Module MOD-14 · 7 min · ACS PA.I.A · ACS PA.I.B

Operating Rules: Right of Way, Alcohol and PIC Authority

← Federal Aviation Regulationsdraft — pending CFI review

Why this matters in flight: These are the see-and-avoid and fitness rules that keep airplanes from hitting each other and keep impaired pilots on the ground. They also define the authority — and the responsibility — that comes with being pilot in command.

When traffic converges, right-of-way rules decide who yields. An aircraft in distress always has the right of way. For two aircraft of the same category converging, the one on the right has the right of way; head-on, both turn right; and when overtaking, the aircraft ahead has the right of way while you pass to the right. Less maneuverable aircraft — balloons, gliders, airships — are given way by powered airplanes. Fitness to fly is governed by the alcohol and drug rule: no crewmember duties within 8 hours of drinking ("bottle to throttle"), while under the influence, while using an impairing drug, or with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 percent or more. Overlaying all of this is the authority of the pilot in command, who is the final authority for the operation of the aircraft and who may deviate from the rules as needed to meet an in-flight emergency.

Key terms

Converging right of way
When same-category aircraft converge, the one on the right has the right of way.
Bottle to throttle
The 8-hour minimum between drinking alcohol and acting as a crewmember.
Final authority
The PIC is directly responsible for and the final authority over the flight.

Summary

Right-of-way rules resolve converging, head-on, and overtaking encounters; the alcohol rule sets an 8-hour and 0.04 BAC limit; and the PIC holds final authority, including emergency deviation.

Quick check ▾

One question on what you just read.

Question 1 of 1

Objective mastery: 15%

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Two airplanes are converging at the same altitude. Which one has the right of way?

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Sources

Every claim traces to a source — paraphrased knowledge elements pointing at the governing FAA publication; not yet verified against a retrieved source.

  • 14 CFR 91.113 — 14 CFR Part 91 — General Operating and Flight Rules unverified
  • 14 CFR 91.17 — 14 CFR Part 91 — General Operating and Flight Rules unverified
  • 14 CFR 91.3 — 14 CFR Part 91 — General Operating and Flight Rules unverified

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