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
231
Federal Aviation Administration, DOT
§ 121.613
current reports or information on air-
port conditions and irregularities of
navigation facilities that may affect
the safety of the flight.
(b) Before beginning a flight, the air-
craft dispatcher shall provide the pilot
in command with all available weather
reports and forecasts of weather phe-
nomena that may affect the safety of
flight, including adverse weather phe-
nomena, such as clear air turbulence,
thunderstorms, and low altitude wind
shear, for each route to be flown and
each airport to be used.
(c) During a flight, the aircraft dis-
patcher shall provide the pilot in com-
mand any additional available infor-
mation of meteorological conditions
(including adverse weather phenomena,
such as clear air turbulence, thunder-
storms, and low altitude wind shear),
and irregularities of facilities and serv-
ices that may affect the safety of the
flight.
[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19222, Dec. 31, 1964, as
amended by Amdt. 121–134, 42 FR 27573, May
31, 1977; Amdt. 121–144, 43 FR 22649, May 25,
1978; Amdt. 121–253, 61 FR 2614, Jan. 26, 1996]
§ 121.603 Facilities and services: Sup-
plemental operations.
(a) Before beginning a flight, each
pilot in command shall obtain all
available current reports or informa-
tion on airport conditions and irreg-
ularities of navigation facilities that
may affect the safety of the flight.
(b) During a flight, the pilot in com-
mand shall obtain any additional avail-
able information of meteorological
conditions and irregularities of facili-
ties and services that may affect the
safety of the flight.
§ 121.605 Airplane equipment.
No person may dispatch or release an
airplane unless it is airworthy and is
equipped as prescribed in § 121.303.
§ 121.607 Communication and naviga-
tion facilities: Domestic and flag op-
erations.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph
(b) of this section for a certificate hold-
er conducting flag operations, no per-
son may dispatch an airplane over an
approved route or route segment unless
the communication and navigation fa-
cilities required by §§ 121.99 and 121.103
for the approval of that route or seg-
ment are in satisfactory operating con-
dition.
(b) If, because of technical reasons or
other reasons beyond the control of a
certificate holder conducting flag oper-
ations, the facilities required by
§§ 121.99 and 121.103 are not available
over a route or route segment outside
the United States, the certificate hold-
er may dispatch an airplane over that
route or route segment if the pilot in
command and dispatcher find that
communication and navigation facili-
ties equal to those required are avail-
able and are in satisfactory operating
condition.
[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19222, Dec. 31, 1964, as
amended by Amdt. 121–253, 61 FR 2614, Jan.
26, 1996]
§ 121.609 Communication and naviga-
tion facilities: Supplemental oper-
ations.
No person may release an aircraft
over any route or route segment unless
communication and navigation facili-
ties equal to those required by § 121.121
are in satisfactory operating condition.
§ 121.611 Dispatch or flight release
under VFR.
No person may dispatch or release an
aircraft for VFR operation unless the
ceiling and visibility en route, as indi-
cated by available weather reports or
forecasts, or any combination thereof,
are and will remain at or above appli-
cable VFR minimums until the aircraft
arrives at the airport or airports speci-
fied in the dispatch or flight release.
§ 121.613 Dispatch or flight release
under IFR or over the top.
Except as provided in § 121.615, no per-
son may dispatch or release an aircraft
for operations under IFR or over-the-
top, unless appropriate weather reports
or forecasts, or any combination there-
of, indicate that the weather condi-
tions will be at or above the authorized
minimums at the estimated time of ar-
rival at the airport or airports to
which dispatched or released.
[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19222, Dec. 31, 1964, as
amended by Amdt. 121–33, 32 FR 13912, Oct. 6,
1967]