Part 91: General Operating and Flight Rules
Preflight action under 91.103, required equipment under 91.205, and more.
15 min read · Regulations: FAR and AIM
After this lesson you can
- State the authority 91.3 gives the pilot in command, and its limit.
- List the information 91.103 requires a pilot to gather before every flight.
- Recite the day VFR equipment list of 91.205(b) using the A TOMATO FLAMES mnemonic.
- Apply the fuel reserve, cruising altitude, and minimum safe altitude rules to a scenario.
Part 91 is the general operating rulebook. It opens with a sentence that frames everything that follows: the pilot in command is the final authority for, and directly responsible for, the conduct of the flight.
Its most-quoted sections are remembered by number, because that is how they get referenced in the cockpit and on the written test: 91.103 for preflight planning, 91.205 for equipment, 91.151 for fuel, 91.155 for VFR minimums.
The rest of this lesson
- 1.Authority and responsibility of the pilot in command
- 2.Preflight action: 91.103
- 3.Minimum equipment: 91.205
- 4.Fuel, altitudes, and speeds
- 5.Collision avoidance: the other duty under Part 91
These 5 sections, their figures, the checks along the way and the end-of-lesson quiz come with the PPL track. Paid once, yours for good.
Key terms
Try to recall each definition before turning the card.