FAR Study Guide
This is the bare essential information for FAR part 91 and the Airman’s Information Manual for glider pilots. This information is for review and for private pilot applicants. Commercial students should read each FAR and AIM paragraph listed in full. CFI’s should know the entire FAR 91 section and should read the whole AIM.
61.53 Can’t operate with medical deficiency that would prevent operating in safe manner
61.56 Must have flight review within preceding 24 calendar months. In any aircraft which you are rated. For flight review in glider one hour ground, one hour flight or three flights to pattern altitude with CFI. Any check ride resets the 24 month clock.
61.57 Must have 3 takeoffs and landings in gliders within preceding 90 days to carry passengers.
61.69 Not just any pilot can tow you. Must be checked out in accordance with this reg.
61.87 Before solo must cover certain areas of knowledge, pass a pre-solo written, and be endorsed for each type of aircraft. Additional endorsement each 90 days.
61.93 Solo flights must be within 25 nm of home base and not land away unless endorsed for solo cross country. Local land out is acceptable under emergency authority.
61.113 Private pilots pay no less than the pro rata share of costs related to the flight.
91.3 PIC is the final authority. PIC can deviate from rules in an emergency.
91.7 A/C must be airworthy. PIC’s responsibility.
91.13 Don’t fly carelessly or recklessly. Lives or property of another.
91.14 You can drop objects if you take care so no one is hurt.
91.105 Wear your lap belt when flying, wear your should harness also for takeoff and landing
91.107 Passengers have to use lap belts.
91.111 Don’t create a hazard by flying too close to another aircraft. Formation flight requires prior communication. No passengers for hire during formation flight.
91.113 Right of way rules
Stay well clear
Aircraft in distress has right of way over all other A/C.
Aircraft of the same category converge, one on right has right of way
Head on – alter course to right
Overtaking- alter course to right to pass
Aircraft of mixed category- less maneuverable has right of way
Balloon
Glider
Towing or Refueling
Airship
Powered Parachute
Weight shift A/C
Airplane
Rotorcraft
Landing Aircraft- Landing aircraft has priority over ground A/C. Two landing- lower has priority.
91.117 Aircraft go fast 10,000 and above. Below that they are limited to 250 knots or less.
91.119 Don’t fly so low you can’t safely make it to a place to land. Stay 500 feet away from any person, vehicle, vessel, or structure. Congested areas stay 1000 ft. above anything within 2000 feet laterally.
91.123 Unless it’s an emergency, do what ATC says.
91.124 Know your ATC light gun signals. (*might see in non-powered glider ops.)
Signal On Ground In Flight
Steady Green* Cleared for Takeoff Cleared to land*
Flashing Green Cleared to Taxi Return for landing
Steady Red* Stop Give way to other aircraft &circle*
Flashing Red* Taxi clear of runway Airport unsafe do not land*
Flashing White Return to starting point N/A
Alt. Red & Green* Use Caution Use Caution*
91.126 Class G is uncontrolled airspace
91.127 Class E is general controlled airspace.
E is for everywhere we fly except below 1200 AGL, 700 AGL in some areas as depicted on charts.
May extend to surface at airports with weather reporting.
Class E surface areas are magenta dashed line on chart.
Top is “below 18,000 MSL”.
91.129 Class D airspace has an ATC tower
Class D is depicted by blue dashed line on chart. Usually 4 nm radius, 2500 AGL. See chart.
D means don’t go there without talking to the tower. HHSC has letter of agreement with ELM.
91.130 Class C airspace has tower and is busier than D. Rochester and Syracuse are examples.
C is for communicate and mode C transponder. Must establish com. (ATC reads back your call sign) before entering. Need to have transponder.
91.131 Class B is busy airspace. Examples are Cleveland and New York.
Must have specific ATC clearance, transponder, and private license (or appropriate endorsements) to enter.
91.133 Restricted and Prohibited Areas
Restricted- think part time
Prohibited- think all the time
For both talk to the controlling agency when in effect.
91.135 Class A airspace is at altitude.
18,000 ft through 60,000 ft.
IFR or VFR window
ATC clearance and two way communications
Transponder
91.137/91.141 Temporary Flight Restrictions – Won’t know unless you check with flight service for NOTAM’s
91.155 Basic VFR weather
Remember – 3 miles vis., 500’ below, 1000’ above, 2000’ to the side. This almost always applies to glider flying.
Uncontrolled airspace below 1200 AGL (scud running) – 1 mile vis., clear of clouds
Above 10,000 ( fast moving aircraft) – 5 miles vis., 1000’ above and below, 1 mile to the side.
The rest doesn’t matter in normal glider flying.
91.211 Oxygen- 12,500-14,000 MSL use for time over 30 minutes. Above 14,000 MSL at all times.
91.303 Aerobatic flight- (Abrupt change in attitude not necessary for normal flight)
Not over crowds or towns.
Not in B,C,D, airspace or on federal airways.
Not below 1500 feet AGL.
Not less than 3 miles visibility.
91.307 Parachutes
Repack every 120 days
No aerobatics (+/- 30 pitch, 60 bank) with passengers unless everyone has a chute.
Doesn’t apply to spin training or flight tests.
91.308 Towing gliders
Tow plane driver must be check out in accordance with FAR 61.69.
Towline or weak link with breaking strength 80 – 200 % of glider’s max. operating weight
Must know your signals
Airman’s Information Manual Study Guide
The following AIM paragraphs have relevance to glider flying.
2-3-1 Aeronautical and Other Airport Visual Aids – General
2-3-1 through 2-3-13 Airport Marking Aids and Signs
3-1-1 Airspace – General
3-1-3 Hierarchy of Overlapping Airspace
3-1-4 Basic VFR Cruising Altitudes
3-2-1 General
3-2-2 Class A
3-2-3 Class B
3-2-4 Class C
3-2-5 Class D
3-2-6 Class E
3-3-1 Class G – General
3-3-2 Class G – VFR requirements
3-4-1 Special Use Airspace – General
3-4-2 Prohibited
3-4-3 Restricted
3-4-4 Warning Areas
3-4-5 Military Operating Areas
3-4-6 Alert Areas
3-4-7 Controlled Firing Areas
3-5-1 Airport Advisory Services
3-5-2 Military Training Routes
3-5-3 Temporary Flight Restrictions
3-5-6 Terminal Radar Service Areas
4-1-2 Control Towers
4-1-3 Flight Service Stations
4-1-9 Traffic Advisory Practices at Airports without an Operation Control Tower
4-1-13 Automated Terminal Information Service
4-2-1 Radio Communications Phraseology and Techniques – General
4-2-2 Radio Technique
4-2-3 Contact Procedures
4-2-4 Aircraft Call Signs
4-2-6 Ground Station Call Signs
4-2-7 Phonetic Alphabet
4-2-8 Figures
4-2-9 Altitudes and Flight Levels
4-2-10 Directions
4-2-11 Speeds
4-2-12 Time
4-2-13 Communications with Tower without a Radio
4-3-1 Airport Operations – General
4-3-2 Airports with an Operating Control Tower
4-3-3 Traffic Patterns
4-3-4 Visual Indicators No Tower
4-3-13 Traffic Control Light Signals
5-1-1 Preflight Preparation
5-1-3 NOTAM’s
5-5-1 Pilot/Controller – General
5-5-2 ATC Clearance
5-5-7 Safety Alert
5-5-10 Traffic Advisories
6-2-5 ELT’s
6-2-7 Search and Rescue
6-3-1 Distress & Urgency Communications
6-3-2 Obtaining Emergency Assistance
7-1-1 National Weather Service Products
7-1-2 FAA Weather Services
7-1-4 Preflight Briefing
7-1-7 Categorical Outlooks
7-1-27 Microbursts
7-1-29 Thunderstorms
7-1-30 Thunderstorms
7-1-31 METAR’s
7-3-1 through 7-3-9 Wake Turbulance
7-6-1 Aviation Safety Reporting System
8-1-1 through 8-1-8 Aeromedical Facts for Pilots