230 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 121.591 

airplane designed for at least 31 pas-
senger seats (as determined by the air-
craft type certificate issued by a com-
petent civil aviation authority) at any 
land airport in any State of the United 
States, the District of Columbia, or 
any territory or possession of the 
United States. 

United States 

means the States of the 

United States, the District of Colum-
bia, and the territories and possessions 
of the United States. 

N

OTE

: Special Statutory Requirement to 

Operate to or From a Part 139 Airport. Each 
air carrier that provides—in an aircraft (e.g., 
airplane, rotorcraft, etc.) designed for more 
than 9 passenger seats—regularly scheduled 
charter air transportation for which the pub-
lic is provided in advance a schedule con-
taining the departure location, departure 
time, and arrival location of the flight must 
operate to and from an airport certificated 
under part 139 of this chapter in accordance 
with 49 U.S.C. 41104(b). That statutory provi-
sion contains stand-alone requirements for 
such air carriers and special exceptions for 
operations in Alaska and outside the United 
States. Nothing in § 121.590 exempts the air 
carriers described in this note from the re-
quirements of 49 U.S.C. 41104(b). Certain op-
erations by air carriers that conduct public 
charter operations under 14 CFR part 380 are 
covered by the statutory requirements to op-
erate to and from part 139 airports. 

See 

49 

U.S.C. 41104(b). 

[Doc. No. FAA–2000–7479, 69 FR 6424, Feb. 10, 
2004; Amdt. 121–304, 69 FR 31522, June 4, 2004] 

Subpart U—Dispatching and Flight 

Release Rules 

S

OURCE

: Docket No. 6258, 29 FR 19222, Dec. 

31, 1964, unless otherwise noted. 

§ 121.591 Applicability. 

This subpart prescribes dispatching 

rules for domestic and flag operations 
and flight release rules for supple-
mental operations. 

[Doc. No. 28154, 61 FR 2614, Jan. 26, 1996] 

§ 121.593 Dispatching authority: Do-

mestic operations. 

Except when an airplane lands at an 

intermediate airport specified in the 
original dispatch release and remains 
there for not more than one hour, no 
person may start a flight unless an air-
craft dispatcher specifically authorizes 
that flight. 

§ 121.595 Dispatching authority: Flag 

operations. 

(a) No person may start a flight un-

less an aircraft dispatcher specifically 
authorizes that flight. 

(b) No person may continue a flight 

from an intermediate airport without 
redispatch if the airplane has been on 
the ground more than six hours. 

§ 121.597 Flight release authority: Sup-

plemental operations. 

(a) No person may start a flight 

under a flight following system with-
out specific authority from the person 
authorized by the operator to exercise 
operational control over the flight. 

(b) No person may start a flight un-

less the pilot in command or the person 
authorized by the operator to exercise 
operational control over the flight has 
executed a flight release setting forth 
the conditions under which the flights 
will be conducted. The pilot in com-
mand may sign the flight release only 
when he and the person authorized by 
the operator to exercise operational 
control believe that the flight can be 
made with safety. 

(c) No person may continue a flight 

from an intermediate airport without a 
new flight release if the aircraft has 
been on the ground more than six 
hours. 

[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19222, Dec. 31, 1964, as 
amended by Amdt. 121–3, 30 FR 3639, Mar. 19, 
1965] 

§ 121.599 Familiarity with weather 

conditions. 

(a) 

Domestic and flag operations. 

No 

aircraft dispatcher may release a flight 
unless he is thoroughly familiar with 
reported and forecast weather condi-
tions on the route to be flown. 

(b) 

Supplemental operations. 

No pilot 

in command may begin a flight unless 
he is thoroughly familiar with reported 
and forecast weather conditions on the 
route to be flown. 

[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19222, Dec. 31, 1964, as 
amended by Amdt. 121–253, 61 FR 2614, Jan. 
26, 1996] 

§ 121.601 Aircraft dispatcher informa-

tion to pilot in command: Domestic 

and flag operations. 

(a) The aircraft dispatcher shall pro-

vide the pilot in command all available