458 

14 CFR Ch. I (1–1–19 Edition) 

§ 135.215 

be taken at the airport where those 
IFR operations are conducted, unless 
the Administrator issues operations 
specifications allowing the use of 
weather observations taken at a loca-
tion not at the airport where the IFR 
operations are conducted. The Admin-
istrator issues such operations speci-
fications when, after investigation by 
the U.S. National Weather Service and 
the responsible Flight Standards office, 
it is found that the standards of safety 
for that operation would allow the de-
viation from this paragraph for a par-
ticular operation for which an air car-
rier operating certificate or operating 
certificate has been issued. 

[Doc. No. 16097, 43 FR 46783, Oct. 10, 1978, as 
amended by Amdt. 135–60, 61 FR 2616, Jan. 26, 
1996; Docket FAA–2018–0119, Amdt. 135–139, 83 
FR 9175, Mar. 5, 2018] 

§ 135.215

IFR: Operating limitations. 

(a) Except as provided in paragraphs 

(b), (c) and (d) of this section, no person 
may operate an aircraft under IFR out-
side of controlled airspace or at any 
airport that does not have an approved 
standard instrument approach proce-
dure. 

(b) The Administrator may issue op-

erations specifications to the certifi-
cate holder to allow it to operate under 
IFR over routes outside controlled air-
space if— 

(1) The certificate holder shows the 

Administrator that the flight crew is 
able to navigate, without visual ref-
erence to the ground, over an intended 
track without deviating more than 5 
degrees or 5 miles, whichever is less, 
from that track; and 

(2) The Administrator determines 

that the proposed operations can be 
conducted safely. 

(c) A person may operate an aircraft 

under IFR outside of controlled air-
space if the certificate holder has been 
approved for the operations and that 
operation is necessary to— 

(1) Conduct an instrument approach 

to an airport for which there is in use 
a current approved standard or special 
instrument approach procedure; or 

(2) Climb into controlled airspace 

during an approved missed approach 
procedure; or 

(3) Make an IFR departure from an 

airport having an approved instrument 
approach procedure. 

(d) The Administrator may issue op-

erations specifications to the certifi-
cate holder to allow it to depart at an 
airport that does not have an approved 
standard instrument approach proce-
dure when the Administrator deter-
mines that it is necessary to make an 
IFR departure from that airport and 
that the proposed operations can be 
conducted safely. The approval to oper-
ate at that airport does not include an 
approval to make an IFR approach to 
that airport. 

§ 135.217

IFR: Takeoff limitations. 

No person may takeoff an aircraft 

under IFR from an airport where 
weather conditions are at or above 
takeoff minimums but are below au-
thorized IFR landing minimums unless 
there is an alternate airport within 1 
hour’s flying time (at normal cruising 
speed, in still air) of the airport of de-
parture. 

§ 135.219

IFR: Destination airport 

weather minimums. 

No person may take off an aircraft 

under IFR or begin an IFR or over-the- 
top operation unless the latest weather 
reports or forecasts, or any combina-
tion of them, indicate that weather 
conditions at the estimated time of ar-
rival at the next airport of intended 
landing will be at or above authorized 
IFR landing minimums. 

§ 135.221

IFR: Alternate airport weath-

er minimums. 

(a) 

Aircraft other than rotorcraft. 

No 

person may designate an alternate air-
port unless the weather reports or fore-
casts, or any combination of them, in-
dicate that the weather conditions will 
be at or above authorized alternate air-
port landing minimums for that air-
port at the estimated time of arrival. 

(b) 

Rotorcraft. 

Unless otherwise au-

thorized by the Administrator, no per-
son may include an alternate airport in 
an IFR flight plan unless appropriate 
weather reports or weather forecasts, 
or a combination of them, indicate 
that, at the estimated time of arrival 
at the alternate airport, the ceiling 
and visibility at that airport will be at 

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