Section 121.653

14 CFR Ch. I (1-1-19 Edition)

used as an alternate airport, but in no
event may the landing minimums be
less than 300 and 1. However, a Pilot in
command employed by a certificate
holder conducting operations in large
aircraft under part 135 of this chapter,
may credit flight time acquired in operations conducted for that operator
under part 91 in the same type airplane
for up to 50 percent of the 100 hours of
pilot in command experience required
by this paragraph.
(b) The 100 hours of pilot in command
experience required by paragraph (a) of
this section may be reduced (not to exceed 50 percent) by substituting one
landing in operations under this part in
the type of airplane for 1 required hour
of pilot in command experience, if the
pilot has at least 100 hours as pilot in
command of another type airplane in
operations under this part.
(c) Category II minimums and the
sliding scale when authorized in the
certificate holder-s operations specifications do not apply until the pilot in
command subject to paragraph (a) of
this section meets the requirements of
that paragraph in the type of airplane
he is operating.
[Doc. No. 7594, 33 FR 10843, July 31, 1968, as
amended by Amdt. 121-143, 43 FR 22642, May
25, 1978; Amdt. 121-253, 61 FR 2615, Jan. 26,
1996; Amdt. 121-333, 72 FR 31682, June 7, 2007]

Section 121.653

[Reserved]

Section 121.655 Applicability
of
reported
weather minimums.
In conducting operations under
SectionSection 121.649 through 121.653, the ceiling
and visibility values in the main body
of the latest weather report control for
VFR and IFR takeoffs and landings and
for instrument approach procedures on
all runways of an airport. However, if
the latest weather report, including an
oral report from the control tower,
contains a visibility value specified as
runway visibility or runway visual
range for a particular runway of an airport, that specified value controls for
VFR and IFR landings and takeoffs and
straight-in instrument approaches for
that runway.
Section 121.657 Flight altitude rules.
(a) General. Notwithstanding Section 91.119
or any rule applicable outside the

United States, no person may operate
an aircraft below the minimums set
forth in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this
section, except when necessary for
takeoff or landing, or except when,
after considering the character of the
terrain, the quality and quantity of
meteorological services, the navigational facilities available, and other
flight conditions, the Administrator
prescribes other minimums for any
route or part of a route where he finds
that the safe conduct of the flight requires other altitudes. Outside of the
United States the minimums prescribed in this section are controlling
unless higher minimums are prescribed
in the certificate holder-s operations
specifications or by the foreign country
over which the aircraft is operating.
(b) Day VFR operations. No certificate
holder conducting domestic operations
may operate a passenger-carrying aircraft and no certificate holder conducting flag or supplemental operations may operate any aircraft under
VFR during the day at an altitude less
than 1,000 feet above the surface or less
than 1,000 feet from any mountain, hill,
or other obstruction to flight.
(c) Night VFR, IFR, and over-the-top
operations. No person may operate an
aircraft under IFR including over-thetop or at night under VFR at an altitude less than 1,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a horizontal distance of five miles from the center of
the intended course, or, in designated
mountainous areas, less than 2,000 feet
above the highest obstacle within a
horizontal distance of five miles from
the center of the intended course.
(d) Day over-the-top operations below
minimum en route altitudes. A person
may conduct day over-the-top operations in an airplane at flight altitudes
lower than the minimum en route IFR
altitudes if - 
(1) The operation is conducted at
least 1,000 feet above the top of lower
broken or overcast cloud cover;
(2) The top of the lower cloud cover is
generally uniform and level;
(3) Flight visibility is at least five
miles; and
(4) The base of any higher broken or
overcast cloud cover is generally uniform and level and is at least 1,000 feet

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