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14 CFR § 91.205
Volume 2 · Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, 2025 edition.
Powered civil aircraft with standard category U.S
Sec. 91.205 Powered civil aircraft with standard category U.S.
airworthiness certificates: Instrument and equipment requirements.
(a) General. Except as provided in paragraphs (c)(3) and (e) of this
section, no person may operate a powered civil aircraft with a standard
category U.S. airworthiness certificate in any operation described in
paragraphs (b) through (f) of this section unless that aircraft contains
the instruments and equipment specified in those paragraphs (or FAA-
approved equivalents) for that type of operation, and those instruments
and items of equipment are in operable condition.
(b) Visual-flight rules (day). For VFR flight during the day, the
following instruments and equipment are required:
(1) Airspeed indicator.
(2) Altimeter.
(3) Magnetic direction indicator.
(4) Tachometer for each engine.
(5) Oil pressure gauge for each engine using pressure system.
(6) Temperature gauge for each liquid-cooled engine.
(7) Oil temperature gauge for each air-cooled engine.
(8) Manifold pressure gauge for each altitude engine.
(9) Fuel gauge indicating the quantity of fuel in each tank.
(10) Landing gear position indicator, if the aircraft has a
retractable landing gear.
(11) For small civil airplanes certificated after March 11, 1996, in
accordance with part 23 of this chapter, an approved aviation red or
aviation white anticollision light system. In the event of failure of
any light of the anticollision light system, operation of the aircraft
may continue to a location where repairs or replacement can be made.
(12) If the aircraft is operated for hire over water and beyond
power-off gliding distance from shore, approved flotation gear readily
available to each occupant and, unless the aircraft is operating under
part 121 of this subchapter, at least one pyrotechnic signaling device.
As used in this section, ``shore'' means that area of the land adjacent
to the water which is above the high water mark and excludes land areas
which are intermittently under water.
(13) An approved safety belt with an approved metal-to-metal
latching device, or other approved restraint system for each occupant 2
years of age or older.
(14) For small civil airplanes manufactured after July 18, 1978, an
approved shoulder harness or restraint system for each front seat. For
small civil airplanes manufactured after December 12, 1986, an approved
shoulder harness or restraint system for all seats. Shoulder harnesses
installed at flightcrew stations must permit the flightcrew member, when
seated and with the safety belt and shoulder harness fastened, to
perform all functions necessary for flight operations. For purposes of
this paragraph--
(i) The date of manufacture of an airplane is the date the
inspection acceptance records reflect that the airplane is complete and
meets the FAA-approved type design data; and
(ii) A front seat is a seat located at a flightcrew member station
or any seat located alongside such a seat.
(15) An emergency locator transmitter, if required by Sec. 91.207.
(16) [Reserved]
(17) For rotorcraft manufactured after September 16, 1992, a
shoulder harness for each seat that meets the requirements of Sec. 27.2
or Sec. 29.2 of this chapter in effect on September 16, 1991.
(c) Visual flight rules (night). For VFR flight at night, the
following instruments and equipment are required:
(1) Instruments and equipment specified in paragraph (b) of this
section.
(2) Approved position lights.
(3) An approved aviation red or aviation white anticollision light
system on all U.S.-registered civil aircraft. Anticollision light
systems initially installed after August 11, 1971, on aircraft for which
a type certificate was issued or applied for before August 11, 1971,
must at least meet the anticollision light standards of part 23, 25, 27,
or 29 of this chapter, as applicable, that were in effect on August 10,
1971, except that the color may be either aviation red or aviation
white. In the event of failure of any light of the anticollision light
system, operations with the aircraft may be continued to a stop where
repairs or replacement can be made.
(4) If the aircraft is operated for hire, one electric landing
light.
(5) An adequate source of electrical energy for all installed
electrical and radio equipment.
(6) One spare set of fuses, or three spare fuses of each kind
required, that are accessible to the pilot in flight.
(d) Instrument flight rules. For IFR flight, the following
instruments and equipment are required:
(1) Instruments and equipment specified in paragraph (b) of this
section, and, for night flight, instruments and equipment specified in
paragraph (c) of this section.
(2) Two-way radio communication and navigation equipment suitable
for the route to be flown.
(3) Gyroscopic rate-of-turn indicator, except on the following
aircraft:
(i) Airplanes with a third attitude instrument system usable through
flight attitudes of 360 degrees of pitch and roll and installed in
accordance with the instrument requirements prescribed in Sec.
121.305(j) of this chapter; and
(ii) Rotorcraft with a third attitude instrument system usable
through flight attitudes of <plus-minus<ls-thn-eq>80 degrees of pitch
and <plus-minus<ls-thn-eq>120 degrees of roll and installed in
accordance with Sec. 29.1303(g) of this chapter.
(4) Slip-skid indicator.
(5) Sensitive altimeter adjustable for barometric pressure.
(6) A clock displaying hours, minutes, and seconds with a sweep-
second pointer or digital presentation.
(7) Generator or alternator of adequate capacity.
(8) Gyroscopic pitch and bank indicator (artificial horizon).
(9) Gyroscopic direction indicator (directional gyro or equivalent).
(e) Flight at and above 24,000 feet MSL (FL 240). If VOR navigation
equipment is required under paragraph (d)(2) of this section, no person
may operate a U.S.-registered civil aircraft within the 50 states and
the District of Columbia at or above FL 240 unless that aircraft is
equipped with approved DME or a suitable RNAV system. When the DME or
RNAV system required by this paragraph fails at and above FL 240, the
pilot in command of the aircraft must notify ATC immediately, and then
may continue operations at and above FL 240 to the next airport of
intended landing where repairs or replacement of the equipment can be
made.
(f) Category II operations. The requirements for Category II
operations are the instruments and equipment specified in--
(1) Paragraph (d) of this section; and
(2) Appendix A to this part.
(g) Category III operations. The instruments and equipment required
for Category III operations are specified in paragraph (d) of this
section.
(h) Night vision goggle operations. For night vision goggle
operations, the following instruments and equipment must be installed in
the aircraft, functioning in a normal manner, and approved for use by
the FAA:
(1) Instruments and equipment specified in paragraph (b) of this
section, instruments and equipment specified in paragraph (c) of this
section;
(2) Night vision goggles;
(3) Interior and exterior aircraft lighting system required for
night vision goggle operations;
(4) Two-way radio communications system;
(5) Gyroscopic pitch and bank indicator (artificial horizon);
(6) Generator or alternator of adequate capacity for the required
instruments and equipment; and
(7) Radar altimeter.
(i) Exclusions. Paragraphs (f) and (g) of this section do not apply
to operations conducted by a holder of a certificate issued under part
121 or part 135 of this chapter.
[Docket 18334, 54 FR 34292, Aug. 18, 1989, as amended by Amdt. 91-220,
55 FR 43310, Oct. 26, 1990; Amdt. 91-223, 56 FR 41052, Aug. 16, 1991;
Amdt. 91-231, 57 FR 42672, Sept. 15, 1992; Amdt. 91-248, 61 FR 5171,
Feb. 9, 1996; Amdt. 91-251, 61 FR 34560, July 2, 1996; Amdt. 91-285, 69
FR 77599, Dec. 27, 2004; Amdt. 91-296, 72 FR 31679, June 7, 2007; Amdt.
91-309, 74 FR 42563, Aug. 21, 2009; Docket FAA-2015-1621, Amdt. 91-346,
81 FR 96700, Dec. 30, 2016]
Effective Date Note: Amendments to Sec. 91.205 were published by
Docket FAA-2023-1275, Amdt. 60-8, 89 FR 92486, Nov. 21, 2024, effective
Jan. 21, 2025.U.S. Government work — public domain (17 U.S.C. §105). Reproduced from the checksummed 2025 annual edition of Title 14; always confirm against the current eCFR.