Certification and Operation – FAR 125
#2120-0085
Relevant Sections of 14 CFR Part 125
(a) Each applicant for the issuance of an operating certificate must submit an application in a form and manner prescribed by the Administrator to the FAA Flight Standards district office in whose area the applicant proposes to establish or has established its principal operations base. The application must be submitted at least 60 days before the date of intended operations.
(b) Each application submitted under paragraph (a) of this section must contain a signed statement showing the following:
(1) The name and address of each director and each officer or person employed or who will be employed in a management position described in §125.25.
(2) A list of flight crewmembers with the type of airman certificate held, including ratings and certificate numbers.
(a) The FAA Flight Standards district office charged with the overall inspection of the certificate holder may amend any operations specifications issued under this part if—
(1) It determines that safety in air commerce requires that amendment; or
(2) Upon application by the holder, that district office determines that safety in air commerce allows that amendment.
(b) The certificate holder must file an application to amend operations specifications at least 15 days before the date proposed by the applicant for the amendment to become effective, unless a shorter filing period is approved. The application must be on a form and in a manner prescribed by the Administrator and be submitted to the FAA Flight Standards district office charged with the overall inspection of the certificate holder.
(c) Within 30 days after a notice of refusal to approve a holder's application for amendment is received, the holder may petition the Director, Flight Standards Service, to reconsider the refusal to amend.
(d) When the FAA Flight Standards district office charged with the overall inspection of the certificate holder amends operations specifications, that district office gives notice in writing to the holder of a proposed amendment to the operations specifications, fixing a period of not less than 7 days within which the holder may submit written information, views, and arguments concerning the proposed amendment. After consideration of all relevant matter presented, that district office notifies the holder of any amendment adopted, or a rescission of the notice. That amendment becomes effective not less than 30 days after the holder receives notice of the adoption of the amendment, unless the holder petitions the Director, Flight Standards Service, for reconsideration of the amendment. In that case, the effective date of the amendment is stayed pending a decision by the Director. If the Director finds there is an emergency requiring immediate action as to safety in air commerce that makes the provisions of this paragraph impracticable or contrary to the public interest, the Director notifies the certificate holder that the amendment is effective on the date of receipt, without previous notice.
(a) Each flight crewmember and flight attendant must be relieved from all duty for at least 8 consecutive hours during any 24-hour period.
(b) The Administrator may specify rest, flight time, and duty time limitations in the operations specifications that are other than those specified in paragraph (a) of this section.
(a) Each certificate holder must have procedures established for locating each flight for which an FAA flight plan is not filed that—
(1) Provide the certificate holder with at least the information required to be included in a VFR flight plan;
(2) Provide for timely notification of an FAA facility or search and rescue facility, if an airplane is overdue or missing; and
(3) Provide the certificate holder with the location, date, and estimated time for reestablishing radio or telephone communications, if the flight will operate in an area where communications cannot be maintained.
(b) Flight locating information shall be retained at the certificate holder's principal operations base, or at other places designated by the certificate holder in the flight locating procedures, until the completion of the flight.
(c) Each certificate holder shall furnish the representative of the Administrator assigned to it with a copy of its flight locating procedures and any changes or additions, unless those procedures are included in a manual required under this part.
(a) Each certificate holder shall prepare and keep current a manual setting forth the certificate holder's procedures and policies acceptable to the Administrator. This manual must be used by the certificate holder's flight, ground, and maintenance personnel in conducting its operations. However, the Administrator may authorize a deviation from this paragraph if the Administrator finds that, because of the limited size of the operation, all or part of the manual is not necessary for guidance of flight, ground, or maintenance personnel.
(b) Each certificate holder shall maintain at least one copy of the manual at its principal operations base.
(c) The manual must not be contrary to any applicable Federal regulations, foreign regulation applicable to the certificate holder's operations in foreign countries, or the certificate holder's operating certificate or operations specifications.
(d) A copy of the manual, or appropriate portions of the manual (and changes and additions) shall be made available to maintenance and ground operations personnel by the certificate holder and furnished to—
(1) Its flight crewmembers; and
(2) The FAA Flight Standards district office charged with the overall inspection of its operations.
(e) Each employee of the certificate holder to whom a manual or appropriate portions of it are furnished under paragraph (d)(1) of this section shall keep it up to date with the changes and additions furnished to them.
(f) For the purpose of complying with paragraph (d) of this section, a certificate holder may furnish the persons listed therein with the maintenance part of its manual in printed form or other form, acceptable to the Administrator that is retrievable in the English language. If the certificate holder furnishes the maintenance part of the manual in other than printed form, it must ensure there is a compatible reading device available to those persons that provides a legible image of the maintenance information and instructions or a system that is able to retrieve the maintenance information and instructions in the English language.
(g) If a certificate holder conducts airplane inspections or maintenance at specified stations where it keeps the approved inspection program manual, it is not required to carry the manual aboard the airplane en route to those stations.
(a) Each certificate holder's manual required by §125.71 of this part shall contain, in addition to the items required by §125.73 of this part, at least the following:
(1) A description of the certificate holder’s maintenance organization, when the certificate holder has such an organization.
(2) A list of those persons with whom the certificate holder has arranged for performance of inspections under this part. The list shall include the persons' names and addresses.
(3) The inspection programs required by §125.247 of this part to be followed in the performance of inspections under this part including—
(i) The method of performing routine and nonroutine inspections (other than required inspections);
(ii) The designation of the items that must be inspected (required inspections), including at least those which if improperly accomplished could result in a failure, malfunction, or defect endangering the safe operation of the airplane;
(iii) The method of performing required inspections;
(iv) Procedures for the inspection of work performed under previously required inspection findings (“buy-back procedures”);
(v) Procedures, standards, and limits necessary for required inspections and acceptance or rejection of the items required to be inspected;
(vi) Instructions to prevent any person who performs any item of work from performing any required inspection of that work; and
(vii) Procedures to ensure that work interruptions do not adversely affect required inspections and to ensure required inspections are properly completed before the airplane is released to service.
(b) In addition, each certificate holder's manual shall contain a suitable system which may include a coded system that provides for the retention of the following:
(1) A description (or reference to data acceptable to the Administrator) of the work performed.
(2) The name of the person performing the work and the person's certificate type and number.
(3) The name of the person approving the work and the person's certificate type and number.
Each certificate holder desiring FAA approval of a check airman shall submit a request in writing to the FAA Flight Standards district office charged with the overall inspection of the certificate holder. The Administrator may issue a letter of authority to each check airman if that airman passes the appropriate oral and flight test. The letter of authority lists the tests and checks in this part that the check airman is qualified to give, and the category, class and type airplane, where appropriate, for which the check airman is qualified.
(a) In an emergency situation that requires immediate decision and action, the pilot in command may take any action considered necessary under the circumstances. In such a case, the pilot in command may deviate from prescribed operations, procedures and methods, weather minimums, and this chapter, to the extent required in the interests of safety.
(b) In an emergency situation arising during flight that requires immediate decision and action by appropriate management personnel in the case of operations conducted with a flight following service and which is known to them, those personnel shall advise the pilot in command of the emergency, shall ascertain the decision of the pilot in command, and shall have the decision recorded. If they cannot communicate with the pilot, they shall declare an emergency and take any action that they consider necessary under the circumstances.
(c) Whenever emergency authority is exercised, the pilot in command or the appropriate management personnel shall keep the appropriate ground radio station fully informed of the progress of the flight. The person declaring the emergency shall send a written report of any deviation, through the operator's director of operations, to the Administrator within 10 days, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays, after the flight is completed or, in the case of operations outside the United States, upon return to the home base.
The pilot in command shall ensure that all mechanical irregularities occurring during flight are entered in the maintenance log of the airplane at the next place of landing. Before each flight, the pilot in command shall ascertain the status of each irregularity entered in the log at the end of the preceding flight.
(a) Each certificate holder is responsible for the preparation and accuracy of a load manifest in duplicate containing information concerning the loading of the airplane. The manifest must be prepared before each takeoff and must include—
(1) The number of passengers;
(2) The total weight of the loaded airplane;
(3) The maximum allowable takeoff and landing weights for that flight;
(4) The center of gravity limits;
(5) The center of gravity of the loaded airplane, except that the actual center of gravity need not be computed if the airplane is loaded according to a loading schedule or other approved method that ensures that the center of gravity of the loaded airplane is within approved limits. In those cases, an entry shall be made on the manifest indicating that the center of gravity is within limits according to a loading schedule or other approved method:
(6) The registration number of the airplane;
(7) The origin and destination ; and
(8) Names of passengers.
(b) The pilot in command of an airplane for which a load manifest must be prepared shall carry a copy of the completed load manifest in the airplane to its destination. The certificate holder shall keep copies of completed load manifests for at least 30 days at its principal operations base, or at another location used by it and approved by the Administrator.
(a) Each certificate holder shall—
(1) Maintain current records of each crewmember that show whether or not that crewmember complies with this chapter (e.g., proficiency checks, airplane qualifications, any required physical examinations, and flight time records); and
(2) Record each action taken concerning the release from employment or physical or professional disqualification of any flight crewmember and keep the record for at least 6 months thereafter.
(b) Each certificate holder shall maintain the records required by paragraph (a) of this section at its principal operations base, or at another location used by it and approved by the Administrator.
(c) Computer record systems approved by the Administrator may be used in complying with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section.
(a) The flight release may be in any form but must contain at least the following information concerning each flight:
(1) Company or organization name.
(2) Make, model, and registration number of the airplane being used.
(3) Date of flight.
(4) Name and duty assignment of each crewmember.
(5) Departure airport, destination airports, alternate airports, and route.
(6) Minimum fuel supply (in gallons or pounds).
(7) A statement of the type of operation (e.g., IFR, VFR).
(b) The airplane flight release must contain, or have attached to it, weather reports, available weather forecasts, or a combination thereof.
(a) Each person who takes corrective action or defers action concerning a reported or observed failure or malfunction of an airframe, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance shall record the action taken in the airplane maintenance log in accordance with part 43 of this chapter.
(b) Each certificate holder shall establish a procedure for keeping copies of the airplane maintenance log required by this section in the airplane for access by appropriate personnel and shall include that procedure in the manual required by §125.249.
(a) Each certificate holder shall report the occurrence or detection of each failure, malfunction, or defect, in a form and manner prescribed by the Administrator.
(b) Each certificate holder shall submit each report required by this section, covering each 24-hour period beginning at 0900 local time of each day and ending at 0900 local time on the next day, to the FAA office in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Each report of occurrences during a 24-hour period shall be submitted to the collection point within the next 96 hours. However, a report due on Saturday or Sunday may be submitted on the following Monday, and a report due on a holiday may be submitted on the next work day.
(a) No certificate holder may operate an airplane after maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alteration is performed on the airplane unless the person performing that maintenance, preventive maintenance, or alteration prepares or causes to be prepared—
(1) An airworthiness release; or
(2) An entry in the aircraft maintenance records in accordance with the certificate holder's manual.
(b) The airworthiness release or maintenance record entry required by paragraph (a) of this section must—
(1) Be prepared in accordance with the procedures set forth in the certificate holder's manual;
(2) Include a certification that—
(i) The work was performed in accordance with the requirements of the certificate holder's manual;
(ii) All items required to be inspected were inspected by an authorized person who determined that the work was satisfactorily completed;
(iii) No known condition exists that would make the airplane un-airworthy; and
(iv) So far as the work performed is concerned, the airplane is in condition for safe operation; and
(3) Be signed by a person authorized in part 43 of this chapter to perform maintenance, preventive maintenance, and alteration.
(c) When an airworthiness release form is prepared, the certificate holder must give a copy to the pilot in command and keep a record of it for at least 60 days.
(d) Instead of restating each of the conditions of the certification required by paragraph (b) of this section, the certificate holder may state in its manual that the signature of a person authorized in part 43 of this chapter constitutes that certification.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | Certification and Operation – FAR 125 |
| Author | Taylor CTR Dahl |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2024-07-27 |