471
Federal Aviation Administration, DOT
§ 135.225
conditions at the estimated time of ar-
rival at the next airport of intended
landing will be at or above authorized
IFR landing minimums.
§ 135.221 IFR: Alternate airport weath-
er minimums.
(a)
Aircraft other than rotorcraft.
No
person may designate an alternate air-
port unless the weather reports or fore-
casts, or any combination of them, in-
dicate that the weather conditions will
be at or above authorized alternate air-
port landing minimums for that air-
port at the estimated time of arrival.
(b)
Rotorcraft.
Unless otherwise au-
thorized by the Administrator, no per-
son may include an alternate airport in
an IFR flight plan unless appropriate
weather reports or weather forecasts,
or a combination of them, indicate
that, at the estimated time of arrival
at the alternate airport, the ceiling
and visibility at that airport will be at
or above the following weather mini-
mums—
(1) If, for the alternate airport, an in-
strument approach procedure has been
published in part 97 of this chapter or
a special instrument approach proce-
dure has been issued by the FAA to the
certificate holder, the ceiling is 200 feet
above the minimum for the approach
to be flown, and visibility is at least 1
statute mile but never less than the
minimum visibility for the approach to
be flown.
(2) If, for the alternate airport, no in-
strument approach procedure has been
published in part 97 of this chapter and
no special instrument approach proce-
dure has been issued by the FAA to the
certificate holder, the ceiling and visi-
bility minimums are those allowing de-
scent from the minimum enroute alti-
tude (MEA), approach, and landing
under basic VFR.
[Doc. No. FAA–2010–0982, 79 FR 9974, Feb. 21,
2014]
§ 135.223 IFR: Alternate airport re-
quirements.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph
(b) of this section, no person may oper-
ate an aircraft in IFR conditions unless
it carries enough fuel (considering
weather reports or forecasts or any
combination of them) to—
(1) Complete the flight to the first
airport of intended landing;
(2) Fly from that airport to the alter-
nate airport; and
(3) Fly after that for 45 minutes at
normal cruising speed or, for heli-
copters, fly after that for 30 minutes at
normal cruising speed.
(b) Paragraph (a)(2) of this section
does not apply if part 97 of this chapter
prescribes a standard instrument ap-
proach procedure for the first airport
of intended landing and, for at least
one hour before and after the estimated
time of arrival, the appropriate weath-
er reports or forecasts, or any combina-
tion of them, indicate that—
(1) The ceiling will be at least 1,500
feet above the lowest circling approach
MDA; or
(2) If a circling instrument approach
is not authorized for the airport, the
ceiling will be at least 1,500 feet above
the lowest published minimum or 2,000
feet above the airport elevation, which-
ever is higher; and
(3) Visibility for that airport is fore-
cast to be at least three miles, or two
miles more than the lowest applicable
visibility minimums, whichever is the
greater, for the instrument approach
procedure to be used at the destination
airport.
[Doc. No. 16097, 43 FR 46783, Oct. 10, 1978, as
amended by Amdt. 135–20, 51 FR 40710, Nov. 7,
1986]
§ 135.225 IFR: Takeoff, approach and
landing minimums.
(a) Except to the extent permitted by
paragraphs (b) and (j) of this section,
no pilot may begin an instrument ap-
proach procedure to an airport unless—
(1) That airport has a weather report-
ing facility operated by the U.S. Na-
tional Weather Service, a source ap-
proved by U.S. National Weather Serv-
ice, or a source approved by the Admin-
istrator; and
(2) The latest weather report issued
by that weather reporting facility indi-
cates that weather conditions are at or
above the authorized IFR landing mini-
mums for that airport.
(b) A pilot conducting an eligible on-
demand operation may begin and con-
duct an instrument approach procedure
to an airport that does not have a
weather reporting facility operated by
472
14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition)
§ 135.225
the U.S. National Weather Service, a
source approved by the U.S. National
Weather Service, or a source approved
by the Administrator if—
(1) The alternate airport has a weath-
er reporting facility operated by the
U.S. National Weather Service, a
source approved by the U.S. National
Weather Service, or a source approved
by the Administrator; and
(2) The latest weather report issued
by the weather reporting facility in-
cludes a current local altimeter setting
for the destination airport. If no local
altimeter setting for the destination
airport is available, the pilot may use
the current altimeter setting provided
by the facility designated on the ap-
proach chart for the destination air-
port.
(c) Except as provided in paragraph
(j) of this section, no pilot may begin
the final approach segment of an in-
strument approach procedure to an air-
port unless the latest weather reported
by the facility described in paragraph
(a)(1) of this section indicates that
weather conditions are at or above the
authorized IFR landing minimums for
that procedure.
(d) Except as provided in paragraph
(j) of this section, a pilot who has
begun the final approach segment of an
instrument approach to an airport
under paragraph (c) of this section, and
receives a later weather report indi-
cating that conditions have worsened
to below the minimum requirements,
may continue the approach only if the
following conditions are met—
(1) The later weather report is re-
ceived when the aircraft is in one of
the following approach phases:
(i) The aircraft is on an ILS final ap-
proach and has passed the final ap-
proach fix;
(ii) The aircraft is on an ASR or PAR
final approach and has been turned
over to the final approach controller;
or
(iii) The aircraft is on a non-preci-
sion final approach and the aircraft—
(A) Has passed the appropriate facil-
ity or final approach fix; or
(B) Where a final approach fix is not
specified, has completed the procedure
turn and is established inbound toward
the airport on the final approach
course within the distance prescribed
in the procedure; and
(2) The pilot in command finds, on
reaching the authorized MDA or DA/
DH, that the actual weather conditions
are at or above the minimums pre-
scribed for the procedure being used.
(e) The MDA or DA/DH and visibility
landing minimums prescribed in part 97
of this chapter or in the operator’s op-
erations specifications are increased by
100 feet and
1
⁄
2
mile respectively, but
not to exceed the ceiling and visibility
minimums for that airport when used
as an alternate airport, for each pilot
in command of a turbine-powered air-
plane who has not served at least 100
hours as pilot in command in that type
of airplane.
(f) Each pilot making an IFR takeoff
or approach and landing at a military
or foreign airport shall comply with
applicable instrument approach proce-
dures and weather minimums pre-
scribed by the authority having juris-
diction over that airport. In addition,
unless authorized by the certificate
holder’s operations specifications, no
pilot may, at that airport—
(1) Take off under IFR when the visi-
bility is less than 1 mile; or
(2) Make an instrument approach
when the visibility is less than
1
⁄
2
mile.
(g) If takeoff minimums are specified
in part 97 of this chapter for the take-
off airport, no pilot may take off an
aircraft under IFR when the weather
conditions reported by the facility de-
scribed in paragraph (a)(1) of this sec-
tion are less than the takeoff mini-
mums specified for the takeoff airport
in part 97 or in the certificate holder’s
operations specifications.
(h) Except as provided in paragraph
(i) of this section, if takeoff minimums
are not prescribed in part 97 of this
chapter for the takeoff airport, no pilot
may takeoff an aircraft under IFR
when the weather conditions reported
by the facility described in paragraph
(a)(1) of this section are less than that
prescribed in part 91 of this chapter or
in the certificate holder’s operations
specifications.
473
Federal Aviation Administration, DOT
§ 135.227
(i) At airports where straight-in in-
strument approach procedures are au-
thorized, a pilot may takeoff an air-
craft under IFR when the weather con-
ditions reported by the facility de-
scribed in paragraph (a)(1) of this sec-
tion are equal to or better than the
lowest straight-in landing minimums,
unless otherwise restricted, if—
(1) The wind direction and velocity at
the time of takeoff are such that a
straight-in instrument approach can be
made to the runway served by the in-
strument approach;
(2) The associated ground facilities
upon which the landing minimums are
predicated and the related airborne
equipment are in normal operation;
and
(3) The certificate holder has been
approved for such operations.
(j) A pilot may begin an instrument
approach procedure, or continue an ap-
proach, at an airport when the visi-
bility 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.
[Doc. No. 16097, 43 FR 46783, Oct. 10, 1978, as
amended by Amdt. 135–91, 68 FR 54586, Sept.
17, 2003; Amdt. 135–93, 69 FR 1641, Jan. 9, 2004;
Amdt. 135–110, 72 FR 31685, June 7, 2007;
Amdt. 135–126, 77 FR 1632, Jan. 11, 2012; Dock-
et FAA–2013–0485, Amdt. 135–135, 81 FR 90177,
Dec. 13, 2016]
§ 135.227 Icing conditions: Operating
limitations.
(a) No pilot may take off an aircraft
that has frost, ice, or snow adhering to
any rotor blade, propeller, windshield,
stabilizing or control surface; to a pow-
erplant installation; or to an airspeed,
altimeter, rate of climb, flight attitude
instrument system, or wing, except
that takeoffs may be made with frost
under the wing in the area of the fuel
tanks if authorized by the FAA.
(b) No certificate holder may author-
ize an airplane to take off and no pilot
may take off an airplane any time con-
ditions are such that frost, ice, or snow
may reasonably be expected to adhere
to the airplane unless the pilot has
completed all applicable training as re-
quired by § 135.341 and unless one of the
following requirements is met:
(1) A pretakeoff contamination
check, that has been established by the
certificate holder and approved by the
Administrator for the specific airplane
type, has been completed within 5 min-
utes prior to beginning takeoff. A pre-
takeoff contamination check is a check
to make sure the wings and control
surfaces are free of frost, ice, or snow.
(2) The certificate holder has an ap-
proved alternative procedure and under
that procedure the airplane is deter-
mined to be free of frost, ice, or snow.
(3) The certificate holder has an ap-
proved deicing/anti-icing program that
complies with § 121.629(c) of this chap-
ter and the takeoff complies with that
program.
(c) No pilot may fly under IFR into
known or forecast light or moderate
icing conditions or under VFR into
known light or moderate icing condi-
tions, unless—
(1) The aircraft has functioning deic-
ing or anti-icing equipment protecting
each rotor blade, propeller, windshield,
wing, stabilizing or control surface,
and each airspeed, altimeter, rate of
climb, or flight attitude instrument
system;
(2) The airplane has ice protection
provisions that meet section 34 of ap-
pendix A of this part; or
(3) The airplane meets transport cat-
egory airplane type certification provi-
sions, including the requirements for
certification for flight in icing condi-
tions.
(d) No pilot may fly a helicopter
under IFR into known or forecast icing
conditions or under VFR into known
icing conditions unless it has been type
certificated and appropriately equipped
for operations in icing conditions.
(e) Except for an airplane that has
ice protection provisions that meet
section 34 of appendix A, or those for
transport category airplane type cer-
tification, no pilot may fly an aircraft
into known or forecast severe icing
conditions.
(f) If current weather reports and
briefing information relied upon by the
pilot in command indicate that the
forecast icing condition that would
otherwise prohibit the flight will not