195
Federal Aviation Administration, DOT
§ 121.439
(i) Second in command in operations
under this part;
(ii) Pilot in command in operations
under § 91.1053(a)(2)(i) of this chapter;
(iii) Pilot in command in operations
under § 135.243(a)(1) of this chapter;
(iv) Pilot in command in eligible on-
demand operations that require the
pilot to satisfy § 135.4(a)(2)(ii)(A) of this
chapter; or
(v) Any combination thereof.
(b) No certificate holder may use nor
may any pilot act as second in com-
mand unless the pilot holds an airline
transport pilot certificate and an ap-
propriate aircraft type rating for the
aircraft being flown. A second-in-com-
mand type rating obtained under § 61.55
does not satisfy the requirements of
this section.
(c) For the purpose of satisfying the
flight hour requirement in paragraph
(a)(3) of this section, a pilot may credit
500 hours of military flight time pro-
vided the flight time was obtained—
(1) As pilot in command in a multien-
gine, turbine-powered, fixed-wing air-
plane or powered-lift aircraft, or any
combination thereof; and
(2) In an operation requiring more
than one pilot.
(d) For the purpose of satisfying the
flight hour requirement in paragraph
(a)(3) of this section, a pilot may credit
flight time obtained as pilot in com-
mand in operations under this part
prior to July 31, 2013.
(e) For those pilots who were em-
ployed as pilot in command in part 121
operations on July 31, 2013, compliance
with the requirements of paragraph
(a)(3) of this section is not required.
[Doc. No. FAA–2010–0100, 78 FR 42378, July 15,
2013, as amended by Amdt. 121–365A, 78 FR
77574, Dec. 24, 2013; Amdt. 121–385, 87 FR 57590,
Sept. 21, 2022]
§ 121.438 Pilot operating limitations
and pairing requirements.
(a) If the second in command has
fewer than 100 hours of flight time as
second in command in operations under
this part in the type airplane being
flown, and the pilot in command is not
an appropriately qualified check pilot,
the pilot in command must make all
takeoffs and landings in the following
situations:
(1) At special airports designated by
the Administrator or at special air-
ports designated by the certificate
holder; and
(2) In any of the following conditions:
(i) The prevailing visibility value in
the latest weather report for the air-
port is at or below
3
⁄
4
mile.
(ii) The runway visual range for the
runway to be used is at or below 4,000
feet.
(iii) The runway to be used has
water, snow, slush or similar condi-
tions that may adversely affect air-
plane performance.
(iv) The braking action on the run-
way to be used is reported to be less
than ‘‘good’’.
(v) The crosswind component for the
runway to be used is in excess of 15
knots.
(vi) Windshear is reported in the vi-
cinity of the airport.
(vii) Any other condition in which
the PIC determines it to be prudent to
exercise the PIC’s prerogative.
(b) No person may conduct oper-
ations under this part unless, for that
type airplane, either the pilot in com-
mand or the second in command has at
least 75 hours of line operating flight
time, either as pilot in command or
second in command. The Administrator
may, upon application by the certifi-
cate holder, authorize deviations from
the requirements of this paragraph (b)
by an appropriate amendment to the
operations specifications in any of the
following circumstances:
(1) A newly certificated certificate
holder does not employ any pilots who
meet the minimum requirements of
this paragraph.
(2) An existing certificate holder adds
to its fleet a type airplane not before
proven for use in its operations.
(3) An existing certificate holder es-
tablishes a new domicile to which it as-
signs pilots who will be required to be-
come qualified on the airplanes oper-
ated from that domicile.
[Doc. No. 27210, 60 FR 20870, Apr. 27, 1995]
§ 121.439 Pilot qualification: Recent
experience.
(a) No certificate holder may use any
person nor may any person serve as a
required pilot flightcrew member, un-
less within the preceding 90 days, that
196
14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition)
§ 121.440
person has made at least three takeoffs
and landings in the type airplane in
which that person is to serve. The
takeoffs and landings required by this
paragraph may be performed in a Level
B or higher FFS approved under
§ 121.407 to include takeoff and landing
maneuvers. In addition, any person
who fails to make the three required
takeoffs and landings within any con-
secutive 90-day period must re-estab-
lish recency of experience as provided
in paragraph (b) of this section.
(b) In addition to meeting all applica-
ble training and checking requirements
of this part, a required pilot flightcrew
member who has not met the require-
ments of paragraph (a) of this section
must re-establish recency of experience
as follows:
(1) Under the supervision of a check
airman, make at least three takeoffs
and landings in the type airplane in
which that person is to serve or in a
Level B or higher FFS.
(2) The takeoffs and landings re-
quired in paragraph (b)(1) of this sec-
tion must include—
(i) At least one takeoff with a simu-
lated failure of the most critical pow-
erplant;
(ii) At least one landing from an ILS
approach to the lowest ILS minimum
authorized for the certificate holder;
and
(iii) At least one landing to a full
stop.
(c) [Reserved]
(d) When using an FFS to accomplish
any of the requirements of paragraphs
(a) or (b) of this section, each required
flightcrew member position must be
occupied by an appropriately qualified
person, and the FFS must be operated
as if in a normal inflight environment
without use of the repositioning fea-
tures of the FFS.
(e) A check airman who observes the
takeoffs and landings prescribed in
paragraph (b)(1) of this section shall
certify that the person being observed
is proficient and qualified to perform
flight duty in operations under this
part and may require any additional
maneuvers that are determined nec-
essary to make this certifying state-
ment.
(f) Deviation authority based upon
designation of related aircraft in ac-
cordance with § 121.418(b).
(1) The Administrator may authorize
a deviation from the requirements of
paragraph (a) of this section based
upon a designation of related aircraft
in accordance with § 121.418(b) of this
part and a determination that the cer-
tificate holder can demonstrate an
equivalent level of safety.
(2) A request for deviation from para-
graph (a) of this section must be sub-
mitted to the Administrator. The re-
quest must include the following:
(i) Identification of aircraft operated
by the certificate holder designated as
related aircraft.
(ii) The number of takeoffs, landings,
maneuvers, and procedures necessary
to maintain or re-establish recency
based on review of the related aircraft,
the operation, and the duty position.
(3) The administrator may, at any
time, terminate a grant of deviation
authority issued under this paragraph
(f).
[Doc. No. 16383, 43 FR 22648, May 25, 1978, as
amended by Amdt. 121–148, 43 FR 46235, Oct.
5, 1978; Amdt. 121–179, 47 FR 33390, Aug. 2,
1982; Amdt. 121–366, 78 FR 67841, Nov. 12, 2013;
Amdt. 121–382, 85 FR 10926, Feb. 25, 2020]
§ 121.440 Line checks.
(a) No certificate holder may use any
person nor may any person serve as
pilot in command of an airplane unless,
within the preceding 12 calendar
months, that person has passed a line
check in which he satisfactorily per-
forms the duties and responsibilities of
a pilot in command in one of the types
of airplanes he is to fly.
(b) A pilot in command line check for
domestic and flag operations must—
(1) Be given by a pilot check airman
who is currently qualified on both the
route and the airplane; and
(2) Consist of at least one flight over
a typical part of the certificate hold-
er’s route, or over a foreign or Federal
airway, or over a direct route.
(c) A pilot in command line check for
supplemental operations must—
(1) Be given by a pilot check airman
who is currently qualified on the air-
plane; and