559 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 137.1 

hover, and except for the purpose of 
takeoff and landing, the PIC of a rotor-
craft may only operate such aircraft at 
a combination of height and forward 
speed (including hover) that would per-
mit a safe landing in event of engine 
power loss, in accordance with the 
height-speed envelope for that rotor-
craft under current weight and aircraft 
altitude. 

(d) 

Minimum flight altitudes. 

Except 

when necessary for takeoff and land-
ing, or operating in compliance with an 
air traffic control clearance, or as oth-
erwise authorized by the Adminis-
trator, no person may conduct an air 
tour in Hawaii: 

(1) Below an altitude of 1,500 feet 

above the surface over all areas of the 
State of Hawaii; 

(2) Closer than 1,500 feet to any per-

son or property; or 

(3) Below any altitude prescribed by 

Federal statute or regulation. 

(e) 

Passenger briefing. 

Before takeoff, 

each PIC of an air tour flight of Hawaii 
with a flight segment beyond the ocean 
shore of any island shall ensure that 
each passenger has been briefed on the 
following, in addition to requirements 
set forth in § 91.107, § 121.571, or § 135.117 
of this chapter: 

(1) Water ditching procedures; 
(2) Use of required flotation equip-

ment; and 

(3) Emergency egress from the air-

craft in event of a water landing. 

PART 137—AGRICULTURAL 

AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS 

Subpart A—General 

Sec. 
137.1

Applicability. 

137.3

Definition of terms. 

Subpart B—Certification Rules 

137.11

Certificate required. 

137.15

Application for certificate. 

137.17

Amendment of certificate. 

137.19

Certification requirements. 

137.21

Duration of certificate. 

137.23

Carriage of narcotic drugs, mari-

huana, and depressant or stimulant drugs 
or substances. 

Subpart C—Operating Rules 

137.29

General. 

137.31

Aircraft requirements. 

137.33

Carrying of certificate. 

137.35

Limitations on private agricultural 

aircraft operator. 

137.37

Manner of dispensing. 

137.39

Economic poison dispensing. 

137.40

Employment of former FAA employ-

ees. 

137.41

Personnel. 

137.42

Fastening of safety belts and shoul-

der harnesses. 

137.43

Operations in controlled airspace des-

ignated for an airport. 

137.45

Nonobservance of airport traffic pat-

tern. 

137.47

Operation without position lights. 

137.49

Operations over other than congested 

areas. 

137.51

Operation over congested areas: Gen-

eral. 

137.53

Operation over congested areas: Pi-

lots and aircraft. 

137.55

Business name: Commercial agricul-

tural aircraft operator. 

137.57

Availability of certificate. 

137.59

Inspection authority. 

Subpart D—Records and Reports 

137.71

Records: Commercial agricultural 

aircraft operator. 

137.75

Change of address. 

137.77

Termination of operations. 

A

UTHORITY

: 49 U.S.C. 106(g), 40103, 40113, 

44701–44702. 

S

OURCE

: Docket No. 1464, 30 FR 8106, June 

24, 1965, unless otherwise noted. 

Subpart A—General 

§ 137.1 Applicability. 

(a) This part prescribes rules gov-

erning— 

(1) Agricultural aircraft operations 

within the United States; and 

(2) The issue of commercial and pri-

vate agricultural aircraft operator cer-
tificates for those operations. 

(b) In a public emergency, a person 

conducting agricultural aircraft oper-
ations under this part may, to the ex-
tent necessary, deviate from the oper-
ating rules of this part for relief and 
welfare activities approved by an agen-
cy of the United States or of a State or 
local government. 

(c) Each person who, under the au-

thority of this section, deviates from a 
rule of this part shall, within 10 days 
after the deviation send to the respon-
sible Flight Standards office a com-
plete report of the aircraft operation 

560 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–24 Edition) 

§ 137.3 

involved, including a description of the 
operation and the reasons for it. 

[Doc. No. 1464, 30 FR 8106, June 24, 1965, as 
amended by Amdt. 137–13, 54 FR 39294, Sept. 
25, 1989; Docket FAA–2018–0119, Amdt. 137–17, 
83 FR 9175, Mar. 5, 2018] 

§ 137.3 Definition of terms. 

For the purposes of this part— 

Agricultural aircraft operation 

means 

the operation of an aircraft for the pur-
pose of (1) dispensing any economic 
poison, (2) dispensing any other sub-
stance intended for plant nourishment, 
soil treatment, propagation of plant 
life, or pest control, or (3) engaging in 
dispensing activities directly affecting 
agriculture, horticulture, or forest 
preservation, but not including the dis-
pensing of live insects. 

Economic poison 

means (1) any sub-

stance or mixture of substances in-
tended for preventing, destroying, re-
pelling, or mitigating any insects, ro-
dents, nematodes, fungi, weeds, and 
other forms of plant or animal life or 
viruses, except viruses on or in living 
man or other animals, which the Sec-
retary of Agriculture shall declare to 
be a pest, and (2) any substance or mix-
ture of substances intended for use as a 
plant regulator, defoliant or desiccant. 

[Doc. No. 1464, 30 FR 8106, June 24, 1965, as 
amended by Amdt. 137–3, 33 FR 9601, July 2, 
1968] 

Subpart B—Certification Rules 

§ 137.11 Certificate required. 

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs 

(c) and (d) of this section, no person 
may conduct agricultural aircraft op-
erations without, or in violation of, an 
agricultural aircraft operator certifi-
cate issued under this part. 

(b) Notwithstanding part 133 of this 

chapter, an operator may, if he com-
plies with this part, conduct agricul-
tural aircraft operations with a rotor-
craft with external dispensing equip-
ment in place without a rotorcraft ex-
ternal-load operator certificate. 

(c) A Federal, State, or local govern-

ment conducting agricultural aircraft 
operations with public aircraft need 
not comply with this subpart. 

(d) The holder of a rotorcraft exter-

nal-load operator certificate under part 

133 of this chapter conducting an agri-
cultural aircraft operation, involving 
only the dispensing of water on forest 
fires by rotorcraft external-load means, 
need not comply with this subpart. 

[Doc. No. 1464, 30 FR 8106, June 24, 1965, as 
amended by Amdt. 137–3, 33 FR 9601, July 2, 
1968; Amdt. 137–6, 41 FR 35060, Aug. 19, 1976] 

§ 137.15 Application for certificate. 

An application for an agricultural 

aircraft operator certificate is made on 
a form and in a manner prescribed by 
the Administrator, and filed with the 
responsible Flight Standards office for 
the area in which the applicant’s home 
base of operations is located. 

[Doc. No. 1464, 30 FR 8106, June 24, 1965, as 
amended by Amdt. 137–13, 54 FR 39294, Sept. 
25, 1989; Docket FAA–2018–0119, Amdt. 137–17, 
83 FR 9175, Mar. 5, 2018] 

§ 137.17 Amendment of certificate. 

(a) An agricultural aircraft operator 

certificate may be amended— 

(1) On the Administrator’s own ini-

tiative, under section 609 of the Federal 
Aviation Act of 1958 (49 U.S.C. 1429) and 
part 13 of this chapter; or 

(2) Upon application by the holder of 

that certificate. 

(b) An application to amend an agri-

cultural aircraft operator certificate is 
submitted on a form and in a manner 
prescribed by the Administrator. The 
applicant must file the application 
with the responsible Flight Standards 
office for the area in which the appli-
cant’s home base of operations is lo-
cated at least 15 days before the date 
that it proposes the amendment be-
come effective, unless a shorter filing 
period is approved by that office. 

(c) The responsible Flight Standards 

office grants a request to amend a cer-
tificate if it determines that safety in 
air commerce and the public interest 
so allow. 

(d) Within 30 days after receiving a 

refusal to amend, the holder may peti-
tion the Executive Director, Flight 
Standards Service, to reconsider the 
refusal. 

[Doc. No. 1464, 30 FR 8106, June 24, 1965, as 
amended by Amdt. 137–9, 43 FR 52206, Nov. 9, 
1978; Amdt. 137–11, 45 FR 47838, July 17, 1980; 
Amdt. 137–13, 54 FR 39294, Sept. 25, 1989; 
Docket FAA–2018–0119, Amdt. 137–17, 83 FR 
9175, Mar. 5, 2018]