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361 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 125.287 

Subpart I—Flight Crewmember 

Requirements 

§ 125.281 Pilot-in-command qualifica-

tions. 

No certificate holder may use any 

person, nor may any person serve, as 
pilot in command of an airplane unless 
that person— 

(a) Holds at least a commercial pilot 

certificate, an appropriate category, 
class, and type rating, and an instru-
ment rating; and 

(b) Has had at least 1,200 hours of 

flight time as a pilot, including 500 
hours of cross-country flight time, 100 
hours of night flight time, including at 
least 10 night takeoffs and landings, 
and 75 hours of actual or simulated in-
strument flight time, at least 50 hours 
of which were actual flight. 

§ 125.283 Second-in-command quali-

fications. 

No certificate holder may use any 

person, nor may any person serve, as 
second in command of an airplane un-
less that person— 

(a) Holds at least a commercial pilot 

certificate with appropriate category 
and class ratings, and an instrument 
rating; and 

(b) For flight under IFR, meets the 

recent instrument experience require-
ments prescribed for a pilot in com-
mand in part 61 of this chapter. 

§ 125.285 Pilot qualifications: Recent 

experience. 

(a) No certificate holder may use any 

person, nor may any person serve, as a 
required pilot flight crewmember un-
less within the preceding 90 calendar 
days that person has made at least 
three takeoffs and landings in the type 
airplane in which that person is to 
serve. The takeoffs and landings re-
quired by this paragraph may be per-
formed in a flight simulator if the 
flight simulator is qualified and ap-
proved by the Administrator for such 
purpose. However, any person who fails 
to qualify for a 90-consecutive-day pe-
riod following the date of that person’s 
last qualification under this paragraph 
must reestablish recency of experience 
as provided in paragraph (b) of this sec-
tion. 

(b) A required pilot flight crew-

member who has not met the require-
ments of paragraph (a) of this section 
may reestablish recency of experience 
by making at least three takeoffs and 
landings under the supervision of an 
authorized check airman, in accord-
ance with the following: 

(1) At least one takeoff must be made 

with a simulated failure of the most 
critical powerplant. 

(2) At least one landing must be made 

from an ILS approach to the lowest 
ILS minimums authorized for the cer-
tificate holder. 

(3) At least one landing must be made 

to a complete stop. 

(c) A required pilot flight crew-

member who performs the maneuvers 
required by paragraph (b) of this sec-
tion in a qualified and approved flight 
simulator, as prescribed in paragraph 
(a) of this section, must— 

(1) Have previously logged 100 hours 

of flight time in the same type airplane 
in which the pilot is to serve; and 

(2) Be observed on the first two land-

ings made in operations under this part 
by an authorized check airman who 
acts as pilot in command and occupies 
a pilot seat. The landings must be 
made in weather minimums that are 
not less than those contained in the 
certificate holder’s operations speci-
fications for Category I operations and 
must be made within 45 days following 
completion of simulator testing. 

(d) An authorized check airman who 

observes the takeoffs and landings pre-
scribed in paragraphs (b) and (c)(2) of 
this section shall certify that the per-
son being observed is proficient and 
qualified to perform flight duty in op-
erations under this part, and may re-
quire any additional maneuvers that 
are determined necessary to make this 
certifying statement. 

[Doc. No. 19779, 45 FR 67235, Oct. 9, 1980, as 
amended by Amdt. 125–27, 61 FR 34561, July 2, 
1996; Doc. No. FAA–2022–1355; Amdt. 125–72; 87 
FR 75847, Dec. 9, 2022] 

§ 125.287 Initial and recurrent pilot 

testing requirements. 

(a) No certificate holder may use any 

person, nor may any person serve as a 
pilot, unless, since the beginning of the 
12th calendar month before that serv-
ice, that person has passed a written or 

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362 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 125.287 

oral test, given by the Administrator 
or an authorized check airman on that 
person’s knowledge in the following 
areas— 

(1) The appropriate provisions of 

parts 61, 91, and 125 of this chapter and 
the operations specifications and the 
manual of the certificate holder; 

(2) For each type of airplane to be 

flown by the pilot, the airplane power-
plant, major components and systems, 
major appliances, performance and op-
erating limitations, standard and 
emergency operating procedures, and 
the contents of the approved Airplane 
Flight Manual or approved equivalent, 
as applicable; 

(3) For each type of airplane to be 

flown by the pilot, the method of deter-
mining compliance with weight and 
balance limitations for takeoff, land-
ing, and en route operations; 

(4) Navigation and use of air naviga-

tion aids appropriate to the operation 
of pilot authorization, including, when 
applicable, instrument approach facili-
ties and procedures; 

(5) Air traffic control procedures, in-

cluding IFR procedures when applica-
ble; 

(6) Meteorology in general, including 

the principles of frontal systems, icing, 
fog, thunderstorms, and windshear, 
and, if appropriate for the operation of 
the certificate holder, high altitude 
weather; 

(7) Procedures for avoiding oper-

ations in thunderstorms and hail, and 
for operating in turbulent air or in 
icing conditions; 

(8) New equipment, procedures, or 

techniques, as appropriate; 

(9) Knowledge and procedures for op-

erating during ground icing conditions, 
(

i.e.

, any time conditions are such that 

frost, ice, or snow may reasonably be 
expected to adhere to the airplane), if 
the certificate holder expects to au-
thorize takeoffs in ground icing condi-
tions, including: 

(i) The use of holdover times when 

using deicing/anti-icing fluids. 

(ii) Airplane deicing/anti-icing proce-

dures, including inspection and check 
procedures and responsibilities. 

(iii) Communications. 
(iv) Airplane surface contamination 

(

i.e.

, adherence of frost, ice, or snow) 

and critical area identification, and 

knowledge of how contamination ad-
versely affects airplane performance 
and flight characteristics. 

(v) Types and characteristics of deic-

ing/anti-icing fluids, if used by the cer-
tificate holder. 

(vi) Cold weather preflight inspection 

procedures. 

(vii) Techniques for recognizing con-

tamination on the airplane. 

(b) No certificate holder may use any 

person, nor may any person serve, as a 
pilot in any airplane unless, since the 
beginning of the 12th calendar month 
before that service, that person has 
passed a competency check given by 
the Administrator or an authorized 
check airman in that type of airplane 
to determine that person’s competence 
in practical skills and techniques in 
that airplane or type of airplane. The 
extent of the competency check shall 
be determined by the Administrator or 
authorized check airman conducting 
the competency check. The com-
petency check may include any of the 
maneuvers and procedures currently 
required for the original issuance of 
the particular pilot certificate required 
for the operations authorized and ap-
propriate to the category, class, and 
type of airplane involved. For the pur-
poses of this paragraph, type, as to an 
airplane, means any one of a group of 
airplanes determined by the Adminis-
trator to have a similar means of pro-
pulsion, the same manufacturer, and 
no significantly different handling or 
flight characteristics. 

(c) The instrument proficiency check 

required by § 125.291 may be substituted 
for the competency check required by 
this section for the type of airplane 
used in the check. 

(d) For the purposes of this part, 

competent performance of a procedure 
or maneuver by a person to be used as 
a pilot requires that the pilot be the 
obvious master of the airplane with the 
successful outcome of the maneuver 
never in doubt. 

(e) The Administrator or authorized 

check airman certifies the competency 
of each pilot who passes the knowledge 
or flight check in the certificate hold-
er’s pilot records. 

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363 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 125.291 

(f) Portions of a required competency 

check may be given in an airplane sim-
ulator or other appropriate training de-
vice, if approved by the Administrator. 

(g) If the certificate holder is author-

ized to conduct EFVS operations, the 
competency check in paragraph (b) of 
this section must include tasks appro-
priate to the EFVS operations the cer-
tificate holder is authorized to con-
duct. 

[45 FR 67235, Oct. 9, 1980, as amended by 
Amdt. 125–18, 58 FR 69629, Dec. 30, 1993; Dock-
et FAA–2013–0485, Amdt. 125–66, 81 FR 90176, 
Dec. 13, 2016] 

§ 125.289 Initial and recurrent flight 

attendant crewmember testing re-

quirements. 

No certificate holder may use any 

person, nor may any person serve, as a 
flight attendant crewmember, unless, 
since the beginning of the 12th cal-
endar month before that service, the 
certificate holder has determined by 
appropriate initial and recurrent test-
ing that the person is knowledgeable 
and competent in the following areas 
as appropriate to assigned duties and 
responsibilities: 

(a) Authority of the pilot in com-

mand; 

(b) Passenger handling, including 

procedures to be followed in handling 
deranged persons or other persons 
whose conduct might jeopardize safety; 

(c) Crewmember assignments, func-

tions, and responsibilities during ditch-
ing and evacuation of persons who may 
need the assistance of another person 
to move expeditiously to an exit in an 
emergency; 

(d) Briefing of passengers; 
(e) Location and operation of port-

able fire extinguishers and other items 
of emergency equipment; 

(f) Proper use of cabin equipment and 

controls; 

(g) Location and operation of pas-

senger oxygen equipment; 

(h) Location and operation of all nor-

mal and emergency exits, including 
evacuation chutes and escape ropes; 
and 

(i) Seating of persons who may need 

assistance of another person to move 
rapidly to an exit in an emergency as 
prescribed by the certificate holder’s 
operations manual. 

§ 125.291 Pilot in command: Instru-

ment proficiency check require-

ments. 

(a) No certificate holder may use any 

person, nor may any person serve, as a 
pilot in command of an airplane under 
IFR unless, since the beginning of the 
sixth calendar month before that serv-
ice, that person has passed an instru-
ment proficiency check and the Admin-
istrator or an authorized check airman 
has so certified in a letter of com-
petency. 

(b) No pilot may use any type of pre-

cision instrument approach procedure 
under IFR unless, since the beginning 
of the sixth calendar month before that 
use, the pilot has satisfactorily dem-
onstrated that type of approach proce-
dure and has been issued a letter of 
competency under paragraph (g) of this 
section. No pilot may use any type of 
nonprecision approach procedure under 
IFR unless, since the beginning of the 
sixth calendar month before that use, 
the pilot has satisfactorily dem-
onstrated either that type of approach 
procedure or any other two different 
types of nonprecision approach proce-
dures and has been issued a letter of 
competency under paragraph (g) of this 
section. The instrument approach pro-
cedure or procedures must include at 
least one straight-in approach, one cir-
cling approach, and one missed ap-
proach. Each type of approach proce-
dure demonstrated must be conducted 
to published minimums for that proce-
dure. 

(c) The instrument proficiency check 

required by paragraph (a) of this sec-
tion consists of an oral or written 
equipment test and a flight check 
under simulated or actual IFR condi-
tions. The equipment test includes 
questions on emergency procedures, en-
gine operation, fuel and lubrication 
systems, power settings, stall speeds, 
best engine-out speed, propeller and su-
percharge operations, and hydraulic, 
mechanical, and electrical systems, as 
appropriate. The flight check includes 
navigation by instruments, recovery 
from simulated emergencies, and 
standard instrument approaches in-
volving navigational facilities which 
that pilot is to be authorized to use. 

(1) For a pilot in command of an air-

plane, the instrument proficiency