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419 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 135.2 

Subpart A—General 

§ 135.1 Applicability. 

(a) This part prescribes rules gov-

erning— 

(1) The commuter or on-demand oper-

ations of each person who holds or is 
required to hold an Air Carrier Certifi-
cate or Operating Certificate under 
part 119 of this chapter. 

(2) Each person employed or used by 

a certificate holder conducting oper-
ations under this part including the 
maintenance, preventative mainte-
nance and alteration of an aircraft. 

(3) The transportation of mail by air-

craft conducted under a postal service 
contract awarded under 39 U.S.C. 5402c. 

(4) Each person who applies for provi-

sional approval of an Advanced Quali-
fication Program curriculum, cur-
riculum segment, or portion of a cur-
riculum segment under subpart Y of 
part 121 of this chapter of 14 CFR part 
121 and each person employed or used 
by an air carrier or commercial oper-
ator under this part to perform train-
ing, qualification, or evaluation func-
tions under an Advanced Qualification 
Program under subpart Y of part 121 of 
this chapter of 14 CFR part 121. 

(5) Nonstop Commercial Air Tour 

flights conducted for compensation or 
hire in accordance with § 119.1(e)(2) of 
this chapter that begin and end at the 
same airport and are conducted within 
a 25-statute-mile radius of that airport; 
provided further that these operations 
must comply only with the drug and 
alcohol testing requirements in 
§§ 120.31, 120.33, 120.35, 120.37, and 120.39 
of this chapter; and with the provisions 
of part 136, subpart A, and § 91.147 of 
this chapter by September 11, 2007. 

(6) Each person who is on board an 

aircraft being operated under this part. 

(7) Each person who is an applicant 

for an Air Carrier Certificate or an Op-
erating Certificate under 119 of this 
chapter, when conducting proving 
tests. 

(8) Commercial Air tours conducted 

by holders of operations specifications 
issued under this part must comply 
with the provisions of part 136, Subpart 
A of this chapter by September 11, 2007. 

(9) Helicopter air ambulance oper-

ations as defined in § 135.601(b)(1). 

(b) [Reserved] 

(c) An operator who does not hold a 

part 119 certificate and who operates 
under the provisions of § 91.147 of this 
chapter is permitted to use a person 
who is otherwise authorized to perform 
aircraft maintenance or preventive 
maintenance duties and who is not sub-
ject to anti-drug and alcohol misuse 
prevent programs to perform— 

(1) Aircraft maintenance or preven-

tive maintenance on the operator’s air-
craft if the operator would otherwise 
be required to transport the aircraft 
more than 50 nautical miles further 
than the repair point closest to opera-
tor’s principal place of operation to ob-
tain these services; or 

(2) Emergency repairs on the opera-

tor’s aircraft if the aircraft cannot be 
safely operated to a location where an 
employee subject to FAA-approved pro-
grams can perform the repairs. 

[Doc. No. 16097, 43 FR 46783, Oct. 10, 1978] 

E

DITORIAL

N

OTE

: For F

EDERAL

R

EGISTER

ci-

tations affecting § 135.1, see the List of CFR 
Sections Affected, which appears in the 
Finding Aids section of the printed volume 
and at 

www.govinfo.gov. 

§ 135.2 Compliance schedule for opera-

tors that transition to part 121 of 

this chapter; certain new entrant 

operators. 

(a) 

Applicability. 

This section applies 

to the following: 

(1) Each certificate holder that was 

issued an air carrier or operating cer-
tificate and operations specifications 
under the requirements of part 135 of 
this chapter or under SFAR No. 38–2 of 
14 CFR part 121 before January 19, 1996, 
and that conducts scheduled passenger- 
carrying operations with: 

(i) Nontransport category turbo-

propeller powered airplanes type cer-
tificated after December 31, 1964, that 
have a passenger seat configuration of 
10–19 seats; 

(ii) Transport category turbo-

propeller powered airplanes that have a 
passenger seat configuration of 20–30 
seats; or 

(iii) Turbojet engine powered air-

planes having a passenger seat configu-
ration of 1–30 seats. 

(2) Each person who, after January 

19, 1996, applies for or obtains an initial 
air carrier or operating certificate and 
operations specifications to conduct 

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420 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 135.2 

scheduled passenger-carrying oper-
ations in the kinds of airplanes de-
scribed in paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii), 
or paragraph (a)(1)(iii) of this section. 

(b) 

Obtaining operations specifications. 

A certificate holder described in para-
graph (a)(1) of this section may not, 
after March 20, 1997, operate an air-
plane described in paragraphs (a)(1)(i), 
(a)(1)(ii), or (a)(1)(iii) of this section in 
scheduled passenger-carrying oper-
ations, unless it obtains operations 
specifications to conduct its scheduled 
operations under part 121 of this chap-
ter on or before March 20, 1997. 

(c) 

Regular or accelerated compliance. 

Except as provided in paragraphs (d), 
and (e) of this section, each certificate 
holder described in paragraph (a)(1) of 
this section shall comply with each ap-
plicable requirement of part 121 of this 
chapter on and after March 20, 1997 or 
on and after the date on which the cer-
tificate holder is issued operations 
specifications under this part, which-
ever occurs first. Except as provided in 
paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, 
each person described in paragraph 
(a)(2) of this section shall comply with 
each applicable requirement of part 121 
of this chapter on and after the date on 
which that person is issued a certifi-
cate and operations specifications 
under part 121 of this chapter. 

(d) 

Delayed compliance dates. 

Unless 

paragraph (e) of this section specifies 
an earlier compliance date, no certifi-
cate holder that is covered by para-
graph (a) of this section may operate 
an airplane in 14 CFR part 121 oper-
ations on or after a date listed in this 
paragraph unless that airplane meets 
the applicable requirement of this 
paragraph: 

(1) 

Nontransport category turbo-

propeller powered airplanes type certifi-
cated after December 31, 1964, that have a 
passenger seat configuration of 10–19 
seats. 

No certificate holder may oper-

ate under this part an airplane that is 
described in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this 
section on or after a date listed in 
paragraph (d)(1) of this section unless 
that airplane meets the applicable re-
quirement listed in paragraph (d)(1) of 
this section: 

(i) December 20, 1997: 
(A) Section 121.289, Landing gear 

aural warning. 

(B) Section 121.308, Lavatory fire pro-

tection. 

(C) Section 121.310(e), Emergency exit 

handle illumination. 

(D) Section 121.337(b)(8), Protective 

breathing equipment. 

(E) Section 121.340, Emergency flota-

tion means. 

(ii) December 20, 1999: Section 121.342, 

Pitot heat indication system. 

(iii) December 20, 2010: 
(A) For airplanes described in 

§ 121.157(f), the Airplane Performance 
Operating Limitations in §§ 121.189 
through 121.197. 

(B) Section 121.161(b), Ditching ap-

proval. 

(C) Section 121.305(j), Third attitude 

indicator. 

(D) Section 121.312(c), Passenger seat 

cushion flammability. 

(iv) March 12, 1999: Section 

121.310(b)(1), Interior emergency exit 
locating sign. 

(2) 

Transport category turbopropeller 

powered airplanes that have a passenger 
seat configuration of 20–30 seats. 

No cer-

tificate holder may operate under this 
part an airplane that is described in 
paragraph (a)(1)(ii) of this section on or 
after a date listed in paragraph (d)(2) of 
this section unless that airplane meets 
the applicable requirement listed in 
paragraph (d)(2) of this section: 

(i) December 20, 1997: 
(A) Section 121.308, Lavatory fire pro-

tection. 

(B) Section 121.337(b) (8) and (9), Pro-

tective breathing equipment. 

(C) Section 121.340, Emergency flota-

tion means. 

(ii) December 20, 2010: Section 

121.305(j), Third attitude indicator. 

(e) 

Newly manufactured airplanes. 

No 

certificate holder that is described in 
paragraph (a) of this section may oper-
ate under part 121 of this chapter an 
airplane manufactured on or after a 
date listed in this paragraph (e) unless 
that airplane meets the applicable re-
quirement listed in this paragraph (e). 

(1) For nontransport category turbo-

propeller powered airplanes type cer-
tificated after December 31, 1964, that 
have a passenger seat configuration of 
10–19 seats: 

(i) Manufactured on or after March 

20, 1997: 

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421 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 135.3 

(A) Section 121.305(j), Third attitude 

indicator. 

(B) Section 121.311(f), Safety belts 

and shoulder harnesses. 

(ii) Manufactured on or after Decem-

ber 20, 1997: Section 121.317(a), Fasten 
seat belt light. 

(iii) Manufactured on or after Decem-

ber 20, 1999: Section 121.293, Takeoff 
warning system. 

(iv) Manufactured on or after March 

12, 1999: Section 121.310(b)(1), Interior 
emergency exit locating sign. 

(2) For transport category turbo-

propeller powered airplanes that have a 
passenger seat configuration of 20–30 
seats manufactured on or after March 
20, 1997: Section 121.305(j), Third atti-
tude indicator. 

(f) 

New type certification requirements. 

No person may operate an airplane for 
which the application for a type cer-
tificate was filed after March 29, 1995, 
in 14 CFR part 121 operations unless 
that airplane is type certificated under 
part 25 of this chapter. 

(g) 

Transition plan. 

Before March 19, 

1996 each certificate holder described in 
paragraph (a)(1) of this section must 
submit to the FAA a transition plan 
(containing a calendar of events) for 
moving from conducting its scheduled 
operations under the commuter re-
quirements of part 135 of this chapter 
to the requirements for domestic or 
flag operations under part 121 of this 
chapter. Each transition plan must 
contain details on the following: 

(1) Plans for obtaining new oper-

ations specifications authorizing do-
mestic or flag operations; 

(2) Plans for being in compliance 

with the applicable requirements of 
part 121 of this chapter on or before 
March 20, 1997; and 

(3) Plans for complying with the com-

pliance date schedules contained in 
paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section. 

[Doc. No. 28154, 60 FR 65938, Dec. 20, 1995, as 
amended by Amdt. 135–65, 61 FR 30435, June 
14, 1996; Amdt. 135–66, 62 FR 13257, Mar. 19, 
1997] 

§ 135.3 Rules applicable to operations 

subject to this part. 

(a) Each person operating an aircraft 

in operations under this part shall— 

(1) While operating inside the United 

States, comply with the applicable 
rules of this chapter; and 

(2) While operating outside the 

United States, comply with Annex 2, 
Rules of the Air, to the Convention on 
International Civil Aviation or the reg-
ulations of any foreign country, which-
ever applies, and with any rules of 
parts 61 and 91 of this chapter and this 
part that are more restrictive than 
that Annex or those regulations and 
that can be complied with without vio-
lating that Annex or those regulations. 
Annex 2 is incorporated by reference in 
§ 91.703(b) of this chapter. 

(b) Each certificate holder that con-

ducts commuter operations under this 
part with airplanes in which two pilots 
are required by the type certification 
rules of this chapter shall comply with 
subparts N and O of part 121 of this 
chapter instead of the requirements of 
subparts E, G, and H of this part. Not-
withstanding the requirements of this 
paragraph, a pilot serving under this 
part as second in command in a com-
muter operation with airplanes in 
which two pilots are required by the 
type certification rules of this chapter 
may meet the requirements of § 135.245 
instead of the requirements of § 121.436. 

(c) If authorized by the Adminis-

trator upon application, each certifi-
cate holder that conducts operations 
under this part to which paragraph (b) 
of this section does not apply, may 
comply with the applicable sections of 
subparts N and O of part 121 instead of 
the requirements of subparts E, G, and 
H of this part, except that those au-
thorized certificate holders may choose 
to comply with the operating experi-
ence requirements of § 135.244, instead 
of the requirements of § 121.434 of this 
chapter. Notwithstanding the require-
ments of this paragraph, a pilot serving 
under this part as second in command 
may meet the requirements of § 135.245 
instead of the requirements of § 121.436. 

(d) Additional limitations applicable 

to certificate holders that are required 
by paragraph (b) of this section or au-
thorized in accordance with paragraph 
(c) of this section, to comply with part 
121, subparts N and O of this chapter 
instead of subparts E, G, and H of this 
part.