197 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 121.543 

§ 121.538

Aircraft security. 

Certificate holders conducting oper-

ations under this part must comply 
with the applicable security require-
ments in 49 CFR chapter XII. 

[67 FR 8350, Feb. 22, 2002] 

§ 121.539

Operations notices. 

Each certificate holder shall notify 

its appropriate operations personnel of 
each change in equipment and oper-
ating procedures, including each 
known change in the use of navigation 
aids, airports, air traffic control proce-
dures and regulations, local airport 
traffic control rules, and known haz-
ards to flight, including icing and other 
potentially hazardous meteorological 
conditions and irregularities in ground 
and navigation facilities. 

§ 121.541

Operations schedules: Do-

mestic and flag operations. 

In establishing flight operations 

schedules, each certificate holder con-
ducting domestic or flag operations 
shall allow enough time for the proper 
servicing of aircraft at intermediate 
stops, and shall consider the prevailing 
winds en route and the cruising speed 
of the type of aircraft used. This cruis-
ing speed may not be more than that 
resulting from the specified cruising 
output of the engines. 

[Doc. No. 28154, 61 FR 2613, Jan. 26, 1996] 

§ 121.542

Flight crewmember duties. 

(a) No certificate holder shall re-

quire, nor may any flight crewmember 
perform, any duties during a critical 
phase of flight except those duties re-
quired for the safe operation of the air-
craft. Duties such as company required 
calls made for such nonsafety related 
purposes as ordering galley supplies 
and confirming passenger connections, 
announcements made to passengers 
promoting the air carrier or pointing 
out sights of interest, and filling out 
company payroll and related records 
are not required for the safe operation 
of the aircraft. 

(b) No flight crewmember may en-

gage in, nor may any pilot in command 
permit, any activity during a critical 
phase of flight which could distract 
any flight crewmember from the per-
formance of his or her duties or which 

could interfere in any way with the 
proper conduct of those duties. Activi-
ties such as eating meals, engaging in 
nonessential conversations within the 
cockpit and nonessential communica-
tions between the cabin and cockpit 
crews, and reading publications not re-
lated to the proper conduct of the 
flight are not required for the safe op-
eration of the aircraft. 

(c) For the purposes of this section, 

critical phases of flight includes all 
ground operations involving taxi, take-
off and landing, and all other flight op-
erations conducted below 10,000 feet, 
except cruise flight. 

N

OTE

: Taxi is defined as ‘‘movement of an 

airplane under its own power on the surface 
of an airport.’’ 

(d) During all flight time as defined 

in 14 CFR 1.1, no flight crewmember 
may use, nor may any pilot in com-
mand permit the use of, a personal 
wireless communications device (as de-
fined in 49 U.S.C. 44732(d)) or laptop 
computer while at a flight crewmember 
duty station unless the purpose is di-
rectly related to operation of the air-
craft, or for emergency, safety-related, 
or employment-related communica-
tions, in accordance with air carrier 
procedures approved by the Adminis-
trator. 

[Doc. No. 20661, 46 FR 5502, Jan. 19, 1981, as 
amended by Amdt. 121–369, 79 FR 8263, Feb. 
12, 2014] 

§ 121.543

Flight crewmembers at con-

trols. 

(a) Except as provided in paragraph 

(b) of this section, each required flight 
crewmember on flight deck duty must 
remain at the assigned duty station 
with seat belt fastened while the air-
craft is taking off or landing, and while 
it is en route. 

(b) A required flight crewmember 

may leave the assigned duty station— 

(1) If the crewmember’s absence is 

necessary for the performance of duties 
in connection with the operation of the 
aircraft; 

(2) If the crewmember’s absence is in 

connection with physiological needs; or 

(3) If the crewmember is taking a rest 

period, and relief is provided— 

(i) In the case of the assigned pilot in 

command during the en route cruise 
portion of the flight, by a pilot who 

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