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-   -   Part 91 ferry flying documents required (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/technical/133763-part-91-ferry-flying-documents-required.html)

oicur12 05-02-2021 11:28 AM

Part 91 ferry flying documents required
 
Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone here can help out regarding the documents required to be onboard a ferry flight for a transport category aircraft? As an airline guy I am conversant with company specific requirements however I cant seem to locate in the FAR’s what is required to be part of the ships library. FCOM’s I presume, at least 1 QRH? W and B charts?

Any guidance would be appreciated,

regards

JohnBurke 05-02-2021 03:05 PM

The answer to your question really depends on what you're asking, as you're not very clear regarding the nature of the operation. Is this a Part 121 airplane on a maintenance, reposition, or other ferry flight? Is it an airplane that normally only operates under Part 91, on a special flight authorization ("ferry permit")?

You can actually read this for yourself. Have you read the regulation to see what is required, or did you simply ask?

You'll require the flight manual(s), as required by the applicable regulation governing that aircraft and its certification, and registration. What those manuals are depends on the nature of the aircraft and who is operating it and for what purpose. See 14 CFR 91.9.

All applicable placards and marking are also required to be present, or amended per 91.213.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-id...91_19&rgn=div8

You're required to have airworthiness and registration certificate, per 91.203.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-id..._1203&rgn=div8

If you're operating internationally, you'll need a radio station license.

Weight and balance information ("loading information" must be included in the approved aircraft flight manual, per 14 CFR 23.2620, or 25.1583.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-id...12620&rgn=div8

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-id...12620&rgn=div8

The acronym ARROW is sometimes used: Airworthiness certificate, Registration Certificate Radio station license (international only), Operating limitations (typically found in the aircraft manual, but may be separate), and weight and balance or loading information.

There may be additional documentation depending on the operation, aircraft type, country or state of registry, etc.

rickair7777 05-03-2021 09:32 AM

At least a couple airlines I worked at required 91 ferry ops to comply with all usual 121 regs, and any exceptions were spelled out on the DX release (usually MX or crew duty). That system makes sense so you don't have to research or guess what you need and don't need.

oicur12 05-03-2021 11:30 AM

Thanks for your detailed response.



In brief, I had a discussion with a crew and dispatching mechanic about a ferry flight that was to depart this coming week for an airliner that had been returned from lease by its previous operator and was to ferried (part 91 I assume) to the paint shop in preparation for leasing to a new airline in Asia.



I assume the aircraft was in the hands of the leasing company however when the crew raised the issue of what documentation they would expect to find onboard the reply was a blank stare followed by “nothing, the cockpit is empty”, except of course the Airworthiness/Reg/Radio certificates.



The crew involved were puzzled as they had not been given any documentation such as FCOM,s, QRH or manual load sheet so I was left wondering how ferry companies handle this sort of operation as I may become involved in this sort of work in the future.



I subsequently found the FAR’s that reference this (thanks for the links also) and I guess it is reasonably obvious that FCOM/FOM’s must be onboard, as you pointed out including aircraft limitations along with the other items specified.



It made me realize just how much the airline takes care of these issues for a line pilot and how many considerations there are for a ferry crew when conducting these operations outside of the guidance of an airline.



For example, we use the Airbus MEL, which is based on the master MEL but who provides an MEL to a ferry crew when the aircraft is not actually “operated” by an airline with a maintenance program?



Thanks again for any thoughts you may have.

JohnBurke 05-03-2021 09:13 PM

When a MEL is not provided and a master MEL for the aircraft type is not available, then the only means of amending the aircraft "in a manner acceptable to the administrator" for a Part 91 ferry, is 14 CFR 91.213.

https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-id..._1213&rgn=div8

You'll still need the require applicable minimum equipment for VFR or IFR, night, etc, and mechanic discrepancies may require the use of a special flight authorization ("ferry permit"). A ferry permit comes with specific conditions which must also be adhered.

it's worth noting that all of this is basic information that every student pilot and every private pilot is required to now.

So far as "Part 91" flying, you're always under Part 91. Additional regulations such as Part 121 or 123 add to, or in some cases modify certain basic requirements, but everyone is operating under Parts 61 (for the pilots) and 91 (for the aircraft and operation). When someone says a "Part 91 ferry," what they're implying is that it won't be conducted under other regulations. Other regulations do apply, however. An airplane under a ferry permit may be exempt from a number of requirements, and often aircraft that are being ferried are in deplorable condition. The special authorization permit is permission to operate outside of the typical constraints to the extend allowed by the permit.

You'll need to ensure that the airworthiness and registration are applicable...not just leftover from a prior operator, and that the operating manual is one applicable to that aircraft (not just a similar manual placed on board). There may be maintenance discrepancies that must be attended: you'll need to determine that open discrepancies have been addressed, and that all the applicable maintenance items are done, including the paperwork. You may be doing this for your company, who is supposed to provide some of this oversight, but on a strictly Part 91 flight, it falls on your shoulders, and you're responsible, as is the owner/operator. You share that jointly.

Aircraft on a ferry permit may have restrictions regarding flight over populated areas, as well as performance restrictions (altitude, airspeed configuration, etc), limitations on ice, weather, instrument conditions, etc. Ensure that any paperwork addressing discrepancies covers the correct problems. I have seen situations in which a ferry was to be conducted with a special flight authorization for one condition, but that wasn't the correct condition. Because a different status existed, the special flight permit wasn't valid, and operating that aircraft would be illegal.

Your original question covered only documentation; I limited my response to that. However, there is a lot more one might look for on a simple ferry flight. This is especially true of an airframe that is unknown to the individual, or the maintenance history is not a known quantity. Don't take anything for granted. Occasionally aircraft to be ferried are in top condition; new deliveries from the factory, for example (though those can hold some nasty surprises, too). In many cases, aircraft being ferried, especially under a ferry permit, are far from okay, and one should watch very carefully for the hidden, unintended, or things below the surface. Aircraft on special flight permits get away with a lot; including single plot in multi pilot aircraft in some cases. Whereas an aircraft with a discrepancy must be "altered in a manner acceptable to the administrator" with an MEL or via 91.213, a ferry permit is an entirely different animal. It's all about a blanket authorization to operate the aircraft in a non-compliant condition (out of annual, lacking registration, maintenance issues, condition outside of normal MEL categories, etc), typically a one-time authorization to move the aircraft to a location where work can be performed.

Caveat emptor: buyer beware. Ferry flights: caveat nauclerus. Pilot beware.


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