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Velocity173
No 91.117 applies to all aircraft. It doesn't specify civil only. There are many exemptions for the 250 kt below 10,000 rule. Some are listed in the DoD General Planning manual, local FAA waivers, NATOPS and aircraft flight manual restrictions. Some of those exemptions are:
1. Special Use Airspace
Ours had no speed restriction. Only subsonic. Although a couple F-18s went supersonic once when attacking the base.
2. Military Training Routes.
Routinely observed aircraft 500 kts and 500 ft along VR-1041.
3. Local FAA authorization for base squadrons only.
Our Hornets were allowed up to 325 KIA'S below 10,000. Reason given was for operational necessity in that the F-18 was particular susceptible to icing at 250 kts.
4. Outside of 12 miles of the coast.
I believe squadron policy was actually 30 miles though. Possibly 30 AOA can verify.
5. Conducting aerial demonstrations (air shows).
6. National Defense.
The sonic booms during 9/11 was an example of this.
7. Designated over land high speed cooridors.
Several out west. We have one over central Georgia where the Warner Robbins guys bust Mach every now and then.
I think there are a couple more exemptions but those are all I can think of right now. At any rate it isn't a blanket waiver. They are obligated to adhere to the FARs just like civilians. In our Army regs it specifically states we are required to obey host nation regs including FARs.
If fighters had no restriction it would be a nightmare for a controller. You'd have to sequence guys coming in at 600 kts (which I've seen before). We actually didn't mind when they came in at 300-400 kts. The problem is if you get a guy doing 300 kts then some other guy going 600 kts, that creates a problem in sequencing.
