Section 135.611

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

Section 135.611 IFR operations at locations
without weather reporting.
(a) If a certificate holder is authorized to conduct helicopter IFR operations, the Administrator may authorize the certificate holder to conduct
IFR helicopter air ambulance operations at airports with an instrument
approach procedure and at which a
weather report is not available from
the U.S. National Weather Service
(NWS), a source approved by the NWS,
or a source approved by the FAA, subject to the following limitations:
(1) The certificate holder must obtain
a weather report from a weather reporting facility operated by the NWS, a
source approved by the NWS, or a
source approved by the FAA, that is located within 15 nautical miles of the
airport. If a weather report is not
available, the certificate holder may
obtain the area forecast from the NWS,
a source approved by the NWS, or a
source approved by the FAA, for information regarding the weather observed
in the vicinity of the airport;
(2) Flight planning for IFR flights
conducted under this paragraph must
include selection of an alternate airport that meets the requirements of
SectionSection 135.221 and 135.223;
(3) In Class G airspace, IFR departures with visual transitions are authorized only after the pilot in command determines that the weather conditions at the departure point are at or
above takeoff minimums depicted in
the published Obstacle Departure Procedure or VFR minimum ceilings and
visibilities in accordance with Section 135.609.
(4) All approaches must be conducted
at Category A approach speeds as established in part 97 or those required
for the type of approach being used.
(b) Each helicopter air ambulance operated under this section must be
equipped
with
functioning
severe
weather detection equipment.
(c) Pilots conducting operations pursuant to this section may use the
weather information obtained in paragraph (a) to satisfy the weather report
and forecast requirements of Section 135.213
and Section 135.225(a).
(d) After completing a landing at the
airport at which a weather report is
not available, the pilot in command is
authorized to determine if the weather

meets the takeoff requirements of part
97 of this chapter or the certificate
holder-s operations specification, as applicable.
[Doc. No. FAA-2010-0982, 79 FR 9975, Feb. 21,
2014, as amended by Amdt. 135-131, 79 FR
43622, July 28, 2014]

Section 135.613 Approach/departure
transitions.

(a) Approaches. When conducting an
authorized instrument approach and
transitioning from IFR to VFR flight,
upon transitioning to VFR flight the
following weather minimums apply - 
(1) For Point-in-Space (PinS) Copter
Instrument approaches annotated with
a  - Proceed VFR -  segment, if the distance from the missed approach point
to the landing area is 1 NM or less,
flight visibility must be at least 1 statute mile and the ceiling on the approach chart applies;
(2) For all instrument approaches, including PinS when paragraph (a)(1) of
this section does not apply, if the distance from the missed approach point
to the landing area is 3 NM or less, the
applicable VFR weather minimums
are - 
(i) For Day Operations: No less than
a 600-foot ceiling and 2 statute miles
flight visibility;
(ii) For Night Operations: No less
than a 600-foot ceiling and 3 statute
miles flight visibility; or
(3) For all instrument approaches, including PinS, if the distance from the
missed approach point to the landing
area is greater than 3 NM, the VFR
weather minimums required by the
class of airspace.
(b) Departures. For transitions from
VFR to IFR upon departure - 
(1) The VFR weather minimums of
paragraph (a) of this section apply if - 
(i) An FAA-approved obstacle departure procedure is followed; and
(ii) An IFR clearance is obtained on
or before reaching a predetermined location that is not more than 3 NM from
the departure location.
(2) If the departure does not meet the
requirements of paragraph (b)(1) of this
section, the VFR weather minimums
required by the class of airspace apply.

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