Part 91 Helicopter Operations Guide

Why Part 91 matters for helicopter pilots

14 CFR Part 91 is the foundation of every civil flight in US airspace. Even when you fly commercially under Part 135, Part 91 still applies as the underlying baseline.

For helicopter pilots specifically, Part 91 governs:

• General flight rules (right of way, minimum altitudes, careless operation)
• Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) weather minimums
• Fuel requirements
• Aircraft documents and required inspections
• Pilot currency and recency of experience
• Reporting of accidents and incidents

This guide breaks down the Part 91 sections most relevant to rotorcraft operations, with operational examples.

Key Part 91 sections for helicopter pilots

• 14 CFR 91.3 - Responsibility and authority of the pilot in command
• 14 CFR 91.7 - Civil aircraft airworthiness
• 14 CFR 91.103 - Preflight action
• 14 CFR 91.151 - Fuel requirements for flight in VFR conditions
• 14 CFR 91.155 - Basic VFR weather minimums
• 14 CFR 91.205 - Required equipment for IFR operations
• 14 CFR 91.207 - Emergency locator transmitters (ELT)
• 14 CFR 91.209 - Aircraft lights
• 14 CFR 91.211 - Supplemental oxygen
• 14 CFR 91.409 - Inspections
• 14 CFR 91.417 - Maintenance records

Each section has direct operational implications for helicopter pilots. The following posts in this section break down specific rules and how they apply to real rotorcraft flights.