711 

Federal Aviation Administration, DOT 

§ 91.129 

§ 91.129

Operations in Class D air-

space. 

(a) 

General.  Unless otherwise author-

ized or required by the ATC facility 
having jurisdiction over the Class D 
airspace area, each person operating an 
aircraft in Class D airspace must com-
ply with the applicable provisions of 
this section. In addition, each person 
must comply with §§ 91.126 and 91.127. 
For the purpose of this section, the pri-
mary airport is the airport for which 
the Class D airspace area is designated. 
A satellite airport is any other airport 
within the Class D airspace area. 

(b) 

Deviations.  An operator may devi-

ate from any provision of this section 
under the provisions of an ATC author-
ization issued by the ATC facility hav-
ing jurisdiction over the airspace con-
cerned. ATC may authorize a deviation 
on a continuing basis or for an indi-
vidual flight, as appropriate. 

(c) 

Communications. Each person oper-

ating an aircraft in Class D airspace 
must meet the following two-way radio 
communications requirements: 

(1) 

Arrival or through flight. Each per-

son must establish two-way radio com-
munications with the ATC facility (in-
cluding foreign ATC in the case of for-
eign airspace designated in the United 
States) providing air traffic services 
prior to entering that airspace and 
thereafter maintain those communica-
tions while within that airspace. 

(2) 

Departing flight. Each person— 

(i) From the primary airport or sat-

ellite airport with an operating control 
tower must establish and maintain 
two-way radio communications with 
the control tower, and thereafter as in-
structed by ATC while operating in the 
Class D airspace area; or 

(ii) From a satellite airport without 

an operating control tower, must es-
tablish and maintain two-way radio 
communications with the ATC facility 
having jurisdiction over the Class D 
airspace area as soon as practicable 
after departing. 

(d) 

Communications failure. Each per-

son who operates an aircraft in a Class 
D airspace area must maintain two- 
way radio communications with the 
ATC facility having jurisdiction over 
that area. 

(1) If the aircraft radio fails in flight 

under IFR, the pilot must comply with 
§ 91.185 of the part. 

(2) If the aircraft radio fails in flight 

under VFR, the pilot in command may 
operate that aircraft and land if— 

(i) Weather conditions are at or 

above basic VFR weather minimums; 

(ii) Visual contact with the tower is 

maintained; and 

(iii) A clearance to land is received. 
(e) 

Minimum altitudes when operating 

to an airport in Class D airspace. (1) Un-
less required by the applicable dis-
tance-from-cloud criteria, each pilot 
operating a large or turbine-powered 
airplane must enter the traffic pattern 
at an altitude of at least 1,500 feet 
above the elevation of the airport and 
maintain at least 1,500 feet until fur-
ther descent is required for a safe land-
ing. 

(2) Each pilot operating a large or 

turbine-powered airplane approaching 
to land on a runway served by an in-
strument approach procedure with 
vertical guidance, if the airplane is so 
equipped, must: 

(i) Operate that airplane at an alti-

tude at or above the glide path between 
the published final approach fix and 
the decision altitude (DA), or decision 
height (DH), as applicable; or 

(ii) If compliance with the applicable 

distance-from-cloud criteria requires 
glide path interception closer in, oper-
ate that airplane at or above the glide 
path, between the point of interception 
of glide path and the DA or the DH. 

(3) Each pilot operating an airplane 

approaching to land on a runway 
served by a visual approach slope indi-
cator must maintain an altitude at or 
above the glide path until a lower alti-
tude is necessary for a safe landing. 

(4) Paragraphs (e)(2) and (e)(3) of this 

section do not prohibit normal brack-
eting maneuvers above or below the 
glide path that are conducted for the 
purpose of remaining on the glide path. 

(f) 

Approaches.  Except when con-

ducting a circling approach under part 
97 of this chapter or unless otherwise 
required by ATC, each pilot must— 

(1) Circle the airport to the left, if op-

erating an airplane; or 

(2) Avoid the flow of fixed-wing air-

craft, if operating a helicopter. 

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