parachute means an approved 

parachute worn for emergency use to 
be activated only upon failure of the 
main parachute or in any other emer-
gency where use of the main parachute 
is impractical or use of the main para-
chute would increase risk. 

Single-harness, dual parachute system: 

means the combination of a main para-
chute, approved reserve parachute, and 
approved single person harness and 
dual-parachute container. This para-
chute system may have an operational 
automatic activation device installed. 

Tandem parachute operation: means a 

parachute operation in which more 
than one person simultaneously uses 
the same tandem parachute system 
while descending to the surface from 
an aircraft in flight. 

Tandem parachute system: means the 

combination of a main parachute, ap-
proved reserve parachute, and approved 
harness and dual parachute container, 
and a separate approved forward har-
ness for a passenger parachutist. This 
parachute system must have an oper-
ational automatic activation device in-
stalled. 

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