SkykingC310
Pre-takeoff checklist
Can you confirm that it is now legal to fly IFR in a single-engine airplane under part 135 regulations?
Part 135 - SE IFR
- Thread starter SkykingC310
- Start date
SkykingC310
Pre-takeoff checklist
No, I'm not looking for single pilot operation, I'm looking for single-engine operation. I thought it used to be multi-engine only for part 135, but upon reading 135.163 (f), it seems that SE is now an option if it is equipped properly.
One of the local FBO's has purchased an A-36 Bonanza for charter, but thought they were limited to VFR flights only. I'm trying to tell them that they can go IFR as well, as long as the airplane meets the regs.
One of the local FBO's has purchased an A-36 Bonanza for charter, but thought they were limited to VFR flights only. I'm trying to tell them that they can go IFR as well, as long as the airplane meets the regs.
TMetzinger
Final Approach
It is possible, provided there is an approved engine-monitoring program for the airplane and sufficient energy sources for the instruments. Originally targeted towards the single-engine turboprops (Caravan, Pilatus, TBM), they decided to not write it in a turbine-specific fashion. That said, I don't know if anyone has gotten approval for a piston engine. The Cirrus (all electric with long battery backup) might fit the bill, I don't know what they'd have to do to the Bonanna.
gprellwitz
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2005
- Messages
- 12,761
- Location
- Romeoville, IL
- Display Name
Display name:
Grant Prellwitz
The C182 I rent is used in a part 135 operation. I don't know if it is used in IMC operations under part 135, but I believe all the flights would be IFR to meet the operational logging requirements.
poadeleted20
Deleted
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2005
- Messages
- 31,250
No, there are plenty of ways to operate 135 under VFR, so that 182 would not have to be flying IFR under 135, and probably isn't.gprellwitz said:
Greg Bockelman
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2005
- Messages
- 11,091
- Location
- Lone Jack, MO
- Display Name
Display name:
Greg Bockelman
You can fly IFR 135 in a single as long as you do not haul people. Only freight. I am not aware of any other limitations.
citationxjl
Pre-takeoff checklist
We fly caravans (which are single engine for those that do not know) part 135 with people and frieght. We also have an op spec that allows single pilot IFR w/ pax
citationxjl said:
And I believe (not sure anymore) that it is the only aircraft rated to do so. To the best of my knowledge as well, the PT-6 is the only engine the USPS will allow the mail to be hauled with SE.
TMetzinger
Final Approach
Here's the bulletin released when they made the changes to part 135. You can carry pax or freight IFR in a single engine airplane under 135.
While this bulletin expired, the regs haven't changed, and it's still permitted.
FSAT 98-12A and FSAW 98-07A (AMENDED) - BULLETIN TITLE: Implementation of 14 CFR Part 135 for Single-Engine Aircraft Carrying Passengers under IFR
{New-98-10}
EFFECTIVE DATE: 05-22-98
AMENDED DATE: 08-27-98
TRACKING NUMBER: N/A
1. PURPOSE. This bulletin provides guidance to inspectors and operators of single-engine, passenger-carrying aircraft operated under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 135 on recommended procedures for operation in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). It also suggests methods for compliance with the regulations as described in paragraph 3 of this bulletin.
2. BACKGROUND. In response to the recommendations of the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC), to studies completed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB and the Office of Integrated Safety Analysis, Part 135 Single-Engine Instrument Flight Rules Operations in Instrument Meteorological Conditions, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decided to re-examine its policies for commercial IMC and night operations with single-engine aircraft.
A. The NTSB concluded that Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight into IMC, resulting in fatal accidents, continues to be the most significant safety problem in Alaskan aviation. The NTSB recommended that the FAA evaluate whether extending the rule to all single-engine aircraft would provide a positive effect on safety, and to proceed with rulemaking to allow Single-Engine Instrument Flight Rules (SEIFR) passenger-carrying operations in turbine powered aircraft. The NTSB noted that unlike the rest of the United States, commuter airline service in Alaska is dominated by single-engine airplanes powered by reciprocating engines operating under VFR and crewed by one pilot.
B. The FAA reviewed accident data from 1983 to 1996 for both reciprocating and turbine engines and found that single-engine aircraft were involved in 75 percent of accidents resulting from VFR flight into IMC. Based on this, the findings and the recommendations of NTSB safety study NTSB/SS-95/03, the FAA decided to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend part 135 to allow passenger-carrying SEIFR operations. Following a review of the public comments received after publication of the NPRM on August 6, 1997, the FAA published the final rule allowing passenger-carrying, SEIFR operations, provided that operators meet certain conditions. In order to allow sufficient time for operators to meet the requirements of the regulation, the FAA delayed the implementation date until May 3, 1998.
3. RELATED 14 CFR PARTS.
A. Part 91 Subpart C - Equipment, Instrument, Certificate Requirements. Section 91.205, Powered civil aircraft with standard category U.S. airworthiness certificates.
B. Part 135 Subpart C - Aircraft and Equipment. Section 135.179, Inoperable instruments and equipment.
C. Part 135 Subpart D - VFR/IFR Operating Limitations and Weather Requirements. Section 135.217, IFR Takeoff limitations.
D. Part 135 Subpart H - Training. Section 135.347, Pilots: Initial, transition, upgrade, and differences flight training.
E. Part 135 Subpart J - Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, and Alterations. Section 135.421, Additional maintenance requirements.
4. DISCUSSION.
A. In situations where there is a loss of the primary electrical generating source, which results in electrical dependency on the standby battery, the FAA considers it prudent to be able to navigate and communicate with an air traffic facility. However, conservation of this limited electrical resource must become a principle aim of the pilot. In this type of critical situation, especially in IMC, the ability to navigate and communicate may be achieved in ways other than maintaining a transceiver and navigation radio with reserve electrical power. It may be possible for the pilot to navigate by radar vectors to a safe landing. A pilot may be able to use the transmitter to communicate with ATC and acknowledge receipt of a communication with his transponder. It may be necessary for safe operation to lower the landing gear electrically rather than manually operate a complex and difficult mechanical system. Because of the wide variety of single-engine aircraft employed in part 135 operations, the FAA cannot specify the equipment or procedures to be used on all of these aircraft in critical situations. The FAA believes that the final decision on the equipment and procedures should be made through an agreement between principal inspectors and their operators. In cases where no agreement can be reached, the principal inspectors are to inform the operator by official correspondence of their recommendation for equipment and procedures to be used in situations where electrical equipment is dependent on power available from the stand-by battery.
B. Autopilot. To operate single-engine, passenger-carrying aircraft in IMC, that aircraft must be equipped with an autopilot that can maintain control of the aircraft about its three axes of movement or have a second pilot on board. This does not mean that all three axes must have independent control. An autopilot that can directly control movement around the lateral and longitudinal axis and is known to be capable of tracking a radial, localizer, bearing, or hold a heading, meets the conditions of section 135.105 of the regulation. However, wing levelers or other electronic devices that cannot meet the previously stated requirements are not considered to have sufficient control of the movement of the aircraft and do not meet the intent of the regulation.
C. Inoperable Equipment. The FAA requires a minimum amount of equipment necessary to provide an acceptable level of safety for operations in IMC with single-engine aircraft engaged in public transportation. All equipment required under the SEIFR regulations must be operational before takeoff under an IFR flight plan.
D. Training. The regulations permitting SEIFR have increased the level of safety for the transportation of passengers in single-engine aircraft in IMC. The required redundancy in the regulation reduces the possibility of a complete system failure. Nevertheless, the FAA strongly recommends that operators emphasize in their training programs procedures for pilots in the use of partial panel and systems failure recognition. The FAA further recommends that FAA inspectors and check airmen also emphasize system failure recognition and loss of gyroscopic instruments during testing for pilot performance under the appropriate task items of the Practical Test Standards.
E. Takeoff minimums. Section 135.217 permits takeoff from an airport where weather conditions are lower than authorized IFR landing minimums, provided that an alternate airport is within one-hour flying time (at normal cruising speed, in still air) of the airport of departure. When written, the FAA did not envision the use of single-engine aircraft for passenger carrying operations in IMC. The FAA is taking steps to amend the rule to apply to only multi-engine aircraft.
NOTE: Until this amendment is issued, inspectors are advised to inform their operators that taking advantage of this regulation with single-engine aircraft in passenger carrying operations is not recommended. Tim's note: - This reg has not been changed, so either it gets addressed in the OpSpec (thou shalt not take your SE airplane off when weather is below approach mins) or they decided that it wasn't that big a deal.
F. Operations Specifications. Provided the operator meets the conditions of section 135.163 and other appropriate sections, the authority to operate under IFR with passengers and a combination of passengers and cargo, will be authorized in the operations specifications. Subsequent to this bulletin, there will be an HBAT releasing further information describing this process.
G. Maintenance. The installation of redundant power sources for aircraft instrumentation will have an impact on the type design of the aircraft. In order to make an alteration to an aircraft, it must be accomplished using approved data. The types of data acceptable to the Administrator would be: (1) a Supplemental Type Certificate; (2) amendment of the Type Certificate; or (3) FAA field approval.
H. Engine Trend Monitoring. Section 135.411 requires an operator certificated for nine or less passengers to be maintained in accordance with a 100-hour and annual inspection requirement or inspected in accordance with an Approved Aircraft Inspection Program (AAIP) as described in section 135.419. The principal maintenance inspector (PMI), on finding that the 100-hour and annual inspection program is inadequate, may amend the operator's operations specifications to require an AAIP as described in section 135.419.
I. Required Equipment. An operator of a part 135 single-engine IFR aircraft used for passenger transportation for hire must have additional equipment installed and operating as stated in section 135.163. (Note the difference between single-engine and multi-enginge requirements.)
J. For the additional equipment required by section 135.163, section 135.421 (Additional Maintenance), requires each certificated holder to include in its maintenance program written instructions containing the methods, techniques, and practices necessary to maintain the equipment specified in section 135.105 and 135.163(f) and (h). The maintenance program must incorporate either the manufacturer's recommended engine trend monitoring program, which includes an oil analysis, if appropriate, or if a manufacturer's program is not available, an FAA-approved trend-monitoring program that includes an oil analysis at each 100-hour interval, or at the manufacturer's suggested interval, whichever is more frequent.
5. ACTION. Principal inspectors (POI, PMI, PAI) are requested to ensure that the information contained in this bulletin is made available to their assigned operators of single-engine aircraft operated under 14 CFR part 135.
6. INQUIRIES. This bulletin was developed by AFS-220. Any questions should be directed to Dan Meier, AFS-220, at (202) 267-3749.
7. EXPIRATION. This bulletin will expire on August 31, 1999.
While this bulletin expired, the regs haven't changed, and it's still permitted.
FSAT 98-12A and FSAW 98-07A (AMENDED) - BULLETIN TITLE: Implementation of 14 CFR Part 135 for Single-Engine Aircraft Carrying Passengers under IFR
{New-98-10}
EFFECTIVE DATE: 05-22-98
AMENDED DATE: 08-27-98
TRACKING NUMBER: N/A
1. PURPOSE. This bulletin provides guidance to inspectors and operators of single-engine, passenger-carrying aircraft operated under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 135 on recommended procedures for operation in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). It also suggests methods for compliance with the regulations as described in paragraph 3 of this bulletin.
2. BACKGROUND. In response to the recommendations of the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC), to studies completed by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB and the Office of Integrated Safety Analysis, Part 135 Single-Engine Instrument Flight Rules Operations in Instrument Meteorological Conditions, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) decided to re-examine its policies for commercial IMC and night operations with single-engine aircraft.
A. The NTSB concluded that Visual Flight Rules (VFR) flight into IMC, resulting in fatal accidents, continues to be the most significant safety problem in Alaskan aviation. The NTSB recommended that the FAA evaluate whether extending the rule to all single-engine aircraft would provide a positive effect on safety, and to proceed with rulemaking to allow Single-Engine Instrument Flight Rules (SEIFR) passenger-carrying operations in turbine powered aircraft. The NTSB noted that unlike the rest of the United States, commuter airline service in Alaska is dominated by single-engine airplanes powered by reciprocating engines operating under VFR and crewed by one pilot.
B. The FAA reviewed accident data from 1983 to 1996 for both reciprocating and turbine engines and found that single-engine aircraft were involved in 75 percent of accidents resulting from VFR flight into IMC. Based on this, the findings and the recommendations of NTSB safety study NTSB/SS-95/03, the FAA decided to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend part 135 to allow passenger-carrying SEIFR operations. Following a review of the public comments received after publication of the NPRM on August 6, 1997, the FAA published the final rule allowing passenger-carrying, SEIFR operations, provided that operators meet certain conditions. In order to allow sufficient time for operators to meet the requirements of the regulation, the FAA delayed the implementation date until May 3, 1998.
3. RELATED 14 CFR PARTS.
A. Part 91 Subpart C - Equipment, Instrument, Certificate Requirements. Section 91.205, Powered civil aircraft with standard category U.S. airworthiness certificates.
B. Part 135 Subpart C - Aircraft and Equipment. Section 135.179, Inoperable instruments and equipment.
C. Part 135 Subpart D - VFR/IFR Operating Limitations and Weather Requirements. Section 135.217, IFR Takeoff limitations.
D. Part 135 Subpart H - Training. Section 135.347, Pilots: Initial, transition, upgrade, and differences flight training.
E. Part 135 Subpart J - Maintenance, Preventive Maintenance, and Alterations. Section 135.421, Additional maintenance requirements.
4. DISCUSSION.
A. In situations where there is a loss of the primary electrical generating source, which results in electrical dependency on the standby battery, the FAA considers it prudent to be able to navigate and communicate with an air traffic facility. However, conservation of this limited electrical resource must become a principle aim of the pilot. In this type of critical situation, especially in IMC, the ability to navigate and communicate may be achieved in ways other than maintaining a transceiver and navigation radio with reserve electrical power. It may be possible for the pilot to navigate by radar vectors to a safe landing. A pilot may be able to use the transmitter to communicate with ATC and acknowledge receipt of a communication with his transponder. It may be necessary for safe operation to lower the landing gear electrically rather than manually operate a complex and difficult mechanical system. Because of the wide variety of single-engine aircraft employed in part 135 operations, the FAA cannot specify the equipment or procedures to be used on all of these aircraft in critical situations. The FAA believes that the final decision on the equipment and procedures should be made through an agreement between principal inspectors and their operators. In cases where no agreement can be reached, the principal inspectors are to inform the operator by official correspondence of their recommendation for equipment and procedures to be used in situations where electrical equipment is dependent on power available from the stand-by battery.
B. Autopilot. To operate single-engine, passenger-carrying aircraft in IMC, that aircraft must be equipped with an autopilot that can maintain control of the aircraft about its three axes of movement or have a second pilot on board. This does not mean that all three axes must have independent control. An autopilot that can directly control movement around the lateral and longitudinal axis and is known to be capable of tracking a radial, localizer, bearing, or hold a heading, meets the conditions of section 135.105 of the regulation. However, wing levelers or other electronic devices that cannot meet the previously stated requirements are not considered to have sufficient control of the movement of the aircraft and do not meet the intent of the regulation.
C. Inoperable Equipment. The FAA requires a minimum amount of equipment necessary to provide an acceptable level of safety for operations in IMC with single-engine aircraft engaged in public transportation. All equipment required under the SEIFR regulations must be operational before takeoff under an IFR flight plan.
D. Training. The regulations permitting SEIFR have increased the level of safety for the transportation of passengers in single-engine aircraft in IMC. The required redundancy in the regulation reduces the possibility of a complete system failure. Nevertheless, the FAA strongly recommends that operators emphasize in their training programs procedures for pilots in the use of partial panel and systems failure recognition. The FAA further recommends that FAA inspectors and check airmen also emphasize system failure recognition and loss of gyroscopic instruments during testing for pilot performance under the appropriate task items of the Practical Test Standards.
E. Takeoff minimums. Section 135.217 permits takeoff from an airport where weather conditions are lower than authorized IFR landing minimums, provided that an alternate airport is within one-hour flying time (at normal cruising speed, in still air) of the airport of departure. When written, the FAA did not envision the use of single-engine aircraft for passenger carrying operations in IMC. The FAA is taking steps to amend the rule to apply to only multi-engine aircraft.
NOTE: Until this amendment is issued, inspectors are advised to inform their operators that taking advantage of this regulation with single-engine aircraft in passenger carrying operations is not recommended. Tim's note: - This reg has not been changed, so either it gets addressed in the OpSpec (thou shalt not take your SE airplane off when weather is below approach mins) or they decided that it wasn't that big a deal.
F. Operations Specifications. Provided the operator meets the conditions of section 135.163 and other appropriate sections, the authority to operate under IFR with passengers and a combination of passengers and cargo, will be authorized in the operations specifications. Subsequent to this bulletin, there will be an HBAT releasing further information describing this process.
G. Maintenance. The installation of redundant power sources for aircraft instrumentation will have an impact on the type design of the aircraft. In order to make an alteration to an aircraft, it must be accomplished using approved data. The types of data acceptable to the Administrator would be: (1) a Supplemental Type Certificate; (2) amendment of the Type Certificate; or (3) FAA field approval.
H. Engine Trend Monitoring. Section 135.411 requires an operator certificated for nine or less passengers to be maintained in accordance with a 100-hour and annual inspection requirement or inspected in accordance with an Approved Aircraft Inspection Program (AAIP) as described in section 135.419. The principal maintenance inspector (PMI), on finding that the 100-hour and annual inspection program is inadequate, may amend the operator's operations specifications to require an AAIP as described in section 135.419.
I. Required Equipment. An operator of a part 135 single-engine IFR aircraft used for passenger transportation for hire must have additional equipment installed and operating as stated in section 135.163. (Note the difference between single-engine and multi-enginge requirements.)
J. For the additional equipment required by section 135.163, section 135.421 (Additional Maintenance), requires each certificated holder to include in its maintenance program written instructions containing the methods, techniques, and practices necessary to maintain the equipment specified in section 135.105 and 135.163(f) and (h). The maintenance program must incorporate either the manufacturer's recommended engine trend monitoring program, which includes an oil analysis, if appropriate, or if a manufacturer's program is not available, an FAA-approved trend-monitoring program that includes an oil analysis at each 100-hour interval, or at the manufacturer's suggested interval, whichever is more frequent.
5. ACTION. Principal inspectors (POI, PMI, PAI) are requested to ensure that the information contained in this bulletin is made available to their assigned operators of single-engine aircraft operated under 14 CFR part 135.
6. INQUIRIES. This bulletin was developed by AFS-220. Any questions should be directed to Dan Meier, AFS-220, at (202) 267-3749.
7. EXPIRATION. This bulletin will expire on August 31, 1999.
Last edited:
SkykingC310
Pre-takeoff checklist
Thank you...that is very helpful.
flyifrvfr
Ejection Handle Pulled
- Joined
- Jan 6, 2006
- Messages
- 125
- Display Name
Display name:
flyifrvfr
Henning said:
There are a few companies who operate the Pilatus PC12 under IFR part 135. Quest Diagnostics is one of those companies. Also there is a company in Maryland that operates a PC12 carrying passenger IFR part 135.
infotango
Line Up and Wait
I'd guess that Quest Diagnostics was operating those flights 91.flyifrvfr said:
Eamon
Line Up and Wait
My last company has 6 - 208B Caravans. There was one that had an electric standby vacuum system. It was the only one allowed to fly passenger IFR on their certificate. This was as of last month. Things might have changed.
flyingcheesehead
Touchdown! Greaser!
infotango said:
I saw a pair of airline flights land at SBF late at night, one was a BE-1900 but the other was a SE turboprop. I think there were 6 pax. Either a TBM-700 or a PC-12 but I don't see enough of 'em to be able to tell the difference.
Is an airline operating "tiny" planes like that 135 or 121?
infotango
Line Up and Wait
Kent those airlines are probably operating 135 commuter operations.
IIRC airlines need to have 121 authority from the FAA when they hold out flights to the public and operate between a pair of cities more than a certain number of times a week and their planes have more than 9 pax seats. So the BE-1900's that fly under some of the major airline's flags are probably 121 operations. However most of the small airlines operating small planes that have less than 9 seats stay under 135's commuter authority. Then there are the hybrid 125 ops, which have even more complicated rules, but basically allow an owner of a large aircraft to fly occasional revenue flights held out to the public without needing to operate under 121 or 135.
I may be wrong about this, but I believe that 121 disallows the use of any single engine planes.
IIRC airlines need to have 121 authority from the FAA when they hold out flights to the public and operate between a pair of cities more than a certain number of times a week and their planes have more than 9 pax seats. So the BE-1900's that fly under some of the major airline's flags are probably 121 operations. However most of the small airlines operating small planes that have less than 9 seats stay under 135's commuter authority. Then there are the hybrid 125 ops, which have even more complicated rules, but basically allow an owner of a large aircraft to fly occasional revenue flights held out to the public without needing to operate under 121 or 135.
I may be wrong about this, but I believe that 121 disallows the use of any single engine planes.
Last edited: