VFR · Lesson 77 · 8 min · ACS PA.I.F · ACS PA.II · ACS PA.XII
What 91.103 Requires Before Every Flight
Summary
91.103 demands familiarity with all available information: weather, fuel, alternatives, and delays for every flight, plus runway lengths and performance data away from the airport — with NOTAMs and a go/no-go weather review folded in.
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Preflight action required by 91.103 · Topic mastery: Not started
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For a cross-country flight, which information does 91.103 specifically require in addition to weather and fuel?
Why this matters in flight
Regulation 91.103 is the legal foundation of preflight planning. Knowing exactly what "all available information" includes keeps you compliant and, more importantly, keeps surprises off your flight — closed runways, deteriorating weather, and fuel gaps are all caught here.
Before any flight, the pilot in command must become familiar with all available information concerning that flight. That phrase is broad on purpose, but the rule names specifics. For a flight under IFR or one that leaves the vicinity of an airport, it includes weather reports and forecasts, the fuel required, alternatives if the flight cannot be completed as planned, and any known traffic delays. For every flight — even one staying in the pattern — it includes runway lengths at the airports of intended use and the aircraft’s takeoff and landing distance data. Part of gathering "all available information" is reviewing NOTAMs, which flag time-critical items like closed runways, unlit obstructions, navaid outages, and temporary flight restrictions. Pulling weather, NOTAMs, fuel, and alternates together is what turns a wish to fly into a defensible go/no-go decision.
Key terms
- 91.103
- The rule requiring the PIC to become familiar with all available information before a flight.
- NOTAM
- A Notice to Air Missions carrying time-critical operational information.
- Alternate
- A backup destination if the flight cannot be completed as planned.
Sources & references · 3 · 4 linked
Every claim traces to a source — paraphrased knowledge elements pointing at the governing FAA publication. Items marked verified have been checked against the retrieved source text; the rest are pending verification. Where the exact page or regulation has been located in a retrieved document, the source links straight to it.
- 14 CFR 91.103 — 14 CFR Part 91 — General Operating and Flight Rules verified14 CFR 91.103
- AIM 5-1-3 / NOTAM system — Aeronautical Information Manual verifiedAIM 5-1-3 (p. 46)
- AIM 5-1 / 14 CFR 91.103 — Aeronautical Information Manual verified14 CFR 91.103AIM 5-1 (p. 319)
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