[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 14, Volume 2]
[Revised as of January 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 14CFR61.1]

[Page 8-10]
 
                     TITLE 14--AERONAUTICS AND SPACE
 
CHAPTER I--FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 
                               (Continued)
 
PART 61--CERTIFICATION: PILOTS, FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS, AND GROUND INSTRUCTORS--Table of Contents
 
                           Subpart A--General
 
Sec. 61.1  Applicability and definitions.


    (a) This part prescribes:
    (1) The requirements for issuing pilot, flight instructor, and 
ground instructor certificates and ratings; the

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conditions under which those certificates and ratings are necessary; and 
the privileges and limitations of those certificates and ratings.
    (2) The requirements for issuing pilot, flight instructor, and 
ground instructor authorizations; the conditions under which those 
authorizations are necessary; and the privileges and limitations of 
those authorizations.
    (3) The requirements for issuing pilot, flight instructor, and 
ground instructor certificates and ratings for persons who have taken 
courses approved by the Administrator under other parts of this chapter.
    (b) For the purpose of this part:
    (1) Aeronautical experience means pilot time obtained in an 
aircraft, flight simulator, or flight training device for meeting the 
appropriate training and flight time requirements for an airman 
certificate, rating, flight review, or recency of flight experience 
requirements of this part.
    (2) Authorized instructor means--
    (i) A person who holds a valid ground instructor certificate issued 
under part 61 or part 143 of this chapter when conducting ground 
training in accordance with the privileges and limitations of his or her 
ground instructor certificate;
    (ii) A person who holds a current flight instructor certificate 
issued under part 61 of this chapter when conducting ground training or 
flight training in accordance with the privileges and limitations of his 
or her flight instructor certificate; or
    (iii) A person authorized by the Administrator to provide ground 
training or flight training under SFAR No. 58, or part 61, 121, 135, or 
142 of this chapter when conducting ground training or flight training 
in accordance with that authority.
    (3) Cross-country time means--
    (i) Except as provided in paragraphs (b)(3) (ii), (iii), (iv), and 
(v) of this section, time acquired during a flight--
    (A) Conducted by a person who holds a pilot certificate;
    (B) Conducted in an aircraft;
    (C) That includes a landing at a point other than the point of 
departure; and
    (D) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic 
navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to 
the landing point.
    (ii) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience 
requirements (except for a rotorcraft category rating), for a private 
pilot certificate, a commercial pilot certificate, or an instrument 
rating, or for the purpose of exercising recreational pilot privileges 
(except in a rotorcraft) under Sec. 61.101(c), time acquired during a 
flight--
    (A) Conducted in an appropriate aircraft;
    (B) That includes a point of landing that was at least a straight-
line distance of more than 50 nautical miles from the original point of 
departure; and
    (C) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic 
navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to 
the landing point.
    (iii) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience 
requirements for any pilot certificate with a rotorcraft category rating 
or an instrument-helicopter rating, or for the purpose of exercising 
recreational pilot privileges, in a rotorcraft, under Sec. 61.101(c), 
time acquired during a flight--
    (A) Conducted in an appropriate aircraft;
    (B) That includes a point of landing that was at least a straight-
line distance of more than 25 nautical miles from the original point of 
departure; and
    (C) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic 
navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems to navigate to 
the landing point.
    (iv) For the purpose of meeting the aeronautical experience 
requirements for an airline transport pilot certificate (except with a 
rotorcraft category rating), time acquired during a flight--
    (A) Conducted in an appropriate aircraft;
    (B) That is at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 
nautical miles from the original point of departure; and
    (C) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic 
navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems.

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    (v) For a military pilot who qualifies for a commercial pilot 
certificate (except with a rotorcraft category rating) under Sec. 61.73 
of this part, time acquired during a flight--
    (A) Conducted in an appropriate aircraft;
    (B) That is at least a straight-line distance of more than 50 
nautical miles from the original point of departure; and
    (C) That involves the use of dead reckoning, pilotage, electronic 
navigation aids, radio aids, or other navigation systems.
    (4) Examiner means any person who is authorized by the Administrator 
to conduct a pilot proficiency test or a practical test for an airman 
certificate or rating issued under this part, or a person who is 
authorized to conduct a knowledge test under this part.
    (5) Flight simulator means a device that--
    (i) Is a full-size aircraft cockpit replica of a specific type of 
aircraft, or make, model, and series of aircraft;
    (ii) Includes the hardware and software necessary to represent the 
aircraft in ground operations and flight operations;
    (iii) Uses a force cueing system that provides cues at least 
equivalent to those cues provided by a 3 degree freedom of motion 
system;
    (iv) Uses a visual system that provides at least a 45 degree 
horizontal field of view and a 30 degree vertical field of view 
simultaneously for each pilot; and
    (v) Has been evaluated, qualified, and approved by the 
Administrator.
    (6) Flight training means that training, other than ground training, 
received from an authorized instructor in flight in an aircraft.
    (7) Flight training device means a device that--
    (i) Is a full-size replica of the instruments, equipment, panels, 
and controls of an aircraft, or set of aircraft, in an open flight deck 
area or in an enclosed cockpit, including the hardware and software for 
the systems installed, that is necessary to simulate the aircraft in 
ground and flight operations;
    (ii) Need not have a force (motion) cueing or visual system; and
    (iii) Has been evaluated, qualified, and approved by the 
Administrator.
    (8) Ground training means that training, other than flight training, 
received from an authorized instructor.
    (9) Instrument approach means an approach procedure defined in part 
97 of this chapter.
    (10) Instrument training means that time in which instrument 
training is received from an authorized instructor under actual or 
simulated instrument conditions.
    (11) Knowledge test means a test on the aeronautical knowledge areas 
required for an airman certificate or rating that can be administered in 
written form or by a computer.
    (12) Pilot time means that time in which a person--
    (i) Serves as a required pilot flight crewmember;
    (ii) Receives training from an authorized instructor in an aircraft, 
flight simulator, or flight training device; or
    (iii) Gives training as an authorized instructor in an aircraft, 
flight simulator, or flight training device.
    (13) Practical test means a test on the areas of operations for an 
airman certificate, rating, or authorization that is conducted by having 
the applicant respond to questions and demonstrate maneuvers in flight, 
in a flight simulator, or in a flight training device.
    (14) Set of aircraft means aircraft that share similar performance 
characteristics, such as similar airspeed and altitude operating 
envelopes, similar handling characteristics, and the same number and 
type of propulsion systems.
    (15) Training time means training received--
    (i) In flight from an authorized instructor;
    (ii) On the ground from an authorized instructor; or
    (iii) In a flight simulator or flight training device from an 
authorized instructor.

[Doc. No. 25910, 62 FR 16298, Apr. 4, 1997; Amdt. 61-103, 62 FR 40893, 
July 30, 1997]