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240 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 121.647 

paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section), the 
certificate holder must ensure that the 
airplane carries the greater of the fol-
lowing amounts of fuel in anticipation 
of possible icing during the diversion: 

(A) Fuel that would be burned as a 

result of airframe icing during 10 per-
cent of the time icing is forecast (in-
cluding the fuel used by engine and 
wing anti-ice during this period). 

(B) Fuel that would be used for en-

gine anti-ice, and if appropriate wing 
anti-ice, for the entire time during 
which icing is forecast. 

(iv) Fuel to account for engine dete-

rioration. In calculating the amount of 
fuel required by paragraph (b)(1)(i) of 
this section (after completing the wind 
calculation in paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of 
this section), the airplane also carries 
fuel equal to 5% of the fuel specified 
above, to account for deterioration in 
cruise fuel burn performance unless the 
certificate holder has a program to 
monitor airplane in-service deteriora-
tion to cruise fuel burn performance. 

(2) Fuel to account for holding, ap-

proach, and landing. In addition to the 
fuel required by paragraph (b)(1) of this 
section, the airplane must carry fuel 
sufficient to hold at 1500 feet above 
field elevation for 15 minutes upon 
reaching an ETOPS Alternate Airport 
and then conduct an instrument ap-
proach and land. 

(3) Fuel to account for APU use. If an 

APU is a required power source, the 
certificate holder must account for its 
fuel consumption during the appro-
priate phases of flight. 

[Doc. No. FAA–2002–6717, 72 FR 1882, Jan. 16, 
2007, as amended by Amdt. 121–348, 75 FR 
12121, Mar. 15, 2010] 

§ 121.647 Factors for computing fuel 

required. 

Each person computing fuel required 

for the purposes of this subpart shall 
consider the following: 

(a) Wind and other weather condi-

tions forecast. 

(b) Anticipated traffic delays. 
(c) One instrument approach and pos-

sible missed approach at destination. 

(d) Any other conditions that may 

delay landing of the aircraft. 

For the purposes of this section, re-
quired fuel is in addition to unusable 
fuel. 

§ 121.649 Takeoff and landing weather 

minimums: VFR: Domestic oper-

ations. 

(a) Except as provided in paragraph 

(b) of this section, regardless of any 
clearance from ATC, no pilot may 
takeoff or land an airplane under VFR 
when the reported ceiling or visibility 
is less than the following: 

(1) For day operations—1,000-foot 

ceiling and one-mile visibility. 

(2) For night operations—1,000-foot 

ceiling and two-mile visibility. 

(b) Where a local surface restriction 

to visibility exists (e.g., smoke, dust, 
blowing snow or sand) the visibility for 
day and night operations may be re-
duced to 

1

2

mile, if all turns after take-

off and prior to landing, and all flight 
beyond one mile from the airport 
boundary can be accomplished above or 
outside the area of local surface visi-
bility restriction. 

(c) The weather minimums in this 

section do not apply to the VFR oper-
ation of fixed-wing aircraft at any of 
the locations where the special weather 
minimums of § 91.157 of this chapter are 
not applicable (See part 91, appendix D, 
section 3 of this chapter). The basic 
VFR weather minimums of § 91.155 of 
this chapter apply at those locations. 

[Doc. No. 6258, 29 FR 19222, Dec. 31, 1964, as 
amended by Amdt. 121–39, 33 FR 4097, Mar. 2, 
1968; Amdt. 121–206, 54 FR 34331, Aug. 18, 1989; 
Amdt. 121–226, 56 FR 65663, Dec. 17, 1991] 

§ 121.651 Takeoff and landing weather 

minimums: IFR: All certificate hold-

ers. 

(a) Notwithstanding any clearance 

from ATC, no pilot may begin a takeoff 
in an airplane under IFR when the 
weather conditions reported by the 
U.S. National Weather Service, a 
source approved by that Service, or a 
source approved by the Administrator, 
are less than those specified in— 

(1) The certificate holder’s operations 

specifications; or 

(2) Parts 91 and 97 of this chapter, if 

the certificate holder’s operations 
specifications do not specify takeoff 
minimums for the airport. 

(b) Except as provided in paragraphs 

(d) and (e) of this section, no pilot may 
continue an approach past the final ap-
proach fix, or where a final approach 
fix is not used, begin the final approach 

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241 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 121.651 

segment of an instrument approach 
procedure— 

(1) At any airport, unless the U.S. 

National Weather Service, a source ap-
proved by that Service, or a source ap-
proved by the Administrator, issues a 
weather report for that airport; and 

(2) At airports within the United 

States and its territories or at U.S. 
military airports, unless the latest 
weather report for that airport issued 
by the U.S. National Weather Service, 
a source approved by that Service, or a 
source approved by the Administrator, 
reports the visibility to be equal to or 
more than the visibility minimums 
prescribed for that procedure. For the 
purpose of this section, the term ‘‘U.S. 
military airports’’ means airports in 
foreign countries where flight oper-
ations are under the control of U.S. 
military authority. 

(c) A pilot who has begun the final 

approach segment of an instrument ap-
proach procedure in accordance with 
paragraph (b) of this section, and after 
that receives a later weather report in-
dicating below-minimum conditions, 
may continue the approach to DA/DH 
or MDA. Upon reaching DA/DH or at 
MDA, and at any time before the 
missed approach point, the pilot may 
continue the approach below DA/DH or 
MDA if either the requirements of 
§ 91.176 of this chapter, or the following 
requirements are met: 

(1) The aircraft is continuously in a 

position from which a descent to a 
landing on the intended runway can be 
made at a normal rate of descent using 
normal maneuvers, and where that de-
scent rate will allow touchdown to 
occur within the touchdown zone of the 
runway of intended landing; 

(2) The flight visibility is not less 

than the visibility prescribed in the 
standard instrument approach proce-
dure being used; 

(3) Except for Category II or Cat-

egory III approaches where any nec-
essary visual reference requirements 
are specified by authorization of the 
Administrator, at least one of the fol-
lowing visual references for the in-
tended runway is distinctly visible and 
identifiable to the pilot: 

(i) The approach light system, except 

that the pilot may not descend below 
100 feet above the touchdown zone ele-

vation using the approach lights as a 
reference unless the red terminating 
bars or the red side row bars are also 
distinctly visible and identifiable. 

(ii) The threshold. 
(iii) The threshold markings. 
(iv) The threshold lights. 
(v) The runway end identifier lights. 
(vi) The visual approach slope indi-

cator. 

(vii) The touchdown zone or touch-

down zone markings. 

(viii) The touchdown zone lights. 
(ix) The runway or runway markings. 
(x) The runway lights; and 
(4) When the aircraft is on a straight- 

in nonprecision approach procedure 
which incorporates a visual descent 
point, the aircraft has reached the vis-
ual descent point, except where the air-
craft is not equipped for or capable of 
establishing that point, or a descent to 
the runway cannot be made using nor-
mal procedures or rates of descent if 
descent is delayed until reaching that 
point. 

(d) A pilot may begin the final ap-

proach segment of an instrument ap-
proach procedure other than a Cat-
egory II or Category III procedure at 
an airport when the visibility is less 
than the visibility minimums pre-
scribed for that procedure if the airport 
is served by an operative ILS and an 
operative PAR, and both are used by 
the pilot. However, no pilot may con-
tinue an approach below the authorized 
DA/DH unless the requirements of 
§ 91.176 of this chapter, or the following 
requirements are met: 

(1) The aircraft is continuously in a 

position from which a descent to a 
landing on the intended runway can be 
made at a normal rate of descent using 
normal maneuvers and where such a 
descent rate will allow touchdown to 
occur within the touchdown zone of the 
runway of intended landing; 

(2) The flight visibility is not less 

than the visibility prescribed in the 
standard instrument approach proce-
dure being used; and 

(3) Except for Category II or Cat-

egory III approaches where any nec-
essary visual reference requirements 
are specified by the authorization of 
the Administrator, at least one of the 

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242 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 121.652 

following visual references for the in-
tended runway is distinctly visible and 
identifiable to the pilot: 

(i) The approach light system, except 

that the pilot may not descend below 
100 feet above the touchdown zone ele-
vation using the approach lights as a 
reference unless the red terminating 
bars or the red side row bars are also 
distinctly visible and identifiable. 

(ii) The threshold. 
(iii) The threshold markings. 
(iv) The threshold lights. 
(v) The runway end identifier lights. 
(vi) The visual approach slope indi-

cator. 

(vii) The touchdown zone or touch-

down zone markings. 

(viii) The touchdown zone lights. 
(ix) The runway or runway markings. 
(x) The runway lights. 
(e) A pilot may begin the final ap-

proach segment of an instrument ap-
proach procedure, or continue that ap-
proach procedure, at an airport when 
the visibility is reported to be less than 
the visibility minimums prescribed for 
that procedure if the pilot uses an op-
erable EFVS in accordance with § 91.176 
of this chapter and the certificate hold-
er’s operations specifications for EFVS 
operations. 

(f) For the purpose of this section, 

the final approach segment begins at 
the final approach fix or facility pre-
scribed in the instrument approach 
procedure. When a final approach fix is 
not prescribed for a procedure that in-
cludes a procedure turn, the final ap-
proach segment begins at the point 
where the procedure turn is completed 
and the aircraft is established inbound 
toward the airport on the final ap-
proach course within the distance pre-
scribed in the procedure. 

(g) Unless otherwise authorized in 

the certificate holder’s operations 
specifications, each pilot making an 
IFR takeoff, approach, or landing at a 
foreign airport shall comply with the 
applicable instrument approach proce-
dures and weather minimums pre-
scribed by the authority having juris-
diction over the airport. 

[Doc. No. 20060, 46 FR 2291, Jan. 8, 1981, as 
amended by Amdt. 121–303, 69 FR 1641, Jan. 9, 
2004; Amdt. 121–333, 72 FR 31682, June 7, 2007; 
Docket FAA–2013–0485, Amdt. 121–376, 81 FR 
90175, Dec. 13, 2016] 

§ 121.652 Landing weather minimums: 

IFR: All certificate holders. 

(a) If the pilot in command of an air-

plane has not served 100 hours as pilot 
in command in operations under this 
part in the type of airplane he is oper-
ating, the MDA or DA/DH and visi-
bility landing minimums in the certifi-
cate holder’s operations specification 
for regular, provisional, or refueling 
airports are increased by 100 feet and 
one-half mile (or the RVR equivalent). 
The MDA or DA/DH and visibility 
minimums need not be increased above 
those applicable to the airport when 
used as an alternate airport, but in no 
event may the landing minimums be 
less than 300 and 1. However, a Pilot in 
command employed by a certificate 
holder conducting operations in large 
aircraft under part 135 of this chapter, 
may credit flight time acquired in op-
erations conducted for that operator 
under part 91 in the same type airplane 
for up to 50 percent of the 100 hours of 
pilot in command experience required 
by this paragraph. 

(b) The 100 hours of pilot in command 

experience required by paragraph (a) of 
this section may be reduced (not to ex-
ceed 50 percent) by substituting one 
landing in operations under this part in 
the type of airplane for 1 required hour 
of pilot in command experience, if the 
pilot has at least 100 hours as pilot in 
command of another type airplane in 
operations under this part. 

(c) Category II minimums and the 

sliding scale when authorized in the 
certificate holder’s operations speci-
fications do not apply until the pilot in 
command subject to paragraph (a) of 
this section meets the requirements of 
that paragraph in the type of airplane 
he is operating. 

[Doc. No. 7594, 33 FR 10843, July 31, 1968, as 
amended by Amdt. 121–143, 43 FR 22642, May 
25, 1978; Amdt. 121–253, 61 FR 2615, Jan. 26, 
1996; Amdt. 121–333, 72 FR 31682, June 7, 2007] 

§ 121.653 [Reserved] 

§ 121.655 Applicability of reported 

weather minimums. 

In conducting operations under 

§§ 121.649 through 121.653, the ceiling 
and visibility values in the main body 
of the latest weather report control for 
VFR and IFR takeoffs and landings and