1: Regulations

Flight Engineer and Medical Certificates

Eligibility

Suspension or Revocation of Certificates

Applicable Regulations

Special Airworthiness Requirements

Instrument and Equipment Requirements

Airman and Crewmember Requirements

Training Program

Crewmember Qualifications

Flight Time Limitations and Rest Requirements

Flight Operations

Records and Reports

International Crewmember Certificate

Authorization to Perform Maintenance

Flight Engineer and Medical Certificates

Although "FAR" is used as the acronym for "Federal Aviation Regulations," and found throughout the regulations themselves and hundreds of other publications, the FAA is now actively discouraging its use. "FAR" also means "Federal Acquisition Regulations." To eliminate any possible confusion, the FAA cites the federal aviation regulations with reference to Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations. For example, "FAR Part 91.3" is referenced as "14 CFR Part 91 Section 3."

To perform the duties of a flight engineer a person must have in his/her possession a valid Flight Engineer Certificate and a second-class or higher medical certificate. The medical certificate must have been issued within the last 12 calendar months (e.g., a certificate issued on March 2 is valid through March 31). A flight engineer could carry a first-class medical certificate, but it would still be valid for 12 calendar months.

Flight Engineer Certificates are not issued for specific aircraft types but by class. The classes of airplanes that can appear on a Flight Engineer Certificate are:

A permanent Flight Engineer Certificate is issued without a specific expiration date and is valid indefinitely unless surrendered, suspended or revoked. When a flight engineer receives the initial certificate, or is issued a new class rating, he/she is given a temporary certificate by the examiner. This temporary certificate is valid for 120 days.

If a person loses the Flight Engineer or medical certificate he/she may request the FAA send a telegram or facsimile, stating the certificates were issued, and he/she may then use the telegram or facsimile in lieu of the certificates for up to 60 days.

If a flight engineer experiences an increase in physical deficiency that would make him/her unable to meet the standards of the medical certificate, he/she cannot serve as a flight engineer. There is no requirement to report the physical deficiency to the FAA or to submit to any additional exams.

Eligibility

A person must meet the following three requirements to be eligible for a Flight Engineer Certificate:

There is no requirement that an applicant be a United States citizen. There is also no requirement that an applicant be able to write in English.

In addition, an applicant for a Flight Engineer Certificate (or an additional class rating) must pass a written and a practical test appropriate to the class rating sought.

An applicant for a class rating must submit satisfactory evidence of one of the following:

  1. At least 3 years of diversified practical experience in aircraft and engine maintenance (of which at least 1 year is experience maintaining multi-engine aircraft with engines rated at least 800 horsepower each, or the equivalent in turbine engine-powered aircraft) and at least 5 hours of training in the duties of a flight engineer.
  2. Graduation from at least a 2-year specialized aeronautical training course in maintaining multi-engine aircraft with engines rated at least 800 horsepower each, (or the equivalent in turbine engine-powered aircraft) and at least 5 hours of training in the duties of a flight engineer.
  3. A degree in aeronautical, electrical, or mechanical engineering from a recognized college, university or engineering school and at least 6 calendar months of practical experience in maintaining multi-engine aircraft with engines rated at least 800 horsepower each (or the equivalent in turbine engine powered aircraft), and at least 5 hours of training in the duties of a flight engineer.
  4. At least a commercial pilot certificate with an instrument rating and at least 5 hours of training in the duties of a flight engineer.
  5. At least 200 hours of flight time in a transport category aircraft (or in a military airplane with at least two engines and at least an equivalent weight and horsepower) as pilot-in-command or second-in-command, performing the functions of a pilot-in-command under the supervision of a pilot-in-command.
  6. At least 100 hours of flight time as a flight engineer.
  7. Within the 90-day period before he/she applies, successful completion of an approved flight engineer ground and flight course of instruction.

A person may take the Flight Engineer Knowledge Test before getting the required flight training.

Suspension or Revocation of Certificates

There are a number of offenses that are cause for revoking or suspending an airman or ground instructor certificate. These include:

If a flight engineer has had his/her certificate suspended, he/she cannot apply for an additional rating on that certificate during the period of the suspension. If a person has had a certificate revoked, he/she cannot apply for a new certificate for one year.

No one may serve as a crewmember on a civil aircraft:

Applicable Regulations

Three different parts of the Federal Aviation Regulations can apply to operations of aircraft that have a flight engineer as a required flight crewmember: Part 91, Part 121 and Part 125.

Part 91 encompasses the general operating and flight rules for all aircraft operating within the United States. Often the rules of Part 91 are supplemented or even superseded by Part 121 or Part 125. The FAA may grant Part 125 operators relief from parts of that regulation. If so, the operator will be issued a Letter of Deviation Authority by the FAA.

Part 121 applies to air carriers (airlines) engaged in interstate or overseas air transportation. Carriers which operate under Part 121 are engaged in common carriage. This means that they offer their services to the public and receive compensation for those services. Questions which use the term "common carriage" are referring to Part 121 operations. Part 121 operators are subdivided into three categories. Carriers authorized to conduct scheduled operations within the 48 contiguous states are called domestic air carriers. Flag air carriers conduct scheduled operations outside the 48 contiguous states. A supplemental carrier conducts its operations anywhere that its operations specification permit but only on a nonscheduled basis.

Part 125 governs operations of large airplanes when common carriage is not involved. Part 125 operators fly for compensation or hire but do not hold out their services to the public. Usually they have a contract with just one or two customers to transport passengers or cargo in support of the customer's business.

Special Airworthiness Requirements

Flammable—susceptible to igniting readily or exploding.

Flash Resistant—not susceptible to burning violently when ignited.

Flame Resistant—not susceptible to combustion to the point of propagating a flame after the source of combustion is removed.

Fire Resistant—the ability to withstand the heat of a fire at least as well as aluminum.

Fireproof—the ability to withstand the heat of a fire at least as well as steel.

Cargo (including carry-on baggage) may be carried in the passenger compartment of an aircraft if certain conditions are met. If the cargo is carried in an approved cargo bin, it can be located anywhere in the passenger compartment. If the cargo is not placed in an approved cargo bin it must be located aft of a bulkhead or divider (i.e., not aft of a passenger) and it must meet certain other requirements:

Each large airplane must have an aural landing gear warning device (i.e., a gear horn) that sounds continuously when the flaps are extended beyond the maximum approach climb configuration and the landing gear is not down and locked. The maximum "approach climb" configuration is the greatest flap extension used for a takeoff or go around.

Instrument and Equipment Requirements

Each airspeed indicator on air carrier aircraft must be calibrated in knots (nautical miles per hour). In addition, each airspeed limitation and item of related information in the Airplane Flight Manual and on pertinent placards, must be expressed in knots.

In addition to the artificial horizons at each pilot station, a large turbojet airplane must have a third artificial horizon which meets certain criteria. This third artificial horizon must:

Certain emergency equipment must be carried on every air carrier airplane. This equipment includes fire extinguishers, megaphones, first aid kits and a crash ax. All of this equipment must:

Only one crash ax is required on the airplane and must be carried on the flight deck. At least one hand fire extinguisher must be carried on the flight deck, and at least one hand fire extinguisher must be in the galley, if the galley is in the passenger compartment. At least two of the required hand fire extinguishers must contain Halon 1211 or equivalent as the extinguishing agent. The number of extinguishers carried in the cabin is determined by the number of installed passenger seats.

Passenger Seating Capacity

Hand Fire Extinguishers

6 through 30

1

31 through 60

2

61 through 200

3

201 through 300

4

301 through 400

5

401 through 500

6

501 through 600

7

601 or more

8

The number of megaphones carried on the airplane is determined by the number of installed passenger seats. On airplanes with a seating capacity of 60 through 99 passengers, 1 megaphone must be carried in the most rearward location in the passenger cabin that is readily accessible to a normal flight attendant seat. On airplanes with a seating capacity of 100 or more seats, 1 megaphone must be carried at the rear of the cabin and another megaphone must be carried at the front of the cabin.

Passenger-carrying airplanes must have an emergency exit light system. This system must be operable manually from both the flight crew station and from a point in the passenger compartment readily accessible to a flight attendant. When the system is armed it must come on automatically with the interruption of the airplane's normal electrical power. The exit lights must be armed or turned on during taxiing, takeoff and landing.

If any required emergency exit for passengers is located in other than the passenger compartment (such as the flight deck), the door separating the compartments must be latched open during takeoff and landing.

A crewmember interphone system is required on airplanes with a seating capacity of more than 19 seats.

For turbojet aircraft, the rules for supplemental oxygen are different for flight crewmembers and other crewmembers. At cabin altitudes above 12,000 feet, oxygen must be used by all flight crewmembers on flight deck duty and must be provided to other crewmembers for all the time above that altitude. The oxygen requirements for passengers vary with the type of aircraft, but oxygen must be provided to all passengers for the entire time the cabin altitude is above 15,000 feet. When operating at flight altitudes above 10,000 feet in a reciprocating airplane, there must be enough oxygen for all crewmembers for the entire flight at those altitudes and under no circumstances less than a 2-hour supply. The amount of oxygen carried for passengers in the event of loss of pressurization varies, depending on the ability of the airplane to make an emergency descent. If the aircraft can make a descent to 14,000 feet within 4 minutes, it can carry less oxygen than would otherwise be required.

When operating at flight altitudes above FL250, each flight crewmember on flight deck duty must have an oxygen mask, within immediate reach, so designed that it can be rapidly placed on his/her face. This is commonly referred as a quick-donning mask. To meet the requirements of the regulations, this mask must be designed so that it can be put on the user's face and deliver oxygen within 5 seconds. If, while operating above FL250, one pilot leaves his/her station, the other pilot must put on his/her oxygen mask. Above FL410, one pilot must wear the mask at all times. Notice that rule applies only to the pilots. Above

FL250 the flight engineer need only have his/her quick-donning mask readily available. Every flight crewmember must inspect his/her own oxygen mask prior to every flight.

An approved flight recorder must be installed on all airplanes certified for operations above 25,000 feet and on all turbine-powered airplanes. What the flight recorder must record varies from airplane to airplane but at a minimum it must record:

Cockpit voice recorders are required on large turbine engine-powered airplanes and large four-engine reciprocating-powered airplanes. The recorder must operate from before the start of the "before-starting checklist" to the completion of the "secure cockpit checklist." Although the recorder runs for the entire flight, only the most recent 30 minutes of information need be retained on the recorder tape.

The cockpit voice recorder tape can be used to identify malfunctions and irregularities with the aircraft and in carrying out investigations under NTSB Part 830. It cannot be used by the FAA for enforcement purposes. If an incident occurs which would require the immediate notification of the NTSB, the voice recorder data must be kept by the operator for at least 60 days.

A ground proximity/glide slope warning system must be installed on all large turbine-powered airplanes.

Airman and Crewmember Requirements

On each flight that requires a flight engineer, at least one other member of the flight crew must be qualified to provide emergency performance of the flight engineer's duties if he/she becomes ill or incapacitated. Either pilot can fulfill the function and he/she need not hold a Flight Engineer Certificate to be "qualified."

Each operator must determine the assignments of required crewmembers in an emergency evacuation and these duties must be described in the air carrier's Flight Operations Manual.

Training Program

For these definitions of training, aircraft are divided into two "groups." Group I aircraft are propeller driven. Turbojet aircraft are Group II.

Initial Training is the training required for crewmembers and dispatchers who have not qualified and served in the same capacity (i.e., flight engineer, co-pilot, pilot-in-command) on another aircraft of the same group.

Transition Training is the training required for crewmembers and dispatchers who have qualified and served in the same capacity on another aircraft of the same group.

Upgrade Training is the training required, for crewmembers who have qualified and served as second-in-command or flight engineer on a particular airplane type (e.g., Boeing 727), before they can serve as pilot-in-command or second-in-command, respectively, on that airplane.

Differences Training is the training required, for crewmembers or dispatchers who have qualified and served on a particular type of airplane, before they can serve in the same capacity on a variation of that airplane. For example, a crewmember who is qualified on a Boeing 727-100 must have differences training to serve on a Boeing 727-200.

Flight engineers in initial or transition training are required to do certain parts of their flight check in flight, but most of the check may be done in a simulator. Flight engineers possessing a Commercial Pilot Certificate with an instrument, category and class rating may complete the entire check in an approved simulator.

Crewmember Qualifications

Each flight crewmember must have completed recurrent training within the preceding 12 calendar months. For flight engineers, this training must include normal and emergency or alternate operation of all flight systems.

Each person who has duties concerning the handling or carriage of dangerous articles or magnetized materials must have completed a training course within the preceding 12 calendar months. For flight engineers, this training must include normal and emergency or alternate operation of all flight systems.

After completing training, a flight engineer must initially perform his/her duties under the supervision of a check airman or a qualified flight engineer. The class of airplane determines the minimum required hours. The requirements are:

These hours may be reduced to 50% of those required by substituting one takeoff and landing for each hour.

No one may serve as a flight engineer on a particular type airplane unless he/she has at least 50 hours of flight time as a flight engineer on that type airplane within the preceding 6 calendar months. If a person does not have the 50 hours flight time he/she must take a checkride given by the certificate holder. This rule also applies to operations under 14 CFR Part 91.

Flight Time Limitations and Rest Requirements

Flight crewmembers on domestic flight operations have the following flight time limits:

On flag operations with a flight crew consisting of two pilots and one additional flight crewmember (e.g., flight engineer) the following flight time limits apply:

On flag operations where more than one flight engineer is required the following flight time limits apply:

Note that these time limits apply to all commercial flying done by the crewmember and not just the time flown with the air carrier.

Besides the limits on flight time there are required periods of rest, based on the amount of flying done within a 24-hour period. There is also a requirement that a flight crewmember be given at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in any 7 consecutive day period. A person cannot be assigned to any ground or flight duties during required rest periods.

The term deadhead is used to describe the transportation of crewmembers by the air carrier to or from their flight assignments when that transportation is not local in character. Time spent in deadhead air transportation cannot be considered as part of a required rest period.

Flight Operations

Regulations say only those duties required for the safe operation of the aircraft are allowed during "critical phases of flight." Critical phases of flight are defined as taxi, takeoff, landing and climb and descent when below 10,000 feet. Excluded from the definition of critical phase of flight are any operations at or above 10,000 feet and cruise flight below 10,000 feet. Activities which are prohibited during critical phases of flight include such duties as filling out logs, ordering galley supplies or making passenger announcements to point out sights of interest. Activities such as eating meals or engaging in nonessential conversations are also prohibited.

Each flight crewmember must be at his/her station with the seatbelt fastened during takeoff, landing and en route. The only reason a flight crewmember may leave his/her station in flight is if his/her duties require absence, or in connection with physiological needs. Only one flight crewmember may be away from his/her station at a time.

There are certain persons who have to be admitted to the flight deck in flight (such as crewmembers, FAA inspectors, etc.), and certain others who may be admitted (e.g., deadheading crew), but the pilot-in-command has emergency authority to exclude any person from the flight deck in the interest of safety.

Each crewmember on a flight must have a flashlight in good working order readily available to him or her.

It is the responsibility of the pilot-in-command (PIC) to ensure that all mechanical irregularities that occur in flight are entered in the aircraft's logbook. It is also the PIC's responsibility to determine the status of each irregularity entered after the preceding flight.

On flights that carry only cargo, passengers can be carried only if they are necessary for the handling of the cargo. Such passengers must have a seat in the cargo compartment, but the pilot-in-command may authorize their admittance to the flight deck.

The purpose of the minimum equipment list is to indicate required items of equipment which may be inoperative for a flight beyond a terminal point.

Records and Reports

Each flag and domestic flight must have a dispatch release on board. The release can be in any form but must contain the following information:

The pilot-in-command of a flight shall carry in the airplane to its destination:

International Crewmember Certificate

Crewmember certificates are issued by the FAA to U.S. citizens who serve as crewmembers in international air commerce. The purpose of the certificate is to facilitate entrance of the crewmembers into ICAO contracting countries.

Authorization to Perform Maintenance

A Flight Engineer Certificate does not authorize a person to perform maintenance on an aircraft. A person may perform maintenance on an aircraft only if he/she has completed an approved training program, is authorized by the certificate holder, and holds the appropriate mechanic certificates.