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474 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 135.229 

be encountered during the flight be-
cause of changed weather conditions 
since the forecast, the restrictions in 
paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of this sec-
tion based on forecast conditions do 
not apply. 

[Doc. No. 16097, 43 FR 46783, Oct. 10, 1978, as 
amended by Amdt. 133–20, 51 FR 40710, Nov. 7, 
1986; Amdt. 135–46, 58 FR 69629, Dec. 30, 1993; 
Amdt. 135–60, 61 FR 2616, Jan. 26, 1996; Amdt. 
135–119, 74 FR 62696, Dec. 1, 2009] 

§ 135.229 Airport requirements. 

(a) No certificate holder may use any 

airport unless it is adequate for the 
proposed operation, considering such 
items as size, surface, obstructions, 
and lighting. 

(b) No pilot of an aircraft carrying 

passengers at night may takeoff from, 
or land on, an airport unless— 

(1) That pilot has determined the 

wind direction from an illuminated 
wind direction indicator or local 
ground communications or, in the case 
of takeoff, that pilot’s personal obser-
vations; and 

(2) The limits of the area to be used 

for landing or takeoff are clearly 
shown— 

(i) For airplanes, by boundary or run-

way marker lights; 

(ii) For helicopters, by boundary or 

runway marker lights or reflective ma-
terial. 

(c) For the purpose of paragraph (b) 

of this section, if the area to be used 
for takeoff or landing is marked by 
flare pots or lanterns, their use must 
be approved by the Administrator. 

Subpart E—Flight Crewmember 

Requirements 

§ 135.241 Applicability. 

Except as provided in § 135.3, this sub-

part prescribes the flight crewmember 
requirements for operations under this 
part. 

[Doc. No. 16097, 43 FR 46783, Oct. 10, 1978, as 
amended by Amdt. 121–250, 60 FR 65950, Dec. 
20, 1995] 

§ 135.243 Pilot in command qualifica-

tions. 

(a) No certificate holder may use a 

person, nor may any person serve, as 

pilot in command in passenger-car-
rying operations— 

(1) Of a turbojet airplane, of an air-

plane having a passenger-seat configu-
ration, excluding each crewmember 
seat, of 10 seats or more, or of a multi-
engine airplane in a commuter oper-
ation as defined in part 119 of this 
chapter, unless that person holds an 
airline transport pilot certificate with 
appropriate category and class ratings 
and, if required, an appropriate type 
rating for that airplane. 

(2) Of a helicopter in a scheduled 

interstate air transportation operation 
by an air carrier within the 48 contig-
uous states unless that person holds an 
airline transport pilot certificate, ap-
propriate type ratings, and an instru-
ment rating. 

(b) Except as provided in paragraph 

(a) of this section, no certificate holder 
may use a person, nor may any person 
serve, as pilot in command of an air-
craft under VFR unless that person— 

(1) Holds at least a commercial pilot 

certificate with appropriate category 
and class ratings and, if required, an 
appropriate type rating for that air-
craft; and 

(2) Has had at least 500 hours time as 

a pilot, including at least 100 hours of 
cross-country flight time, at least 25 
hours of which were at night; and 

(3) For an airplane, holds an instru-

ment rating or an airline transport 
pilot certificate with an airplane cat-
egory rating; or 

(4) For helicopter operations con-

ducted VFR over-the-top, holds a heli-
copter instrument rating, or an airline 
transport pilot certificate with a cat-
egory and class rating for that aircraft, 
not limited to VFR. 

(c) Except as provided in paragraph 

(a) of this section, no certificate holder 
may use a person, nor may any person 
serve, as pilot in command of an air-
craft under IFR unless that person— 

(1) Holds at least a commercial pilot 

certificate with appropriate category 
and class ratings and, if required, an 
appropriate type rating for that air-
craft; and 

(2) 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, and 75 hours 
of actual or simulated instrument time 

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475 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 135.244 

at least 50 hours of which were in ac-
tual flight; and 

(3) For an airplane, holds an instru-

ment rating or an airline transport 
pilot certificate with an airplane cat-
egory rating; or 

(4) For a helicopter, holds a heli-

copter instrument rating, or an airline 
transport pilot certificate with a cat-
egory and class rating for that aircraft, 
not limited to VFR. 

(d) Paragraph (b)(3) of this section 

does not apply when— 

(1) The aircraft used is a single recip-

rocating-engine-powered airplane; 

(2) The certificate holder does not 

conduct any operation pursuant to a 
published flight schedule which speci-
fies five or more round trips a week be-
tween two or more points and places 
between which the round trips are per-
formed, and does not transport mail by 
air under a contract or contracts with 
the United States Postal Service hav-
ing total amount estimated at the be-
ginning of any semiannual reporting 
period (January 1–June 30; July 1–De-
cember 31) to be in excess of $20,000 
over the 12 months commencing with 
the beginning of the reporting period; 

(3) The area, as specified in the cer-

tificate holder’s operations specifica-
tions, is an isolated area, as deter-
mined by the Flight Standards office, if 
it is shown that— 

(i) The primary means of navigation 

in the area is by pilotage, since radio 
navigational aids are largely ineffec-
tive; and 

(ii) The primary means of transpor-

tation in the area is by air; 

(4) Each flight is conducted under 

day VFR with a ceiling of not less than 
1,000 feet and visibility not less than 3 
statute miles; 

(5) Weather reports or forecasts, or 

any combination of them, indicate that 
for the period commencing with the 
planned departure and ending 30 min-
utes after the planned arrival at the 
destination the flight may be con-
ducted under VFR with a ceiling of not 
less than 1,000 feet and visibility of not 
less than 3 statute miles, except that if 
weather reports and forecasts are not 
available, the pilot in command may 
use that pilot’s observations or those 
of other persons competent to supply 
weather observations if those observa-

tions indicate the flight may be con-
ducted under VFR with the ceiling and 
visibility required in this paragraph; 

(6) The distance of each flight from 

the certificate holder’s base of oper-
ation to destination does not exceed 250 
nautical miles for a pilot who holds a 
commercial pilot certificate with an 
airplane rating without an instrument 
rating, provided the pilot’s certificate 
does not contain any limitation to the 
contrary; and 

(7) The areas to be flown are ap-

proved by the responsible Flight Stand-
ards office and are listed in the certifi-
cate holder’s operations specifications. 

[Doc. No. 16097, 43 FR 46783, Oct. 10, 1978; 
Amdt. 135–1, 43 FR 49975, Oct. 26, 1978, as 
amended by Amdt. 135–15, 46 FR 30971, June 
11, 1981; Amdt. 135–58, 60 FR 65939, Dec. 20, 
1995; Docket FAA–2018–0119, Amdt. 135–139, 83 
FR 9175, Mar. 5, 2018] 

§ 135.244 Operating experience. 

(a) No certificate holder may use any 

person, nor may any person serve, as a 
pilot in command of an aircraft oper-
ated in a commuter operation, as de-
fined in part 119 of this chapter unless 
that person has completed, prior to 
designation as pilot in command, on 
that make and basic model aircraft and 
in that crewmember position, the fol-
lowing operating experience in each 
make and basic model of aircraft to be 
flown: 

(1) Aircraft, single engine—10 hours. 
(2) Aircraft multiengine, recipro-

cating engine-powered—15 hours. 

(3) Aircraft multiengine, turbine en-

gine-powered—20 hours. 

(4) Airplane, turbojet-powered—25 

hours. 

(b) In acquiring the operating experi-

ence, each person must comply with 
the following: 

(1) The operating experience must be 

acquired after satisfactory completion 
of the appropriate ground and flight 
training for the aircraft and crew-
member position. Approved provisions 
for the operating experience must be 
included in the certificate holder’s 
training program. 

(2) The experience must be acquired 

in flight during commuter passenger- 
carrying operations under this part. 
However, in the case of an aircraft not